Nakia Posted December 27, 2011 Share Posted December 27, 2011 Hi! I am looking for a puzzle type math supplement for my 3rd and 6th graders. I've been looking at MEP, and I do like it, but we are very happy with our current math choice, and I am not interested in trying to supplement with a math program better suited to be used as a stand-alone. I really like the way MEP uses puzzles and other "outside the box" ways to show math. I, of course, also like that it's free. So something very inexpensive would be great. I am also open to something online. That would actually be fantastic. Can anyone recommend something for me? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deniseibase Posted December 27, 2011 Share Posted December 27, 2011 For puzzle-type math supplements, are you looking for one thing that you can use all year, or are you open to trying several different things? I don't know of any year-long math puzzle supplement, but I know several smaller supplements. The funnest online supplement I know is Lure of the the Labyrinth - http://labyrinth.thinkport.org/www/ By the same company, but with a different theme is Villainy, Inc. - http://villainyinc.thinkport.org/ and Math By Design - http://mathbydesign.thinkport.org/ These are all fun online games that just happen to teach a lot of math. Lure of the Labyrinth in particular is tricky and takes a long time to solve! Highlights has Puzzlemania and Mathmania books - I can usually find these at Half Price Books for cheap, they are ridiculously expensive to buy new from the Highlights website. There are probably loads of math puzzle books at your local library - some are quite difficult and require math that is way beyond your daughters' levels, but some puzzles can be worked out with just number sense and logic. I'd start with looking for books by Martin Gardner and Raymond Smullyan - don't expect to be able to solve all the puzzles in their books, but you can still have fun chewing over the ones you can solve. There are lots of books on secret codes for kids - Top Secret by Paul Janeczko and The Cryptography Club by Janet Beissinger are written directly to the child. The Cryptography Club in particular is set up to be a math supplement, with assignments and such, Top Secret is more of a 'rainy day activities' sort of book. Hope that helps get you started! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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