Math Riddles. (Greg Tang's Tips on Having Fun in Math Class).

How do we foster a love for learning? When we teach children to read we share colorful picture books filled with exciting stories. In science, we do lively and engaging hands-on experiments, using fun props such as soda bottles and bouncing balls. Yet how do we teach math? Often, intimidating numbers and symbols cover the board. Kids break out in a sweat trying to memorize formulas and multiplication tables. Is this encouraging a love for the process of solving problems and seeking solutions?

Making Math Fun

Fortunately, math doesn't have to be this way. It can be made engaging, entertaining, and even exciting! We need to refocus our efforts and emphasize relevance and understanding, rather than number crunching.

To accomplish these things, I believe in integrating math with language and art. Words and images are the keys to communicating mathematical reasoning and insight. These tools can connect math with a world of things--real and imaginary--that matter to kids and have the power to make math intuitive, clear, and meaningful. It is through these connections that math can become a familiar, friendly, and fun part of life.

Real Life Math

Numbers and equations are far more interesting when they represent real-life specifics. For example, the problem "What is 3 x 4?" can be posed as "If there are 3 pods with 4 whales in each, how many whales are there altogether?" As kids begin to visualize whales swimming through the ocean, the math becomes much more specific and rich.

Vivid examples also help to connect math with other subject areas. Here, science comes into play, and the word "pod" can lead to a discussion of similar words such as "gaggle" and "flock." Math trivia, such as the weight of a blue whale (190 tons), can make the experience even more memorable. You can also make art and writing connections. Young students might draw and color an ocean scene while older kids try poetry.

I've always found it very odd,

That whales and peas

can share a pod!

For one is tiny, sweet and green,

The other huge and sometimes mean.

I guess it simply goes to show,

In life you really never know!

Spring Math Riddles

On the opposite page, you will find two sample pages from my book Math for All Seasons. These "mind-stretching math riddles" encourage children to take an open approach to problem solving. With each riddle, they must look at numbers and number patterns in new ways. Once kids understand how the riddles work, invite them to try their hand at writing their own to exchange and solve together.

RELATED ARTICLE: SPRING MATH RIDDLES

Directions: Within each poem is a math riddle for you to solve. Write your answers on the lines. Then, on the back of this sheet, try writing your own math riddle to share with your class.

Raining Cats and Frogs

They say it's raining cats and dogs.
Why not lizards, snakes, and frogs?
Next time the weather's getting wet,
Forget the forecast--call a vet!
Can you count the dots you see?
Try to add them cleverly.
Group them in a special way,
Make sums of ten this rainy day!

1. Circle the umbrellas to make two sets of ten.

2. How many dots do you count in all? _____

Shell Game

The sun is rising on the farm,
Cows are stirring in the barn.
The pigs are rolling in the muck,
In the coop the chickens cluck!
How many chicks have hatched today?
Try to find a clever way.
To quickly count this chirping batch,
Subtract the one that's yet to hatch!

1. How many eggs are there in all? _____

2. How many have not hatched? _____

3. How many chicks are there? _____

Answers

Raining Cats and Frogs

When possible, add numbers that have easy sums. The umbrellas can be matched so there are 10 dots in each pair, or 20 dots altogether. 10 + 10 = 20

Shell Game

First add up all the eggs, including the middle one that hasn't hatched. There are 3 rows of 3 eggs, or 9 eggs altogether. Now subtract the middle egg to get 8 baby chicks. 9 - 1 = 8

Greg Tang is a children's book writer and former math teacher. Math for All Seasons (Scholastic, 2002) is his latest book.