Hello, math friend! I’m Dr. Maria Droujkova, director of Natural Math and co-president of the Natural Math Alliance. Please write any time at reach.out@naturalmath.com if you have a question or would like to talk about learning advanced mathematics in kind ways. Meanwhile, here are some opportunities for learners of all ages to make math together. Geometry and Trig Reading Circle Join an online math circle for students ages 12 to 15 in March and April. Participants will explore geometry, proof, and the basics of trigonometry. Sue VanHattum, editor of Playing With Math: Stories from M ..read more

This year, Natural Math is celebrating Pi Day with many math friends around the world. We’ve been partying for weeks! Today, we celebrate at the big event organized by the Junior Academy  of Sciences of Ukraine and the Bluebird Math Circle, Alliance of Indigenous Math Circles. Pi Day is all about circles. Here are two Math Trek printouts from our Inspired by Calculus series. The series is for children ages five and up and their families. This is literally ELI5 Calculus (explain-like-I’m-5). You can also use these short embodied activities for a warm-up with a group at any level. Hap ..read more

Do you want to lead online math circles or casual math playdates for friends and family? Join Dr. Maria Droujkova and math friends for a live online event. We will explore a few activities together. We will also share online teaching tips, and crowdsource a playlist of math activities that feel calm. When: Wednesday April 1 from noon to 1 PM EDT Math topic: start with symmetry (algebraic geometry) and bridge to more Education topic: emotional support via mathematics  for children ages 5 and up Who: parents, teachers, and math circle leaders Where: Natural Math Zoom Supplies: plain pape ..read more

First of all, congratulations! And thanks! After a successful crowdfunding campaign, Ying and the Magic Turtle is published and available. In that story book, readers experience mathematics, problems solving, and the rewards that come with perseverance. Children ages five and up, parents, and teachers can enjoy this retelling of an ancient legend for its rich beauty in mathematics. Read more about the book and print out bonus magic square puzzles for your family, math circle, or class. Five Fabulous Activities – crowdfunding ends February 29 Next up! Tenth book to be published by Natural Ma ..read more

Ying and the Magic Turtle by Sue Looney is a new story book for children ages 5 and up. It is about magic squares, and is inspired by an ancient Chinese legend. Natural Math hopes to publish it in November, in time for the winter holiday gifts. We are crowdfunding it on Kickstarter. For practical purposes, crowdfunding works like a preorder. Math friends who contribute to the campaign also receive extra prizes, and connect with the book’s author and crew. Why puzzles? There are some recent additions to the campaign page. Check out the new variable prize, where supporters can choose the number ..read more

Big news! Natural Math is ready to publish our next book, Ying and the Magic Turtle – and with your help, this can happen soon. Ying and the Magic Turtle is a story book about mathematics, problems solving and the rewards that come with perseverance. As in all Natural Math books, you can expect beautiful, advanced concepts made accessible to everyone in kind ways. We just started the book’s crowdfunding campaign. Visit the campaign to watch a video invitation, see sample illustrations and layouts, and learn how this book can enhance your children’s mathematics at home, math circle, or school ..read more

What is math readiness? Is it really possible to teach math readiness to very young children – toddlers and preschoolers? What does it look like? For several years Carolyn Galbraith ran a play and learning center, focusing on math readiness for preschool children. In this post, Carolyn describes some of her experiences and the outcomes she observed.   We are lying on our backs looking up  at the ceiling, searching for shapes. We see squares, rectangles. The smoke detector is a circle. One of the kids points out that the joins between the ceiling panels make crosses, and excitedly: “Parallel li ..read more