Comments on: 4 Reasons Play and Math Go Together

By: Dan Finkel

Dan Finkel — Fri, 11 Mar 2022 18:52:40 +0000

In reply to Axel Shaw. I'm so happy to be even a part of the story of your journey to loving math(s)! It makes you particularly well-suited to help your students get in touch with the love from the get-go!

By: Axel Shaw

Axel Shaw — Fri, 11 Mar 2022 06:57:26 +0000

Your website makes me so happy, Dan. As a Math teacher to primary kids (here in New Zealand), you have fed my practice for years. I am very grateful for all the work you and your team put out to the world.

I love Maths (as it’s called here), but it was not always the case. As a matter of fact, like so many of my students, I used to hate it and fear it. It wasn’t until recently, as an adult, that my love for it sprouted – thanks to people like you (this makes a great story, which I always enjoy telling to my students; “If I can, then YOU can!”.

I have the freshly arrived yet unopened box of “Prime Climb” and I can’t wait to play with it. I reckon I will love it even in solitaire mode, and I know it would serve as a wonderful game-break with my older students.

Arohanui,

By: Dan Finkel

Dan Finkel — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 18:15:41 +0000

In reply to Linda.

Helping schools and districts translate a desire to take this approach into action is really critical. I’m hopeful that seeing more data will help stoke the desire. Our work has really been about providing the next steps: the materials, training, and structure that makes it easy to implement a play-based, rigorous summer program. So when people come to us and say, we’d love to make this happen, we can give them actionable steps to do it.

I’ll try to write more soon about what it looks like when school districts jump in to the project.

By: Linda

Linda — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 15:19:40 +0000

I’m finishing my Masters in Education in Special Education thesis on this very subject and I’d have to say that current research backs up everything you are saying. However, as we all know, this doesn’t necessarily translate into school districts showing leadership in this regard. If the gaps in learning that have grown over the past two years can’t be a wake up call, I’m not sure what will. I’d love to hear more about what school districts are doing.

By: Dan Finkel

Dan Finkel — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 06:34:01 +0000

In reply to Jen Baker.

I’d love to, Jen! Email me anytime at dan@mathforlove.com

By: Jen Baker

Jen Baker — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 00:25:30 +0000

YES! This is extremely exciting. I work at a school that has a high focus on 2e kids and we are a play based Forest School. Please, let’s talk!