Embassy Posted November 2, 2012 Share Posted November 2, 2012 I am attempting to teach a very creative thinker. I've been able to approach many subjects creatively, but math is not a subject where I've been able to bring creativity to the table. My son learns best when creativity is part of the equation. How can I bring creativity into math? Any ideas, references, or websites you could suggest would be helpful. This is for a child currently doing well in Singapore 4A. He does not like math, but he has enjoyed watching math programs geared for kids. He has also really enjoyed Vi Hart videos. He is quite good at math, but there is no love there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted November 2, 2012 Share Posted November 2, 2012 Art projects? There was a thread about math and art recently and I searched, but I didn't turn it up. There are certainly a lot of art things you could do. More living math books? I Hate Mathematics, The Number Devil... More tricky problems for more thinking? Sideways Arithmetic from Wayside School, Ed Zaccaro's books, The Book of Perfectly Perilous Maths (that one has tricky problems and math labs)... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebunny Posted November 2, 2012 Share Posted November 2, 2012 I'm curious, how would you define creativity in math? Do you mean open-ended problems? Or do you mean math integrated with art? this site is a favorite at our home. The problems are rich and lend themselves to many alternative solutions. huge success for my 'I want to do it my own way' DD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nansk Posted November 2, 2012 Share Posted November 2, 2012 (edited) Would he be interested in exploring geometrical designs? 1. Waldorf multiplication clock 2. Muggins Geometry - The Beauty of Numbers (scroll down to see the product video) 3. Scholastic Line Designs from Around the World and Dazzling Line Designs 4. Curve Stitching: Art of Sewing Beautiful Mathematical Patterns Edited November 2, 2012 by nansk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OrdinaryTime Posted November 2, 2012 Share Posted November 2, 2012 Here is the Math through Art thread: http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=434584 I also second living math books. They have helped bring math love to our home! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted November 2, 2012 Share Posted November 2, 2012 There are good lists of living math books at Living Math. A lot of them are geared toward younger kids, but there are titles for upper elementary and middle school out there. I also wasn't sure what "creativity" meant for math. I think, depending on the kid, it could mean different things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luckymama Posted November 2, 2012 Share Posted November 2, 2012 I also wasn't sure what "creativity" meant for math. I think, depending on the kid, it could mean different things. Math creativity for dd12 means getting as far away from traditional textbook math (plug & chug) as possible. She lives for math competitions and studies Art of Problem Solving books :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ariston Posted November 2, 2012 Share Posted November 2, 2012 Have you tried Life of Fred? Might be right up his alley. Also, my dad was a mathematician and the way he did math with us was just to give us interesting problems and then more or less walk away. You might wa nt to look through MEP practice books and look for the more puzzle or challenging type of problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Embassy Posted November 2, 2012 Author Share Posted November 2, 2012 Thank you all for the ideas. I will be checking them out. He does enjoy geometry. He is a top down VSL. I hadn't thought of math competitions, but it is possible that they might work. As far as creativity goes I would define it by looking at math open ended and math combined with art. I've done many of the living books already and they weren't disliked. Life of Fred? I don't know. He might enjoy the storyline. He wouldn't be able to do it independently and read alouds aren't the best way for him to process information. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Down_the_Rabbit_Hole Posted November 2, 2012 Share Posted November 2, 2012 There was a thread going on last year about Math Notebooking. It had lots of creative ways to "do" math. I will try to find it and link it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alte Veste Academy Posted November 2, 2012 Share Posted November 2, 2012 (edited) More than any other supplement, my VSL has loved Beast Academy (and this is despite the fact that he went backward in grade level to do it). Life of Fred is also a huge hit here. The biggest thing I have found with my oldest is that any math that doesn't look like math is a hit. ;) Anything where he can puzzle out an answer for himself instead of being told the answer is a hit. We have supplemented the heck out of math here. (We've had some trials and tribulations, to say the least. :lol:) Some stuff we like... Math for Humans The Cryptoclub (There is a great web site to go with this.) Top Secret It's Alive! Kitchen Table Math So You Think You're Smart The Everything Kids' Math Puzzles Book Mathematical Activities: A Resource Book for Teachers (Cambridge Education) Math for Smarty Pants The I Hate Mathematics Book Curve Stitching Drawing Stars and Building Polyhedra Compass Drawings: Construction Designs Using a Compass and Ruler Primary Grade Challenge Math Family Math - You might be past the first elementary volume. There is a second, plus a middle school volume. How Math Works Math Games & Activities from Around the World (x2) The Secret Life of Math Janice VanCleave's Math for Every Kid Real World Math for Hands-On Fun Amazing Math Projects You Can Build Yourself Go Figure! Why Pi? Those last two are just plain fun to read. In the same category, I would put DS9's two favorite books about math, The Wonderful World of Mathematics and The Giant Golden Book of Mathematics (which was not that expensive when I bought it for him! :001_huh::glare:). We also like to incorporate math into history. The Living Math site someone linked has great books for that. DS loved String, Straightedge and Shadow. Agnesi to Zeno is a good one that spans the scope of history. Same for Mathematicians Are People Too (and vol 2). We also keep science notebooks, which include a great deal of math. One thing that has been extremely beneficial for my kids is to see how scientists use math in real life. Science is DS9's favorite subject and seeing how math is used in different fields of study has been a real eye opener for him. What finally won him back to math was making him understand the difference between mathematics and arithmetic, that math is not all drudgery of computations. It is a way of thinking and, yes, it is very creative! Edited November 2, 2012 by Alte Veste Academy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alte Veste Academy Posted November 2, 2012 Share Posted November 2, 2012 There was a thread going on last year about Math Notebooking. It had lots of creative ways to "do" math. I will try to find it and link it. Oooh, is this it? Can't wait to read through this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alte Veste Academy Posted November 2, 2012 Share Posted November 2, 2012 (edited) Also, someone posted a couple of really neat YouTube links for math in the last week. Numberphile ETA: OK, after watching the Vihart Angry Bird/Parabola video, I searched and found . It totally blew my DS9's mind. :lol: Edited November 2, 2012 by Alte Veste Academy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TippyCanoe Posted November 2, 2012 Share Posted November 2, 2012 nm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Embassy Posted November 2, 2012 Author Share Posted November 2, 2012 Thank you all! You have given me much to search through. :party: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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