With the school year officially underway, the Brock Learning Lab (BLL) has teamed up with Brock’s Teacher Education programs to help elementary students strengthen their math and problem-solving skills this fall.

The new mathematics enrichment program uses a creative approach that goes beyond memorizing procedures and formulas to develop the logical thinking skills of kindergarten to Grade 8 children.

BLL Director and Professor of Educational Studies Tiffany Gallagher said the blended math and reading program supports elementary students to build creativity and develop new ways of thinking while adapting to their individual needs.

“This program works on developing students higher-order thinking and reasoning skills, problem-solving skills and mathematical confidence,” Gallagher said.

Tutoring sessions will be tailored and may focus on number sense, patterning and algebra, spatial sense and data. The methodology combines core mathematics principles and introduces fun challenges involving illustrated, comic-based texts meant to engage young learners.

This program marks the first collaboration between the Teacher Education programs and BLL.

Associate Professor of Mathematics Steven Khan said that the partnership not only helps students in the Niagara community, but also provides a valuable opportunity for aspiring teachers.

“Brock’s Primary-Junior teacher candidates will benefit from being able to see how individual children engage with mathematics learning while identifying opportunities to support their ongoing growth,” he said.

Previous iterations of the innovative mathematics program piloted in other educational jurisdictions revealed that its focus on student agency combined with rigorous and motivating tasks made for successful learning moments for students, said Khan.

“Recent research with this program in the United States has found that it raises the math achievement of all students, including economically disadvantaged students who show high math potential but who were not high achieving in the subject,” he said.

Families that are interested in accessing BLL tutoring services, including the new enrichment program, can register on the BLL website until Friday, Sept. 20.