The Early Math Project Newsletter
November 2024 - Volume 18
Math and Art
Math and art. Do they go together? Yes!
Art + Math =
Problems solved in creative ways
Ideas and concepts expressed and represented in artistic ways
Remarkable architecture, engineering, animation, and design
Enhanced creativity
Geometric shapes, patterns, symmetry, tessellations, proportions, and ratios explored with a creative lens
Deeper engagement
See how well they pair in the activities below:
The Standards of Mathematical Practice - Continued
The Standards for Mathematical Practice describe habits of mind and approaches intended to support children’s mathematical success. The standards encourage children to experiment and adapt when they encounter new and non-routine problems.
This month we’ll concentrate on the seventh and eighth standards and how we can support children’s success.
Practice 7 - Look for and make use of structure
To help children become more efficient problem solvers who look for and make use of patterns and structure, encourage them to:
Use what they’ve learned previously in new contexts.
Identify similar problems and patterns.
Consider what a problem is really asking for.
Break down problems into parts.
Consider many different ways of solving a problem.
Think about the ways that the parts of a problem relate to each other.
Look for patterns in math, for example:
5 + 4 is the same as 4 + 5
3 + 4 = 7 is the same as 7 = 4 + 3
Practice 8 - Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning
To help children look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning, encourage them to:
Guess, check, and notice how their answers change. Then adapt.
Prove to themselves that a new method works.
Discover and test their own approach.
Make connections, for example, reaching the conclusion that repeated addition of the same number is related to multiplication. Multiplication is a shortcut that simplifies the process.
With both of these practice standards, you can help children by providing them with many different ways to use what they know, develop new approaches, and build and test their understanding.
Fall Forum Recordings:
The 2024 Fall Forum focused on Playful Learning. Recordings are available now. To access the recordings, visit October 2024 Fall Forum. If you enter your email and name, you will be taken to the event lobby. Select the sessions tab in the blue bar at the top of your screen to see a list of all the available recordings. You can click on the “watch recording” buttons to replay the presentation of your choice.
Keynote:
Promoting Guided Play Through STEAM Learning
Julie Nicholson, Ryan Kurada, and Stephanie Holladay
Breakout Sessions:
Exploring Computational Thinking through Construction Play
Paul Reimer
AIMS Center for Math and Science Education
Playing with Numbers, Numerals and Differentiated Dice (what are those?)
Susan Walsh, Ed. D.
Education Consultant
The Powerful Role of Play with Infants and Toddlers
Tracy Johnson
Northern California Area Manager/Online Program Manager
STEAM-based Play with the Early Math Project
Heather McClellan-Brandusa and Dana McVey
Early Math Project
To Think About:
These seven pieces are tangrams. Find more resources on the EMP's tangram page.