The Rhythm of Math Games

Posted on by Denise Gaskins
Family math game night

The art of homeschooling math begins with the rhythm of puzzle play. It continues with games, which are social puzzles.

Games are fun, building a positive attitude toward math. They give students a refreshing break from textbook work and make kids willing to practice their math.

But more important than the fun, math games push children to think about what numbers mean and how they work. A good math game reinforces the idea that math is about reasoning, using the things you know to figure out what you need.

For more about homeschooling with math games, check out my post Gameschooling Math.

Continue reading The Rhythm of Math Games

The Rhythm of Math Puzzles

Posted on by Denise Gaskins
Father and son homeschooling math

Homeschooling families naturally build patterns and routines that help us keep our sanity as we go through our homeschooling day.

No matter what resources we choose or which curriculum packages we buy, we never end up following the book exactly as it is written. So don’t worry if you find yourself wandering away from the lesson plan. You’re not getting behind; you’re just discovering your family’s natural learning style.

If you and your children have fallen into the rut of traditional math lessons, have patience. Give yourself time to adjust to a more relaxed mindset about math.

And when you find the rhythm that fits your family, you’ll discover that math lessons flow so much more smoothly.

Continue reading The Rhythm of Math Puzzles

Learning Math with Puzzles

Posted on by Denise Gaskins
Mother and daughter homeschooling math

Learning mathematics begins with puzzles. As stories are to history or science, puzzles are to math.

In ancient times, math began with puzzles like:

• How can we keep track of our herds, or predict the cycles of the moon, or figure out how much to pay for taxes?

• How can we draw perfect right angles, or make beautifully symmetric designs?

• What are the ratios of harp strings that create the most beautiful sounds?

Math puzzles touch every area of life. Puzzles inspire curiosity and solving them brings joy.

And we can enrich any homeschool math program with puzzles that invite children to think about mathematical concepts.

Even those monster topics that often bring homeschooling families to tears, such as fractions.

Continue reading Learning Math with Puzzles

New Math Game Books and a Back-to-School Sale

Posted on by Denise Gaskins
Tabletop Math Games Collection books by Denise Gaskins

After wrestling with some technical issues to connect my book printer to the store, I’m pleased to announce that the new Tabletop Math Games Collection, Volume Two books are now available in digital and print formats on my Playful Math Store.

Visit the New Products page to find everything in the image above:

Or check out the Tabletop Math Games Collection page to see the Volume One books also:

I’m working on getting the paperback and hardcover editions of these books into all the regular online bookstores, but that’s been a slower process than normal. You can purchase ALL versions through my store now, and I’ll let you know whenever I find out the other bookstores have them available…

Continue reading New Math Game Books and a Back-to-School Sale

Homeschooling: The Rhythm of a Math Lesson

Posted on by Denise Gaskins
Mother and son homeschooling math

If there’s one thing common to all new homeschoolers, it’s a feeling of being overwhelmed. One solution is to develop a basic homeschooling rhythm, a daily routine of what you do first, and then next, and then next.

Most new home schoolers try to adopt the rhythm they remember from their own school days, their own classroom experience. But our home is not a classroom, and that pattern can lead to burn-out.

The secret to successful homeschooling is to find a natural rhythm that fits your family. Even in math.

Continue reading Homeschooling: The Rhythm of a Math Lesson

Podcast: From Right Answers to Adventure

Posted on by Denise Gaskins
Notice and Wonder podcast logo with quote by Denise Gaskins

If you find a free hour this week, you may enjoy listening to my latest Notice & Wonder podcast discussion with Sonya and Della about the power of playful math:

We share plenty of tips, stories, and practical advice for bringing a sense of curiosity and exploration into your math lessons.

Plus, the Best Math Game Ever!

I love this podcast, because it always feels like sitting down to chat over coffee with good friends who love kids and love teaching.

Continue reading Podcast: From Right Answers to Adventure

New Podcast: Notice and Wonder

Posted on by Denise Gaskins
Quotation from Notice and Wonder podcast

When I was a novice homeschooler, our local Moms’ Night Out provided mentoring and kept me sane. We’d leave the children home with their dads and meet up at a local restaurant for a cup of coffee, a slice of pecan pie, and a robust discussion of educational philosophy.

This spring, my friend Sonya Post launched a new podcast called “Notice & Wonder” — and it captures that same feeling perfectly.

Sonya explains: “What is Notice, Wonder, Discover? It’s the development of cognitive skills, without which you have never learned anything in your life. We are developing the underlying skills that will make anyone more proficient at learning anything.”

I’ve had the privilege to join Sonya for three episodes of the podcast so far, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed our conversations.

Here’s a taste…

Continue reading New Podcast: Notice and Wonder

If Not Methods: Fraction Multiplication

Posted on by Denise Gaskins
Father and son doing math homework together

This is the last post (for now, at least) in our If Not Methods series about how to help children figure out tough calculations.

By the time students reach the topic of multiplying fractions, they have become well-practiced at following rules. After some of the complex procedures they’ve learned, a simple rule like “tops times tops, and bottoms times bottoms” comes as a relief.

But we know that relying on rules like that weakens understanding, just as relying on crutches weakens physical muscles.

If we want our students to think, to make sense of math, to figure things out, what can we do with a problem like 5/6 × 21 ?

Continue reading If Not Methods: Fraction Multiplication

If Not Methods: Mixed Numbers

Posted on by Denise Gaskins
A family doing math homework together

Continuing our series on teaching the tough topics of arithmetic…

Our own school math experiences led many of us to think that math is all about memorizing and following specific procedures to get right answers. But that kind of math is obsolete in our modern world.

The math that matters today is our ability to recognize and reason about numbers, shapes, and patterns, and to use the relationships we know to figure out something new.

But what if our children get stumped on a mixed-number calculation like 2 5/12 + 1 3/4?

Continue reading If Not Methods: Mixed Numbers

If Not Methods – Subtracting Fractions

Posted on by Denise Gaskins
Father and daughter doing math homework

We’re continuing our series of posts on how to build robust thinking skills instead of forcing our children to walk with crutches.

When we say, “Use this method, follow these steps,” we teach kids to be mathematical cripples.

If your student’s reasoning is, “I followed the teacher’s or textbook’s steps and out popped this answer,” then they’re not doing real math. Real mathematical thinking says, “I know this and that are both true, and when I put them together, I can figure out the answer.”

But what if our kids get stumped on a fraction calculation like 7/8 − 1/6?

Continue reading If Not Methods – Subtracting Fractions