Talking Math

We know reading fluency grows through everyday exposure, conversation, and practice. Math fluency works the same way. Talking Math focuses on ways families and caregivers can naturally incorporate math into daily life through curiosity, conversation, storytelling, and shared experiences. These articles are designed especially for parents talking with kids about math, but the ideas extend far beyond childhood or classrooms.

Math is not just worksheets and right answers. It is noticing patterns, asking questions, estimating, reasoning, comparing, exploring, and wondering together. By making math part of ordinary conversations, we can help build confidence, comfort, and positive relationships with math — one small interaction at a time.

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The Magic in Playing Games
The Magic in Playing Games

You don't need a formal "math game" to build strong mathematical thinking. Whether predicting outcomes, managing resources, or recognizing patterns, players practice deep math skills every time they play. In this Talking Math we explore the research-backed benefits of game-based learning and how everyday play builds natural number sense.

The Tax Edition
The Tax Edition

In this week’s Talking Math… taxes aren’t about forms—they’re about decisions. From estimating your total at the store to understanding refunds, here’s how real-life math shows up every day.

When Math Is Built for Everyone, Everyone Can Do Math
When Math Is Built for Everyone, Everyone Can Do Math

In this week’s Talking Math, we explore how universal design helps make math truly for everyone. When math experiences are designed with different bodies, brains, and learning styles in mind from the start, more people can explore ideas and share their thinking. The result is a richer, more joyful mathematical experience for all.

Counting Beyond 1–2–3: Exploring Math Through the Many Ways Cultures Count
Counting Beyond 1–2–3: Exploring Math Through the Many Ways Cultures Count

In this week’s Talking Math, we explore the many ways cultures around the world have counted beyond “1, 2, 3.” From the Maya base-20 system to body counting in Papua New Guinea and pattern-based numbers in Yoruba culture, counting has always been creative, cultural, and human. These examples invite families to see numbers in new ways and discover that math has never belonged to just one story.

The Power of Perspective: Seeing Math Through Different Eyes
The Power of Perspective: Seeing Math Through Different Eyes

Perspective changes everything — in math and in life! This week’s Talking Math invites families to play with how we see size and space. From silly camera tricks to artistic vanishing points, it’s all about noticing how your view changes what you see.

From Mini to Massive: Exploring Scale, Models, and Maps with Your Kids
From Mini to Massive: Exploring Scale, Models, and Maps with Your Kids

Ever look at a tiny model house and think, "Whoa, how does that little thing represent something so HUGE?" That's scale: a sneaky little math concept that pops up in the most unexpected places. It's the secret bridge between the real world and the mini-worlds we create to understand it.

Math Chat: Routes, Rates, and Spooky Skeletons
Math Chat: Routes, Rates, and Spooky Skeletons

This week, mathematician and mom Amy Gonzalez shares ways to explore the math concept of rates of change. From spooky commutes to candy distribution, you can empower your kids to find the math in everything Halloween-related. Click the link to learn how to find math in your own fall fun 🎃🍬🦇

Math Chat: Going the Distance
Math Chat: Going the Distance

When educator and mom Amy Gonzalez was a child, she devoured stories where heroes sailed on pirate ships or rode in giant peaches. Real-life methods of travel may not feel as epic, but you can still make your daily commute exciting for your kids with a little imagination—and a little math, too.

Math Chat: Show Me the Money!
Math Chat: Show Me the Money!

Teaching kids about money doesn't have to be complicated. Even everyday errands can turn into fun math lessons! From scanning groceries at the self-checkout to playing shop, you can help your little ones build essential financial literacy skills in no time.

Cracking the Calendar Code
Cracking the Calendar Code

On September 16, 2025, math left us a little puzzle gift. Want to play? Maybe it’s not an official holiday, but in my opinion it should be.

Math Chat: Baking Up Fractions
Math Chat: Baking Up Fractions

Baking together with your kid is a great way to teach life skills, but it’s also a very practical application of mathematics. This week, SUMM educator Amy Gonzalez gives tips to teach fractions and units through baking delicious recipes!

Math Chat: Building a Real-World Understanding
Math Chat: Building a Real-World Understanding

Struggling to make estimation fun and easy for your kid? In this week’s Math Chat, SUMM educator and mom Amy Gonzalez discusses simple, playful methods to boost spatial reasoning and comparison skills.

Math Chat: Sense and Math-Ability
Math Chat: Sense and Math-Ability

Remember those word problems in math class about buying hundreds of watermelons? Or guessing the number of jellybeans in the giant glass jar? They’re all part of your number sense. In this week’s Talking Math, SUMM educator Amy Gonzalez shares ways to build your kid’s number sense skills in their everyday life.

Math Chat: Bedtime Math
Math Chat: Bedtime Math

While reading your kid(s) a bedtime story, why not mix in some conversations about math? In this week’s Talking Math, SUMM educator and parent Amy Gonzalez shows easy ways to find and highlight the math concepts in the stories you’re already reading.

Math Chat: It Starts in the Family
Math Chat: It Starts in the Family

As adults, we subconsciously engage in mathematical thinking every day. How do we teach those learned skills to our children? And how do we do it without projecting our own feelings about math?

This week, SUMM educator and math teacher Amy Gonzalez provides a look into ways adults can help the children in their lives learn the skills we take for granted.

Every Answer Can Be the Right Answer
Every Answer Can Be the Right Answer

In this week’s Talking Math, we’re highlighting a powerful tool for nurturing confidence and shifting perceptions about math: “Which One Doesn’t Belong?”

Hit the Road, Math!
Hit the Road, Math!

In this week’s Talking Math, we’ve chosen a few ways to involve your child in your travel plans, and share how they relate to different math skills.

Get Messy—with Math!
Get Messy—with Math!

In this week's Talking Math, we’re sharing three wet and wild activities that will help kids (and their adults!) explore math concepts.

Fun Math at the Farmers Market
Fun Math at the Farmers Market

In this week’s installment of Talking Math, we’ll be sharing some tips on how to use a farmers market to make math relatable and fun. We’ll also be sharing some tips to help you boost your confidence in the process.

Thrice Upon a Number: Even More Preschool Math Books We Love
Thrice Upon a Number: Even More Preschool Math Books We Love

In this week’s Talking Math, we gathered even more of our favorite math books for preschool and pre-kindergarten age kids. This is not an exhaustive list, so look out for more book recommendations from us!

Twice Upon a Number: More Preschool Math Books We Love
Twice Upon a Number: More Preschool Math Books We Love

For this week’s Talking Math, we gathered some more of our favorite math books for preschool and pre-kindergarten age kids. This is not an exhaustive list, so look out for more book recommendations from us in coming weeks!

Once Upon a Number: Preschool Math Books We Love
Once Upon a Number: Preschool Math Books We Love

Reading to your child is important. But you already know that.

So for this week’s Talking Math, we gathered some of our favorite math books for preschool and pre-kindergarten age kids. This is not an exhaustive list, so look out for more book recommendations from us in coming weeks!

Playing with Palindromes
Playing with Palindromes

Happy 5/21/25! Until May 29th, we’ll be celebrating mathematical palindromes, and sharing easy and fun ways for you to incorporate them into your child’s daily life.

All About Octagrams
All About Octagrams

Octagrams, or 8-pointed stars, can be found as symbols in artwork in many cultures and religions. Click to learn about the history of octagrams around the world, and how to make your own!

At-Home Translational Tessellations
At-Home Translational Tessellations

Tessellations are a fun way to explore shapes! From honeycombs in a beehive to tiles on your bathroom floor, you can find tessellations everywhere.

Patterns are Everywhere!
Patterns are Everywhere!

Once you start looking for them, you can find patterns everywhere! In this edition of Talking Math, our team provides helpful ways to look for and play with patterns during everyday activities.

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