Rooted School Indianapolis launched an initiative with Rhymes with Reason and the Toppin Family Foundation at 1:30 p.m. on Oct. 22. Rhymes with Reason Founder and CEO, Austin Martin, Joined Obi Toppin, Indiana Pacers forward and founder of the Toppin Family Foundation, for the surprise announcement.
Rhymes with Reason is a web-based application created to help students learn vocabulary words by using trending pop culture music. This program uses vocabulary words that appear in widely known lyrics, with the goal of making learning more personable and engaging for every student. The music-driven web app was created to strengthen reading scores and vocabulary knowledge.
Rhymes with Reason was founded in 2017, but Martin said the desire for a music-powered learning tool came long before.
“I was a kid that just loved music so much and I also loved words and traditional academics were just kind of boring to me,” he said.
Martin then realized that the curriculum he was learning in school could be connected to the lyricists that created the music he enjoys in his free time.
“I wanted to build a whole program around that,” Martin said. “To build that bridge, and to show students without them having to guess that that relationship was there … and for them to do better on standardized tests.”
He said his favorite artists are “masters of words” and that’s what keeps him invested in their artistry. Before launching Rhymes with Reason, he began his own research to support this connection.
“I found that two-thirds of the top SAT words are in mainstream music,” Martin said.
This information helped develop the idea for a music driven learning tool, that is Rhymes with Reason.
Rooted Indianapolis students arrived at the gymnasium eager to learn on Oct. 22. They welcomed Martin and Obi Toppin with smiles, handshakes and fist bumps. Some asked questions and cheered for Toppin to dunk.
Martin demonstrated the app, playing songs by Kendrick Lamar, Rod Wave and others. Martin and Obi Toppin took turns asking questions to the students and rewarded them with basketball keychains when answering questions correctly.
Later, students broke out into small groups and to create a collaborative rap verse to a beat of their choice, using the vocabulary words provided such as fabricated, stress and outcome.
The students took turns performing their verses. Obi Toppin championed the group with standout vocals and lyrics, “I’m chasing my dreams, I got my eyes on the prize.” The Toppin Family Foundation gifted the winners with autographed Pacers hats.
The Toppin Family Foundation is a nonprofit created to support underprivileged children, families and student athletes. The foundation’s goals include making necessities, sports and educational resources more accessible to communities.
Roni Toppin, a former public-school teacher and mother of Obi Toppin, is the foundation’s president. She said her firsthand experiences shaped the organization’s mission.
“I know the struggles that the families and the children go through every day, and I, myself, wanted to help those families have a level playing field to be successful the same way everybody else does,” Roni Toppin said.
Obi Toppin said Rhymes with Reason and the Toppin Family Foundation have similar objectives — helping the youth grow.
“We love music, and we love helping kids learn. We want to see the next generation succeed … with Rhymes with Reason, it makes it easier for us, because we can just bring this program to the schools,” Obi Toppin said.
Rhymes with Reason has partnerships with many schools in Maryland, Ohio, Georgia and more. Martin mentioned a middle school in Cleveland, that conducted an experiment using Rhymes with Reason where half of the middle schoolers used the program, and the other half did not.
“The half that used the program improved their i-Ready vocabulary performance by 16 points. The group that didn’t use the program improved their i-Ready vocabulary performance by seven points,” he said.
This data displays a nine-point improvement gap between the two groups.
Currently, the app is only accessible in classrooms, and teachers can obtain a 90-day free trial to measure their students’ growth. Martin shared that students have expressed that they want to use the app for homework, and the at-home accessibility is still in development. Learn more about the free trial at rhymeswithreason.com/free-trial-landing/.
Rhymes with Reason and the Toppin Family Foundation interviewed multiple schools around Indianapolis, and as a team, they selected Rooted Indianapolis School because of the strength of the school community. Martin said he is interested in expanding the reach of Rhymes with Reason by partnering with other public and charter schools around and in Indianapolis.
Obi Toppin expressed his excitement for Rooted Indianapolis School to learn using Rhymes with Reason.
“Allowing them to learn through music … I wish I had that when I was in school. I’d have probably listened a little bit more. I feel like this whole program is super dope, and I think they’re going to have a really fun time with it,” Obi Toppin said.
To close out the event, the students were given a Pacers drawstring bag and two tickets each to attend a Pacers game in November. The students continued chanting until finally convincing Obi Toppin to perform a slam dunk.
Learn more about Rhymes with Reason at rhymeswithreason.com. Visit toppinfamilyfoundation.org for more information on the Toppin Family Foundation.
Contact staff writer Kha’Lea Wainwright at (317)762-7848 or khaleaw@indyrecorder.com.
Kha'Lea Wainwright is a Staff Writer with the Recorder. She is a graduate of Kentucky State University, with a background in communications, public relations, and performing arts.
