Find the value of the shapes. Solve for each shape value. This puzzle is appropriate for grade 3 and up. Comment with your solutions or questions! Originally published on the Matholia newsletter. The solution will be coming soon!

“There is no right or wrong in mathematics:” a quote from a memoir by the daughter of Fischer Black, a famed US mathematician, that she remembers him saying often. What does that mean? When we learn how numbers work, we can do so in one of several ways. The way many of us have been brought up to learn mathematics is through memorization and learning procedures, such as algorithms. One example is the long division algorithm, which is opaque to most students and is arguably one of the most difficult to learn. Teachers and parents alike can relate to frustration…

As of October 2018, I am publishing periodic blog posts and problems on Matholia.com, home of an interactive Singapore Math-based curriculum and web-based tools. Follow the posts here, and subscribe to the Matholia Loop emails, with free problems, here.  

Based on the need of many older students to improve their multiplication and division fluency, I’ve compiled a set of pattern sheets from the fluency resources available in Eureka Math. These are different from random practice sheets because they are designed for students to recognize patterns and use previous facts to help them solve later facts. More about how this works can be found in the related lessons listed at the bottom of each pattern sheet. Find the pattern sheets to download free here: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Multiplication-and-Division-Pattern-Sheets-and-Sprints-4129899

Hot off the presses, a new design is available to celebrate Pi Day 2015! Order soon to get yours in time, or order yours later to commemorate the fact you were there. They could also make great prizes for Pi Day celebrations, drawings, or math fairs! Shirts in many colors, mugs, hats, even baby-wear and ties are available. If you would just like a freebie, download my Pi Poster. And for classroom activities, visit this site to get them for $1.99. Happy Epic Pi Day!!

I’m excited to be presenting at NYSCATE on Tuesday morning, the last session of the conference. Even more exciting, my session is receiving a lot of attention; looks like we’ll have a packed house! I’ll be showing off Eureka, Common Core, Inc.’s excellent interface for the New York State math curriculum. I’ll also be demonstrating a number of apps and a few websites that can be useful in conjunction with common core math. Hope to see you there, but if not, check here for links to handouts and apps! Also, the reason for the long quiet on my blog is…

One of the biggest challenges many teachers face when adopting a manipulative-heavy math curriculum, where pretty much every lesson starts with a hands-on component, is how to manage the pieces without sacrificing half the lesson time. Here is one way that may help. 1. Buy, or ask each parent to buy, as many extra pencil cases as you need for the manipulatives. These cases are usually inexpensive, $1 each or less. Make sure you ask for the kind with the window and for three-ring binders. 2. Have a set of number disks (or color tiles, or play money, or whatever)…