Ms. Robyn Engelson, a math teacher for the Bureau of Non-Public Schools, New York City Department of Education, uses Reflex in her classroom. All the students in her Title I program have received a score below 45% on the New York state tests. “One of the biggest impediments to learning the main curriculum is the fact that her 6th and 7th graders have still not been able to memorize their multiplication tables and sometimes even use their fingers to add and subtract. Using Reflex in the classroom, and encouraging home use, helps students gain mastery.”
Every year Ms. Engelson creates a facts-solved poster in her classroom for Reflex, but this year she decided to try something different to encourage students to use the program regularly. She created a poster that depicts all the available games in Reflex, seven of which students have to “earn” through Green Light days, and each student puts a post it note with their name and class next to a game when they open it. Even though some students ask, “Can you please add me to Alien Sundae?” she insists that they post it themselves “because they need to own their success.”
The board has helped motivate her students and increase usage. She adds, “They were so excited to see how many games they opened that it motivated them to play more and get their name up on new games to complete the chart. Not only are the students becoming math fact fluent, they are gaining confidence in themselves as well. And the board is filling out. Can’t wait to see how it looks in June!”
