Maria's Math News, March 2022

Hello again!

Here are this month's collection of tips. 😀

Math Mammoth news
Help for basic addition & subtraction facts (free!) (grades 1-3)
Challenging problems in math (grades 1-8)
Something fun: Your age by chocolate math
It's snowing angles! (grades 4-5)
Just for fun!

1. Math Mammoth news

SAW Publishing interviewed me... check out the interview here: 😃
=> Interview with Maria Miller of Math Mammoth

2. Help for basic addition & subtraction facts (free!)

Help your child learn the basic facts with this set of FREE videos that use FACT FAMILIES (and Mathy! 😃).

Seeing the facts within a pattern, within a structure, helps develop number sense and helps children in the memorization work.

Your child can learn the facts too! Many other children have gotten lots of help from this approach.

The page also lists GAMES and books about addition and subtraction facts.

3. Challenging problems in math

I got a question from a customer:

We love Math Mammoth!
My son is 8 and in 2nd grade. He's gifted and is just completing the 4th grade math mammoth book. I'm wondering what the recommendations are on diving deeper in math. Do you recommend that we just move to 5th grade math, Or do we focus on something else to help deepen math knowledge? Thank you!

I suggest to use Math Star newsletters (free) as supplements, to provide challenging problems. I've used them with all my children, and we really like them. They have a nice mix/variety of problems.

Note also this list of resources. Those are supplemental, not main curriculum, but for gifted children I recommend a regular "diet" of challenging problems. And also, yes, I suggest you have him go on to 5th grade math.

Hope this helps!

4. Something fun: Your age by chocolate math

DON'T CHEAT!

This takes less than a minute!

Work this out as you read — or use your calculator.

First of all, pick the number of times a week that you would like to have chocolate. (You will have easier calculations if this is less than 10... but the method WILL work even if you need to use 34 or 182. 😀
Multiply this number by 2 (just to be bold).
Add 5.
Multiply it by 50 — I'll wait while you get the calculator. Though, I'd rather you do it MENTALLY. Here's a trick for that: multiply it by 100 first, then take half of it.
If you have already had your birthday this year, add 1772. If you haven't, add 1771.
Now subtract the four-digit year that you were born.
You should now see the number you picked in the beginning (i.e., how many times you want to have chocolate each week), followed by... your age! (As a two-digit number.)

Oh YES, it is!!!!!

(Note: This little "trick" will only work during year 2022.)

P.S. Additional challenge: use variables and algebra and figure out why it works. 😀

P.P.S. It doesn't work for certain folks. Who?

5. It's snowing angles!

Have your student practice measuring angles with this fun snowflake-themed activity! Most appropriate for 4th-5th grades.

6. Just for fun!

Thanks for reading! 🙂

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Till next time,
Maria Miller