Multiplication Masters: A Game‑Based Learning Initiative
Awarded $1500
My name is Melissa Burke, and I am a 3rd grade math teacher at Putnam County Elementary School. I love helping students build confidence in math and discover that they can be successful problem-solvers. I work hard to make math engaging, meaningful, and accessible for every learner in my classroom.
Multiplication is a critical 3rd-grade math standard and deeply influences future success in division, fractions, algebraic thinking, and problem-solving. Many students need repeated, engaging practice with visual and hands-on tools that are not provided by standard curriculum materials. This project will supply our classroom with high-quality manipulatives, math games, small-group intervention tools, and motivation trackers designed to increase fact fluency through play and differentiated practice. With these resources, students will build automatic recall of multiplication facts, which will greatly improve classroom engagement, confidence, and achievement across all areas of math.
I am excited about this project because it gives me the opportunity to meet students where they are and help them experience success in multiplication in meaningful ways. Seeing students in an inclusion classroom gain confidence, feel proud of their progress, and truly understand math is what motivates me most, and this project allows me to make that happen for every learner.
I hope this project will help students build confidence and develop a strong understanding of multiplication that goes beyond memorization. My goal is for students to feel successful, engaged, and empowered as math learners, while making measurable gains in fact fluency that support their long‑term academic growth.
I am truly grateful to the Putnam Education Foundation for awarding me this grant and for believing in the work happening in my classroom. Your support allows me to provide meaningful, hands‑on learning experiences that will help my students build confidence in math and experience success in ways that will impact them far beyond this school year.