Mary Arico

Arico's "Math in a Bag" program provides students and parents with hands-on, family-friendly home learning materials that integrate math, reading, writing and technology. Teachers are given five "Math in a Bag" kits: each includes one hands-on math activity, one math-related literacy book, one composition book for student/parent reflections and a list of math skill related Web sites. Students can check out each kit for one week on a rotating basis. The program builds a positive relationship between parents and teachers while increasing parental support for students' academic achievement. "Math in a Bag" increases student motivation and enthusiasm for math by making mathematics interesting and more understandable.