About JUMP Math

What is JUMP Math?

JUMP Math is both a philosophy and a set of materials and methods that aim to help students meet their potential and discover their love of mathematics. Our approach is premised on the belief that every child can succeed at math. We believe that all children in the regular school system can excel, even those diagnosed as having serious learning disabilities or who are failing at math. One of the key hurdles in reaching this goal is to overcome the math anxiety many of us learn to adopt early on. Mathematics, rather than being the most difficult subject, is one in which children can most easily succeed – even at a young age – and can thereby develop the confidence and cognitive abilities they need to excel in other subjects.

History

JUMP Math was founded as a kitchen-table tutoring club by John Mighton in 1998. Although originally conceived as an after-school supplement for inner-city students struggling with math, by 2003 JUMP programs ran in 12 Toronto inner-city elementary schools with 220 volunteers working with more than 1600 students in Toronto.

John Mighton writes about the birth and growth of the JUMP Math program in his book, The Myth of Ability (2003):

“Seeing how quickly several of my students were developing as mathematicians, I began to think about my own progress in the subject. Because I made an effort, in my tutorials, to reduce explanations to simple steps, many of the concepts and operations that had seemed mysterious in high school were becoming clear.” The Myth of Ability, p. 13.

It is hardly surprising, therefore, that some of JUMP’s best tutors were not "math-people."  A point often emphasized at JUMP is that those people who have struggled with math and later succeeded are often best equipped to understand the obstacles of others and find ways around them. They are also the best suited to tackle math related anxiety that frequently hinders the understanding of the subject.

“The results of JUMP suggest that we can raise the level of even the weakest students sufficiently to enable them to appreciate and master genuine mathematics. At this level, sheer intelligence is almost secondary. In the sciences, factors such as passion, confidence, creativity, diligence, luck and artistic flair are as important as the speed and sharpness of one’s mind. Einstein was not a great mathematician technically, but he had a deep sense of beauty and a willingness to question conventional wisdom.” The Myth of Ability, p. 22.

The success of JUMP Math as a tutoring program gradually created demand within the school system.

JUMP Math Today

The JUMP Math program is primarily intended to be used by teachers in the classroom.  JUMP Math offers a complete package of materials intended to cover the curricula for grades 3 to 8 (with grades 1 and 2 under development).  These are used in the delivery of the JUMP Math program.  Professional development is also offered to teachers wishing to add to their teaching credentials. 

Last academic year, JUMP Math had 52 partner institutions, 424 volunteer tutors and 4,650 students participating formally in the program. However, estimates based on publication sales suggest that over 15,000 students were benefiting from the JUMP Math curriculum. This year, JUMP expects the number of students formally participating in the program to more than triple with a doubling in informal usage.

While the program has developed into a mainstream set of curricula, it is intended to be flexible and can be used as a support in after-school tutoring by schools or community organizations, or by parents at home.

Our partners include many schools within the Greater Toronto Area, schools in other communities in Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta, British Columbia and pilot programs in the United States, Great Britain, South Africa, and Jamaica. We have also received requests to start programs in Australia, Greece, and Pakistan.

We invite you to explore our website. Thank you for visiting!