RedefinEDonline.org
Hillsborough County, FL – It all begins with a song Mandy Johnson sings to her third-grade students to help them remember key math concepts.
“Area is two squares inside,” she sings. “What is the perimeter?”
She reinforces the repetition of the songs with worksheets students must complete every morning on key concepts. Johnson said this has helped students better retain the information.
Johnson said she has access to different math programs, which are not available in other public schools.
Indeed, the third-grade class at this low-income migrant school in Hillsborough County outscored every other third-grade class in the district on last year’s state math assessments. Ninety-eight percent of Wimauma students are Hispanic. Nearly all are considered economically disadvantaged. More than four-fifths are classified as English language learners.