Make & Grow

Math goggles: subitizing, unitizing, counting

Does instant recognition of numbers undermine the number sense?

Math goggles help you notice math everywhere. Here is something to notice: mathematics is not about numbers, it’s about patterns. When mathematicians deal with numbers, they use systems and formulas. Young mathematicians can start learning this wizardry from simple visual patterns. Here is an elegant game for kids who are exploring quantities. The goal is to […]

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Math goggles: tasty sphere packing around the world

Sphere Packing

Math goggles help you notice math everywhere. Maria João Lagarto has great math goggles when she makes adventurous Pinterest collections. For this post, I selected examples of round fruits, confections, and other morsels packed into triangles, pyramids, or cones. Even the Wikipedia article on sphere packing uses a pyramid of oranges! I used to play with a […]

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Math goggles: making “What if?..” collages

What if: Ratio collages

Math Goggles help you notice math everywhere. What if we had a planet for our moon? What if we had tiny hands at our fingertips? Photo sources: the skies; the hands; eye/mouth; the duck.   Asking “What if?..” about everything is one of the main ways people create mathematics. What if you kept counting backwards past […]

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Math mind hacks: spaced repetition

Spaced repetition

You can memorize ten or even hundred times faster (compared to cramming) if you review learned material at spaced intervals. The spaced repetition method is most appropriate for small, particular facts you need to recall quickly, such as terms, or frequently used formulas. Never try to memorize what you don’t understand in mathematics. For bodies […]

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