Fun with Math

Since our libraries and reading posts are community centers for learning we need to be able to respond to the needs of the community. Mathematics is one subject matter that the community has identified as particularly difficult for kids to learn and also for teachers to teach.

So as a response to this need, Cinta Baca ran a seminar entitled “Fun with Math” together with a local elementary school (SD Kesatuan Bogor). The goal of this seminar was to give teachers insight on how to teach math in a creative way. Those who took part in this seminar were either mathematics teachers at the sponsoring public elementary school or from nearby private schools. The seminar speaker was Ms. Nancy Esveld who teaches mathematics in the United States.

Numerous activities and methods were demonstrated during the seminar, showing how mathematic principals could be presented in a creative way. The teachers present were able to try these new methods out not only with each other but also with the students.
Those present at the seminar were excited to see how the kids interacted with the games and how quickly the kids were able to grasp some of the concepts. The kids enthusiasm spread to the teachers and the whole atmosphere of the classroom changed.
We hope that these activities and methods can be used by math teachers with their students. Students don’t need to be afraid of Math class but can over come the difficulty through these very simple activities. So we hope that many students will grow in their ability and that this next generation will be able to reach their highest aspirations.