Research

About Our Research

Our Mathematical World is a supplemental program for 3rd-5th graders that includes a set of activities designed to center students as strong math problem solvers who use appropriate executive function (EF) skills to guide their process. Central to OMW is a series of storybooks co-designed by educators, students, and researchers, featuring Black and Latine youth engaged in math problem-solving in different community contexts. The book characters showcase PULSE (Pause, Understand and Remember, Lay it Out, Solve, Evaluate), a metacognitive approach that integrates EF and problem-solving skills. Additional OMW activities focus on building math identity (e.g., a school math walk, brief biographies of Black and Latine “math heroes” using math in their careers), EF (e.g., Slap Jack game), and problem-solving skills (e.g., using PULSE to solve word problems). Student materials are available in both English and Spanish.