The makers of ReflexMath recently announced that since launching their fact-mastering program in April 2011, they have acquired one million student logins with more than 125 million math facts solved. Here at CESJDS, we are quickly adding to that impressive number.

There has been a buzz in the air the last few months, and about math facts none-the-less, that has our Lower School students going “Reflex crazy.”  The game-based approach to learning math engages students in a fun and effective way.  To date, Lower School students have demonstrated mastery in more than 28,000 new facts! The graph below represents the impressive rise in math fact fluency of CESJDS students since the program’s inception last fall.

New Math Fact Fluency of CESJDS Lower School Students

Increased fluency of CESJDS students from September 2011 to January 2012. The significant rise in acquired facts in mid-November corresponds to the ReflexMath teacher training sessions. The leveling of rate in late December corresponds to the winter holiday break.

Research shows that students who are not fluent with their basic math facts have major challenges mastering more advanced mathematical skills. With a faster working memory of facts, students can focus on the details of in-depth problem solving.  For example, our third graders are currently striving to master multi-digit multiplication problems. To have success with this type of multiplication, one must be able to remain focused on the sequence necessary for problem solving. Unfortunately many students must divert their attention away from the sequence in order to recall their math facts, and inevitably become lost in the process.  Using reflex, our students have been able to gain mastery of their basic facts and therefore remain fully engaged in the problem-solving process. As a result, they are better equipped to confidently take on new math challenges.

One of the key features of ReflexMath is that it continuously monitors each student's progress and creates the optimal experience for every child. Reflex will follow a student’s success rate on all facts, including the work done in prior sessions. When an individual is showing weakness in a specific area, the program will automatically adapt to delay the introduction of new facts to focus on facts which have not yet been mastered.

Although ReflexMath is just one resource that we use in the Lower School to develop math proficiency, it has become an integral tool for learning. It is our goal that through a combination of ReflexMath, various critical-thinking challenges, and a rigorous core curriculum, CESJDS students will confidently take on and master the most important mathematical topics for each grade level. Congratulations to all the teachers and students who have made ReflexMath such a success!