Circling to Connect

Building Math Joy on the Foundation of Math Teachers’ Circles

 

 

Math Monday

Scott Kim

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Math Monday is a weekly drop-in lunchtime activity where students of all ages can get hands-on with math games, puzzles and manipulatives that help build their math skills. The program was created by puzzle designer and math joy advocate Scott Kim, who started the first Math Monday in 2017 with other members of the parent community at Washington Elementary School in Burlingame, Calif.

At Math Monday, students have the opportunity to play physical (never screen-based) mathematical board games and puzzles. Unlike competitive math clubs, Math Monday is intended to reach all students at their own pace and is meant to complement other math culture-building opportunities like Math Circles, Julia Robinson Mathematics Festivals, and Family Math Night.

Elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, and home schoolers can all benefit from starting their own Math Monday. We recommend holding the program weekly during lunch in a large public space like a multipurpose room or library, so all students can attend. The program is designed to be run by parent and community volunteers, so that it involves families and does not burden teachers. After the start-up cost of buying, printing, or making games, the program is free. Download a sheet of sample Math Monday problems. For more information, along with game and puzzle recommendations for your local Math Monday, please visit the Math Monday Web site or contact Scott Kim by email.

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More in this Series

 

Introduction

Building Math Joy on the Foundation of Math Teachers’ Circles

 

Circles of Inquiry

Jane Cushman, Keiko Dow, Ryan Gantner, and Yousuf George

 

Julia Robinson Mathematics Festivals

Brianna Donaldson

 

Math News Snapshots

Nitsa Movshovitz-Hadar

 

Journal of Math Circles

Emilie Hancock and Brandy Wiegers

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This article originally appeared in the Autumn 2019 MTCircular.

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