Jackson Best, Author at The Mathletics Global Blog

The Value of Games and Gamification with Mathematics

Jackson Best — Mon, 24 Nov 2025 04:51:56 +0000

Mathematics learning can lose momentum quickly. Repeated worksheets, routine practice, and predictable activities (even when important) can cause concepts to blur and enthusiasm to fade. To keep learners engaged, we need approaches that make mathematics meaningful, engaging, and memorable. Games and gamification can help achieve exactly that. Before diving in, here’s a quick refresher. What is gamification and why does [...]

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10 Quirky Mathematics Activities for End-of-Year Engagement

Jackson Best — Fri, 30 Oct 2020 02:55:22 +0000

Summer holidays glimmers in the near distance, but there are a few solid weeks of learning left to go yet. And after the year we’ve had, student motivation, attention, and enthusiasm levels are harder to maintain than ever. But before you reach for the closest DVD, try these 10 fun, end of year learning [...]

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How to Make Post-Pandemic Reports Meaningful

Jackson Best — Fri, 19 Jun 2020 07:10:39 +0000

After all we’ve been through over the past few months, a conventional mid-year report doesn’t seem fair for students or teachers. No surprise then that many schools are de-emphasizing grades, or leaving them out entirely. But students still want to know where they sit, and their parents do too. After the confusion of home-learning, a meaningful snapshot [...]

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5 Student-Friendly Formative Assessments for Post-COVID Classes

Jackson Best — Fri, 19 Jun 2020 06:43:29 +0000

With our students readjusting to (relative) classroom normality post-COVID, teachers are now trying to find out just how much students learned during their time away from school. But with many of our students on shaky ground – emotionally and academically – slapping a high-stakes assessment in front of them in their first weeks back is [...]

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Mathematics Homework Mistakes That Stop Student Engagement

Jackson Best — Mon, 11 May 2020 04:11:56 +0000

Despite your students’ objections and complaints of injustice, homework is continually proven to be beneficial to their mathematics learning. So how do you get them to engage with it? If you’re constantly setting homework that ends up undone and decaying at the bottom of your students’ bags, you might be making one of these mathematics homework [...]

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The Top 3 Reasons Why Students Struggle to Progress in Mathematics

Jackson Best — Mon, 11 May 2020 04:11:32 +0000

Mathematics is an empowering and endlessly useful subject, but it just never seems to click with some students. Providing extra effort and support might see them achieve competency with a concept, but it’s back to square one again once you move onto a new unit of learning. While every students’ needs and challenges are different, [...]

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5 Ways to Keep Kids Happy and Engaged During Home Learning

Jackson Best — Mon, 11 May 2020 01:19:38 +0000

We want happy and engaged children. It’s the pinnacle of home learning. The moments when your kids are swelling with pride because they finally tackled that hard question, the times they ask the most beautiful questions because they're genuinely curious! There’s nothing better. But happy and engaged takes work. You need to actively work [...]

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How Can Parents Take Care of Themselves While Supporting Home Learning?

Jackson Best — Mon, 11 May 2020 00:34:23 +0000

Another day of quarantine has come and gone and you are starting to feel like you’re at your breaking point. We get it, we’re feeling it too. Now, more than ever, it’s crucial to invest time in caring for yourself. When your cup is empty there is no way you can take care of [...]

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How to Teach Soft Skills in a Mathematics Classroom

Jackson Best — Fri, 08 May 2020 06:52:10 +0000

As mathematics teachers, we’re used to teaching facts, formulas, and procedures. But in a world changing faster than ever, that’s not the only knowledge we want our students to leave with. Instead it’s on us to develop transferable soft skills like collaboration, communication, and problem-solving. But how do we actually teach these things? That’s [...]

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Top Tips for Motivating Your Children At Home

Jackson Best — Fri, 01 May 2020 06:48:11 +0000

Home-learning is not easy. Most days, you warrant a pat on the back for getting through 2 out of 5 lessons. With distractions facing your child at every turn and a packed schedule of your own that needs attention, it often feels like an uphill battle. We’re here to give you the tools we [...]

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