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: Notice. Wonder. Create.
“It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.”
—Albert Einstein
Whenever a new set of test results comes in, society goes through a new cycle of hand- wringing and blame-casting. The most current PISA results are no different. The best analysis I’ve seen: The Sky Is Always Falling by Bill McCallum.
Rather than join that fray, let’s step back and ask a bigger question: What do we want for our children?
Why do we school our kids? What does it mean to be “educated”? And in particular, why do we teach math? What do we hope to achieve?
We can’t think rationally about how to teach until we are clear about our goals.
Can we choose option D, all of the above? Is it possible to work toward all these goals at once, to build solid knowledge and teach mathematical skills while at the same time encouraging curiosity and developing flexible thinking?
Like a toddler throwing a tantrum, I want it all, and I want it right now.
I don’t know how to solve the problems of classroom schooling, but here’s some advice for my fellow home schoolers.
This school year…
Whatever math curriculum you use, focus math lessons on your child’s own thinking.
Rather than telling them what to do, ask about what they know. Help children find a way to use what they’ve already learned to reason about the new topic.
Consider doing your math lessons buddy-style:
And when your children get stuck, follow the tips in my “If Not Methods” blog series:
Reinforce learning with creative practice.
Don’t just memorize facts, but use them in a variety of ways. Build mental math skills by playing math games, especially games that require strategic use of math skills.
Check out my blog for ideas:
Encourage curiosity through puzzles, enrichment activities, reading good books, playing with math art, and journaling.
For example:
“How to Teach Math” copyright © 2026 by Denise Gaskins. Image at the top of the blog copyright © Wavebreakmedia / Depositphotos.
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This game reinforces the most important model for understanding numerical and algebraic multiplication.
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: area model for multiplication.
Players: two or three.
Equipment: blank hundred chart or graph paper, two six-sided dice, pencil or marker.
Writing to Learn Math: Number play doesn’t have to follow school math methods.
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.
“In most sciences, one generation tears down what another has built, and what one has established another undoes. In mathematics alone, each generation adds a new story to the old structure.”
—Hermann Hankel
In my old snail-mail Mathematical Adventures newsletter, I used to squeeze bits and snippets into the margins. Quotations, historical tidbits, and small puzzles tangentially related to the main story.
These marginal notes were not simply decoration. Rather, they served the same purpose as the small bumps on a Lego brick, connections on which to build a greater understanding of the world of math.
Thinking about how other people have explored the world of mathematics in the past can offer us new ways of looking at, the things we’re learning today.
Besides, math history is just plain interesting. After all, it’s the story of people just like us, people who wondered, fought, loved, grieved, and lived rich lives—and who played around with math puzzles that we can still enjoy today.
The internet flows like water, however, adjusting content to fit your screen size, which means it doesn’t really have margins to fill. But that’s fine, because it lets me expand the tidbits into a post of their own and include links for further research. You can enjoy my bits and bobs, and then click through to explore on your own.
So let’s turn the clock back a couple thousand years and see what we can find…
This game offers young children a chance to practice counting and early addition skills while racing to beat their parents.
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.
Math Concepts: addition to one hundred, thinking ahead.
Players: two or more.
Equipment: playing cards (remove face cards and jokers), a hundred chart, and a penny or other small token.
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: Notice. Wonder. Create.
We’ve been looking at Deans for Impact’s white paper, “The Science of Learning,” which summarizes cognitive science research and its implications for teachers (and homeschoolers). The paper poses six key questions that help us to apply the principles of science in teaching our children.
This week, let’s explore how students learn and retain new information.
Because if we want our children to be able use what we teach them, the first step is to help them remember it.
This game features the Cuisenaire rods, but you may play with any math manipulative based on length: Montessori bead chains, Mortensen or Math-U-See blocks, etc. Or draw pictures on graph paper.
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.
Math Concepts: partitions, part/whole, addition, multiplication, algebra.
Players: two or more.
Equipment: Cuisenaire rods (or other math manipulatives) or graph paper, pencil and paper (optional).
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: Notice. Wonder. Create.
