ARLINGTON — “We asked you for a huge investment,” said Bethany Belisle, program support specialist for Eagle Creek Elementary, as she addressed the Arlington School Board Oct. 26.

“Our students are here to say thank you, and to show you not only what they’ve learned, but how they’ve learned it,” she added.

Eagle Creek second-grade teacher Sarah Durrant introduced four students — Kyra Krueger, Justin Rinehardt, Rocky Romans and Ruby Taylor — who incorporated online videos and sing-alongs into their presentation to the board, about their new math curriculum.

The students explained that such videos and songs serve to reinforce the lessons they receive on math tools such as skip-counting and base-10 blocks. By turning those lessons into games, the students agreed that math had become fun. Durrant added that being given time to work out the math on paper on their own further engaged the students’ attention and enhanced their understanding.

By the end of second grade, the students are expected to be able to skip-count by increments of 2, 5 and 10. All four students said they enjoyed math more this year, in no small part because the multimedia incorporation of interactive onscreen activities maintained their interest.

School board member Jim Weiss personally attested to the fact that the second-graders are using a curriculum that builds on what he’s seen has helped his grandson, who’s in kindergarten, with his homework.

“This curriculum helps them understand why the numbers are,” Durrant said. “It’s not just about rote memorization.”

Belisle added: “There’s a huge vocabulary component involved.”

When Weiss asked if the online videos could be accessed from home, Durrant confirmed that they would be accessible soon, with usernames and passwords.

“We also have a feature for parents that says, ‘If you’re having trouble, go here,'” Belisle said. “Parents love that.”