When students aren’t raising their hands and participating in class, teachers usually assume that they either don’t know the answer—or they’re too shy. But without any feedback, teachers can’t know if students are actually understanding the material. So how can they help students participate more in class?
Confidence is key for successful students
When students are confident, they’re more likely to try new things and participate in the classroom. When students are active participants in class, they become more engaged and gain a deeper understanding of the subject matter. That’s a win for everyone.
Math facts matter
When students don’t know their math facts, it takes them a lot longer to answer a question. Then, when they finally formulate an answer, it’s often wrong because they made one or more calculation errors. Instead of gaining confidence, kids start to feel “dumb,” especially when other students raise their hands and shout out the correct answer quickly. After months and years of this, it’s understandable that many students start to say that they’re “not good” at math and give up.
Hard concepts rest on foundational skills
Without an understanding of core ideas like multiplication and division, students can quickly get bogged down when facing complicated concepts like fractions or algebra. Solving even the simplest fraction problem requires multiple math facts. This can be daunting, and students who are still counting on their fingers find this process slow and labor-intensive. They end up feeling defeated.
When learning is fun
Students who know their math facts can calculate problems more quickly in their heads and answer with confidence. Their attitude to math quickly takes a U-turn. Individualized, fun, game-based programs like ExploreLearning Reflex help students get math fact fluent quickly and effectively.
Since the program is fun and responds to the facts students know and don’t know, Reflex helps even struggling students master their facts quickly. Eager to do well in the games and earn tokens they can spend at a virtual store, students can log in after school, on weekends, and even on holidays to practice their math facts. With a quick glance at their fact fluency pyramid, students can see how much they’re improving and can take charge of their own learning.
Success builds confidence
Once students know their math facts, they’re also more open to trying more challenging problems. They know they’re more likely to get the answer right, and they’re more confident in their abilities.
Getting the answer right, acing a test, and winning awards and certificates from Reflex for mastering their math facts all increase students’ confidence. Students who feel confident participate in class. Students who raise their hand eagerly to give the answer are more likely to try—and succeed—on standardized tests as well. They’re motivated and they know they can excel.
Everybody wins with Reflex!
A class full of kids who are motivated and confident, excellent test scores, and more time for a teacher to dig deep into more complex material rather than grading endless timed math fact paper tests. What’s not to like?
To give Reflex a try in your classroom, sign up for a free 30-day trial and check it out.
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