If you’ve been thinking of starting a math club, here’s a good model:
People have this notion that math is about getting a right answer, and the testing really emphasizes that notion. And that’s such a bad way to approach math because it makes it scary.
When you look at little kids, they pose their own questions. They say, “Ooooh, what’s bigger than a million?” And they think about things their own way. At school, the teacher poses the questions, and the students answer their questions. Schooling is not a natural environment for learning.
— Sue VanHattum, Math Mama Writes
Richmond Math Salon: A Sweet Sampling
Resources
Need ideas and activities to get your math group up and running? Check out some online inspiration:
- Posts about the Richmond Math Salon
More ideas from Math Mama.
- How to Start a Homeschool Math Club
Books, activities, and links to get you going.
- Building a Children’s Math Library of Living Books
I love math books — but I’m a piker compared to this homeschool mom!
- Living Math Website and Forum
Plenty of great advice, ideas, links, and more.
- Natural Math
I have no idea how to characterize this wonderful site. Explore — you’re sure to be inspired!
- MathCounts Club Program
For middle school students, grades 6-8. I enjoy these problems, but they’re too “schooly” for my current crop of students.

- Don Cohen’s Map to Calculus
Scroll around and click on anything to discover a wealth of hands-on activities.
- Math Circle in a Box
Download the 171-page pdf full of advice on creating and sustaining a math circle, tips on how to effectively lead a math circle, sample presentations, etc.
- So You’re Going to Lead a Math Circle
Much shorter pdf full of good advice and ideas.
Yes, schooling is not natural learning. Because in school there is already listed the point which to learn and which not. But there is not pre decided matter exist if anything happen naturally.
I absolutely agree that children often get a wrong notion that mathematics is about getting a right answer. I wrote about that in my manifesto years ago. However, I would qualify the reference to “school” and “schooling” in the quote, At school, the teacher poses the questions, and the students answer their questions. Schooling is not a natural environment for learning.
Teachers, schools and schooling may be bad but also good, and making the setting black and white serves no good purpose. It actually contradicts the thesis that there is not always one and only right answer. This is even more true in pedagogy than in mathematics.