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Developing student success by blending academic support and interpersonal skill coaching

Inside Rhode Island’s largest elementary school, four fifth-grade ����ӰԺ gather around a small table scattered with worksheets and dice. The ����ӰԺ lean in to listen to Ben Roth, a City Year Providence AmeriCorps member from Pueblo, Colorado, who moved across the country to serve at Carl G. Lauro Elementary School for the 2018-2019 school year.

Ben is explaining a game called Target1000 from a  curriculum book. The goal, he says, is to get as close to 1,000 as possible, without going above, by rolling the dice and multiplying the outcomes by factors of ten. Ben places the ����ӰԺ in teams of two to compete against one another—and learn how to problem solve together. “Discuss with your partner which number you want to choose,” Ben says. The partners whisper, working together to select an answer. Two ����ӰԺ giggle and give each other a thumbs up when they pick a winning number.

In a small classroom down the hall, three fourth-grade ����ӰԺ sit in a semi-circle around City Year AmeriCorps member LaShawn Simmons. LaShawn, a native of Atlanta who has recently decided she wants to become a full-time elementary school teacher next year, explains a multiplication game called Pathways. The goal is to be the first player to complete a continuous pathway across the game board by naming factors and their corresponding products. LaShawn plays against her ����ӰԺ, joking that she will win the game. On her next turn, LaShawn encourages her ����ӰԺ to practice, asking them: “If you were in my shoes, what would you do next?” The ����ӰԺ are silent for a moment as they wonder what it might be like to be LaShawn.

Upstairs, three different fourth-grade ����ӰԺ practice counting. The ����ӰԺ eagerly raise their hands to offer their answers about things that come in pairs, groups of three and groups of four to Diana Perez, their City Year AmeriCorps member who grew up close by in North Providence. Every time a student provides an incorrect answer, Diana gently redirects the ����ӰԺ using growth mindset tools she learned in her training, to prompt the ����ӰԺ to consider an alternative answer and not get discouraged. Mistakes are part of learning, she says. “I like what you’re thinking, maybe think about another solution,” Diana urges. Encouraged to take risks, the ����ӰԺ enthusiastically share their ideas and keep working, undeterred by the fear of providing an incorrect answer.

Keeping ����ӰԺ engaged in math

For the ����ӰԺ at Carl G. Lauro Elementary, math lessons are an opportunity to learn new things and push outside of their comfort zone. By strengthening interpersonal skills, such as teamwork, empathy and persistence, City Year AmeriCorps members like Ben, LaShawn and Diana, keep their ����ӰԺ engaged and optimistic.

Recognizing that math is not learned in a vacuum, City Year AmeriCorps members focus on building their ����ӰԺ’ durable skills as they grapple with mathematical concepts and equations. If ����ӰԺ cannot manage their emotions, work with others, self-regulate and make responsible decisions, learning math becomes an impossible task—a reality that plays out for far too many ����ӰԺ across the country and the world.

Overcoming math anxiety

For many ����ӰԺ, math does not invoke excitement but is instead associated with fear, or math anxiety. show that math anxiety can start as early as first grade and affects almost half of all elementary school ����ӰԺ. When ����ӰԺ experience math anxiety, they fall into a perpetuating cycle of math avoidance and low achievement. By fourth grade, of ����ӰԺ in the United States are not proficient in math and, by eighth grade, that number has increased to . By the end of high school, research shows that more than of ����ӰԺ in the United States are either uninterested or not proficient in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

Given the rapidly for math skills in our changing economy, math proficiency has never been more important.

For ����ӰԺ who are already below grade level in math due to any number of factors, including systemic barriers like poverty and racism, math anxiety is compounded. Math instruction is predicated on the assumption that ����ӰԺ master foundational concepts, later applying and extending that knowledge to master increasingly complex material. For ����ӰԺ who have weak or missing pieces in the foundation of their math knowledge, they fall further behind, making it difficult to stay on track to graduate. The is a leading factor for why many ����ӰԺ drop out of school.

Building math confidence

To ensure ����ӰԺ stay on track to graduate, math anxiety must be transformed into math confidence, which is why City Year AmeriCorps members form positive, developmental relationships with their ����ӰԺ. As research shows, brains and . In other words, ����ӰԺ learn when they have supportive relationships and feel physically and emotionally safe. The relationships City Year AmeriCorps members form with their ����ӰԺ contribute to a safe and supportive learning environment that benefits everyone in the school building.

City Year AmeriCorps members spend time learning about each student’s unique strengths, challenges and backgrounds. By applying the Clover model, an asset-based youth development framework developed by the PEAR Institute, City Year AmeriCorps members provide effective, individualized holistic supports along with academic instruction.

By transforming ����ӰԺ’ math anxiety into math confidence, City Year AmeriCorps members, like Ben, LaShawn and Diana, not only help their ����ӰԺ succeed in the classroom but also help to ensure their success in life. Whether it’s measuring ingredients for a recipe, planning the length of a road trip, determining the time it takes to get ready in the morning or finding the best price at the grocery store, feeling comfortable with math is essential for life success.

Learn more about serving with City Year AmeriCorps:

This blog was originally published in 2019 and updated in 2023 by Brittany White.