Knowre Math can be a very helpful and effective tool not only for summer school, but for summer math practice and homework as well.
When you use Knowre Math for your summer homework all of the grading will be done for you. Students will have access to support at every step of the way, which will help them not only to be more successful with the content, but also to be able to work more independently. Finally, everything is in one place which means set up and monitoring is simple and streamlined.
Read on for some tips on how to best set up Knowre Math for your students for summer math.
Focus the Content
Knowre Math is set up so that students can access their primary curriculum on their own. That said, asking students to work on a particular curriculum without a more focused agenda of specifically where they should be working and how much they should complete, is setting up both you and your students up for confusion and overwhelm.
Rather than a broad approach, identify which chapters and lessons you’d like students working on and assign those from the Assignments tab. Once students have finished that content you’ll also want to let them know where they can continue practicing if they’d like. For those extension activities broad instructions are absolutely fine. By focusing the core content, however, it is more likely that students will complete all that has been assigned to them.
Create Assignments
On the Knowre Math Teacher Dashboard you have the option of assigning work to students through the Assignments tab. Assigning work this way, rather than posting on an LMS or sending home a printed or emailed list of which lessons are to be completed, is highly encouraged for a smooth summer homework experience. When lessons have been created on your Dashboard there is less chance for confusion and the lists can not be lost since they are always there when the student logs into their account.
We recommend that you choose an end of summer due date for all assignments to accommodate the varying summer schedules of your students. Even though all of the assignments will have the same due date, it is still helpful to split up the lessons into multiple different assignments. This will help students feel a sense of progress as they work through assignments, rather than having to stare at a long list all summer long.
Utilize the Ready? Check. Go!
The Ready? Check. Go! can also be used in order to help personalize summer math homework. When setting up the Ready? Check. Go! from your Assignments tab, be sure to select the grade level or curriculum that students will be in during the 2021-2022 school year. For example, for rising 8th graders you should select either 8th grade or Algebra 1 (depending on which course they will be taking). The assignment will then give students 18 questions focused on the key skills they’ll need for their new math class. Once they’ve completed the assignment, which should not take more than ~35 minutes, you’ll be able to use the “Assign” button on the right hand side of the data screen to give each student lessons specific to their unique areas for growth.
Be Clear on Expectations
Before students head off for summer break clearly share with them how their summer homework will be reviewed and graded. This will help students understand the impact of both completing and not completing this work and may help motivate them to do the latter. We know that establishing expectations around summer work can be complicated, but it is important to clarify as it can have a helpful impact on completion rates and interest.
Introduce the Program to new Students
If your students have not previously used Knowre Math, it will be important to introduce it to them before they leave for summer. If an in-person introduction is not possible, using email, or (even better a video) to explain the expectations will work well. While students typically figure out how to get around and use the program quickly, what they often take more time to get used to is relying on the support to help them persist with a skill when it is challenging for them. As you establish expectations, let students know they are expected to use the videos and Walk Me Through support options to help them and that they should aim for as many solid green skill cards as possible since these indicate that they are able to get the skill correct on their own.
Hold off on Teacher Dashboard Changes
If you’ve already been using Knowre Math this school year it can be tempting to delete all of your Knowre Math classes at the end of the school year so that you have a clean slate for the coming year. We ask that you please wait to do this because it may disrupt student access. In order for students to access Knowre Math over the summer, they still need to be enrolled in at least one teacher’s class. If everyone deletes their classes then students will not be attached to any teachers’ class and will be locked out of their summer work.
If you have any questions, or want a thought partner in planning your summer assignments on Knowre Math, please do not hesitate to email us at support@knowre.com. We are here to help!
