Number Sense Blog

Upper Elementary and Middle School Find the perimeter of the shape below. (Hint: there is enough information.)   Solution: The length on the bottom of the rectangle is the same as the length on the top, although the top has been sp...

Whether you are watching your favorite team battle on the gridiron or strapping up the pads yourself, the one thing that can’t be ignored is how math impacts the game. Your team might be celebrating a touchdown, but if you break down the big play ...

  Want to test your math skills and get into the holiday spirit? Try our Christmas and Hannukah word problems!   Lower Elementary:     Question: Charlene, Ryan, and Jayleen are hanging ornaments on the Christmas tree. Charlene hu...

    Whether your child is behind in math or learning beyond their grade level, chances are they could improve their math competency in 2015. Here are a few tips for a brand new year of math!   1. Identify the areas your child needs to ...

  I recently stopped by my cousin’s house during a long driving trip so that I could take a break and catch up with family for a spell. My cousin mentioned that her 9 year–old son Adam was having trouble in his math class. I was able to...

  Most parents are eager to help their children do well in school, but they’re not giving them the tools necessary for success in their math classes. Parents play a huge role in instilling the number sense their children require to be successfu...

    Dear Larry, No matter how hard I work to improve my grades in math, I just can’t seem to understand it. I’m a right-brained creative person, and I don’t think my brain is wired to understand math. What advice can you give someone ...

  In this week's Number NonSense cartoon, find out how many ways you can change a dollar!

February 7th is e Day! While not as famous as Pi Day, e Day celebrates the mathematical constant e, which has a wide range of mathematical applications. Here's a bit of background on e and why it's worthy of celebration! As the history of mathe...

  It's National Pizza Day! We're celebrating with some fun pizza word problems. Mmmm....who's hungry?   Lower Elementary Question: Mark, Scott, and Christian ordered an extra-large pepperoni pizza. Mark and Christian both had 3 slice...

GPS location apps on a smartphone can pinpoint where you are and offer you directions to your school, find the nearest place to get a haircut, and tell you what the weather is in your neck of the woods, among many other cool features. But how does...

  Elementary Mackenzie owns a chicken ranch. She has a total of 10 chickens. Each chicken lays 18 eggs a month. Mackenzie then takes all the eggs and puts a dozen in a carton. How many cartons can Mackenzie fill in a month?   Middle/Hi...

  Many times, mental math is a better way to solve math problems than using an algorithm. Here are two approaches to division using mental math.   Example 1: 75 ÷ 6 6 is the same as 2 x 3, so instead of dividing by 6, we can divide 75 ...

  With only a few months left in the school year, it’s time to focus on math improvement to ensure your child finishes the year strong! Here are a few tips for making sure those final grades exceed expectations.   Identify Troublesome ...

  Here at Mathnasium, we are big fans of Pi Day! We love any excuse to celebrate our love of math, and this year we're extra excited because it's Super Pi Day! [insert Super Pi Day graphic] What better way to celebrate this momentous day ...

Happy Valentine's Day! We want to share our love for math and our Mathnasium family today with a fun Valentine's Day problem! Can you solve it? Billy buys a box of chocolates to give to his secret admirer. Half of the chocolates are milk chocol...

We're so excited to announce the launch of Operation Mathlete, a new educational YouTube series hosted by our very own Larry Martinek! The show pits three students, each struggling in math, against themselves and each other in a series of fun and ...

  We've discussed the "summer slide" here on the blog before, and we know summer learning loss is currently on the minds of parents and teachers as they wrap up the academic school year and begin making plans for summer. As you prepare to enjoy...

  Summer is right around the corner and excitement is in the air! As you prepare for a well-deserved break from the pressures of school, it’s a great time to start thinking about your child’s plans for the summer months. You’ve probably hear...