About us
School psychologists Brian Poncy and Gary Duhon developed Facts on Fire after finding that many students in the schools they assessed had not yet mastered basic math facts. They wanted teachers to have research-based practice materials that were easy to introduce and sustain.
Developed as part of MIND—Measures and Interventions for Numeracy Development—the program provides short, structured practice to build fluency. Teacher feedback has helped refine the materials and make the routines easier to use.
Our team
Brian C. Poncy, Ph.D.
Program co-author · Oklahoma State University
Brian is a professor and director of the School Psychology Program at Oklahoma State University. His research focuses on mathematics interventions and the behavioral principles of learning.
He created MIND and co-authored Effective Math Interventions: A Guide to Improving Whole-Number Knowledge. As a co-author of Facts on Fire, he brings expertise in developing and evaluating practical resources for early numeracy and computation.
Gary J. Duhon, Ph.D.
Program co-author · Oklahoma State University
Gary is a professor at Oklahoma State University with a PhD in School Psychology from Louisiana State University.
His research examines academic and behavioral interventions, including how implementation, practice time, goal setting and feedback affect learning. As a co-author of Facts on Fire, he brings that research perspective to the program’s classroom use.
Laura Stam
Classroom contributor · Ralph Witters Elementary, Wyoming
Laura is an elementary teacher at Ralph Witters Elementary in Thermopolis, Wyoming. Her classroom demonstrations show teachers how Facts on Fire routines work with students.
From oral responses and written practice to progress celebrations, she contributes the perspective of a practicing classroom teacher, helping educators see how the materials can be used in a real lesson.
Dr Michael Walmsley
Website developer · New Zealand
Michael is an educational software developer with a PhD in computer-assisted language learning and 20 years’ experience developing software for schools.
He founded Code Avengers and Manatoa, and led development of Summaries.com and the latest NumberWorks’nWords tuition platform. He is working with Brian and Gary as the developer of the Facts on Fire website.
Contributors
The earlier MIND resources and website benefited from these contributions.
- Bridgett McGill provided art and creative direction.
- Jayce Guilfoyle and Braden Calvin contributed to probe design and construction.
- Anna Huene contributed research assistance and website management.
- Ben Edbon is also credited as a teacher contributor on the MIND website.
Contact
For program questions, training and consultation, contact Brian and Gary.
Read about the program, explore the research, or find talks and resources.
