“One factor that has remained constant through all the twists and turns of the history of physical science is the decisive importance of the mathematical imagination.”
—Freeman Dyson
In the previous episode, Alexandria Jones discovered a mysterious treasure: three wooden sticks, like tent pegs, and a long loop of rope with 12 evenly spaced knots. Her father explained that it was an ancient Egyptian surveyor’s tool, used to mark right angles.
This game builds number sense and a playful approach to math.
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 Concepts: number properties, numbers within 100.
Players: two players, child and adult.
Equipment: printed hundred chart.
Writing to Learn Math: Math journal explanations avoid the formality that turns so many students away from geometry proofs.
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.
And now for something completely different…
The intrepid Quote Investigator played around with math recently:
“You know, people think that mathematics is complicated. Mathematics is the simple bit. It’s the stuff we can understand. It’s cats that are complicated.”
—John Horton Conway
It reminded me of one of my favorite homeschooling exercises:
One of these exercises was a series of short quotations about cats, which my youngest daughter loved.
So in today’s post, I’ve put together an editing exercise you can share with your children, along with several links for playing with mathematical cats.
Enjoy!
