I’m often asked where the idea for The Math Kids originated. I ran an elementary school math camp for 6 years. The first year most of the kids said they were only there because their parents made them. When they returned the following year, they said they wanted to be there. By the third year, I had to turn students away and I had parents calling me in January to get signed up for the summer camp. One of the things I learned is that one of the most effective methods of teaching is through stories. Those stories were the genesis of The Math Kids series. Twelve books later those stories are now being told all around the world with translations in multiple languages, including Korean, Mongolian, Chinese and Turkish.
The Emily and Sam series began with requests from parents who told me their kids loved The Math Kids series but wondered if I could write a series for their younger children.
Prior to becoming a full-time author, I did everything from writing missile guidance equations, designing monitoring systems for Facebook data centers, and starting two software companies. When I’m not writing or visiting schools, I coach elementary school math teams, tutor GED students, and teach math to high school students through the University of Missouri St. Louis Bridge program.
Visiting schools is my favorite part of being an author. I have visited more than a hundred schools and libraries in Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and Florida and presented to groups from single classrooms to entire schools.
For first and second grade students, we learn about the parts of a story. How do we combine characters, a setting, and a problem to create a story? This interactive presentation uses input from the students (and a little help from our magic bookmarks) to create our own story.
For third – sixth grade students, I combine magic and student interaction to talk about the “magic” behind math. I’ll show that math is more than numbers. It is all around us, in nature, animals, weather, and even the stars! The students will create math “aha” moments using a simple strip of paper.
If you are looking for a customized presentation, let me know what you want and I’ll be happy to put something together for you!
“It’s been two weeks since your visit, and my students are still talking about your presentation. I can’t keep your books on the shelf!”
I had a great remote visit with the math campers at Shenango School District in Pittsburgh. During the camp they read The Prime-Time Burglars, the first book in the Math Kids series. We did a little math magic and they had lots of fun questions for me – the toughest was if I could only choose one between math and writing, which one would I give up? Tough question!
Email: dcole.mk@gmail.com
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