Math Journals and Creative Reasoning

Posted on by Denise Gaskins

Learning math requires more than mastering number facts and memorizing rules. At its heart, math is a way of thinking.

So more than anything else, we need to teach our kids to think mathematically. To make sense of math concepts and persevere in figuring things out. To notice the numbers, shapes, and patterns all around. To wonder about big ideas.

Journaling is a great way to help children learn to see with mathematical eyes. Not just to remember what we tell them, but to create their own math.

Get started with creative math journaling today. Visit the Make 100 Math Rebels Kickstarter page to download the free “How To Be a Math Rebel” sampler pictured above, which contains one of my all-time favorite math prompts.

Make 100 Math Rebels

It doesn’t matter whether your students are homeschooled or in a classroom, distance learning or in person. Everyone can enjoy the experience of playing around with math.

Puzzle from the free Math Rebel Sampler.

Continue reading Math Journals and Creative Reasoning

Kickstarter Loves the Math Rebellion

Posted on by Denise Gaskins

Yesterday, I got some wonderful news. The folks at Kickstarter awarded the “Projects We Love” badge to my Make 100 Math Rebels campaign. Woohoo!

That’s great because it means they’ll help share the idea of the Math Rebellion with more new people.

Wouldn’t it be great if children could learn math as a liberal art that focuses on creative thinking? Imagine the freedom of no longer worrying about speed and memory. Instead, they can dive head-long into the deeply refreshing waters of reasoning and problem-solving.

Experience the Math Rebellion for yourself. Visit the Kickstarter page to download the 10-page printable sampler file, and discover how creative true math can be:

Make 100 Math Rebels Kickstarter

A New Resource for Playful Math

Posted on by Denise Gaskins

Check out the Make 100 Math Rebels Kickstarter project, which just might transform your child’s experience of math.

What Is a Math Rebel?

Math rebels believe in Truth. We refuse to accept something just because the teacher or textbook says it. We want to see the connections between math concepts and to understand why things work.

Math rebels care about Justice. We resist society’s push for speed and conformity. We reject the cultural narrative that math has only One Right Answer.

Math rebels celebrate Creative Reasoning. We delight in finding new ways to look at math topics. We want to think deeply about ideas, and we are confident in our ability to figure things out.

Launch your family’s math rebellion today with my free printable PDF booklet, “How To Be a Math Rebel,” available only on the Make 100 Math Rebels Kickstarter page.

Here’s the link again:

Make 100 Math Rebels on Kickstarter

Printable Activity Guides

Posted on by Denise Gaskins

Since my publishing house opened its online store last month, I’ve been busy stocking the shelves with printable math activities for all ages.

It’s a fun collection of low- or no-prep ideas for playing math with your kids.

And it’s still growing. I’m pouring through old notes of my favorite projects from years of playing math with the kids in our math clubs and homeschool co-op enrichment classes, looking for ideas.

Which One Will You Try?

We’ve kept our prices as low as possible to fit struggling family budgets — less than a cup of coffee at my favorite cafe, back when we could still go out for a sweet, creamy cuppa.

Just go to our online store and click the “Printable Activity Guides” button to check out all the mathy fun.

Someday, I hope to combine these books into a creative math “uncurriculum” for homeschoolers. Stay tuned to this blog for more news about that. Eventually…

New Printable Puzzle Books: Diffy Inception

Posted on by Denise Gaskins

The best way to practice math is to play with it—to use the patterns and connections between math concepts in your pursuit of something fun or beautiful.

Diffy Inception puzzles have their own symmetric beauty, but mostly they are just plain fun. Students can practice subtraction and look for patterns in the difference layers.

I just published four new activity books to our online store:

Notes to the teacher include puzzle instructions, game variations, journaling prompts, and more. Plus answers for all puzzles.

Available with 8 1/2 by 11 (letter size) or A4 pages.

My publishing company runs this online store, so you can find all my playful math books there — including an exclusive pre-publication ebook edition of my newest title, Prealgebra & Geometry: Math Games for Middle School. Click here to browse the Tabletop Academy Press store.

Did You Get Your Books?

Posted on by Denise Gaskins
Math You Can Play series by Denise Gaskins

One more time, because I’m still finding people who didn’t get their Kickstarter rewards…

To Everyone Who Supported the Math You Can Play Kickstarter

Thank you so much! I’m amazed and awed by how many people from all around the world showed interest in my books. You’re the greatest!

ALL the pledge rewards have now been sent, both digital and physical books.

Everyone should have received two emails:

  • Stretch Goals, four printable pdf math activity books.
  • Your digital (ebook) rewards and printable gameboard files.

Even if you ordered paperbacks, you should have gotten the digital book email.

But we’ve had trouble with things getting lost in the tangles of the internet. If you don’t see these emails, check your Spam folder — or if you use Gmail, look in the Promotions or Updates tab.

If you did NOT receive the emails mentioned above, please let me know!!

You can contact me through Kickstarter or use the About/Contact page on this blog to send me a message.

P.S.: There are still two people who ordered (and paid for) paperbacks but haven’t filled out the Kickstarter survey. I can’t mail out your book package until I get an address. If you can’t find the survey email, feel free to message me directly.

Boxes for the Postman

Posted on by Denise Gaskins

Here’s another round of books for the Math You Can Play Kickstarter. Almost finished.

If you backed the Kickstarter, thank you!

You should have already received the following:

  • An email with links to your Stretch Goals, four printable pdf math activity books.
  • A second email with links to your digital (ebook) rewards and printable gameboard files.
  • A survey asking for your address, if you ordered paperback books.

And most of you should have already received your paperbacks in the mail. The packages above are for those who ordered the 9-book paperback set. Hopefully, they’ll get to you sometime next week.

If you did NOT receive the emails mentioned above, please let me know!!

We’ve had some trouble with things getting lost in the tangles of the internet. You can contact me through Kickstarter or use the About/Contact page on this blog to send me a message.

And if you are one of the two people who bought paperbacks but still haven’t filled out the survey, please do that soon. I can’t mail out your book package until I get an address.

Prealgebra & Geometry Preorders

Posted on by Denise Gaskins
Math You Can Play series by Denise Gaskins

My book Prealgebra & Geometry: Math Games for Middle School is scheduled for release to regular bookstores in February, 2021. Because no publisher wants to send a new book into the world during such hectic, unsettled times as a big election, the winter holidays, or during inauguration season.

But preorder links are beginning to appear at several of the major online booksellers. And more stores will join them, as the information filters through their website systems.

The paperback will also be up for preorder, whenever the sites catch that update.

And remember: If you don’t favor a particular bookstore, you can buy the early-release ebook right now at my publisher’s webstore — and get a 10% discount if you order before 15 October.

Math Journals for Kids and Adults

Posted on by Denise Gaskins

Journaling is a fantastic way to learn and remember any topic — including math. That’s why I created my dot grid journals for kids and adults.

But I just discovered that my printer hates journals and blank books. They refuse to publish them any more.

How frustrating!

So from now on, you can only get my math journals from Amazon. The largest-river-in-the-world store doesn’t mind dot grid pages (so far).

Silver Lining: Because the books aren’t available to regular bookstores, I don’t have to allow for the traditional bookstore discount. Which means I can cut the prices. By a LOT — the new prices are 30% off the original cost of the books!

Continue reading Math Journals for Kids and Adults