My books – Denise Gaskins' Let's Play Math

Why I Love Kickstarter

Posted on March 11, 2026March 6, 2026 by Denise Gaskins

Charlotte Mason's Living Math Kickstarter

Over the next two weeks, you’ll be hearing a lot about Kickstarter and my Charlotte Mason’s Living Math project. I’m proud of the book, and I want to spread the news as far and wide as possible.

You’ll love how Charlotte Mason’s Living Math transforms your children’s experience of math, awakening their imagination about numbers, shapes, and patterns.

But I know there are many readers who don’t know much about crowdfunding. Some people even think that a campaign like this is just online begging.

So I want to share what I totally love about Kickstarter and how much it offers you, the customer:

(1) It’s the “New World” of publishing.

In the old days, traditional publishing companies paid writers in advance to write the books the publisher wanted to see. In this new world, you get to choose and support the writers creating books you want to read.

Continue reading Why I Love Kickstarter

Math Prompt: True-False-True

Posted on March 4, 2026March 4, 2026 by Denise Gaskins

girl writing in a notebook, sitting on couch with her corgi

One of the stretch goals for my Charlotte Mason’s Living Math Kickstarter campaign is to add a math journaling prompt to the end of each chapter. So, I’ve been playing around with ideas to get readers writing.

Since the book’s all about how to build mathematical reasoning, I’m looking for ways to prompt creative thinking and flexibility in math calculations.

Check Out the Kickstarter

I found some fun ideas in Guy Gattegno and Martin Hoffman’s Handbook of Activities for the Teaching of Mathematics (which you can download here), including the following riff off a puzzle created by Lewis Carroll.

Continue reading Math Prompt: True-False-True

Charlotte Mason’s Living Math Launched: Order Your Copy Today

Posted on March 3, 2026 by Denise Gaskins

And so it begins: Charlotte Mason’s Living Math is LIVE on Kickstarter!

Check It Out ❯

⭐ Don’t delay! ⭐

To have a successful campaign, we need plenty of people to back the project early. The more supporters we get in these early days, the more likely the Kickstarter platform folks will help spread the news for us.

Continue reading Charlotte Mason’s Living Math Launched: Order Your Copy Today

Can You Help Me?

Posted on February 25, 2026February 12, 2026 by Denise Gaskins

I’m finishing up my plans for the new Charlotte Mason’s Living Math Kickstarter project and pledge levels, which launches early in March.

And I’d really appreciate your help.

Could you please take a few minutes to look over the project page and give me some feedback?

Preview & Comments Page
(NO account required to see the preview, but you may need to log in if you want to leave a comment.)

Having new eyes on the page helps make sure everything makes sense.

Continue reading Can You Help Me?

Coming Soon: Charlotte Mason’s Living Math

Posted on February 18, 2026February 18, 2026 by Denise Gaskins

Coming Soon! In March, I’ll be launching my newest book, Charlotte Mason’s Living Math: How to Apply the Principles of Education to Help Children Develop Mathematical Reasoning.

And the Kickstarter prelaunch page is now live. That means you can sign up to get an email from Kickstarter as soon as the campaign launches:

Visit the Prelaunch Page ❯

(If you back the campaign on launch day, that encourages the Kickstarter folks to share it with more people.)

Continue reading Coming Soon: Charlotte Mason’s Living Math

FAQ: The Value of Math Rebellion

Posted on December 3, 2025November 11, 2025 by Denise Gaskins

$Math Rebels fight for truth, justice, and creative reasoning$

I’ve been getting questions about my Math Journaling Adventures books:

“I’m so excited to try math journaling! We bought your Logbook Alpha, and my 11-year-old math-averse son is trying to be a math rebel at every turn.

“But I feel uncomfortable with the idea of rebellion. Doesn’t he need to learn how to solve math problems the right way?”

One of my favorite things about math is that there really is no “right” way to solve math problems.

As I pointed out in my ongoing Mental Math series, even a problem as basic as 6+8 can be approached from many directions. So perhaps I should say, the “right” way is however the student wants to make sense of the problem.

In math, sense-making and reasoning are always the most important things.

Continue reading FAQ: The Value of Math Rebellion

FAQ: Playful Math Journaling

Posted on November 19, 2025November 11, 2025 by Denise Gaskins

Girl student thinking about her math journal prompt

Ever since the school year started, I’ve been getting questions about how to use my new Math Journaling Adventures logbooks.

[SIDE NOTE: These logbooks are included in this month’s Thanksgiving Sale! You’ll get an automatic 10% discount off all print books, applied at checkout, no special code required.]

“I love the way your math books get my children thinking.

“Finally, they are having fun with math!

“But sometimes I have no idea what the journaling prompt is all about or how to teach it. Where can I buy a solutions manual?”

Um, that’s not how math journals work.

The cool thing about journaling prompts is that they have no “right” answer. They are explorations into different parts of the world of math, nature walks in the land of numbers, shapes, and patterns. Springboards into whatever our children want to investigate, whatever sparks their interest.

A few of the problem-solving prompts may have specific answers, but it really doesn’t matter if our kids find the exact solution a math professional might give. If they write what makes sense to them, they’ve accomplished the goal.

If later, they think of something they hadn’t noticed, or they want to change their answer — well, that is mathematical thinking, too.

Continue reading FAQ: Playful Math Journaling

📚 Thanksgiving Sale: ALL Print Books Discounted! 📚

Posted on November 12, 2025November 11, 2025 by Denise Gaskins

November is the traditional month of thanksgiving, at least here in the U.S. The harvest is in, and we have holidays just around the corner. It’s a great time to take stock of our blessings and practice gratitude.

I’m thankful for YOU! 😍 And for everyone who reads my books, blog, newsletter, etc., or backs my Kickstarter campaigns, supports my Patreon, or whatever way you choose to share the Playful Math adventure.

But especially, for those of you who cut out the middleman and buy direct through my store or on Kickstarter.

How It Happened

I was updating my business bookkeeping last weekend (How do I get so far behind?!), and I noticed that my direct-to-you sales this year have blown far past my sales through the normal online retailers.

Wow!

So I decided it was time for a Thank-You sale.

I can’t mark down my print books very often, because the cost of printing and shipping lurks like a monster behind the scenes, eager to take a bite out of every purchase. There’s nothing I can do about those fixed expenses, and they keep going up.

But this feels like a month for celebration, so here we go:

ALL PRINT BOOKS—paperback, hardcover, and spiral bound—are included in the “I’m Thankful for You” Sale. A 10% discount applies automatically at checkout, no discount code required.

SHOP NOW

This would be a great time to grab a book for someone on your holiday gift list—and treat yourself to something new, too.

With my thanks!

* * *

Tell Children Interesting Things

Posted on August 9, 2025 by Denise Gaskins

“You don’t educate people by telling them useful things; you educate people by telling them interesting things.”

— John Conway

If you want help educating your children with interesting things about math, check out Denise Gaskins’ Playful Math store.

We’re currently running a huge back-to-school sale on ALL of my playful math ebooks, problem-solving activities, math journaling task cards, and math art projects.

So many great ways to play with math!

The 20% discount will automatically apply when you check out. No discount code required.

Check it out:

Back to School Sale 2025