Let's Play Math

How are we to educate children in regard to math learning to meet the looming, unpredictable challenges of the future? One way, many educators believe, is through the presentation of novel and strange problems in the form of activities and thinking games. Child psychologists have been astonished to find how much a very young child is capable of learning. If he can learn to speak, single-handed and without a teacher, by the time he is two years, no wonder he can learn so much more than was once thought possible. The secret lies in catching him young enough before his mind "hardens." Experience shows that youngsters, if started young enough, can learn such seemingly "way-out" things as logical reasoning, mathematical patterns and how words are put together. It is such ideas that are built into the structure of the games presented here. If math can be turned into a game, it can literally become child’s play. This idea in mind, the authors invented more than eighty new games and puzzles to be played with children to develop their ability to think logically and creatively. They are for the parent or teacher to play constructively with youngsters of four years and up; some are even suitable for seven-year-olds. Most of the games can be played in the home or kindergarten with little adult supervision, once the rules have been learnt.