Ignite love for math in Bulgarian students

Math with JUMP is easy, math with JUMP is for everyone.

With this remark begins the methodological reflection after the visited classes in 1st and 2nd grade, with Mrs. Tsonka Todorova and Mrs. Iliana Kuteva, in the "Hristo Botev" Municipal School in the town of Stamboliyski. They recognize and live the motto of the methodology, because already for the third month with JUMP Math the math classes are not just more interesting for the children, but more than that: the students are engaged and active, they solve the problems with focus and believe in their own mathematical abilities.

Educators excitedly show the notebooks to the children, "see, this is much better than traditional". The problems and examples in the JUMP Math workbooks stimulate children to think and explore new math concepts at a much higher cognitive level. Instead of instructions such as "color" and "connect" that are repeated in standard textbooks, JUMP Math notebooks provide a variety of challenging problems to compare, sort, fill in, and find missing elements or patterns. The problems in this methodology are not just examples, but challenges to solve that develop children's thinking and exploration skills.

The shcool year has accelerated and 48 newly trained teachers like Mrs. Todorova and Mrs. Kuteva have joined the JUMP Math community. The special thing about these teachers is their students come entrirely from Roma communities and are study in 25 segregated schools across the country.

We've already witnessed the results during several school visits. Teachers are relived as they finally have a logical and easy to use methodological guide. Students are excited and williing to discover, participate in class and learn. Learning math with JUMP gives the the motivation to be in school every day. With JUMP their potiencial is being unlocked and they step on a new and stimulating path of learning and growth. 

It is truly amazing to be part of all this. Thank you for the support and have a joly Christmas holiday! 

Dear supporters,

We are grateful for having you with us during these turbulent times all around the globe!

The results from the national assessment at 4^th grade have been announced and without surprises for the consequential year there’s been a decline in students’ basic mathematical achievements. The main reasons (remaining unaddressed): the time spent in math classes and in online education the last 2 years, math curriculum and of course the methods of teaching math in school. The system can find solution for the last two but still resists to adopt in systematically due to the contract relationships with several big book editorials monopolizing the primary education.

Despite the challenges, during these last months we carried out two strategic partnerships:

1. IPE/ JUMP Math Bulgaria took part in the educational campaing led by Khan Academy Bulgaria (Education with backpacks) in support of Ukrainian students in Bulgaria. JUMP Math’s teachers’ guides were accessible and free of charge for all educators and volunteers in various initiatives in service to the children running from the war in Ukraine and their teachers.
2. As we already shared in the previous edition of our bulletin the biggest project for the next school year will be our partnership with The Trust for Social Achievement. Thanks to the TSA financial support we will teach more than 45 pedagocigal specialists from the 1^st and 2^nd grade from school all around the country catering primarily students from disadvantaged backgrounds and minority groups. JUMP Math will reach more than 600 students and will help them develop with confidence and joy the basic mathematical and functional skills.

We’ve already gone through the first milestone- invitation for the schools and the process of final selection, accomplished. One common message all school principals shared: “We are aware of the existence of JUMP Math and we’ve always wanted to use it but our small schools don’t have the necessary budget.” Only 30 schools in the project from more than 1000 in the country. It’s been an enormous motivation to go on looking for a systemic solution to the problems.

And, last but not least JUMP Math students score higher than the ones taught with traditional methods and books. The biggest recognition for JUMP's impact is when our partners share autonomously about their students’ successes.

With this we wish you pleasant and warm August. Looking forward to seeing you in the fall, as they say in the Bulgarian refrain “ ”!

Links:

• JUMP Math with the support of TSA