By Gaurav Tekriwal Today you can define mental math in various different ways. Some would say, memorizing times table and remembering the solutions can form the part of mental mathematics. Some would say ability to perform simple calculations in your head can be mental mathematics. The web dictionary defines mental mathematics as "Computing an exact answer without using pencil and paper or other physical aids." Today there are five methods available to learn and practice menta

By Robyn Whyte This article is part of a four part series that discusses how to teach reading and the specialized approach needed within the guided reading philosophy. Simply put, guided reading has many aspects but is a driving philosophy about how to teach children to read. Adopted in most parts of the developed world (Canada, U.S. (midwest), England, New Zealand and Australia, guided reading is now one of the most utilized ways to teach reading. What self-knowledge? When a child en

By Lisa Harp Reading is a difficult process. The brain must be doing several things at once in order to make sense out of the written word. Many things can go wrong when a student is learning to read. Kids who struggle with reading struggle with life. If there is just one skill you can spend time on to help a student succeed in school and life, it would be reading. The biggest mistake most people make is to try to teach a student to read in the same method they were taught or by using tra

Mechanics of human vision that underlies the theory of RDS is quite simple. Focusing the eyes behind the screen makes our brain believe there is a depth separation in the image and interpret the visual signals accordingly. The theory of RDS could be found at the above mentioned sites. However, the fact is that, the simplicity of the theory notwithstanding, some people manage to see those 3D images, while others do not. My wife is of the latter kind. With all my cajoling and explanations she

In the previous article I began telling the story of an unusual high school geometry course run at the Ohio State University in 1930s. The course has been designed and taught by Prof. Harold F. Fawcett who later published an account in The Nature of Proof (NCTM, 13th Yearbook, Reprint 1995). To quote from the book, There has probably never been a time in the history of American education when the development of critical and reflective thought was not recognized as desirable outcome of the seco

Once upon a time, at the first meeting of what was supposed to be a high school geometry course, the teacher surprised the students with the announcement: There is no great hurry about beginning our regular work in geometry and since the problem of awards is one which is soon to be considered by the entire school body I suggest we give some preliminary consideration to the proposition that 'awards should be granted for outstanding achievement in the

Parrondo's Paradox is a double shocker. Counter to common intuition, it is possible to mix two losing games into a winning combination. This is a good news. But do not rub your hands just yet. The theory does not apply to casino games. Learning about it all must be its own reward. On the positive side but shaky ground, Sandra Blakeslee reported last year in NY Times that Dr. Sergei Maslov from Brookhaven National Laboratory had shown that if an investor simultaneously shared capital between two

Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain is a drawing-instruction book, first published in 1979. In her book, Betty Edwards, Professor of Arts at California State University, builds on the then novel theory that the two halves of the brain function differently. The left hemisphere is responsible for verbal, abstract, symbolic activities. The right hemisphere serves for synthetic, holistic, intuitive perception and information processing. Under normal circumstances, the left hemisphere is the mo

By Joe Pagano So you think you can’t do math, huh? Well, what if I told you that without even an algebra background I could teach you some calculus right here and now? You don’t believe me. I thought so. This unbelief proves how programmed you’ve been from early on to reject mathematical teachings. Whoever laid this negativity on you really did a number on you. Well, let’s get rid of that negative programming and feed you some really positive stuff. In this short article, I am going to pr

By Phyllis Ventresca There's nothing like dance for adults with its agility, strengthening and fitness rewards. So why not add it to your school? Kids, in particular girls, will line up to get in on the exercise. As we all know from teaching gym classes, girls can often miss out on fitness segments because they are under motivated to join in on competitive sports. Here are some key considerations before launching such a program. 1. It's really important to send a few staffers out for a