Math Extra Credit

What better way to learn math skills than by crawling through a giant kaleidoscope? This new section of the DuPage Children's Museum, called Math Connections is located in Naperville, Illinois. It is planning to open on Monday, March 10. There, kids ages 3 to 7 will explore the foundations of math. The giant kaleidoscope teaches them about geometry and patterns. Many of the other areas are about measurement, balance, and estimation. A balance beam is a fun way for kids to learn the word "equal." Another example is blocks of different shapes and sizes, which teaches spatial relationships and estimation. The director of the exibits, Cynthia Mark-Hummel said, "We provide the kind of experience that will allow them to get to those conceptions with real understanding, not just memorization. We selected ideas we felt would be the most interesting for children." He also said that the exibit provides a fun way for parents to ensure their their kids are exposed to math at an early age, so they will do better in school.

This museum sounds really awesome! Even though I'm too old for the exibit, I would probably enjoy going there and seeing everything, (especially the giant kaleidoscope)! I think this is a good way for young kids to learn basic math skills. For more info., go to http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=148686&src=109