Los Angeles Universal Preschool Adopts Blended Approach to Math

Ten Los Angeles Universal Preschool (LAUP) sites will begin using a game-based math program to help students from low-income families build a foundation for math.

Made possible by a three-year, $200,000 grant from the W. M. Keck Foundation, LAUP will provide Spatial-Temporal (ST) Math to 1,400 preschoolers to help teachers "establish a blended learning environment in their classrooms that combines group lessons and individual, self-paced work on computers," according to a news release about the move.

ST Math, which is already in use in the Los Angeles Unified School District, uses "interactive, graphically-rich animations that visually represent mathematical concepts to improve conceptual understanding and problem-solving skills," according to information on the Mind Research Institute's site.

In addition to the program, which will be used primarily in preschools that feed elementary schools that also use it, the grant will provide professional development for 20 teachers.

"At LAUP, our mission is to provide an affordable and accessible quality preschool education to 4-year-olds living in LA County, because all children deserve a year of engaging, thought-provoking learning activities to ensure their kindergarten readiness," said Celia C. Ayala, CEO of LAUP, in a prepared statement. "Young children are naturally curious and drawn to exploration, scientific discovery and patterns, and we are excited for this grant opportunity from the MIND Research Institute and the Keck Foundation to help more children become better prepared for their future academic success."

More information about ST Math is available at web.stmath.com.

About the Author

Joshua Bolkan is contributing editor for Campus Technology, THE Journal and STEAM Universe. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  •  laptop on a clean desk with digital padlock icon on the screen

    Data Privacy a Top Concern as Orgs Scale Up AI Agents

    As organizations race to integrate AI agents into their cloud operations and workflows, they face a crucial reality: while enthusiasm is high, major adoption barriers remain, according to a new Cloudera report. Chief among them is the challenge of safeguarding sensitive data.

  • chart with ascending bars and two silhouetted figures observing it, set against a light background with blue and purple tones

    Report: Enterprises Are Embracing Agentic AI

    According to a new report from SnapLogic, 50% of enterprises are already deploying AI agents, and another 32% plan to do so within the next 12 months..

  • stacks of glowing digital documents with circuit patterns and data streams

    Mistral AI Intros Advanced AI-Powered OCR

    French AI startup Mistral AI has announced Mistral OCR, an advanced optical character recognition (OCR) API designed to convert printed and scanned documents into digital files with "unprecedented accuracy."

  • student using a tablet with math symbols dissolving into a glowing AI

    Survey: Students Say AI Use Can Reduce Math Anxiety

    In a recent survey, 56% of high school students said that the use of artificial intelligence can go a long way toward reducing math anxiety.