Students Jump Ahead with Math Software | Education & Schools

A Henderson elementary school has a unique way to teach math, and it is making a big difference in grades and test scores.

The students at C.T. Sewell Elementary School are using a program created by the MIND Research Institute. It is called S.T. Math. It uses motivational learning with visual reinforcements to teach kids the fundamentals of math.

The program is like a video game. It features JiJi the penguin. JiJi guides the kids through tough concepts and challenges them to move to the next level. The MIND Research Institute says math is beyond memorizing. The say the program works to make math concepts understandable for students of any level.

“All of the math can make sense to you. If you use cutting edge computer software along with visual animation on the screen you can make sure that whether you are a kindergartner learning how to count or you are learning linear Algebra, that all of it makes sense,” Andrew Coulson with MIND Research Institute said. 

Sewell Elementary has been using the program for the past two years. Math grades have improved along with scores on standardized tests. The school has seen a 10 percent increase in kids who are proficient in math for their grade level. Now the school has 76 percent math proficiency.

S.T. Math is now in seven Clark County schools. The program is just for elementary school math students but The MIND Research Institute is working on middle and high school programs. They are looking to get it in more schools in Nevada.