Elementary school math scores are getting progressively lower each year, and with the changes in curriculum about how math is taught, parents are often just as stuck as their children. Azusa Pacific University professors Richard Barsh, EdD ’15, Susan Hall, MEd, Ie May Freeman, EdD, and Mary Vongsavanh, MEd, an APU adjunct professor and intervention math teacher in Murrieta Valley Unified School District (MVUSD), were inspired to bridge these gaps in a creative and engaging way.
After attending a BranchEd convention two years ago, the professors were encouraged to submit a proposal for an event that would bring together multiple community stakeholders to close the achievement gap in math. Part of Vongsavanh’s job at the elementary school level is to provide math intervention support, so she and the other professors decided to build upon that idea. Vongsavanh had previously hosted math nights that were very casual, taking place in the multipurpose room and consisting of math games. She believed that both students and parents would benefit if the parents better understood how to help their children with math at home.
The group proposed an improved math night event which received a grant, and last February, students and their families were invited to the APU Murrieta campus for the first Magic of Math Night. “Our vision looked toward equipping parents and guardians at home to help their kids with math,” Barsh said. “We didn’t want this to be a one night event and be done with it, but rather the beginning of facilitating math discussions at home and solving problems together.” The first event consisted of breakout sessions where attendants played math games and learned literacy strategies for solving problems using manipulatives. The event brought together 80 families, the max number for the space, while 175 people had originally shown interest.
At the second Magic of Math night held this past February, nearly 250 parents, students, faculty, MVUSD administrators, and APU teacher candidates went to Cole Canyon Elementary School to participate. To increase excitement about the event, Chick Fil A sponsored the event with food funded by BranchEd. This year, the event took place in two rooms, and groups of students and families took turns in each. One room had math games similar to the first year’s event, while the second room was a math escape room. Students had to solve math problems to get numbers and codes that would unlock a box of prizes.
The rooms and activities are built around the five Cs: creativity, communication,
collaboration, critical thinking, and citizenship/character. These five elements were
a success during the events.
Vongsavanh has also seen a positive shift in the community’s perception of math. “I
love that we are instilling a love of math in children and making it something accessible
to all students,” she said. “Many of the parents tell me that they didn’t like or
weren’t good at math, so seeing their kids loving math helps them see the subject
in a different way where they can positively engage in learning together.”
Many parents were excited about the partnership between MVUSD and APU, especially since professors were going to be at the event. “These events highlight the importance of community partnerships,” Freeman said. “I believe that APU can extend the love of God to others through building community partnerships and collaborating with stakeholders. We strive to give and guide where we can.”
Another element of the event’s success is the participation of APU teacher candidates. These are graduate students in the early stages of the teaching credential program. The events have been valuable opportunities for candidates to gain comfortability working with students and interacting with families. “I was very proud of our teacher candidates,” Freeman said. “They were able to gain practical knowledge and positively interact with the parents.” Hall added that giving candidates hands-on experiences through community events like this is an important opportunity in the university’s teacher preparation program.
While the Magic of Math Nights are benefiting the local community, the idea is beginning to become widespread. Last year, the professors presented their work to higher educators from around the country, and recently, they had the opportunity to present at the Arizona Christian School Conference. Data from experience surveys is also being analyzed and used to write articles about how these events impact the community and teacher candidates. More Magic of Math Nights will be planned in the future in hopes of furthering the relationship between APU, teachers, students, and parents and cultivate a love for and proficiency in math.