{"id":18798,"date":"2025-10-23T15:28:49","date_gmt":"2025-10-23T19:28:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/?p=18798"},"modified":"2025-10-23T15:28:50","modified_gmt":"2025-10-23T19:28:50","slug":"rap-rewind-repeat-learning-math-through-lyrics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/2025\/10\/23\/rap-rewind-repeat-learning-math-through-lyrics\/","title":{"rendered":"Rap, Rewind, Repeat: Learning Math Through Lyrics"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Keziah Finney<\/strong>, a math teacher and rapper, says there\u2019s nothing like catchy hip-hop lyrics to help students master the basics of math.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She and her husband, James Finney,<\/strong> are the creators of JFinTV\u00ae Lyrical Math, which uses \u201cedutainment\u201d \u2014 a mashup of education and entertainment \u2014 to engage elementary school students who struggle with numbers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both spouses are Wilmington University alums. Keziah earned her master\u2019s in Middle-Level Education at WilmU after receiving a B.S. degree in Biology from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. She was named Teacher of the Year at H.B. du Pont Middle School in Wilmington. James holds a bachelor\u2019s in Studio Production-Digital Filmmaking and a master\u2019s in Applied Technology in Education<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Proficiency in math has taken on greater urgency as standardized test scores plummeted in the wake of the pandemic, when students took classes online instead of in the classroom. Math scores for the 2023\u20132024 school year show that only 33% of students in grades three through eight met proficiency standards. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWith Lyrical Math, we can help students get back on track,\u201d Keziah says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The concept was born nearly 20 years ago when James was working on his senior project at WilmU. His professors set the bar high, and he was determined to produce a project that was relevant and engaging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMarcel Franck<\/strong>, an adjunct instructor, had a great influence on me. If my projects were bad, he would tell me straight up and tell me why. I still remember him saying, \u2018Nobody is going to hold your hand in the real world, so don\u2019t expect me to in here.\u2019 That tough love was exactly what I needed then to help me become the videographer and editor I am today,\u201d he recalls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Calvin Hill<\/strong>, his Studio Production instructor, was a mentor who became a friend. \u201cThe first thing I learned from him was how to budget a project. He told me, \u2018Mr. Finney, if you don\u2019t have a budget, you don\u2019t have a film.\u2019 He helped cultivate my confidence in directing productions, as well,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the time, James was courting Keziah, a teacher and ascendant hip-hop artist, who shared his interest in helping young people. He asked her to star in his five-minute, 20-second video titled \u201cAdding Integers After School.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a young teacher, Keziah noticed that students enthusiastically rapped popular hip-hop lyrics in the hall and during lunchtime. But in math class, traditional teaching methods didn\u2019t get her students excited. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI noticed that students were asking for a bathroom pass at math time, anything to avoid it,\u201d she recalls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After James completed his senior project, the couple decided to share the video with Keziah\u2019s students, who were about to receive a lesson on integers \u2014 the process of finding the sum of two or more positive or negative numbers. She developed a pre-test and post-test to determine the effectiveness of introducing the concept through hip-hop lyrics. The tests revealed an average increase of 16% in comprehension for 51 students in three different classes. Students who entered the program in the lowest-performing group showed a 67.1% increase in performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That success sparked their desire to reach more students through video programs that could be shared with students in a variety of settings, in and out of the classroom. It was a natural fit for Keziah, who began performing as a child singing gospel. Video empowered her to do what she could not do in person \u2014 be in several places at once, fulfilling her desire to teach as many math students as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Currently, the Lyrical Math program is taught in 19 elementary schools and seven community centers to help children who are lagging in math to excel. Some students are lacking even the basics of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLast year, we worked with fifth graders who had a 28.5% proficiency in math,\u201d Keziah says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many students have shown marked improvement with extra help. In one after-school program, 85% of students demonstrated proficiency in division after completing a Lyrical Math course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ken Livingston, senior director of student success at United Way of Delaware, says Lyrical Math helps students develop life skills beyond mathematics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTheir innovative approach not only makes math concepts more relatable and memorable but also builds students\u2019 confidence, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills,\u201d he says. \u201cFostering a deeper understanding of mathematical principles empowers students to excel academically and prepares them for success.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Lyrical

Currently, the Lyrical Math program is taught in 19 elementary schools and seven community centers to help children who are lagging in math to excel.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Keziah has always been fascinated by math, embracing fractions, division, and multiplication as tools that build achievement. Math helps aspiring homeowners save for a down payment and budget for monthly payments. Mastering percentages is essential for savvy shoppers, enabling them to quickly calculate that a $50 sweater, 30% off, will cost $35 at checkout. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI enjoy how math develops critical thinking skills. I love how math prepares you for unpredictable moments in life where math skills are needed,\u201d she says. \u201cI like to put students in a position to win.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the parents of four children, the Finneys are passionate about accessible, practical education. Keziah wrote a catchy rap to teach students the multiples of numbers:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You know me, I\u2019m at the top of my class<\/em>
I\u2019m so nice and precise with my math<\/em>
They wanna hear my twos<\/em>
They wanna hear my twos<\/em>
2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24!<\/em>
Stop. Freeze. Pause.<\/em>
You know me, I\u2019m at the top of my class<\/em>
I\u2019m so nice and precise with my math<\/em>
They wanna hear my threes<\/em>
They wanna hear my threes<\/em><\/em>
3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30, 33, 36!<\/em>
Stop. Freeze. Pause.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keziah believes that a meaningful rap has a lasting impact, providing students with the knowledge they can draw on long after completing the Lyrical Math program. She recalls running into a former student at Walmart, who cheerfully rapped math lyrics he learned in her classroom 15 years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMusic is a powerful recall tool,\u201d she says. \u201cOur music is catchy, not corny.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The formal study of mathematics dates to approximately 3000 BC in Mesopotamia, where arithmetic, algebra, and geometry were used to facilitate trade, calculate taxes, and create calendars. Hip-hop\u2019s roots are more recent, springing from the Bronx in the 1970s, where African American and Latino youth composed raps to shed light on poverty and racial injustice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keziah\u2019s rap lyrics are crafted to help students conquer math anxiety by making numbers more relatable and engaging. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cStudents who are very confident socially often shrink when they approach math,\u201d she says. \u201cOnce students become confident, they can learn.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keziah tells the story of Michaela, a student who was so fearful of math that she scored zero on her pre-test. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe went through the videos and scored 100% just a few weeks later. Her confidence went up so much that she started asking for more digits in her dividend.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Based on Michaela\u2019s success, Keziah named her 11-digit division program after her student. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The videos depict children and cartoon characters that students can relate to, featuring six ethnicities to help students connect on a social level. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt shows the power of building academic excellence in the com-munity. They can see characters that they can relate to in math,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The videos are correlated with math workbooks, where students apply the concepts they have learned. The Finneys believe that making math fun will inspire more kids to embrace numbers, developing proficiency that will benefit them throughout their successful lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cStudents need that lightbulb moment,\u201d says James. \u201cIf you are interested in something, you want to excel at it.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00ad\u2014 Eileen Smith Dallabrida<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n