MathRiders Junior | Mathriders

MathRiders Junior Ages 4 – 11

Student Age

4-11

Number of Lessons

32-40 lessons / year

Lesson Length and Frequency

A 50- 60 minute lesson, once a week

Learning Materials

4 student workbooks, homework pads, student sets with workbooks, mathematical songs, movement, games and activities.

Building Strong Mathematical Foundations

MathRiders uses hands-on learning in which real-life experiences turn into mathematical concepts.

Children are provided with brain stimulation and a mathematically enriched environment to nurture and develop their innate skills. Through an effective and fun learning programme that includes activities, music, songs and stories, MathRiders helps build a strong maths foundation, reasoning and problem-solving skills.

Based on Research studies, and developed by a joint team of mathematician educators, our unique methodology uses cross-body movements to build connections of brain hemispheres and music which strengthens mental arithmetic abilities, inventive thinking and is proven to help solve mathematical problems.

Junior programme courses:

Level 1 (Kindergarten)
Level 2 (1st grade)
Level 3 (2nd grade)
Level 4 (3rd grade)
Level 5 (4th grade)
Level 6 (5th grade)

Children learn to:

Research and investigate mathematical manifestations in the world around us.
Express their experiences and thoughts
Understand and analyse
Draw conclusions which lead to understanding mathematical rules and formulas
Verify these rules into other phenomena to internalize understanding
Develop confidence in their ability to succeed
Gain a love for and an understanding of maths.

Junior programme mathematical concepts

Mathematical thinking: To foster the process of mathematical thinking in the student to promote a solid understanding of maths
Self-Expression: To encourage the student to clearly express their thoughts, so that they gain confidence in their ability to communicate and learns this important leadership skill
Problem-Solving: To offer the student approaches to problem-solving, and present mathematics in a dynamic way that will improve the student’s mathematical reasoning
Broad Foundation: To reinforce learning concepts in numeracy, shape and space, length and weight, money, data base and to use concrete materials in order to form sound abstract mathematical concepts.
Brainstorming: To learn to communicate and bounce ideas off peers by working individually, in pairs and as a part of a small group.

For detailed information about MathRiders

Mind map explanation

The Mind Map is a tool invented by Tony Buzan for consolidating ideas and how the brain builds and connects them. Even Leonardo Da Vinci used mapping to chart his ideas! This MathRiders Junior Mind Map gives a holistic view of the elements that make up an actual MathRiders lesson.

Brain jogs (all ages)

Brain Jogs are quick and fun energizing activities that prepare a learner for thinking and coordination skills. Each activity uses movements that cross the midline and connects both brain hemispheres. When the brain hemispheres are connected, the student is able to use right brain creativity and left brain logic simultaneously. It is being proven more and more that an approach which integrates these two different activities of the brain leads to far more effective learning. Brain Jogs bring movement and learning together.

Musical activities: (younger ages)

The children do fun mathematical activities with percussion instruments in order to strengthen mental arithmetic abilities, inventive thinking and group dynamics, as well as non-verbal individual participation.

Hands on: (all ages)

Learning is dynamic for MathRiders Junior students. Students explore and investigate maths through age and developmentally appropriate hands-on activities and games. These include, interlocking cubes, measuring each other’s height using a non-conventional standard of measure (bricks, books or other objects) building a clock, colouring, comparing items, and many different ways to see mathematics in action. Once the hands-on activity has been done, it is time to express it in mathematical terms.

Self-expression: (all ages)

The child expresses himself as an individual as well as part of a group. During the core part of the lesson in which the child examines mathematical problems in a concrete, hands-on manner, he is encouraged to verbally express what he has discovered and to improve his manner of expression. His views and thoughts are respected and thus help build his self-esteem, legitimize his thoughts and strengthen his belief in himself. This, in turn, increases his motivational level, which, in turn, generates success. He verbally expresses the hands-on mathematical activity the group has just done, and together with the teacher, he and the group learn to transform this to ‘real world’ activity into a mathematical exercise on paper.

Written activities: (all ages)

All students, from Levels 1 through 6 have written workbook activities that mirror the lesson activity. The children work in unique workbooks in order to establish and strengthen their abilities and understanding of the numerals as opposed to verbal/mental arithmetic. The teacher is able to confirm that lessons and concepts are absorbed by each student. These written activities balance the lesson; in combining written activities with movement and play, knowledge is retained longer and students successfully learn maths. As the levels progress, students are challenged and receive lots of positive reinforcement to succeed.

Songs and stories

In levels 1 and 2, lessons contain songs relating to counting to help the child remember the basics of maths. Lessons for Levels 1 – 4 often end with a story that: depicts the life of a great mathematician, tells an aspect of the history of maths, or relates to mathematical concepts.

In this way, the child connects to the emotional side of the subject and is able to reflect on yet another facet of the world of mathematics.