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Let's Play Math: How Families Can Learn Math Together—and Enjoy It
How to Learn Math Without Tears
* Discover activities that will awaken your children’s minds to the beauty and fun of mathematics.
* Build thinking skills with toys, games, and library books.
* Find out how to choose math manipulatives or to make your own.
* And learn how to tackle story problems with confidence.
All parents and teachers have one thing in common: we want our children to understand and be able to use math. Counting, multiplication, fractions, geometry—these topics are older than the pyramids. So why is mathematical mastery so elusive?
Written by a veteran homeschooling mom, Let's Play Math offers a wealth of practical, hands-on ideas for exploring math from preschool to high school. Whether you want to balance and enrich a traditional curriculum or launch an off-road mathematical adventure of your own, this book helps you:
* Introduce your children to the “Aha!” factor—the thrill of conquering a tough challenge.* Discover activities that will awaken your children’s minds to the beauty and fun of mathematics.
* Build thinking skills with toys, games, and library books.
* Find out how to choose math manipulatives or to make your own.
* And learn how to tackle story problems with confidence.
True mathematical thinking involves the same creative reasoning that children use to solve puzzles. Your children will build a stronger foundation of understanding when you approach math as a family game, playing with ideas.
290 pages, ebook
First published September 3, 2012
63 people are currently reading
349 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
October 10, 2017
This book is *amazing.* I wish every parent could read it because the ideas are so important and anyone can use them, but I think especially for home-schoolers it can be life changing. Several weeks ago I decided I wanted to approach math differently than the standard text-book, memorize-the-rules, level-by-level procedure in favor of math that is full of joy, understanding, discovery, and life. At the same time, I started reading this book hoping it would show me how. It did that and then some! Gaskins answers every question I had extremely well and then answers questions I hadn't even thought of yet! The back is full of all her recommended resources and it is *lengthy.* I did not know how much support I would have in approaching math this way, but I no longer have any worries. There is plenty to keep us going for a long time, and the list is growing all the time. My second-grader had started to hate math (though granted he hates doing almost anything that he has not initiated) and already he is having more fun and self-discovery and pride in his observations. My kindergartner was still enjoying math before, but now he is, if possible, even more enthusiastic about it and looks for math all around him. Gaskins is inspiring, affirming, and encouraging and I look forward to joining my kids on a path of problem-solving rather than answer-getting.
August 28, 2021
This book made a dent in my anti-math attitude. I now have 2 quotes about math in my common-place book! Though 3/4 of the actual math laid out is still beyond me, I very much enjoyed the way she discusses the intrigue of problem solving, and the joy of discovery.
September 11, 2018
So many fantastic ideas!! I’ve done several already with my 5 yo and they’ve all been a hit!
March 29, 2023
This is the book I needed when I first started homeschooling! Gaskins lays out the argument for mental math, and then gives example after example and idea after idea of how to teach it, from the preschool years all the way through high school. Not only that, she has devoted considerable time to helping the teacher learn how to learn and teach at the same time. The HUGE resource appendix at the end will be frequently consulted as the years go by schooling my second. For the first time I do not feel trepidation at the idea of teaching math, even though I failed pretty dramatically with my first try.
July 10, 2016
Best ideas about and collection of resources for teaching math that I have seen! Highly recommend for all families, not just homeschool ones. Love the emphasis on fun and fascination that is at the heart of mathematics, and the practical view of what learning math really is about. I wish I had gotten this one in paper form instead of on the kindle, that way I could keep it on the coffee table and flip through it frequently. I can't wait to check out this author's website and other books!
November 22, 2019
Fantastic resource. Packed with ideas, book lists, and online resources for making math fun. I wrote all over my copy and will be referencing it often. An added bonus (pun intended), it was very readable. Highly recommend.
March 17, 2019
So many ideas and resources. I will probably purchase my own copy as a reference book.
April 2, 2022
I found this helpful in reframing my approach & relationship to math and to seek opportunities to make it more playful & accessible to my kids. I have no intention to homeschool (although this has many excellent resources and ideas if you do) but will certainly use the concepts here over the summer and to come alongside my kids in their math journey to keep them from being discouraged by math all together.
April 18, 2023
Great resource book for K-12th grade math. She encourages parents to remember and share how math is fun. Read books about mathematicians, play games, solve lots of puzzles and riddles. She includes a plethora of games and ideas; and extensive resource section at the back.
dnf
August 27, 2024Got some really good ideas along with a little overwhelm before this was due back at the library. But Denise Gaskin brought math games into our lives, so I'll always be grateful! Hope to pick this back up again sometime.
June 13, 2017
Has changed the way I look at math and is full of wonderful resources. For all ages
June 25, 2017
An amazing book that gets beyond the formulas and explains the why's. It can revolutionize your approach to math with your kids as well as your own relationship to math!
February 15, 2021
Reviewed on my website, http://learndifferently.com
September 20, 2022
This book is engaging and has the potential to transform your homeschool. I need a copy of my own to review again and again.
May 28, 2016
Math is often one of the most challenging subjects for students, whether in a classroom or homeschool setting. When our boys were in their elementary years, our core math curriculum was Ray’s New Arithmetics, originally published in 1877. Both my father and grandfather studied from them in school and were known for their mathematical skills in their work. According to Mott Media, which republished them in 1985, they are organized in an orderly manner around the discipline of arithmetic itself, present principles which progress systematically from the simple to the complex, follow up each one with examples, and then include difficult problems to challenge the student so that he must rely on his arithmetic ability to answer the questions. One of the benefits of Ray’s New Arithmetics is that they emphasize mental arithmetic to precede written arithmetic as a means to assure understanding. Another advantage is that Ray’s New Arithmetics incorporate what has become a pariah to modern math students, namely story problems, and thus provides a good foundation for the study of logic..
While some may not concur, most people feel that the development of math skills obviously involves a lot of rote memorization especially in the early grades, but learning math should include much more. Enter author Denise Gaskins. In Let’s Play Math, she sets forth the philosophy and theory behind her “Math You Can Play” series, challenging our thinking about how to approach math and giving concrete examples. “A focus on answer-getting and test performance can ruin mathematics, distorting a discipline that is half art and half sport. Imagine a piano teacher who insisted her students spend six years on scales and exercises of gradually increasing difficulty before she would let them attempt a piece of actual music. Or a football coach who made his team run laps and do sit-ups every day, but let them play only two or three games a year, and scrimmage games at that. How many people would become bored with music or learn to hate football under such instruction?” (p. 12). The eleven chapters are divided into four sections: “How to Understand Math;” “Playful Problem-Solving” (“Math You Can Play,” “Math You Can Touch,” and “Math That Makes You Think”); “Math with Living Books” (the chapter on “4,000 Years of Stumpers” is especially interesting); and “Let’s Get Practical” (with a very practical chapter on “Transition to High School Math”).
There are also several appendices, including lists of “living” math books for all ages and math resources on the Internet. One may not agree with every observation or suggestion that Denise, who is a homeschooling mom, makes. In his Foreword, Stanford University mathematician Keith J. Devlin writes, “Does she know it all? No. Neither do I. Is she always right? No. Neither am I. But neither of those matter.” And not everyone will be as all-out gung-ho about math as Denise is—each of us has different gifts. But parents and teachers who are interested in providing a good mathematics background for their students will find many excellent ideas in this book. At the end Denise says, “In the few years we have our children at home, we cannot possibly teach them everything they will need to know as adults. At best, we can give them the tools for learning and the ability to reason, so they can continue their own education. And one of the most important tools for learning is a solid understanding of real mathematics—math taught the mathematician’s way, as mental play” (p. 207).
While some may not concur, most people feel that the development of math skills obviously involves a lot of rote memorization especially in the early grades, but learning math should include much more. Enter author Denise Gaskins. In Let’s Play Math, she sets forth the philosophy and theory behind her “Math You Can Play” series, challenging our thinking about how to approach math and giving concrete examples. “A focus on answer-getting and test performance can ruin mathematics, distorting a discipline that is half art and half sport. Imagine a piano teacher who insisted her students spend six years on scales and exercises of gradually increasing difficulty before she would let them attempt a piece of actual music. Or a football coach who made his team run laps and do sit-ups every day, but let them play only two or three games a year, and scrimmage games at that. How many people would become bored with music or learn to hate football under such instruction?” (p. 12). The eleven chapters are divided into four sections: “How to Understand Math;” “Playful Problem-Solving” (“Math You Can Play,” “Math You Can Touch,” and “Math That Makes You Think”); “Math with Living Books” (the chapter on “4,000 Years of Stumpers” is especially interesting); and “Let’s Get Practical” (with a very practical chapter on “Transition to High School Math”).
There are also several appendices, including lists of “living” math books for all ages and math resources on the Internet. One may not agree with every observation or suggestion that Denise, who is a homeschooling mom, makes. In his Foreword, Stanford University mathematician Keith J. Devlin writes, “Does she know it all? No. Neither do I. Is she always right? No. Neither am I. But neither of those matter.” And not everyone will be as all-out gung-ho about math as Denise is—each of us has different gifts. But parents and teachers who are interested in providing a good mathematics background for their students will find many excellent ideas in this book. At the end Denise says, “In the few years we have our children at home, we cannot possibly teach them everything they will need to know as adults. At best, we can give them the tools for learning and the ability to reason, so they can continue their own education. And one of the most important tools for learning is a solid understanding of real mathematics—math taught the mathematician’s way, as mental play” (p. 207).
February 20, 2016
I first read this book some years ago and it was a big part of revolutionising the way I think about mathematics. Denise Gaskins provides a way of seeing maths that opens out a whole new world, both for those like me who enjoyed a more traditional approach and those like my daughter who hated it. The book begins with a discussion of the different ways we think about maths, and a myth-busting of assumptions that many of us have, for example the idea that in mathematics answers are always right or wrong. This is a real eye opener, especially the descriptions of what it means to be a mathematician - playful and creative, not blindly following rules and performing repetitive calculations. I loved the analogy to music - would you teach music by spending years memorising scales before you played an actual piece? In the same way children can love playing with ideas such as fractals and infinity even if they have yet to memorise their multiplication tables.
The next part of the book is a more practical guide for ways to 'play' at maths. There are descriptions of games, from those as simple as noughts and crosses to adapted card games. There are suggestions of manipulatives and ways to use them - exploring geometry with tangrams, games with graph paper or compasses. I love the ideas for verbal games and chats you can have any time, like guess the number - "Add half of me to myself and you get six - what am I?". We play these in the car, or at the table - and the most important rule is always let your kids ask the questions too! Of course you learn even more from posing a question than from trying to figure one out. Mine love to use huge numbers like a million googleplex, assuming the bigger the number the harder the question! There are some great strategy guides for constructing and solving these kinds of puzzles too, as well as heaps of examples, so even if maths wasn't your thing the games aren't overwhelming. There are even book ideas for maths story time - my kids love many of these books, and readalouds are a great way to introduce and cement concepts like fractions and negative numbers in a concrete way.
Gaskins also includes a historical perspective, including puzzles explored by great mathematicians through the ages, and a whole chapter on practical implementation - how does this approach even work on a day-to0day basis? She provides everything from an example weekly outline of activities to tips around controversial topics like counting on fingers and memorisation, including a special section on those who struggle with maths.
I should note that I was sent a ARC of this new edition, although I already owned an earlier digital copy. I was so glad of the opportunity to remind myself of Gaskins' insight and creative approach; sadly, the mainstream attitude to maths is focused far more on attempting to attain measurable outcomes and far less on introducing the student to the beauty and joy and fun that maths can be. It's hard to remember, and easy to get anxious about sticking to perceived 'benchmarks' instead of cultivating an attitude of open-minded exploration that will hopefully lead to deeper understanding and pleasure in the study of mathematics. It's such a central subject for today's technology-centric world, and yet one which, when taught badly, can create so much unnecessary fear.
The next part of the book is a more practical guide for ways to 'play' at maths. There are descriptions of games, from those as simple as noughts and crosses to adapted card games. There are suggestions of manipulatives and ways to use them - exploring geometry with tangrams, games with graph paper or compasses. I love the ideas for verbal games and chats you can have any time, like guess the number - "Add half of me to myself and you get six - what am I?". We play these in the car, or at the table - and the most important rule is always let your kids ask the questions too! Of course you learn even more from posing a question than from trying to figure one out. Mine love to use huge numbers like a million googleplex, assuming the bigger the number the harder the question! There are some great strategy guides for constructing and solving these kinds of puzzles too, as well as heaps of examples, so even if maths wasn't your thing the games aren't overwhelming. There are even book ideas for maths story time - my kids love many of these books, and readalouds are a great way to introduce and cement concepts like fractions and negative numbers in a concrete way.
Gaskins also includes a historical perspective, including puzzles explored by great mathematicians through the ages, and a whole chapter on practical implementation - how does this approach even work on a day-to0day basis? She provides everything from an example weekly outline of activities to tips around controversial topics like counting on fingers and memorisation, including a special section on those who struggle with maths.
I should note that I was sent a ARC of this new edition, although I already owned an earlier digital copy. I was so glad of the opportunity to remind myself of Gaskins' insight and creative approach; sadly, the mainstream attitude to maths is focused far more on attempting to attain measurable outcomes and far less on introducing the student to the beauty and joy and fun that maths can be. It's hard to remember, and easy to get anxious about sticking to perceived 'benchmarks' instead of cultivating an attitude of open-minded exploration that will hopefully lead to deeper understanding and pleasure in the study of mathematics. It's such a central subject for today's technology-centric world, and yet one which, when taught badly, can create so much unnecessary fear.
March 3, 2020
I am a semi-veteran homeschooler (oldest graduates homeschool high school this year, middle started 9th grade at a traditional school this year) and math has been the bane of our homeschool journey. I was determined it not be the case with my youngest. I have been playing with hands-on math with her for several years but this book has revolutionized how I will continue with math in the future. It is an absolute TREASURE of math resources that instill wonder and encourage exploration. For preschool to high school learners (and beyond) there are stories, suggestions, hands-on ideas and never-ending resources and books with which to learn more. The lists of "living math" books are also amazing and thankfully my library has most of them. This is absolutely necessary reading for parents, especially homeschool parents. The philosophy here is completely compatible with classical and Charlotte Mason educational methods. I took about 20 pages of notes on this book & I am thoroughly loving my own re-awakened joy in discovering math because of this book.
My only (minor) complaint is that several suggested resources are out of print & hard to find and many links are now dead - but I was able to relocate most of those via google.
My only (minor) complaint is that several suggested resources are out of print & hard to find and many links are now dead - but I was able to relocate most of those via google.
April 17, 2017
I can't stop recommending this book to everyone. This book will last you for your child's entire education. There are explanations of math concepts, math history, math living book recommendations, book resources, online resources, advice on how to approach math, and tons of activities and games for math. This book is a gem. Enough said, go buy it.
October 26, 2017
This book was really helpful. I think most parents would benefit from learning how to help their kids love math. There is a lot of practical advice which I love. It’s a bit dry/boring in the beginning, but the last half of the book more than makes up for it. Giving it four stars on its usefulness, not its writing or entertainment value.
September 7, 2017
Just about the best book I've read about teaching maths to kids with games and real life. Lots of examples and links to further resources. My only regret is that I've got the ebook version and I desperately want a printed version so that I can underline and make lots of notes!
July 19, 2025
I absolutely love this amazing book! I am so excited to do math with my children. This book is an invaluable resource, full of even more resources. I highly recommend to all parents and educators and anyone who needs a new perspective on math!
July 10, 2016
Once I adopted the "Let's Play Math" approach with my own children, we had a blast making up games and looking at the world like mathematicians.
January 17, 2025
I've read and loved books by Marilyn Burns and Jo Baoler, but finally - something for the homeschool educator! My new favorite.
October 21, 2016
Fabulous book. Great ideas on math education. Perfect for homeschoolers and non homeschoolers alike.
March 18, 2024
This book is packed with helpful ideas and resources for changing your, and your kids’, minds on math.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews