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Math games on the Web
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Hema Vijay |
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Four
out of five kids carry a reluctance that borders on fear, towards their math
class. |
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The reason,
experts say, is that our math books are dull, too serious, and far removed
from our everyday lives that they fail to catch the attention of children,
leave alone excite them into taking up math for a career. It is in this
context that sites like www.gymnasiumforbrain.com piques the interest of
educators and parents alike. The creation
of Chennai-based Sitalakshmi Seshadrinathan, a math teacher who has a three
decade-experience in teaching math, this website addresses the logical and
analytical skills of students. The website throws at you a range of simple
puzzles based on math and logic. There are
also mind games that exercise thinking abilities. Solving puzzles not only
exercises one's brain but also aids lateral thinking, Seshadrinathan says.
Kids get fascinated when they discover that there is always more than one way
to arrive at a solution. The key to solving puzzle is to approach the puzzle
with a clear mind and without any preset ideas, Seshadrinathan suggests. Vedic
Math The site also
introduces children to Vedic math, a much forgotten concept in this day when
abacus math holds the sway. Vedic Mathematics can be much more thrilling, and
has tricks and short cuts to address numbers and operations, the site
elucidates. Many such 'tricks' are available and explained on the site. The website
also hosts a section that students can use to hone their creative skills, a
section on understanding math concepts using the dots and crosses in kolams,
the decorative design drawn near the threshold of a house and a popular
tradition in South Indian homes. "Decoration was not the sole purpose of
a Kolam. Apart from physical, it involves good mental exercise. Drawing a
kolam keeps a person focused and requires a good deal of concentration",
she says. There is a lot of room for creativity while drawing a kolam,
apparently, which go on to develop your lateral thinking abilities. The website
currently hosts 104 puzzles. Seshadrinathan plans to post 500 more puzzles
over the next two years. So, you can keep revisiting the sites to check out
new puzzles. It takes a couple of days to develop each puzzle, shares
Seshadrinathan. The website accepts members, and currently has 120 members.
Membership is free. Not just students, the mind games in the site can be
played by anybody to sharpen their thinking skills. "Knowing
what children feel about their math books, I developed this site with the
idea of getting students to shed their fear about math", Seshadrinathan
says. "The math puzzles and exercises in the site will also help
students face aptitude tests better", she hopes. Another objective
addressed by the site is to help children apply their math knowledge to
everyday life situations they face. |
