Printer Friendly Version - Third Graders Check Out 'Market Math Mania' at Bfd Big Y

During "Market Mania Math" at Branford Big Y supermarket this afternoon, Tisko third graders Sydney Dahl (left) and Avery Naymon took on sorting and computation at the "M&M Math" activity station set up by Branford elementary PTA's.Pam Johnson/The Sound

The town's third graders were invited put their math skills to the test in shopping aisles at Branford Big Y today, with plenty arriving to check out the challenges of "Market Math Mania" from 5 p.m. – 7 p.m.

The grocery store in Branhaven Plaza (West Main Street) saw a surge of students arrive late this afternoon, all with parents in tow, to try their hand at activity stations around the store and answer challenge questions hanging next to items in aisles.

"Market Math Mania's" food-filled challenges were organized by elementary school PTA's of Branford Public Schools including Tisko, Murphy and Sliney Schools. The program is an annual event. Volunteer students from the town's higher schools oversaw activity tables.

A popular table, "M&M Math" was manned by Walsh Intermediate School seventh graders Delaney Cotter, Maddie Steinman and Brianna Signore. The three used shiny, colorful M&M candies to put third graders through grouping, sorting and computation exercises.

Other stations included "Measure it Up" to measure and weigh groceries such as apples; "The Price is Right" to encourage guessing and computation; "Pickle Tasting" where kids tasted different pickle chips for survey and graph results, and "Check it Out" which put estimating and scanning skills to the test.

Parents were asked to complete a brief questionnaire to help the PTA's determine which activity their child enjoyed most, whether parents had fun with their child during the event, if their child learned something by participating, if the parent would try similar activities at home and whether they'd recommend "Market Math Mania" to others.

In addition to recognizing Big Y of Branford for providing the day's venue, the combined PTA's also thanked Mohegan Sun, Elementary Math Specialists, Superintendent of Schools Hamlet Hernandez, the principals of Tisko, Murphy and Sliney Schools, the PTA membership and the volunteers, teachers, parents and students who made the event possible.

Big kid volunteers assisting third graders during "Market Math Mania" at Big Y of Branford included Walsh Intermediate School seventh graders (l-r) Brianna Signore, Maddie Steinman and Delaney Cotter.Pam Johnson/The Sound