Teaching Math - a different perspective
Sometimes you get so caught up in the details of math that you do not see the forest for the trees. All of math has a purpose and a use. If all we do is focus on the rules of math when teaching our children, they will not understand the bigger purpose. They will also not be able to understand the usefulness of math in every part of our lives.
There are a few mathematicians who really understand math well enough to share that vision.
Here are a few books and resources to help you expand your child’s mathematical world.
Mathematician Marcus du Sautoy created a four part series called, “The Story of Maths,” which my own children loved. He is very good at explaining complex math in very simple ways.
This is an article which I wrote in 2021 for The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, which was republished in Crosswalk and you can read it here.
Erik Demaine is a mathematician who was homeschooled and has gone on to take the world of surfaces, drug development, and protein folding by storm. He was also featured in a documentary about the mathematics of folding and origami called, “Between the Folds,” which my own children watched over and over when they were young.
David Berlinski is a French mathematician with a background that extends to philosophy and cell biology. He is also has a gift for writing and can explain complex ideas in very simple, visual ways. His books range from topics on geometry to simple math and up to calculus and are very good for high school aged children and adults.