ETA/Cuisenaire Introduces Summer Stars Math™
Flexible, Hands-On Program Maximizes Instructional Time, Helps Students Get Back on Track
February 23, 2009 Vernon Hills, IL—Designed to fit any term length, support differentiated instruction, and move students to skill mastery through an engaging hands-on curriculum, Summer Stars™ Math for grades 3-6 is a new summer school math program just unveiled from educational publisher, ETA/Cuisenaire®.
Summer Stars Math is the only summer school program currently available that features ClassroomXpress™, an online tool that makes it easy for educators to develop a customized schedule based on the length and needs of their individual program. At the same time, ClassroomXpress allows monitoring of student strengths and tracking of instructional progress to ensure mastery of skills through a variety of reports and assessments. Summer school schedules are traditionally of different term lengths, making it difficult to plan and execute lessons properly using other programs designed for a fixed number of instructional days. ClassroomXpress addresses this issue with its convenient, customizable support for curriculum scheduling and planning. The progress monitoring feature also provides necessary accountability for summer school instruction.
Summer Stars Math is a modular program, offering content in topic-based units and allowing teachers to mix and match lessons based on appropriate state standards and other requirements. The program is aligned to NCTM Focal Points, as well as state curriculum standards, and supports the National Math Panel Report. It provides a wealth of opportunities to differentiate instruction through whole class, small group, and individual student activities that are manipulatives-based, creating a fun and engaging way for students to learn. Summer Stars Math also includes ETA/Cuisenaire's popular VersaTiles® product that offers self-correcting review and practice activities to help close the achievement gap.
Research from the National Center for Education Statistics shows that today, approximately 10 percent of public school students are enrolled in summer school classes. And that figure continues to grow. Many school districts seek to enroll even students who may not be falling behind to keep them from losing valuable math skills over the summer break because statistics show that, on average, students lose between two and three months of math knowledge over the summer. The data-driven instruction provided by Summer Stars Math addresses this by allowing teachers to focus specifically on the skills students need based on assessment results, and helps bridge math concepts from the concrete to the abstract for students with varying abilities.
"Summer school is serious business," emphasizes Sandy Schusteff, ETA/Cuisenaire's vice president of marketing. "The No Child Left Behind legislation requires school districts to track and measure student progress using state assessments, and when performance lags behind, schools must take appropriate action. Summer school is one way to help students catch up. The modular format of Summer Stars Math helps zero in on the areas requiring attention. The program's built-in online scheduling and process monitoring tools help teachers maximize instructional time and provide focused student support exactly where it's needed. Ours is the only program with this important advantage. Plus, the hands-on aspect of Summer Stars Math gets kids actively engaged in learning and makes the whole process fun. Research shows that hands-on activities definitely enrich and enhance math understanding."
For complete information on ETA/Cuisenaire's new Summer Stars Math program, visit www.summerstarsmath.com, or call 800-445-5985.
About ETA hand2mind
Headquartered in Vernon Hills, IL, ETA hand2mind is recognized as the premier publisher and pioneer of manipulatives-based education, with more than 8,000 supplemental math, reading, and science resources. Aligned to state and national standards, these products offer hands-on educational opportunities that engage students in learning and make teaching more effective for educators.
Londa Della 800-445-5985, ext. 5219
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