February Tidbit special: Save 10% on any order. Use promo code FEB10. Expires February 28, 2014.
Your February 2014
ShillerLearning Tidbit
Even in math it pays to be intuitive
Think math is all numbers and logic? A recent study in the journal Cognition says otherwise.
Researchers from Harvard, University of Illinois, and Quaid-i-Azam University in Islamabad showed that children who practiced their number intuition performed roughly 25% faster than those who didn't. Look at one example of practicing number intuition:
An abstract of the paper, titled "Brief, Non-Symbolic, Approximate Number Practice Enhances Subsequent Exact Symbolic Arithmetic in Children," may be found here.
Curriculum developers take note!
Intuition
The only real valuable thing is intuition. Albert Einstein
Intuition will tell the thinking mind where to look next. Jonas Salk
A woman uses her intuition to find reasons to support her intuition. Gilbert K. Chesterton
February 2014 Puzzler [Grades 4-8]
I ordered a new table top. When it arrived it was 2 feet wide and 12 feet long. But I wanted it to be 3 feet wide and 8 feet long. Without changing its thickness how do I divide the 2' x 12' table into two pieces so they may be reassembled into a 3' x 8' table?
Provide the correct answer by February 25, 2014 to be this month's puzzler winner.
Answer to previous Puzzler [Grades 6-8]
Answer this question without first solving for x: If 2x-1=7, what is 6x+5?
Solution: Start with 2x-1=7. The goal is to get 2x-1 to become 6x+5. First multiply both sides of the equation 2x-1=7 by 3 to get 6x-3=21; then add 8 to both sides of 6x-3=21 to get 6x+5=29. The answer is 29. The value of x was never calculated!
I hope you enjoyed this short math break.
Sincerely,
Larry Shiller
Publisher
February Tidbit special: Save 10% on any order. Use promo code FEB10. Expires February 28, 2014. Only at shillerlearning.com.
You may republish this Tidbit to your readers, subscribers, PTA/PTO/homeschool group and association members, and fellow parents and educators at no charge. If you reprint this Tidbit in a newspaper we just ask that you send or email us a copy (PDF is OK).
© Larry Shiller. All Rights Reserved.