{"id":73013,"date":"2012-09-07T13:25:11","date_gmt":"2012-09-07T17:25:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dominicanewsonline.com\/news\/?p=73013"},"modified":"2012-09-07T19:51:17","modified_gmt":"2012-09-07T23:51:17","slug":"tackling-mathematics-through-music","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dominicanewsonline.com\/news\/homepage\/news\/educationyouth\/tackling-mathematics-through-music\/","title":{"rendered":"Tackling mathematics through music"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Numeracy specialist Clement Vital at the launch of the CD on Friday<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Ministry of Education has launched an initiative that it says will give students from grades two to four a new way to learn and remember their multiplication tables and assist in tackling the acute problem of mathematics in the nation’s schools.<\/p>\n

A CD entitled “Multiplication Tables: Mastering Tables Through Music” was launched on Friday and it is expected to get students interested in mathematics.<\/p>\n

The CD, with six songs, was produced by numeracy specialist Clement Vital and directed by Ian Jackson.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis multiplication tables CD represents another tangible indicator of the efforts of the Ministry of Education to try to address the acute challenges in respect of mathematics performance in primary schools,” Vital said.<\/p>\n

He said the CD will hopefully raise the enthusiasm of students in learning the multiplication tables, particularly the students who are musically inclined.<\/p>\n

The CD comprises mathematical tables of 3,4,6,7,8 and 9 with multipliers 1 to 9 and is designed to engage students and re-enforce the concepts of learning multiplication tables.<\/p>\n

It uses different genres of popular musical beats, including bouyon, and challenges students at three levels of difficulty.<\/p>\n

The table is first sung completely twice, at challenge level one. Students will then be given the opportunity to provide the products of the multipliers at challenge level two. Each table is shuffled at challenge level three and students are allowed to give products of multipliers.<\/p>\n

The CD can be used to introduce math lessons, for class and grade competitions, during assemblies and to settle students down in the afternoon sessions. It can also be played in homes and in the car to engage students meaningfully,\u201d Vital said.<\/p>\n

The CD is available for purchase at the Ministry of Education but each school on the island will receive a copy.<\/p>\n

Statistics released by the Ministry of Education have revealed that performance in Mathematics among Dominican students is below regional rates. In 2012, 27.9 percent of students taking mathematics CSEC exams achieved acceptable grades compared with 37.9 percent in 2011.<\/p>\n

Education Minister, Petter St Jean has also expressed concerns over performance in mathematics in Dominica’s schools. \u201cCSEC results show consistent poor performance in Mathematics. Student\u2019s scores point to the need to address with greater urgency the problems associated with teaching\/learning of numeracy in the education system,\u201d he said recently at a press conference to release CSEC results.<\/p>\n

Click below to listen to one of the tracks on the CD.<\/p>\n