Number Sense Blog
Word Problem Wednesday: Gobble Gobble!
Nov 23, 2016
Image: "Thanksgiving Turkey" by Ruocaled is licensed under CC BY 2.0
Gobble gobble! It's Word Problem Wednesday AND Thanksgiving Eve, so we're celebrating with a word problem in tribute to the classic Thanksgiving staple. Solve our Turkey Day w...
Word Problem Wednesday: A Bicycle Word Problem!
Nov 16, 2016
Zoom zoom! We're back with another installment of Word Problem Wednesday! Solve our bicycle-themed word problem below and check back tomorrow for the answer!
Isabel has a bicycle with wheels that measure 28 inches in diameter. How far will the ...
Word Problem Wednesday: Marbles
Jan 18, 2017
Image: Joe Mabel [GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
We're feeling a bit nostalgic on this Word Problem Wednesday and celebrating one of our favorite classic toys! Try answering our word problem about marbles—we'll update with the sol...
Word Problem Wednesday: Birdfeeders
Feb 22, 2017
Spring is just around the corner. Flowers will soon be blooming, critters will be stirring from hibernation holes, and birds will be looking for feeders… such “peckish” little creatures!
See if you can solve this week’s bird feeder word prob...
Word Problem Wednesday: Jack & The Beanstalk
Mar 1, 2017
Fee-fi-fo-fum, we smell mathematical proportion fun!
A fairytale favorite is the inspiration for today's Word Problem Wednesday. See if you can solve this teaser and check back tomorrow for the answer.
Jack casts an 8' shadow. If Jack is 5...
Word Problem Wednesday: Knit Hats
Mar 8, 2017
Did you know that the largest knitted hat in the world is 66 feet in circumference and nearly 57 feet tall? (Industrias Textiles de Sudamerica - Lima, Peru, 26 April 2015)
It’s a good thing most hats are head-size or this week’s Word Problem...
As Math Learning Gaps Threaten the “COVID Generation,” It’s Time to Act
Aug 14, 2020
When the global pandemic shuttered schools across the U.S. in March, the concept of the "COVID slide" became a new term in our vocabulary. It refers to a pattern of learning loss that typically happens over summer break, but more severe d...
Word Problem Wednesday: James and the Giant Peach
Aug 19, 2020
Spark your child’s imagination with this week’s word problems themed around the famous children’s novel “James and the Giant Peach.”
Read the introduction below with your child. Then, choose the word problem that’s the right skill level fo...
Franchisee Spotlight: Laurie Bryant
Aug 20, 2020
Congratulations to Laurie, our Featured Franchisee!
Laurie Bryant
Owner/Center Director of Mathnasium of Chicago Hyde Park
How do you like to start your day?
Watching “The View” every morning while getting up and getting ready for...
Word Problem Wednesday: The Wizarding World
Aug 26, 2020
People have been infatuated with the wizarding world depicted in J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” series, from famous sites such as Hogwarts and Diagon Alley to household charms, magical creatures, and the international sport played on flying br...
Word Problem Wednesday: Math and Art
Sep 2, 2020
The world’s greatest sculptors, painters, and photographers depend on math to create their art. Not only do artists use elements of composition — such as geometry and proportions — to perfect their work, they also use math behind the scenes i...
Word Problem Wednesday: A Slice of the Pie
Sep 9, 2020
Did you know that approximately $700 MILLION in pies are sold in grocery stores every year? That doesn’t include those found in restaurants, food service or price clubs. And if you lined up the number of pies sold at U.S. grocery stores in o...
Word Problem Wednesday: Dollars and Sense
Oct 4, 2020
Money is an important part of everyday life, and it just makes sense to know the function of dollars and cents.
This week’s word problems focus on understanding value and calculating purchases. Read the problems below and choose the one th...
Word Problem Wednesday: Pleasant Pastimes
Nov 25, 2020
There are so many fun ways to pass our time. And whether we’re fishing, visiting theme parks or jet skiing, there are always opportunities to put math into the mix.
This week’s word problems will help your child think critically an...
Word Problem Wednesday: Fractional Reasoning
Dec 16, 2020
When you take a whole item and break it into equal parts, what you get is one — or more — of those equal parts; these are known as fractions. This may sound very math-y and complicated, but each of us works with fractions all the time...
Math Tips for Parents, K-5: Introduction and Counting
Jan 20, 2021
Parents often ask us what they can do to help their children understand, master, and love math. Well, this happens to be right up our alley. In fact, it’s our mission!
Our team of master educators has put together some fundamental...
Reversing Math Loss for the “COVID” Generation
Feb 3, 2021
It goes without saying that the pandemic has disrupted every aspect of our lives — from the way we live, to how we interact, to the way we work and play. And as most parents of school-aged kids are well aware, it has also greatly impa...
From Maths Frustration To Maths Elation
Feb 10, 2021
Life can be tough when you’re young and trying to learn maths - especially if you’re having to do it in your second language and in the middle of a pandemic.
And if can be even tougher when you’re the parent of that child, seven months pre...
Ask Larry: maths and the left-brained misconception
Mar 30, 2021
Larry Martinek, Mathnasium Co-Founder and Principal Education Officer, is a beloved educator, teacher trainer, and curriculum consultant. And together with our expert team, he has spent years refining the most powerful teaching methods and materia...
Summer slide: myth or reality? And what you can do to help...
May 31, 2022
A theory abounds around parenting and educational circles at this time of year that children lose momentum and regress cognitively during the long summer holidays. It’s a phenomenon known as the Summer Slide, and here at Mathnasium we wanted to ex...