Melissa Stamper

"Literature in Mathematics" is the winning program created by Stamper to integrate authentic children's literature into mathematics instruction in all kindergarten and first-grade classrooms at Parkside Elementary School. The program requires students to learn abstract concepts in great depth to reach mastery. In the kindergarten classrooms, picture books will be used to support benchmarks included in concepts such as describing shapes and space, numbers, and ordering objects by measurable attributes. For the first-grade classes, picture books will support the benchmarks in big ideas including the understanding of addition and subtraction strategies and composing and decomposing two-dimensional and three-dimensional geometric shapes. Stamper, who lives in Naples, hopes the program will help bridge the gap between the students' first language and English. She will use the grant funds to purchase the books with specific titles to support each benchmark and increase student learning, engagement and understanding.