Baylor Hosts 10th Mathematics for Early Learners Academy Throughout July

Contact: Kelly Craine, 254-297-9065
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WACO, Texas (July 2, 2026) –Baylor University’s Mathematics for Early Learners Academy (MELA), sponsored by the Baylor Moody School of Education and in partnership with three local school districts, is underway now at the Mayborn Museum on the Baylor campus June 29 through July 23.

Launched in 2016, MELA is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, led by founding director Sandi Cooper, Ph.D., professor of mathematics education. The four-week summer program, designed for students ages 4 to 6 who have just finished PreK or Kindergarten, aims to establish a solid foundation in “number sense,” especially for students who could benefit most from this summer experience in mathematics.

According to Cooper, research shows early math skills are a better predictor of academic success than reading skills. However, many preschools don’t focus enough on math, and students often don’t receive interventions in math until later grades.

The program, which has measurably helped young students achieve or exceed grade-level expectations in early math skills and number fluency, continues to test its new curriculum and assessments and conduct new research related to the development of early numeracy in an informal learning environment.

“MELA is all about developing number sense, which is much more than just counting,” Cooper explained. “It’s helping children understand what numbers mean and how they relate to one another. A child with number sense can look at a small group of objects and recognize there are six without counting each one, or know that if they have seven blocks and need 10, they need three more. Those are the kinds of connections that build confidence in math. It’s about understanding how numbers work and relate to one another, not just memorizing the counting sequence.”

University-Local School partnership

For 2026, Baylor MSOE is partnering with three school districts and hosting more than 80 students from five elementary schools:

• Waco ISD –Crestview Elementary and Bell’s Hill Elementary
• La Vega ISD – La Vega Primary
• Midway ISD – Castleman Creek Elementary and Hewitt Elementary

MELA staff includes eight master teachers, six Baylor undergraduates, eight paraprofessionals from participating ISDs, six Baylor graduate students (from two Moody departments) and one research consultant (a recent Baylor doctoral graduate). 

Moody faculty members include Cooper; clinical assistant professor Mandy Dunphy, Ph.D., who is leading the MELA research team; clinical assistant professor Tracey Jones, Ph.D., providing English as a Second Language (ESL)/bilingual support; and Chair and Professor of Educational Psychology Bree Jimenez, Ph.D., who is leading the inclusion of special-needs students.

Baylor campus advantage

Cooper said the MELA experience is enhanced by being on the Baylor campus, based at the Mayborn Museum. Since the launch of MELA in 2016, Cooper and her team have taken advantage of the informal learning experiences offered by the museum. In fact, this summer’s MELA theme is “Sea-ing 10,” to coordinate with the Mayborn’s “Sea Monsters Unearthed” traveling exhibit.

While MELA does include classroom time, it supports that learning through interactive, play-based experiences often absent in formal education settings. The exploratory play and hands-on activities of Mayborn exhibits promote essential math skills and early numeracy development.

During daily museum walks, teachers connect exhibits to the math skills the students are learning. For example, the Mayborn’s Play Waco area includes a grocery store, where students can count and categorize the products and produce, count and compare totals, find patterns in products lining the shelves, and more.

MELA students also engage in STEM-focused activities led by Alan Small, STEM specialist at the Mayborn. As  students explore topics such as insects, magnets and fossils, they also integrate number sense through museum exhibits and special activities. When learning about insects, students explore with real meal worms, counting the total in their bin to compare with other bins. These live insects help them learn – in a memorable way – about the number of legs that insects have to distinguish the difference from other critters.

Other Baylor field trips also offer math in an informal setting. MELA students spend a morning in a Baylor athletic facility playing number sense games with Baylor student-athletes.

Children also visit Baylor’s Bill and Eva Williams Bear Habitat to see the bears, engage with student trainers and learn about bear diets, exercise and more.

“By hosting all children at the Mayborn, we are able to offer more instructional time devoted to the concepts presented in the newly developed MELA curriculum,” Cooper said. “At the Mayborn, MELA is from 9 a.m. to noon, and the entire time is focused on math. The instructional time includes whole-group lessons, small-group lessons, stations and museum walks focused on number development.” 

New research focused on special education and informal learning

This summer marks the first time students with disabilities will participate in MELA alongside their peers without disabilities, supported by practices designed to ensure meaningful engagement for all. Jimenez is coordinating a study that examines early numeracy practices and what makes them successful for every learner.

Cooper and her Moody School of Education team of faculty, graduate students and teacher-education students also are continuing to collect data this summer to study how informal STEM learning experiences can foster number sense for early learners. 

To see MELA through the eyes of the children themselves, researchers are outfitting a few students each day with a small GoPro camera. This will give researchers a chance to observe what the students notice, focus on and get excited about during their learning adventures, Dunphy said.

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked Research 1 institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for 20,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 100 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions. Learn more about Baylor University at www.baylor.edu. 

ABOUT MOODY SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

For more than 100 years, the Moody School of Education has advanced Baylor’s mission across the globe while preparing students for a range of careers focused on education, leadership, and human development. With more than 70 full-time faculty members, the School’s growing research portfolio complements its long-standing commitment to excellence in teaching and student mentoring. Baylor’s undergraduate program in teacher education has earned national distinction for innovative partnerships with local schools that provide future teachers deep clinical preparation. Likewise, the School of Education’s graduate programs have attained national recognition for their exemplary preparation of research scholars, educational leaders, innovators, and clinicians. Visit the Moody School of Education website to learn more.