MIND Education, a leader in neuroscience-driven math education solutions, has released transformative upgrades to ST Math, its visual instructional program that teaches math the way the brain learns. The revolutionized curriculum introduces new games, an engaging island-themed student journey, an improved educator dashboard, enhanced Puzzle Talks to foster mathematical discourse, and comprehensive teacher workshops.

Drawing on more than 25 years of neuroscience research, MIND’s approach helps students learn by doing—a method proven to foster critical thinking, creativity, and deep conceptual understanding. These ST Math enhancements deliver learning experiences that are both engaging and effective at impacting positive outcomes.

MIND’s impact research shows that when students use ST Math, they increase in proficiency on state assessments. Through game-based learning, students develop a positive relationship with mathematics because they experience joy and success in learning. They play and immerse themselves in concepts while simultaneously building perseverance and problem-solving skills, fostering a deep understanding and a strong connection to math.

This approach fosters a mindset where all kids see themselves as "math people," ready to tackle the challenges of tomorrow with curiosity, creativity, and confidence. ST Math is designed to break down language and learning barriers and make math accessible to all students.

Formats/platforms used:

ST Math is a game-based online learning platform.

Primary URL:

https://www.stmath.com/

Problem solved:

Based on more than 25 years of neuroscience research about how the brain learns best, MIND’s math curriculum ensures students learn by doing, fostering creativity and critical thinking. This active engagement prevents the passive learning trap of merely seeking the right answers, instead equipping students with the skills they need to tackle real-world problems.

ST Math specifically fosters:

● Inclusive and Effective Learning Environments: Breaking down language and learning barriers with a visual learning methodology makes math accessible to all students.

● Empowered Teaching and Learning: MIND’s evidence-based components include productive struggle, creative reasoning, formative feedback, student engagement, and mathematical discourse. This approach supports teachers in creating an environment where students are actively involved in their learning and build deep conceptual understanding.

● Joy in Mathematics: ST Math’s new enhancements will accelerate math learning and conceptual understanding in less time. Students will make remarkable progress with less ‘unproductive struggle,’ resulting in significantly improved math learning outcomes. Games that actively engage students help them avoid the passive learning trap of merely seeking the right answers, instead equipping students with the skills they need to tackle real-world problems.

Grades/age ranges:

Pre-K–8

Does your product address core/supplemental/special needs/extracurricular/professional development?

ST Math addresses:

● Tier 1, 2, and 3 instruction

● English language learners

● Special Education

● Intervention

● All Subgroups

● Tutoring

● Expanded Learning

● Summer School

● Professional development

Standards:

MIND’s Quasi-Experimental Design (QED) methodology extends far beyond the gold standard RCT and has been third-party validated to meet WWC and ESSA standards. This allows them to analyze every new cohort of schools, every year, using any standardized testing data. They continually evaluate and validate ST Math’s impact across various demographics, every year, ensuring our program delivers repeatable, consistent, equitable impact for all students.

Lesson time needed:

ST Math contains tens of thousands of puzzles. To ensure that students problem-solve all year and to cover the critical areas of their grade level, try these recommended weekly goals:

Pricing model:

Contact for pricing information.

Additional services needed:

No additional services are needed for this product.

New educator professional learning packages seamlessly integrate ST Math into educators’ core instruction. The Curriculum Integration Package features dynamic, collaborative sessions to empower curriculum writers, enabling them to easily embed ST Math into their district's core curriculum. The Math Discourse with Puzzle Talks package invites educators to participate in a multi-session workshop using a modeling package designed to empower educators in facilitating rich mathematical discourse.

What makes ST Math unique?

What makes ST Math unique is how our approach fosters both joy and comprehension in math. ST Math aligns with brain-based learning principles, fostering deep understanding and critical thinking. By moving beyond traditional methods of math education, MIND has created inclusive, engaging learning environments that ensure students become innovative problem-solvers, making math a joyful experience, and significantly improving learning outcomes.

Characteristics:

ST Math’s user interface offers a simple and elegant design aimed at reducing cognitive load to maximize learning. A game-based learning layer fosters student engagement, while standardized input components create predictability throughout the program. To support students with colorblindness, none of the games rely on color.

From an instructional design perspective, ST Math’s spatial temporal models provide students with direct access to mathematical concepts. A built-in progression from the visual to the symbolic creates a conceptual foundation, while formative feedback empowers students to learn from their mistakes. Our problem-based approach enables students to develop problem-solving skills while learning mathematics concepts.

As part of the recent upgrades, ST Math Puzzle Talks have been redesigned to better fit into fast-paced schedules, to be easier to find and use for teachers within the ST Math platform, and to be more accessible to all users. Similar to number talks or math talks, Puzzle Talks are designed to encourage students to communicate and deepen their mathematical understanding.

Here’s what users are saying:

"Using ST Math to launch a new math concept allows all students to start on the same playing field regardless of their background knowledge. It facilitates conversations among students to notice and ask questions about patterns and make predictions about what might happen, as the math is the missing piece to really help students develop visual conceptual knowledge before moving on to abstract symbols in mathematics."

—Kerien Driscoll, ELL Teacher, MA

"The engagement of teachers and students with ST Math has grown from exploration to absolute excitement and competition!! ST Math is not viewed by our school community as simply ‘an online platform;’ it is part of our everyday life, part of our curriculum, and a highlight of our students' daily lives!"

—DeeDee Dyer, Teacher, NY

"As a program, ST Math puts students in a situation that expects them to think immediately. Students are required to build deep math understanding by building concepts and making analytical estimates. The program gives students a chance to turn their mistakes into opportunities for reflection. Additionally, our bilingual students remain highly engaged by this differentiated approach."

—Javier Arriola-Lopez, Principal, IL