I remember the first time that I was introduced to using tables for multiplying large numbers, division and more. Prior to that, my experience with tables included reading them, interpreting them, and graphing them. Pretty straight forward stuff that most Algebra students experience. Yet here I was, in a class for math teachers, looking at a table that was clearly written by a 2nd grader. I don't mean to say that the handwriting was so bad Keep Reading...
Multiplication Card Game the Whole Family Will Love
One of the most frequent questions I receive from parents is, "How can I help my child learn their multiplication facts and make it fun?" This is a valid question! Though I am a huge advocate for conceptual, inquiry based math instruction, I also believe that fluency is important. Knowing the multiplication tables forwards and backwards will set kids up for success and less frustration in higher levels of math. But that doesn't mean hours of Keep Reading...
Using Literacy Strategies to Teach Math
There always seems to be a new debate about the best way to teach math or which curriculum is the best. I also hear often from homeschool moms who love and feel confident teaching reading, yet feel uncertain and ill-equipped to teach math. Today I am not trying to put any debates to rest or say that I have the final answer to math education questions, I simply want to share some ideas to help you wherever you are, and hopefully show that teaching Keep Reading...
Weekly Math Freebie Round Up
Welcome to the weekly round up of fun math teaching freebies! Every week I share lessons, games and resources that I find around the web for grades K-12. And best of all, they're FREE! Do you have a fun math teaching resource to share with Math Geek Mama readers? Send me a link so I can share it here! :) Kindergarten-2nd Grade: I LOVE this set of low prep addition games from The Measured Mom! This set of games encourages using strategies Keep Reading...
Exploring Surface Area of Pyramids and Cones!
As promised, I have another surface area lesson to share today! This builds on students' previous knowledge from the prisms and cylinders lesson to get them thinking about other three dimensional shapes: pyramids and cones. This FREE surface area of pyramids and cones investigation is a sure way to get kids thinking and better understanding area. It is also a fun, hands-on way to help them form a conceptual understanding, rather than trying to Keep Reading...
Increase “Math Talk” with Your Kids {It’s Not as Scary as it Sounds!}
If you have children, you likely spent much of their early years talking to them and reading to them. Encouraging language development comes so naturally to the new mom. We repeat words, point out words and pictures, try to get our kids to repeat words, etc. I (and possibly many of you) even taught my kids some basic sign language so that they could communicate before they were able to verbalize their needs. We seem to know, without question, Keep Reading...
Fall Addition Facts Practice! {FREE Printables!}
One of the earliest math concepts students learn is addition. This is an important concept for so many reasons! A strong foundation with addition and fact fluency will pave the way for students to understand subtraction, multiplication and more! And while there are many strategies for helping kids understand and learn addition facts, one that I have been spending a lot of time on with my daughter is number bonds. And although we have started to Keep Reading...
Solving Problems Using Guess and Check
Welcome to the last week in my series on problem solving strategies! There are so many different ways to approach math word problems, but it’s important that we share these various methods with kids so that they can be equipped to tackle them! This week I’m explaining a strategy that doesn’t sound overly mathematical, but can be extremely useful when done properly: solving problems using guess and check! As with the other strategies I’ve Keep Reading...
Problem Solving by Making a List
As I’ve mentioned many times, one of the main goals in mathematics education is to raise up confident problem solvers. And while there are many ways to go about solving math problems, and we as adults may often see strategies as common sense, these are things that need to be taught. Giving kids as many tools as possible will set them up for success so that you can “let them loose” and see their creative minds work and explore. To continue my Keep Reading...
Mummy Math: Halloween Estimation and Measurement!
Believe it or not, Halloween is just around the corner! To get my kids excited and seize the opportunity to get outside and enjoy some beautiful Fall weather, we decided to try a little experiment. It all started with a simple enough question: "How many squares of toilet paper do you think it would take to wrap you up like a mummy?" Challenge accepted. Learn how we turned this fun and silly activity into an afternoon full of Mummy Math with a Keep Reading...
