Number Sense Blog

Grades 1 - 5: Annie looked into a dog park and observed the dogs and their owners. She counted 50 legs. With a total of 16 "beings" (dogs and/or owners), how many dogs and how many owners are in the dog park? (Hint: Annie is not in the dog park.) ...

From time to time, we get lucky and the computation we have to do can be solved using a specific technique or trick that allows us to do effortless mental math.     Level 1:   12 x 125 = _______   The trick to this quest...

Now that you're starting to settle into your fall routine, it's time for that first report card! While this may seem like a stressful time at first, it can also be a very constructive period for you and your child. Here are a few strategies to hel...

We hope you had a great summer! A new school year is here once again, and it's time to get excited about possibilities that lie ahead. As you and your child navigate the back to school scramble, here are some tips to help you make the most of op...

"Thinking backwards"-starting at the end of the problem and using reverse operations-can help you solve certain problems at different grade levels. Upper Elementary and Middle School: A certain number is doubled. That answer is tripled. Fina...

Take the Math Muscle Challenge!   Grades 1 - 6: A racehorse can run a mile in 1 minute 40 seconds.  At that rate, how many seconds will it take the horse to run a half-furlong? (Hint - A furlong is 1/8 of a mile.)   Grades 6 and up: Br...

Answers to last month's challenges: Grades 1-6: $37.15 Grades 6 and up: 64 times larger This month's problems: Grades 1 - 6:  Rick goes to the park each day and counts the number of ducks swimming on the pond. On Sunday he counts 1 ...

This holiday season, we’re all about making math practical at home! As you and your kids enjoy quality time (and a much-needed break from school), remember that the holidays come with many opportunities for you to show your child how useful (and f...

  Transposing is an important technique for students to master as they progress from Algebra I to Algebra II and beyond. It’s the process of moving quantities across the equal sign in an equation to make the problem solving process more efficie...

  As the New Year approaches and we prepare to say goodbye to 2014, we are all hard at work on our resolution list for next year. At Mathnasium we got a head start on our 2015 resolutions with a brand new website and Number Sense blog! For t...

Yay, summer! As you and your kids enjoy a well-deserved break from the pressures of school, we'd like to remind you that summertime also presents many opportunities for kids to keep their math skills fresh and play around with concepts they may en...

      Every time we walk out the door we are surrounded by math in the world around us.  Nature has a beautiful and amazing way of using math.  These patterns in nature can be seen as symmetry, spirals, waves, fractals, spots, stripes, crystals...

Can you solve this month's Math Muscle Challenge?Grades 1 - 5: A recycling center pays $1.90 for every pound of aluminum recycled and 90 cents for every pound of plastic recycled. Anthony collected 10 1/2 pounds of plastic bottles and 13 pounds of...

Given a percentage of a number, how do you find 100%? We'll show you different ways to find 100%.     First, remember that 100% means "all of it... the whole thing."   Example 1: 25% of what number is 5?   This question asks,...

As we close the book on the 2013 - 2014 school year, at Mathnasium, we're excited about the possibilities for our students once summer rolls around! Here are a few reasons to seize every opportunity this summer - the perfect time to get ahead.•  E...

Math anxiety can easily undermine the hard work students have invested throughout the year, lowering their scores on standardized tests and jeopardizing their chances to take advanced classes or enroll in the schools of their choice.   B...

Algebra Readiness begins in elementary school. Three essential topics in elementary school mathematics are 1) numerical fluency, which includes the effortless recall of addition facts and the times tables stemming from mental math strategies for c...

  What better way to kick off the weekend than with an adorable math cartoon from the super talented Domics? Hope your weekend is full of snowy math fun! (Source: http://domics.me/post/37283875161/snow-angle)

Children need to be exposed to the forms of mathematical thought as well as to the details. What is missing in most instruction is the timely unfolding of these basic forms of mathematical thought. The use of consistent, familiar forms clearly dep...

        Looking for some last minute gift ideas for the math lover in your life? Check out our round-up of fun math gifts!   Math Games   These games can be played by the whole family—improve your math skills as you spen...