Math Resource - "Hard Math for Elementary School"
A math textbook written by an MIT professor for kids who aren't being challenged in math in school
Hello and Happy Wednesday, Friends!
Today's math resource is a math textbook for elementary school children that is intentionally challenging. This is not the kind of book you're likely to find at your local school.
The book is called Hard Math for Elementary School, written by Dr. Glenn Ellison, a professor of economics at MIT. It's designed for bright kids who aren't being challenged in math class. Not only that, it's one of the rare resources that we've found that actually delivers on the promise of giving the kids challenging problems.
Quoting the author from the book's introduction:
Q: How hard is 'Hard Math'
A: The answer is that it's hard. The book is designed for kids who don't get challenged in school. The first few chapters are designed to be accessible to very bright 3rd graders. The last few chapters are a grade level or two harder.
Let's dive in.
I. Resource of the Week: "Hard Math for Elementary School"
Title: Hard Math for Elementary School
Author: Glenn Ellison (MIT Professor of Economics)
Target Age: Advanced 3rd to 6th graders
Resource Type: Math enrichment textbook that's broad, deep, and hard by design
Very helpfully, the author does a Question and Answer in the introduction of the book that's well worth a read. To give you a sense of where the book is going to go, here's a quote from that section:
Q: Why did you want to make this book hard?
A: I...generally think that one of the biggest problems with elementary school math in the U.S. is that it is just not hard enough...Another is that I think you only learn how to attack difficult problems with multi-step solutions by solving difficult problems with multi-step solutions...
II. How It Works
Dr. Ellison introduces the book with Q&A. Here are a few quotes to give you a sense of what he's trying to achieve:
Q: What kind of book is Hard Math for Elementary school?
A: I call it a math enrichment textbook. The idea is to supplement what kids are getting in school with lessons that are broader, deeper, and more fun...
and
Q: I am a teacher/parent/homeschooler. How would I use this book?
A: The biggest support you may need to give is encouranging them to slow down when they first start working on it. Kids need to learn that it can be fun (and normal) to spend a half hour to read just a few pages...Another system that will work well for some parents of younger kids is to make reading the textbook a regular parent-child activity...
The book covers material that is often missing from elementary school curricula, such as prime numbers, counting, probability, and more challenging logic puzzles.
Not only does the book progress through difficulty, but the chapter topics and problems progress within the chapter as well.
Finally, the author suggests that it should take about a year to cover the material.
III. How to Use It at Home
This book is not meant to be handed to your kid to work on their own. It's something to do with them as a math circle, an enrichment block, or a family exploration.
The author says:
Q: Will my child be able to read this book on their own?
A: I'm afraid the answer is probably "no"...Most American students have never had the experience of learning how to do something by reading a textbook...
Instead, he suggests sitting with the child as they read.
He even warns us as parents and educators that "most parents and many teachers will find that they don't know some or much of the math that is covered in most chapters. Please don't let this bother you." Which is great because both you and the child won't know the material, so it'll make you model how to learn slowly from a textbook as well. :)
It's worth normalizing taking 20 to 30 minutes to read a few pages slowly while thinking deeply.
Overall, it's a strong match for kids already doing AoPS and/or Beast Academy who are looking for more variety than just speed-focused competition math.
IV. Questions for Your Math Kid
What makes a math problem "easy"?
What makes a math problem "hard"?
What's the hardest math problem you've faced?
What's a hard math problem that's easy to solve?
What's an easy math problem that's hard to solve?
V. Why I Like This Resource
Over the years, we have done a bunch of the problems in this book, and they are terrific.
That said, what I love even more is the philosophy of the book:
That it's okay for math to be hard
That kids can (and should) build problem-solving *stamina*
Parents/educators don't need to be experts. They just need to be willing to sit alongside the kid(s) to learn and explore with them.
Because it doesn't dumb things down and it doesn't apologize for being challenging, it's a refreshing read.
If you're looking for a book that gives your math kid something deeper to chew on, this one is worth checking out.
That’s all for today :) For more Kids Who Love Math treats, check out our archives.
Stay Mathy!
Talk soon,
Sebastian