Paine Elementary School
Using Cognitive Interest Cues to Spark Curiosity, Enhance Engagement, and Facilitate Deeper Learning
Trussville City Schools
Principal: Dr. Lisa Lothspeich
Superintendent: Dr. Patrick Martin
Paine Elementary School designed and implemented a program where students engaged in cognitive interest cues or hooks prior to new mathematics learning. The hooks were student-centered and established to spark natural curiosity, background knowledge, excitement, and prime students for the new content. The program was fully implemented in twelve second grade classrooms (over 200 students), as well as targeted lessons in other grades. Not only did the cognitive cues set students up for new learning, but it captivated them, fully immersing students in the mathematics content. Cognitive hook examples included reflection of a presidential portraits art exhibition prior to exploring attributes and values of coins (aligned to these presidents), multi-step word problems were brought to life when high school soccer players demonstrated a passing challenge in a second grade classroom, Kindergarten students brought stuffed animals and became veterinarians to investigate measurement, students engaged in a game of Sudoku prior the lesson on distinguishing between columns and rows, and students explored college marching band formations prior to the study of arrays. As a result, Paine Elementary achieved an unsurpassed increase in second grade student mathematics growth compared to the previous year, from 71st percentile to 80th percentile overall. The growth was consistent for all student proficiency levels. The program has also resulted in higher student motivation, deeper understanding of content, and an increase in learning retention.
