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.
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
This article originally appeared in the Autumn 2019 MTCircular.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
AUTUMN 2019 MTCIRCULAR
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Tic-Tac-Toe 2.0New Takes on an Old ClassicCatherine Pullin Lane and Lynne M. Pachnowski |
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Circling to ConnectFive Programs Building Math Joy on the Foundation of Math Teachers’ CirclesCircles of Inquiry, Julia Robinson Math Festivals, Math Monday, Math News Snapshots, Journal of Math Circles |
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A Better World Through MathGloria Brown Brooks Is Retiring, But She’s Not Slowing DownInterview by Jessa Barniol |
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Math Teachers’ Circle Small Grants Awarded |
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A Note from AIMSurprising Connections |
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Dispatches from the CirclesLocal Updates From Across the Country |