LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV) - You're probably not used to hearing good things about Arkansas' education. That's why Today's THV is committed to following A+ Arkansas.
It's the arts-based teaching method being introduced to three central Arkansas schools.
All this week we've been showing you highlights of the A Plus Institute for teachers. But would it really work with a child?
Tanya Marcrum watched anxiously as her son Seth got ready for a math lesson, not his strong suit.
"He loves to draw," she says. "School has not been the most enjoyable thing for him for his entire life."
But then A Plus Fellow Ron Macadoo takes over.
"Have you heard the term long division?" he asks Seth. "We're gonna do an exercise that will illustrate and show us how to go through long division. It's five steps. All I want you to do and I want you to repeat after me, draw me some dots."
They draw the dots and in the process of doing math via a quick art lesson, Seth begins to loosen up. As Ron repeats the lesson, he then gets Seth to draw a different color circle around each pair of dots.
In Seth's 10 minute math lesson, he has enjoyed a relaxed environment created by Macadoo. He has been reinforced and creative. And he has been right.
"I could see the smile on his face the entire time," says Seth's mom. "It wasn't like he was learning. It was like he was playing."
Of course Seth must get the last word.
"I thought it was good and I thought it was awesome."
This example was one child, with one teacher, in a special environment. So What happens when you get 30 fifth graders together, with different learning styles and just one teacher?
Today's THV will track the progress when A Plus starts in Boone Park and Pikeview in North Little Rock and Rockefeller in Little Rock in just 25 days.