Charlotte Mason’s Living Math Now in Print!

Posted on by Denise Gaskins
Charlotte Mason's Living Math Kickstarter

Charlotte Mason's Living Math book by Denise Gaskins, paperbackThe 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:

…and here’s the book description:

Apply the Principles of Education to Help Children Develop Mathematical Reasoning

“The Principality of Mathematics is a mountainous land, but the air is very fine and health-giving. People who seek their work or play in this principality find themselves braced by effort and satisfied with truth.”

—Charlotte Mason

Are you a parent or teacher? Here’s how to:

  • Feed your children’s minds with big ideas.
  • Give them confidence they can learn and make sense of things.
  • Develop intuition and creative thinking about math.

Explore the world of mathematics with your children. Notice connections. Wonder about relationships. Delight in understanding.

Author Denise Gaskins shows you how to introduce your child to the living ideas of mathematics. Because when the ideas of math come to life for our children, their minds find joy in seeing numbers and shapes connect to each other and exploring these relations.

From early learning to algebra, Charlotte Mason’s Living Math offers a practical, activity-filled exploration of what it means to learn math as a family.

Chapters include:

  • Practice Your Principles: Discover the fundamental principles of math education, the essentials of understanding who children are and how they learn.
  • How Shall We Teach?: Get practical tips for guiding your kids, drawing out their curiosity with puzzles, and helping them master math topics.
  • When Students Get Stuck: Help children find their own way around any barrier with a classic problem-solving approach they can use throughout their lives.
  • Supplement Your Lessons: Find out how books, games, and math art contribute to a living education.
  • And much more.

You’ll love how Charlotte Mason’s Living Math transforms your children’s experience of math, awakening their imagination about numbers, shapes, and patterns. Because the Principality of Mathematics is a wonderful place to explore with your kids!

So grab your copy of Charlotte Mason’s Living Math today, and launch your family’s adventure of learning.

Podcast: Charlotte Mason’s Living Math

Posted on by Denise Gaskins
family doing math together

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. And how to tell if our kids really understand what they are doing, or if they’re just parroting back the steps we taught them.

And lots more — listen for yourself:

“Math doesn’t have to be a drudgery, a chore that we finish so we can check it off of our list. Math can be a delight when we give children things to think about, ideas to wonder about. When we explore the world of numbers and shapes together, math can be a playful delight for the whole family.”

—Denise Gaskins

For full show notes, see Season 11, Episode 144: Charlotte Mason’s Living Math with Denise Gaskins.

 
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Are you looking for more creative ways to play math with your kids? Check out all my books, printable activities, and cool mathy merch at Denise Gaskins’ Playful Math Store. Or join my free email newsletter on Substack.

This blog is reader-supported. If you’d like to help fund the blog on an ongoing basis, then please join me on Patreon (or choose the paid level on Substack) for mathy inspiration, tips, and an ever-growing archive of printable activities.

FAQ: Doing Math His Own Way

Posted on by Denise Gaskins
FAQ learning subtraction math

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?

Continue reading FAQ: Doing Math His Own Way

Math Game Monday: Dominoes

Posted on by Denise Gaskins
Learn a new math game every week, for free

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: subitizing dot patterns, thinking ahead.

Players: two or more.

Equipment: one set of double-six or double-nine dominoes, or two sets for five or more players.

Continue reading Math Game Monday: Dominoes

Math Game Monday: Double Digit

Posted on by Denise Gaskins
Learn a new math game every week, for free

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: place value, addition.

Players: any number.

Equipment: six-sided die, pencil and paper for keeping score.

Continue reading Math Game Monday: Double Digit

Math Game Monday: Farkle

Posted on by Denise Gaskins
Learn a new math game every week, for free

A great classic game for groups or family play.

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!

Farkle

Math Concepts: addition to ten thousand, probability with dice.

Players: any number.

Equipment: six six-sided dice, pencil and paper for keeping score.

Continue reading Math Game Monday: Farkle

Are You Smarter than a 3rd-6th Grader?

Posted on by Denise Gaskins
girl raising hand in math class

Recently, I stumbled on an old blog post featuring Singapore Math problems, and it brought back memories.

Back when my children were young, the original Primary Math series from Singapore was one of my favorite math curricula. I tweaked our school program constantly, so none of my kids had the same education, but three of them spent a good part of their elementary years in those books.

And I followed the Math in Singapore 2007 blog for its single season of publication. The blog has gone the way of many others, preserved only in the Internet Archive.

In the post I re-discovered, Patsy Wang-Iverson was reporting on a week-long seminar organized by Celine Koh, who offered the following problems (adapted from school exams and study books) for teacher discussion.

How many can you solve?

Continue reading Are You Smarter than a 3rd-6th Grader?

Math Game Monday: Countdown

Posted on by Denise Gaskins
Learn a new math game every week, for free

This game helps students develop strategic thinking while practicing their subtraction skills.

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!

Countdown

Math Concepts: subtraction within one hundred, thinking ahead.

Players: best for two.

Equipment: a hundred chart, penny or other token to mark your place.

Continue reading Math Game Monday: Countdown

Math Game Monday: Pattern Blocks Challenge

Posted on by Denise Gaskins
Learn a new math game every week, for free

This cooperative game fosters vocabulary and geometric visualization skills.

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!

Pattern Blocks Challenge

Math Concepts: geometric vocabulary, visualization.

Players: two or more (a cooperative game).

Equipment: pattern blocks.

Continue reading Math Game Monday: Pattern Blocks Challenge

Homeschool Burnout? 10 Tips for Coping

Posted on by Denise Gaskins
Homeschool Burnout

[Memories from 20 years ago. Like our kids’ childhood, the homeschooling season passes faster than we expect.]

Spring cleaning has made my desk look worse than before. Nobody feels like studying. The kids would rather be outside, and their mom would rather take a nap. Sound familiar? It is our annual attack of homeschool burnout.

If you, too, are suffering from lethargy and can’t face another day of school work, here are some ideas that have helped me:

(1) Re-read the homeschooling books on your shelves.

Or get some new ones from the library. Try to read about one a month, if you can, to help get your enthusiasm back. And then read at least one new homeschooling book per year to help you stay inspired.

Continue reading Homeschool Burnout? 10 Tips for Coping