Thinking Thursday: Words Help Us Think

Writing to Learn Math: Writing helps students stretch their thinking and make sense of new ideas. Do you want your children to develop the ability to reason creatively and figure out things on their own? Help kids practice slowing down and taking the time to fully comprehend a math topic or problem-solving situation with these classic tools of learning: Notice. Wonder.

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Introduction to the Science of Counting

One of my favorite rabbit-trails to explore in middle school math is the science of counting and probability. It’s a great topic because the calculations are relatively easy, mostly multiplication and division. But there’s a lot of thinking that goes into figuring out just what calculations we need to do. Counting is not only for little kids! It’s part of…

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Math Game Monday: Decimal Product Game

This game builds understanding of decimals, and also of the inverse relationship between multiplication and division. Many parents remember struggling to learn math. We hope to provide a better experience for our children. And one of the best ways for children to enjoy learning is through hands-on play. So what are you waiting for? Let's play some math! Decimal Product Game…

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Thinking Thursday: Pentagram

Writing to Learn Math: At its heart, geometry is all about seeing connections and relationships. Do you want your children to develop the ability to reason creatively and figure out things on their own? Help kids practice slowing down and taking the time to fully comprehend a math topic or problem-solving situation with these classic tools of learning: Notice. Wonder. Create.

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Charlotte Mason’s Living Math Now in Print!

The long-awaited deluxe, full-color edition of Charlotte Mason's Living Math is now available exclusively on my Playful Math Store in paperback and hardcover (and ebook, too). Hooray! If you'd like to know more about the book, check out my interview with Cindy Rollins on The New Mason Jar podcast: S11E144: Charlotte Mason’s Living Math with Denise Gaskins ...and here's the book description:

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Four Stages of Learning Math (or Anything Else)

The following is an excerpt from Charlotte Mason’s Living Math, coming to your favorite bookstore or library this November. But if you’re impatient---or if you want the exclusive, deluxe, full-color paperback or hardcover edition---you can order your copy now on my Playful Math Store. This section comes from the chapter called “How Shall We Teach?” which also includes tips about textbooks, a little-known truth about the math facts, and what to do if you never understood math yourself.

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Math Game Monday: Bowling

This game builds calculations skills and helps develop fluency. Many parents remember struggling to learn math. We hope to provide a better experience for our children. And one of the best ways for children to enjoy learning is through hands-on play. So what are you waiting for? Let's play some math! Bowling Math Concepts: addition, subtraction, multistep calculation, column addition (for final score).

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Thinking Thursday: W.S. Anglin

Writing to Learn Math: What did the author mean? Put the thought in your own words. Do you agree or disagree? Why? Do you want your children to develop the ability to reason creatively and figure out things on their own? Help kids practice slowing down and taking the time to fully comprehend a math topic or problem-solving situation with these classic tools of learning: …

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Probability Puzzles with Obsolete Coins

I love math puzzles, and Henry Ernest Dudeney is the foremost puzzlemeister of all time. Whenever I need a diversion from the pressing day-to-day busyness of life, I like to crack open one of his books. And get humbled. He stumps me as often as not, but I enjoy the challenge. Today, I’ve got two of his somewhat-easier puzzles from…

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Math Game Monday: Area Battle

This game pushes students to consider area and perimeter beyond the basic shapes. Many parents remember struggling to learn math. We hope to provide a better experience for our children. And one of the best ways for children to enjoy learning is through hands-on play. So what are you waiting for? Let's play some math! Area Battle Math Concepts: area, square units, perimeter, regular and irregular polygons.

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Thinking Thursday: Number Race

Writing to Learn Math: Measurement is our way of connecting numbers to the things we find in the world, in daily life. Do you want your children to develop the ability to reason creatively and figure out things on their own? Help kids practice slowing down and taking the time to fully comprehend a math topic or problem-solving situation with these classic tools of learning: …

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Dragons, Gryphons, and Math Mistakes

This post is adapted from my book Let’s Play Math: How Families Can Learn Math Together—and Enjoy It. Do you ever take your kids’ math tests? It helps me remember what it is like to be a student. I push myself to work quickly, trying to finish in about 1/3 the allotted time, to mimic the pressure students feel. And whenever I do this, I find myself prone to the same stupid mistakes that students make.

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Math Game Monday: Codebreaker

This game challenges players to make logical deductions about number permutations. Many parents remember struggling to learn math. We hope to provide a better experience for our children. And one of the best ways for children to enjoy learning is through hands-on play. So what are you waiting for? Let's play some math! Codebreaker Math Concepts: permutations, logical deduction. Players:

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Thinking Thursday: Success

Writing to Learn Math: You can spark creative thought by removing any need to worry about spelling or punctuation rules. Do you want your children to develop the ability to reason creatively and figure out things on their own? Help kids practice slowing down and taking the time to fully comprehend a math topic or problem-solving situation with these classic tools of learning: …

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Conversion Factors: How Old Are You in Nanoseconds?

Homeschool Memories Conversion factors are special fractions that contain problem-solving information. Why are they called conversion factors? “Conversion” means change, and conversion factors help you change the numbers and units in your problem. “Factors” are things you multiply with. So to use a conversion factor, you will multiply it by something. For instance, if I am driving an average of 60 mph on the highway, I can use that rate as a conversion factor.

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Math Game Monday: Math Model Rummy

This game builds conceptual understanding of multiplication or fraction models. Many parents remember struggling to learn math. We hope to provide a better experience for our children. And one of the best ways for children to enjoy learning is through hands-on play. So what are you waiting for? Let's play some math! Math Model Rummy Math Concepts: multiplication or fraction models.

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Podcast: Charlotte Mason’s Living Math

Cindy Rollins, Dawn Duran, and I had a delightful chat about my new book, Charlotte Mason's Living Math, which is now available in ebook (print editions coming soon!) at my Playful Math Store. We talked about how math is a whole world full of big, living ideas that we can explore with our children. What it means to have a living education in math, opening our children's minds to big ideas about the relationships of numbers, shapes, and patterns.

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Thinking Thursday: 2-D Nim

Writing to Learn Math: Games are the ultimate re-playable activity prompts. Do you want your children to develop the ability to reason creatively and figure out things on their own? Help kids practice slowing down and taking the time to fully comprehend a math topic or problem-solving situation with these classic tools of learning: Notice. Wonder. Create.

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Column Jumping: An Investigation

In my new book, Charlotte Mason’s Living Math, I encourage families to explore the world of math by asking big, open-ended questions. Here’s an example of such a question, an excerpt from my earlier book, 70+ Things To Do with a Hundred Chart: Number, Shape, and Logic Activities from Preschool to Middle School. Have fun exploring math with your kids!

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Math Game Monday: Tax Collector

This game makes children think about multiplication and notice how prime numbers are special. Many parents remember struggling to learn math. We hope to provide a better experience for our children. And one of the best ways for children to enjoy learning is through hands-on play. So what are you waiting for? Let's play some math! Tax Collector Math Concepts:

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Thinking Thursday: William James

Writing to Learn Math: What did the author mean? Put the thought in your own words. Do you agree or disagree? Why? Do you want your children to develop the ability to reason creatively and figure out things on their own? Help kids practice slowing down and taking the time to fully comprehend a math topic or problem-solving situation with these classic tools of learning: …

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Make Your Own Nim Games

Nim is a pure strategy game for two players. On each turn, players remove an option until finally no choice remains. Game options might include: How many stones to take from a pile. Which position to claim on a gameboard. How far to count in a given sequence. The rules can vary at the players’ whim (as long as both players agree).

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Math Game Monday: Greater Than

This game helps students make sense of those confusing rules about multiplication with inequalities. Many parents remember struggling to learn math. We hope to provide a better experience for our children. And one of the best ways for children to enjoy learning is through hands-on play. So what are you waiting for? Let's play some math! Greater Than Math Concepts:

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Thinking Thursday: Age Puzzles

Writing to Learn Math: When students create their own math, they forge a personal connection to mathematical concepts and relationships. And it’s fun! Do you want your children to develop the ability to reason creatively and figure out things on their own? Help kids practice slowing down and taking the time to fully comprehend a math topic or problem-solving situation with these classic tools of learning: …

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FAQ: Doing Math His Own Way

Isn’t it fun when children surprise us with their understanding? All my children have figured out ways to do things in math that I would never have expected, and I’ve learned quite a bit from listening to their explanations. But what if the child’s creative method makes it hard for them to learn what our textbook wants to teach?

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Math Game Monday: Dominoes

This classic family game is a great way to play with numbers and logical strategy. Many parents remember struggling to learn math. We hope to provide a better experience for our children. And one of the best ways for children to enjoy learning is through hands-on play. So what are you waiting for? Let's play some math! Dominoes Math Concepts:

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Thinking Thursday: Collatz Hailstones

Writing to Learn Math: People learn math by playing with ideas. A math journal can be like a science lab book. Do you want your children to develop the ability to reason creatively and figure out things on their own? Help kids practice slowing down and taking the time to fully comprehend a math topic or problem-solving situation with these classic tools of learning: …

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This Puzzle Is Murder

Do you sometimes mourn (in a small way) the loss of a favorite website? I still miss the Daily Set puzzle, which was part of my morning routine for years. But lately, I’ve added a new teaser to wake up my brain for the day. While Set was a visual-logic puzzle, this one is straightforward (though not simple) deduction. I think you’ll enjoy it.

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Math Game Monday: Double Digit

This game pushes students to think more deeply about the meaning of place value. Many parents remember struggling to learn math. We hope to provide a better experience for our children. And one of the best ways for children to enjoy learning is through hands-on play. So what are you waiting for? Let's play some math! Double Digit Math Concepts:

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Thinking Thursday: Farmer’s Market

Writing to Learn Math: Problem-solving cares less about whether an answer is right and more about whether a solution makes sense. Do you want your children to develop the ability to reason creatively and figure out things on their own? Help kids practice slowing down and taking the time to fully comprehend a math topic or problem-solving situation with these classic tools of learning: …

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