Math Teachers at Play

Last week I submitted my post about our counting circle to the MTAP Math Carnival #79.  There are a lot of interesting contributions to the carnival, but here are two of my favorites.

"You just listened, so then I could figure it out."  I love reading math conversations between children and skilled adults.  Not only do I learn math, but I learn how to be a better teacher and parent.  In this post, five-year-old Daphne's mom asked her a hard question.  "There was a long pause while she thought, Maya waited, and I drove." After Daphne gave the correct answer, her mom asked her how she was able to figure out the answer.  What follows is a conversation where the little girls explains how much she likes thinking deeply about "tricksy" problems.

The Factor Game.  I haven't had a chance to try this out with my kids yet, but this teacher v. class game looks fun.  Strategy game that requires knowing the factors of numbers.

Be sure to check out the whole thing -- Math Teachers at Play Carnival #79.  There are several other links to math conversations with kids, plus lessons at all levels from beginning to advanced concepts, teaching tips, and more puzzles and games.