Math? Fun? What is wrong with YOUR left brain?!?

Those of us who thrive on numbers, calculations, and abstract concepts are left-brain dominant. Those who love art, music, and are good at facial recognition and spatial abilities are right-brain dominant. This can often be determined by which hand you write with; lefties are right-brained and righties are left-brained. (Strange, I know.) See this informational link to learn why. Try also the Split Brain interactive learning game (just for fun).

So, from a person who resides mostly in her right mind (*wink*), I can say that geometry is SO much easier than algebra. Math is a struggle for me because I am slightly dyslexic and very literal. Abstract things escape me unless I have a strong conceptual understanding and first hand knowledge. Don't get me wrong, I love math when I get it. It just takes me forever to get it. NCTM Illuminations sent me a link to this math game called neXtu and I think it is a great avenue into math for kids who function like I do; mostly artistically and emotively and concretely and not very numerically.

Read more for a link to the neXtu game, as well as some other math game links for number fun!

Play neXtu »

Consider trying some of the math games provided by Sheppard Software, or the math/science games at coolmath.com. Research by Vygotsky, Bandura, and others, has shown that children learn best when constructing meaning in authentic social settings while observing and interacting with a More Knowledgeable Other. For this reason Internet games and t.v. programs are not the most ideal places for learning because they isolate a learner from the social aspect of constructing knowledge. These games do give students additional practice and are more constructive than some things they may encounter on the computer or t.v. They can also be motivating, boosting a learner's interest in a subject and offering instant positive reinforcement (tada sound effects, game points, and the like), a technique used successfully by Pavlov and Skinner (called operant conditioning).

Trouble with graphing? I found an interesting link that I am looking forward to exploring called Graphing Tutorial. This tutorial is provided by the National center for Education Statistics and includes definitions and tutorials for all types of graphs as well as a graphing program.