Do you remember playing “Old Maid” when you were a kid? I loved hanging out at my friend Doreen’s house during the summer. We swam all day, picked kumquats from her tree, and played cards by the pool. Many hands of “Old Maid” and “Rummy” filled our lazy days. Today, while we aren’t hanging out
Question: How do you divide 14 potatoes between 4 people?Answer: Mash them. Hahahaha! Most children do not enjoy solving division problems – especially problems with remainders! However, the Quotient and Remainder game found in the Math Card Games book, D7, is a game that will give your child practice on solving division problems with remainders and have fun while
It is one of those blazing hot, 90º summer days. No one wants to be outside but without air conditioning, inside isn’t much better. My boys’ solution to this dilemma is the nice, cool basement where the computer happens to reside. In my desire to get stuff done, I readily agree to let them play
Speed! It is fast and furious. And it’s loads of fun! Multiplication Card Speed, game P31 in the Math Card Games book, is well worth your time to learn this summer. As with most speed games, equally matched players (or a less competitive adult) make this game fun versus frustrating. I found it helpful to do a little
Have you ever wondered how to teach nothing? I’m not talking about taking a break from formal teaching over the summer – although maybe you’re doing that, too! I’m talking about the number zero. The concept of zero can be a struggle for small children to understand. How much is zero, really? Think about it. Zero
This is a game that will get your kids moving! Have you ever tried Treasure Hunt, game P6 in the Math Card Games book? Yes, there’s a game called Treasure Hunt, and it’s a ton of fun!Treasure Hunt is ostensibly a game for practicing the multiplication facts. But it can actually be used across a wide range of
When I started using RightStart Math and we’d play the game Go to The Dump, game A3 in the Math Card Games book, I apparently didn’t read the directions well and have come to realize we were really playing Fish at The Dump, game A5 in the Math Card Games book. I wonder how many of you are also playing Fish
Ahhhh. The holidays are here! This means you get to see your family, you can enjoy making good meals and treats with your children, and you get time off from teaching. And then you get to worry that they are not going to remember the math facts that you just taught them…. There is a
Did you enjoy last week’s game? Happily, there are many variations of the chain games and our family has played most of them as solitaire games. Nicholas, Chiara, and Ian played Short Chain Subtraction today, game S18 in the Math Card Games book, and had a great time! This variation is a great family game and is best for two to three
It’s the tail end of summer! Get in the last family vacation, the last trips to the pool, and the last lazy days of summer. This week’s game is Short Chain Solitaire from Math Card Games by Joan A. Cotter. This game is from the addition chapter, game A47. Although this is a solitaire game, combine players to “beat the
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September 2025 Newsletter We want to remind you of the many free resources available to you as a school that uses RightStart Math. 1. Year-Round Continue Reading
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We are excited to announce the release of Dr. Joan Cotter’s new book, Start Math Right—a valuable resource designed to empower educators and parentsContinue Reading
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We want to take a moment to say a special thank you for the incredible work you do. We see the dedication, the late nights, the creativity, and theContinue Reading
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Classical education is built on the foundation of strong reasoning, deep understanding, and mastery of fundamental skills. When it comes toContinue Reading
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January 2025 Newsletter Welcome to the New Year 2025! We hope everyone had a fabulous winter break! As you start the new year, here are someContinue Reading
I am a quilt designer. I’ve made over 250 quilts in my lifetime, 98% of my own design. I’m currently working on my sixth quilt from someone else’s pattern. I have the directions in front of me as I’m approaching on the final steps of Bonnie Hunter’s Allietare quilt design. I find myself struggling to understand
How many different abacuses do you think Dr. Cotter has? Here’s a clue…. Dr. Cotter is holding one of her first abacuses: a Japanese abacus, purchased by a friend who had visited Japan. She became so efficient using this abacus that she was faster and more accurate than she was with a calculator!While you try
Kathleen is here to walk you through the Fractions chapter of the new Start Math Right: The Journey to Mathematics Excellence book. She begins with a story of fractions and confusion from 1972, then goes on to discuss what a fraction is and how to teach fractions. Kathleen also discusses how not to teach fractions!
Listen to how division is addressed in the new Start Math Right: The Journey to Mathematics Excellence book. Teresa Foltin talks about how division is the most challenging of the arithmetic operations, and shares that there are two distinct ways to think about division. One way is to find the size of a group; another
Are you curious how the new Start Math Right: The Journey to Mathematics Excellence book addresses multiplication? Listen to Allison Fitzgibbon share her discoveries from the new book. Allison admits that the multiplication chapter was packed with more information than she had time to cover! She chose to focus on patterns found in math. Multiplication
Rachel is here to give you a summary of the Addition and Subtraction chapters from the new Start Math Right: The Journey to Mathematics Excellence book! Rachel Anderson was one of the proofreaders for Dr. Cotter’s book and shares her insights during the January 2025 Online Conference. She begins with a quote from the book.
