In a previous post, I shared instructions, tutorials, and links for introducing two types of Japanese number logic puzzles to your students: Kakuro and Futoshiki. Here are two additional types that are also less well known, along with tutorials and free resources you can use in your classroom. Hashiwokakero or Hashi o kakero means “building … Read more
Teachers, if you cannot access the puzzles or tutorials, please contact your district about approving this website or access through a personal Gmail account. Even if you “request access,” some of the school servers block access. MESSAGE if you have a question! It’s been a couple of decades since Sudoku first appeared in newspapers in … Read more
Here are some games to present to your students in a new way. Rather than teaching the game or activity, challenge students to figure out what’s happening. Let them determine the rules or guidelines being followed. The game Dotty Six would be easy to teach students, and it’s appropriate for players of all ages. However, … Read more
The game of Mastermind has been around for decades and it reinforces not only logical thinking but also a number of math concepts (e.g. combinations, permutations, probability). My students, from third grade up, have always enjoyed it. I wanted to adapt it for younger students, so I created a beginner version that requires only these … Read more
Many teachers who work with gifted students or teach STEM programs are familiar with the brainstorming strategy S.C.A.M.P.E.R. If you have not taught it or used it with your students, there is a very good explanation here and here is an introductory slide show you can use to introduce the strategy to your elementary students. … Read more
Many years ago, I had the pleasure of hearing Marcy Cook speak. She is a well-known math specialist and presenter of seminars and workshops all over the world, and if you’ve never attended one of her sessions, I highly recommend it! In my district, the goal for our gifted students has always been to create … Read more
Here’s a research activity I used every year with my gifted kindergarten students, but it could easily be adapted for students in higher grades. The final product was always emailed home to parents at the end of the year and my students loved sharing it. If you’re looking for a more challenging literacy activity for … Read more
