Former teacher brings screen-free algebra cards to San Pedro after-school program

Former algebra teacher Farnaz Ehtessabian is piloting AlgebraCards with a Boys & Girls Club after-school program in San Pedro, California, aiming to give students a hands-on, audio-supported way to learn without screens. The effort expands her bilingual math materials and could provide a model other youth programs can use.

Why it matters: - AlgebraCards is built for students who may not retain as much from quick online answers and need a more tactile way to practice algebra. - The format is designed to support small-group learning, classroom discussion and bilingual instruction. - The San Pedro pilot could give Boys & Girls Clubs and similar programs a ready-made math tool for after-school learning.

What happened: - Former teacher Farnaz Ehtessabian started bringing AlgebraCards to young people through a Boys & Girls Club after-school program in San Pedro, California, this fall. - Ehtessabian first created the system in 2013 and used it in her own algebra classes. - AlgebraCards is a subsidiary of Education Heroes LLC. - More information is available at the AlgebraCards website.

The details: - Each AlgebraCards card is 5x7 inches and covers one step of one topic. - The chapter heading appears at the top of each card so students can see where a skill fits. - The cards are color coded by section. - Students can write on the cards, circle the step that is difficult, add notes and wipe them clean for reuse. - Each card has a matching audio episode that runs three minutes or less. - Students can listen to the audio while looking at the card, then review the card again without audio. - Ehtessabian says the second pass without audio is often when the lesson clicks. - AlgebraCards Part One covers variables and expressions, inequalities, equations, functions and linear functions through extended functions. - Part Two covers quadratic and exponential functions, probability, sequences, systems, polynomials and factors. - Each full set costs $50. - The English/Spanish workbook uses the same card design and adds space for students to work. - The workbook includes explanations in both languages. - The workbook is available to schools and post-secondary programs. - Minimum order for the workbook is 15 copies or one per student in the class. - The cards are printed in the United States. - Ehtessabian chose a U.S. printer over cheaper overseas options and tested multiple versions to make the cards sturdy enough to last. - Tutors and homeschool families also use AlgebraCards for screen-free algebra practice at home. - Schools and organizations ordering larger quantities can ask about bulk pricing through the Algebra Cards website.

Between the lines: - Ehtessabian’s pitch is as much about conversation and confidence as it is about algebra. - The system is built to get students talking through problems together instead of only consuming answers. - The bilingual workbook reflects a push toward materials that multilingual learners can use independently. - The pilot with Boys & Girls Club suggests Ehtessabian is trying to move the product beyond classrooms and into community learning settings.

What's next: - Ehtessabian hopes the San Pedro program can expand into a model other Boys & Girls Clubs can adopt. - Schools, organizations, tutors and homeschool families can continue to buy or request bulk pricing through the AlgebraCards website. - Ehtessabian wants the bilingual materials to reach more youth-serving organizations that support students every day.

The bottom line: - AlgebraCards is trying to make algebra more hands-on, more social and less screen-dependent, starting with an after-school pilot in San Pedro.