Can Hip Hop Help Students Learn to Problem Solve?

Can Hip Hop Help Students Learn to Problem Solve?

An article in “Science Daily” tells us how mathematicians and choreographers are using dance to teach math.  Here’s an excerpt: Combining math and dance concepts allows people to experience a physical sensation of the often abstract concepts of math. Mathematical problem-solving is incorporated when creating new dances, which can even inspire new mathematics. Concepts can…

Texting is bad news for students who want good grades

Texting is bad news for students who want good grades

Specifically, students who want to do well in English should lay off the smart phones (or at least be mindful of punctuation when using them to communicate).  A recent study shows that texting has a negative impact on grammar skills.  Northwestern Doctoral Candidate Drew Cingel surveyed 228 middle school students in Pennsylvania about the number of…

Sharpening your Math Skills at the Supermarket

Sharpening your Math Skills at the Supermarket

A recent study shows that students who are good at estimating quantities without counting – like choosing which checkout line at the supermarket will move faster by guessing the number of people in it – do better in math at school.  Researchers from Duke University gave math tests to two groups of students.  Then, one…

Those A’s in Math Help Our Economy

Those A’s in Math Help Our Economy

Science and technology innovation drives the United States economy, according to many sources.  To continue to be a world economic leader, we must increase the number of workers who are educated in STEM fields.  STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Science. We have a long way to go. The average fourth grader scored below Singapore,…

An Academic Coach Makes All the Difference

An Academic Coach Makes All the Difference

According to a Stanford study, college students who receive academic coaching are more likely to stay in college and graduate. Professor Eric Bettinger of Stanford’s School of Education and doctoral student Rachel Baker found a 10 to 15 percent retention rate increase among students who had coaches and mentors to assist them in their college…

How do Students Benefit When their Parents Provide Support?  Let Us Count the Ways…

How do Students Benefit When their Parents Provide Support? Let Us Count the Ways…

We all know that parental involvement plays a vital role in determining whether a student will succeed in school.  But how does it help?  A study by Ann Henderson of  the Annenberg Institute for School Reform and Karen Mapp of the Harvard Graduate School of Education concluded that students with involved parents are more likely…