Here's a link to play Odd Pig Out online directly. It's for kids who know or are learning multiplication. It should help with multiplication practice.
If you have/know/work with kids who need multiplication practice, I'd love to know if this is helpful.
mathforlove.com/wp-content/u...
I've been playing around with making math apps.
I'm absolutely not sure if this is a direction to put more energy.
I blogged about it, and shared a small web app I made for multiplication practice. It's called Odd Pig Out.
Would love to know your thoughts...
mathforlove.com/2026/04/play...
WOW. Combo #mathcomic from @zachweinersmith.bsky.social AND @teorth.bsky.social www.smbc-comics.com/comic/sphere...
This is fabulous! A must read from @zachweinersmith.bsky.social and @teorth.bsky.social
www.smbc-comics.com/comic/sphere...
Woah.
@murrayh83.bsky.social
A site implementing our summer curriculum got back to us with data. It's some exciting news for us: our program average 13 weeks of student growth over a 6 week period, compared to just over half that much with their previous program.
mathforlove.com/2026/03/hard...
What if one tiny change could make a huge impact on how students learn in your math class? Learn to use openers to energize & motivate students in grades 1-9.
Learn more about Dan Finkel's @mathforlove.bsky.social How to Use Mathematical Openers online workshop: grassrootsworkshops.com/wor...
I saw a lecture on the Droste effect and an extraordinary painting of M.C. Escher about 20 years ago, in grad school.
I was telling someone about it last week. Then lo and behold, @3blue1brown.com just put out a video based on the same result!
Highly recommend!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldxF...
The main image in the top left shows a radial design created with 21st Century Pattern Blocks. It was built by arranging six identical double hexagons around a central hexagon. Each double hexagon is composed of two heptagons joined together using two darts. The gaps between the double hexagons are filled in with regular hexagons made from twelve blue rhombuses. The first image along the bottom shows the double hexagon made from two blue rhombuses, six gray darts, and eight purple hexagons. The rest of the images along the bottom and on the right show the progression of the design.
Pattern block play! #21CenturyPB #iTeachMath
A boy holds a white board in front of his face containing the record of a logic game he just completed. A dog is in the background.
Just posted a new guest blog post from a parent using our curriculum as she homeschools her 3rd grade son. It's a lovely read, and more testimony on the power of the play-based approach.
mathforlove.com/2026/03/a-ma...
For about five minutes more :-)
I just feel like I have to admit I don't actually know how to code.
Just vibe-coded a simple web-app for teachers to use to try out different choral counts. (Now need to get a write-up of choral counts in my lesson library!)
Let me know if it's helpful. It can do fractions, decimals, and negatives.
mathforlove.com/2026/03/a-si...
The main image in the top left shows a radial design created with 21st Century Pattern Blocks. It was built by arranging six identical double hexagons around a central teal hexagon. Each double hexagon is composed of two heptagons joined together using two darts. The gaps between the double hexagons are filled in with regular hexagons made from six teal kites. The first image along the bottom shows the double hexagon made from two gray darts, two blue rhombuses, four teal kites, four purple hexagons, and eight green triangles. The rest of the images along the bottom and on the right show the progression of the design.
Pattern block play! #21CenturyPB #iTeachMath
The main image in the top left shows a radial design created with 21st Century Pattern Blocks. It was built by arranging six identical double hexagons around a central hexagon. Each double hexagon is composed of two heptagons joined together using two darts. The gaps between the double hexagons are filled in with regular hexagons made from one yellow hexagon and six red trapezoids. The first image along the bottom shows the double hexagon made from two gray darts, two yellow hexagons, four pink triangles, six red trapezoids, and six green triangles. The rest of the images along the bottom and on the right show the progression of the design.
Pattern block play! #21CenturyPB #iTeachMath
Cool to see these awesome #21CenturyPatternBlock designs from @mathhappens.bsky.social at the Gathering 4 Gardner!
www.mathhappens.org/mathhappens-...
The main image in the top left shows a radial design created with 21st Century Pattern Blocks. It was built by arranging six identical double hexagons around a central teal hexagon. Each double hexagon is composed of two heptagons joined together using darts. The gaps between the double hexagons are filled in with regular hexagons made from six teal kites. The first image along the bottom shows the double hexagon made from two gray darts, four teal kites, four purple hexagons, four blue rhombuses, and four green triangles. The rest of the images along the bottom and on the right show the progression of the design.
Pattern block play! #21CenturyPB #iTeachMath
The main image in the top left shows a radial design created with 21st Century Pattern Blocks. It was built by arranging six identical double hexagons around a central teal hexagon. Each double hexagon is composed of two heptagons joined together using darts. The gaps between the double hexagons are filled in with regular hexagons made from six teal kites. The first image along the bottom shows the double hexagon made from two gray darts, four teal kites, four purple hexagons, and six blue rhombuses. The rest of the images along the bottom and on the right show the progression of the design.
New pattern block play for March! Joining two heptagons with two darts to create larger designs! #21CenturyPB #iTeachMath
Me too. My hope is that this kind of article can help teachers and those who support them push back on that kind of implementation.
The Build Math Mind Virtual Summit has already started! You can still sign up - free!
I'll be speaking tomorrow at 1pm PST on Purposeful Fluency. I'll be addressing how we can build fluency while also giving opportunities to think deeply about mathematical structure. Join me!
virtualmathsummit.com
Just returning from a spectacular retreat with math coaches working throughout Ontario. Thanks OMCA for inviting me! It was incredible to speak to such thoughtful and passionate math educators.
And next...
I wrote my own blog post on the topic of "Integrity over Fidelity." I think there's some really useful language here about how we should be using curriculum as a resource for teachers, rather than something to disempower them.
mathforlove.com/2022/04/inte...
The quote at the end I especially like: "High-quality, core comprehensive instructional materials are not a script. Instead, they provide teachers with a strong, foundation to work their pedagogical prowess on."
There's an article from EdReports I want to people to use to make the point that teachers aren't "supposed" to follow scripts exactly.
www.edreports.org/resources/ar...
Variation: put the blocks in first, and then ask the student if they think they'll win or lose after the dice are rolled.
Then let them put the blocks in, but you (or another student) gets to choose whether they win if the dice are heavier or lighter than the blocks.
The image shows a circular arrangement of six flower-like shapes with 21st Century Pattern Blocks, leaving an empty, flower-shaped space in the center. Each flower has a hexagon made of one teal kite, four gray darts, and six pink triangles, at its center, surrounded by six green triangles and six pink triangles.
Pattern block play! #21CenturyPB #iTeachMath
The image shows a circular arrangement of six flower-like shapes with 21st Century Pattern Blocks, leaving an empty, flower-shaped space in the center. Each flower has a hexagon made of four teal kites and four pink triangles, at its center, surrounded by six green triangles and six pink triangles.
Pattern block play! #21CenturyPB #iTeachMath
The image shows a circular arrangement of six flower-like shapes with 21st Century Pattern Blocks, leaving an empty, flower-shaped space in the center. Each flower has two teal kites, and two blue rhombuses around its center point, surrounded by two blue rhombuses, six green triangles, and ten pink triangles.
Pattern block play! #21CenturyPB #iTeachMath
The image shows a circular arrangement of six flower-like shapes with 21st Century Pattern Blocks, leaving an empty, flower-shaped space in the center. Each flower has two teal kites, four pink triangles, and two blue rhombuses around its center point, surrounded by two blue rhombuses, six green triangles, and six pink triangles.
Pattern block play! #21CenturyPB #iTeachMath
The image shows a circular arrangement of six flower-like shapes with 21st Century Pattern Blocks, leaving an empty, flower-shaped space in the center. Each flower has a blue-green diamond, made of two blue rhombuses and four green triangles, at its center, surrounded by six red trapezoids, two blue rhombuses, and six pink triangles.
Pattern block play! #21CenturyPB #iTeachMath
The image shows a circular arrangement of six flower-like shapes with 21st Century Pattern Blocks, leaving an empty, flower-shaped space in the center. Each flower has a central hexagon made of eight pink triangles and four gray darts, surrounded by six green triangles and six pink triangles.
Pattern block play! #21CenturyPB #iTeachMath