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Category: Problem-Solving

Virtual Family Math Night

Virtual Family Math Night

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We’ve finished! And the result is an amazing virtual event for your families where they can safely engage in an unforgettable and fun math learning experience…together. How did we do it? We created a virtual classroom that serves as the meeting place for your families. Once your families enter the classroom, they’ll be able to sign in and view the Guest Book to see who’s attending. They’ll then decide which of the 5 stations they want to explore. Maybe it’s the Estimation Station where…

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What Do You Notice? Number Wheel

What Do You Notice? Number Wheel

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Skills:
K-2: number recognition, counting, geometry
3-5: addition/subtraction, patterns, odd numbers

This is a fun puzzle where the main objective is to figure out where the three missing numbers of the “spokes” are placed. Since the numbers 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 are visible, the missing numbers would be 3, 4, and 10 (assuming we are using the consecutive numbers 1 – 10. There is an alternate solution for the missing numbers 0, 3, and 4 which is described below).

Younger students may notice a circle, a square, and (10) “triangular” pie pieces. They will probably notice that some of the spokes are missing numbers. Starting at 1 and counting on, they may discover the three missing numbers: 3, 4, and 10. It would be interesting to ask them where they think the numbers go on the wheel and why they chose those specific spokes.

Older students will quickly notice three missing numbers. With a little bit of guidance, they should be able to notice some patterns that can help them determine where the missing numbers should be placed.

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Time Capsule – A Family Math Night Activity

Time Capsule – A Family Math Night Activity

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We are living through a historic moment in history that has brought about some major changes to our lives. As an elementary math educator, I wanted to figure out a way for students to capture this moment through a math activity. That’s when I came up with the idea of creating a time capsule.

I presented the activity a few weeks ago as a webinar for a homeschooling consortium but when we lost the video of the presentation, I decided to film it again and am including it for you below.

It’s a simple but fun project that the whole family can do. With a little adaptation, it would work in the virtual classroom, as well.

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Family Math Night Home Edition – SPANISH version

Family Math Night Home Edition – SPANISH version

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I’m excited to share with you that the PDFs for all the Home Edition activities have been translated into Spanish. A HUGE thank you to Carley Beale and her staff from Virginia for taking on the project! They did an amazing job. Click here to access the PDFs which can be found listed under the video once you click on an activity.

As I described in my Family Math Night Home Edition post, my goal was to design the Family Math Night/Day to be different than simply doing a math activity at the kitchen table. It’s their own personal event and I walk them through how to do it step-by-step. And now our Spanish community can join in the fun!

I hope this helps you keep families engaged in discovering the wonders of math together during this time of continued uncertainty.

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Developing Math Minds at Home Parent Guide

Developing Math Minds at Home Parent Guide

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I’m happy to announce that our parent guide Developing Math Minds at Home is now complete.

The guide was designed to help families support math learning at home. As parents work on reinforcing math skills, it’s also important that we show them how to help their children develop a strong math mind. As we describe in the guide, “Children with a strong math mind are comfortable using math. They understand that math is a useful part of our everyday lives and are confident using it to solve problems.”

The guide underscores what the current research says about how children learn math and includes topics such as:

  • Fostering a Growth Mindset
  • Supporting a Positive Attitude Towards Mathematics
  • Promoting Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills
  • Developing Number Sense
  • Solving Problems a Variety of Ways
  • Embracing Mistakes
  • Encouraging Positive Self-Talk

We also have a Spanish version of the booklet.  For a sample page, check out our website.

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