In a classroom full of diverse skills and abilities, it is important to have activities for the students that finish projects early. With a kit of MANGO Math games and activities available, students have the opportunity to take initiative, grab an activity, and use that down time for learning quietly. As opposed to providing worksheet-type activities, the availability of activities like those in MANGO Math Kits will inspire the student’s creativity and motivation to learn. Research has shown that in addition to engaging and motivating students, using manipulative material enhances skill acquisition and retention (Nute, N., Dissertation, 1998). When the student is finished or it is time to move to a new activity, clean up couldn’t be easier. Everything goes back in the bag, and the bag is placed back in the kit for the next student to use.\n\nMANGO Math games and activities are also a great alternative or additive to the D.E.A.R, Drop Everything and Read, time. Reading has been long promoted by programs like D.E.A.R. Adding in an Enjoy math minute or Enjoy a MANGO Moment would be a nice way to get students to understand the importance of math.\n\nAccording to Education World, Sustained Silent Reading (SSR) promotes lifelong readers: “research has shown that reading ability is positively correlated with the extent to which students read recreationally.”  A report done byThe Condition of Education 1997 called “Reading and Writing Habits of Students,” reported that 9-, 13-, and 17-years old students who reported reading for fun at least once a week had higher average reading proficiency scores than student who reported never or hardly ever reading for fun. Our belief is that the same can be true with mathematics. Providing fun math-based games to select from at the students’ leisure will have the same positive affect on math comprehension.\n\nThe lessons in each MANGO Math kit are all set up the same way.  The information on the front is for an adult to read through and provides the math vocabulary, the math skills information, ways to adapt the lesson to meet the needs of the child and some guided questions that help deepen understanding of the math concepts.  On the back are the simple directions for the student along with some picture examples.  All the material necessary to do the activity is included in the plastic envelope so it is easy for a student to just grab the envelope and start playing.