Poematics

Book excerpt: Mathematics: it's a word that creates fear, stirs anxiety, and builds stress in many students. Educators recognize the importance of learning more and more about the challenges facing students today in mathematics education. How do we respond to this call for action for developing proficiency in mathematics? Based upon a lifelong career in education that began in 1965, author Joseph Porzio offers a time-honored approach to students, parents, and educators called Poematics. This collection offers a variety of mathematical poems designed to complement mathematical concepts and to ease the path to learning for students everywhere. Teachers may use Poematics as a means to motivate students, integrate mathematical subject matter, and formulate daily lesson plans. Poematics supports key components of the mathematical practices found in the Common Core State Standards through its focus, not only on content strands, but on process strands. It also highlights communication, connections, and representation. Poematics provides parents and educators at the elementary level with unique means to have their students meet both the academic and emotional challenges related to high achievement in mathematics.