Here's a little gem of an activity that will count as a big mathy moment and isn't on a screen. I'll begin with the instructions, then add a bit about what I saw and how I adjusted when my own 8-year-old did this. Materials needed are a piece of paper, a ruler, and a pencil.... Continue Reading →
My 5th grade son is not interested in his on-line math assignments from school. How about your kids? (Insert the ubiquitous laughing-so-hard-I'm-crying-emoji-here. Or maybe I'm crying so hard, I'm laughing?) The following is what we tried last week, and it worked very well. My son enjoys and succeeds in "school" math in general, and he... Continue Reading →
Don't read this if your children are happily following their regular school math curriculum at home. Do read this if you need to be reassured that the activities your children prefer to do may actually have educational value. Right now, my children prefer to play board games.** And not the board games I like. Today... Continue Reading →
Recently, some hometown friends and I were reminiscing about a favorite 8th grade science teacher. I'm sure we learned chemistry well that year, but what we really recall and appreciate were the constellations and the birds. Each week, we were required to accurately color a black and white drawing of a bird and to identify... Continue Reading →
Right about now we're all realizing how truly skilled our schoolteachers are. Even I am eating a little humble pi. (We could all use some humor today, even if it's a lowly pun.) Yes, I think I am a good teacher...but I am a good HIGH SCHOOL teacher. I like having a group of kids... Continue Reading →
"Look! Look what I made! It's a snowflake!" cried out one child. "See what I'm doing! There are so many of me!" exclaimed another. "Mine looks like a flower...no!...now it looks like the sun!" These were the sounds of a wonderful day with my preschool Math Explorers class. Ten 4-year-olds excitedly investigating and playing with... Continue Reading →
Do you know why the gears on your bike make it easier to steadily climb a hill or swiftly speed down the other side? There's math embedded in the explanation, and if your child has a bicycle, you can start getting mathy with it. Begin by simply pointing out the gears. Every bicycle has at... Continue Reading →
Now that both my children are school-aged, I am challenged to find mathy moments that will support their "school math" while also being interesting, engaging, and creative. I want to help them with the curriculum they are learning at school, AND I want them to enjoy playing with math. As they get older, I can... Continue Reading →
I was wondering how to build on the mathy moment the 6-year-old and I had last week, when the moment presented itself. As he packed his backpack for school, I noticed that the kid was singing the 2's to himself...2, 4, 6, 8, 10, etc. I asked him if he'd ever be able to get... Continue Reading →
It's getting harder to create spontaneous mathy moments with my kids. Most of the time, they are in school. When they come home, I'd rather they run around outside. So, I have to pay attention and seek opportunities. The 6-year-old and I were walking to school yesterday, when he started to count his steps. So... Continue Reading →
mathy moments 