Nazareth Teachers Learn to Demystify Algebra

Algebra can be as mysterious as the wind. For example, here is a sample of a math problem everyone has wrestled with in school:

Sally is 4 years older than Tim. Together, their ages add up to 20. How old is each?

Eighteen Nazareth Area School District teachers spent the day on Tuesday, Jan. 31, attending a demonstration of an innovative, visual and kinesthetic (or hands-on) approach to teaching algebra -- the "Hands-On Equations" method.

"This is an approach to algebra which is very different," said Ellen Montney, who has spent the last 17 years showing teachers how to make algebra easy and fun for their students.

During Tuesday's session, Montney represented Borenson and Associates, a company headed by Dr. Henry Borenson. He is a former mathematics teacher from Pennsylvania and inventor of "Hands-On Equations."

According to to www.borenson.com, the method "provides students with a unique five-step procedure enabling them to concretize and solve word problems."

"Many students have difficulty with algebra and abstract word problems," Borenson said in a press release. "When the concepts are made visual and kinesthetic, they experience a high level of success, even in the lower grades."

The attending teachers, most of whom teach students in the fourth, fifth and sixth grades, learned that they will capture the attention of young people by reducing algebraic concepts to fun and games.

The hands-on method uses an array of game pieces to teach basic concepts. By moving pieces around, students learn how to solve problems while involved in the activity. When algebra becomes visual, the mystery disappears.

"This program is a supplement to instruction," said Isabel Resende, director of curriculum for the district. "It turns the abstract to fun with hands-on kinesthetic [activity]."

teachers attended the demonstration "to introduce [young] students to pre-algebra skills," according to Terry Myers, director of special education for the district.

The goal is to prepare students for high school, when algebra can be daunting.

Oh, and we haven't forgotten Sally and Tim! If you're still working on the lead-in problem, Sally is 12 and Tim is 8.