PITSBURGH, PA—Monica Patel, Implementation Strategist for the First In Math® Online Program, hoped for the best when she challenged Pittsburgh Mifflin PreK-8 students to keep playing with the ‘courage of lions’ when they plateaued at 44,000 online “Stickers.” What she got was even better, as the students showed the steel they are made of, amassing an additional 156,000 stickers—and solving more than 600,000 math problems—in only one month!
Their rise in the FIM Rankings has been equally meteoric, as they blitzed from a rank of 33rd to the #2 spot in only six weeks.
Coach Maley Augustynowicz is pictured with the top five Mifflin players,
left to right: Carolyn Pallof; Stephanie Wittpenn; Brian Boback; Anna Hoskins and Raelyn Oakes.
“The words, ‘believe in yourself’, have taken on real meaning at Mifflin because they now have a program through which they can aim high, together, as a school,” says Patel, who is spending time in the Pittsburgh area visiting local schools with FIM Pittsburgh representative Mark Losey.
According to Patel, students feel energized using the First In Math program, but report feeling ‘safe’ as well. “Math anxiety is the biggest obstacle to mathematics achievement. Stress scrambles the learning circuits. When I hear students describe math as ‘too difficult’ or ‘too boring’ what I really hear is them saying is that it is ‘too scary’. The First In Math program is a tool teachers can use to can help students overcome math anxiety and achieve their full academic potential.”
An inner-city, K-8 school that also houses a full-time Pre-Kindergarten program, Mifflin qualifies to receive full school Title I support. Mifflin currently boasts some of the Top Teams in the Pittsburgh Public School District by Individual Grade Level. Their Grade 5 Teams are ranked #4, #6 and #7. Grade 6 Team ‘Nova94pa’ ranks #1 in the district. Players Anna Hoskins and Stephanie Wittpenn rank #10 and #11 respectively among all 5th-graders in the district.
The Mifflin computer lab is a busy place. Student Abigal Elwell and lab teacher Lee Uptegraff discuss FIM strategy, while Jamal Jones concentrates on the Equal Pay game.
Principal Edward Littlehale says students at Mifflin are genuinely excited about math. “The buzz in the hallways is about who has the most stickers for First in Math. The students are not only having fun but becoming fluent with their basic facts, which encourages them to become great mathematicians." Littlehale is very proud of his students, but also points to dedicated Mifflin educators who are in the trenches motivating the students to do their best.
“Encouragement is key to motivating students in mathematics,” agrees Patel, who says that FIM also makes contributions in that area. “First In Math's game-style activities provide immediate positive feedback, while the program's competition component offers sustained, positive motivation, amplifying what the classroom teacher is doing.”
Mifflin Math coach, Maley Augustynowicz, notes that First in Math has given students the confidence to become better problem solvers. “The instant feedback provided by the program allows our students to not only become better with basic skills, but also to take on the challenge of solving harder problems they would not normally tackle. First in Math provides an essential tool of math practice without the boredom of the worksheet.”