Jump math

Anytime I have a professional day and get the chance to take a math workshop, I get energized. This past Monday, I got the chance to attend a JUMP math workshop. JUMP stands for Junior Undiscovered Math Prodigy. I think there is some misunderstanding out there about JUMP. It is not a remedial program, nor is it just a set of workbooks. It is so much more. What stands out for me is the amount of free resources for teachers. JUMP is a recognized charity and as such gives away a lot of resources to teachers. The teacher guides are all free to download as well as unit tests and blackline masters. All that needs to be purchased in yearly workbooks for students. These are $7 each and each year has two different books.

 It re-affirmed a lot of what I believe about Math. Like Literacy, I feel there needs to be a balance. Swing too far one way and you run the risk of losing a certain percentage of your students. JUMP, to me, seems to strike a balance between Discovery math learning and Back to the Basics math. It has just enough manipulatives and hands-on learning to get kids interested but it also provides that much needed practice. Students needs repetition. You will see this as a theme on my blog. Don't just do a lesson once, repeat it. Change the numbers but keep the task or idea the same. students LOVE to feel a sense of mastery.

One part that I was impressed with was the confidence building units. These are designed in a way to make students feel successful and feel like they have mastered a math task they may have felt unattainable before. JUMP math is designed with a focus on scaffolding instruction. By moving slowly and step by step towards an end goal, students feel a lot of success. You can download one of the confidence building units here.

I am looking forward to trying some of it out in my classroom!