Primary school students across Scotland will receive training in spatial reasoning to boost math skills as part of a program backed by the Scottish government and the Turner Kirk Centre for Spatial Reasoning at the University of Glasgow. The program helps students visualize and manipulate three-dimensional objects, skills linked to improved performance in mathematics and includes tasks such as building block structures, representing them on paper and solving real-world problems like dividing a cake. Trial results showed significant gains, with participating students' maths scores increasing by up to 19%.

A partnership among Unruly Studios, the Georgia Statewide Afterschool Network and the Georgia Department of Education is introducing an innovative learning method that combines math, coding and movement. The Unruly Splats program equips students with interactive floor buttons that light up, make sounds and track points when stomped on, making math and coding activities both fun and physically engaging, while helping students build confidence in a joyful environment.

Classrooms should be designed around students' thinking and engagement, rather than just curriculum compliance, writes Kathleen Palmieri, a fifth-grade teacher in New York. Palmieri emphasizes the importance of fostering curiosity, deep questioning and a culture of thinkers to create an environment where learning is owned by students.

The Smithsonian Institute offers free educational programs for teachers and students nationwide, enhancing STEM lessons with authentic learning experiences. Notable initiatives include the Smithsonian Stars program, which aims to provide telescopes and astronomy lessons to rural schools, and the Democracy in Dialogue Virtual Exchange program, which fosters civic understanding among students from different states.

Jeffrey Ruggiero highlights the importance of helping students stay on task by enhancing executive function skills such as focusing, planning and managing emotions. Ruggiero suggests breaking tasks into smaller steps, conducting emotional check-ins and using activities to strengthen working memory to reduce anxiety and improve student engagement.