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Math Learning Activities

Many children tend to find math intimidating, but teachers and learning specialists have begun to erode this impression by tapping the various skills of their students. Mastering numbers is no longer a matter of memorization or board work. Building on the concept of multiple intelligences, educators are engaging students' mental, emotional and physical abilities as well. Whether inside the classroom or at home, there are numerous math activities students can enjoy.

Math Gamers
- In addition to math CDs that teachers and parents can purchase, several educational websites online feature not only worksheets and quizzes but also interactive software. Such programs vary in the mathematical ability they focus on. For example, PlayKidsGames.com houses games like Pinball and Space Shuttle Launch, where the player solves given math problems to initiate launch. Older kids can enjoy Timez Attack, which hones the player's multiplication skills while she makes her way through dungeons and trolls in 3-D. Through these virtual games, math becomes less theoretical and more real to the student.
Math Teasers
- Students who have a flair for codes, riddles and other brainteasers will have fun learning math with cryptograms and tricky word problems. Although the combination of numbers and words may disconcert students who are used to dealing with only one or the other, word problems are integral in applying mathematical concepts. The math section of KidZone.ws has a series of similarly structured word problems to help a child build confidence. Cool Math 4 Kids also features logic puzzles like Wolf, Sheep and Cabbage in Flash animation.
Math Doodles
- Math subjects teach sets to young children with pictures of objects and show equations to older students through two- and three-dimensional graphs. On the other hand, paintings and other art forms either follow or deviate from measurements and symmetrical relationships. Doodling activates a person's visual and spatial skills, loosening him up for the logical equations of math problems. In a paper entitled "Mathematics Education and the Multiple Intelligences," learning specialist Mark Wahl illustrates how the simple act of folding a piece of paper and labeling its parts can help solve a difficult word problem on fractions. Tessellations, mobius strips and origami are good art projects that demonstrate mathematical concepts.
Math Moves
- A 2009 study that University of Illinois professor Charles Hillman conducted is just one of several research projects that have shown a relationship between a student's physical activities and his thinking abilities. This builds further on the theory of multiple intelligences: a kinetic person learns concepts better with his body. In math classes, a student's physical movements can range from using his hands in folding paper to exercising his whole body in an obstacle course. Teachers can supplement a lecture with some dance moves. Instead of just drills, students hone their math skills through races and parlor games that demand quick computations.

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