All About Math – Page 4 – Denise Gaskins' Let's Play Math

Math Game Monday: Walter Joris’s Sequencium

Posted on August 17, 2026July 30, 2026 by Denise Gaskins

This game takes strategic thinking and planning ahead, and it makes a great journaling prompt, too.

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!

Walter Joris’s Sequencium

Math Concepts: strategic thinking.

Players: two players or two teams.

Equipment: blank paper, colored pencils or markers.

Continue reading Math Game Monday: Walter Joris’s Sequencium

Thinking Thursday: Counting Puzzles

Posted on August 13, 2026July 31, 2026 by Denise Gaskins

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.

Continue reading Thinking Thursday: Counting Puzzles

The Problem with Socratic Questions

Posted on August 12, 2026August 2, 2026 by Denise Gaskins

“I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think.”

—Socrates

“There is no education but self-education and only as the young student works with his own mind is anything effected.”

—Charlotte Mason

Two great teachers of the past agree that a child’s mind is no bucket. We cannot shovel in whatever information we please and call that “learning.”

So how can we get children to think, to work with their own minds, to build their own relationships with knowledge?

I try to answer that question, at least for math, in my new book Charlotte Mason’s Living Math, which is now available exclusively on my Playful Math Store.

As I was finishing up the final bits of indexing and formatting the book for publication, I continued to tweak the manuscript. This ability to tinker endlessly is both a benefit and curse of indie publishing. For example, I added four new pages to explain my quibble with Socrates.

You see, Socratic questions are very much a case of “Do what I say, not what I do.”

Continue reading The Problem with Socratic Questions

Math Game Monday: Symmetry Challenge

Posted on August 10, 2026July 31, 2026 by Denise Gaskins

This game builds visual thinking 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!

Symmetry Challenge

Math Concepts: symmetry, geometry.

Players: only two.

Equipment: graph paper or blank hundred chart, colored pencils or markers.

Continue reading Math Game Monday: Symmetry Challenge

Thinking Thursday: Words Help Us Think

Posted on August 6, 2026May 21, 2026 by Denise Gaskins

Writing to Learn Math: Writing helps students stretch their thinking and make sense of new ideas.

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.

Continue reading Thinking Thursday: Words Help Us Think

Introduction to the Science of Counting

Posted on August 5, 2026June 28, 2026 by Denise Gaskins

One of my favorite rabbit-trails to explore in middle school math is the science of counting and probability.

It’s a great topic because the calculations are relatively easy, mostly multiplication and division. But there’s a lot of thinking that goes into figuring out just what calculations we need to do.

Counting is not only for little kids! It’s part of discrete mathematics, which means the study of things that are not continuous—things that come in discrete chunks—and it’s important in game design, computer programing, and cryptography.

This post is a section of my Prealgebra & Geometry Games book where my daughter and I explore the fundamental counting principle, the key to solving many counting and probability puzzles.

Continue reading Introduction to the Science of Counting

Math Game Monday: Decimal Product Game

Posted on August 3, 2026May 21, 2026 by Denise Gaskins

Learn a new math game every week, for free

This game builds understanding of decimals, and also of the inverse relationship between multiplication and division.

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!

Decimal Product Game

Math Concepts: multiplying decimals, decimal place value.

Players: two players or two teams.

Equipment: printed game board, colored markers or a set of matching tokens for each player, two paperclips or other small tokens to mark the factors.

Continue reading Math Game Monday: Decimal Product Game

Thinking Thursday: Pentagram

Posted on July 30, 2026May 21, 2026 by Denise Gaskins

Writing to Learn Math: At its heart, geometry is all about seeing connections and relationships.

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.

Continue reading Thinking Thursday: Pentagram

Four Stages of Learning Math (or Anything Else)

Posted on July 29, 2026September 19, 2026 by Denise Gaskins

The following is an excerpt from Charlotte Mason’s Living Math, coming to your favorite bookstore or library this November.

But if you’re impatient—or if you want the exclusive, deluxe, full-color paperback or hardcover edition—you can order your copy now on my Playful Math Store.

This section comes from the chapter called “How Shall We Teach?” which also includes tips about textbooks, a little-known truth about the math facts, and what to do if you never understood math yourself.

Continue reading Four Stages of Learning Math (or Anything Else)

Math Game Monday: Bowling

Posted on July 27, 2026August 26, 2026 by Denise Gaskins

This game builds calculations skills and helps develop fluency.

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!

Bowling

Math Concepts: addition, subtraction, multistep calculation, column addition (for final score).

Players: any number.

Equipment: one deck of playing cards (face cards and jokers removed), game board, ten tokens for covering numbers, pencil or pen, and (optional) scratch paper for adding up the scores.

Continue reading Math Game Monday: Bowling