Create Your Own Number Path – at Home!

I recently read about the difference between a number path and a number line in the book Mastering the Math Rack to Build Mathematical Minds.

Walking up and down my hallway I noticed the tiles made a very nice number path. So I used some removable whiteboard wall decals and cut them in quarters.

I wrote the numbers 0-11 on them with a permanent marker and slapped them down on the tiles.

Later, while reviewing Carlito C. Caterpillar’s Math House Games for The Homeschool Post, I noticed Carlito suggested the same thing!

My hallway is now a counting lesson!

When we run down the hallway, now, we say the numbers as we step on them. This integrates counting, recognition of numbers and linearity all with body movement – which serves to solidify the learning.

Not only that, but the removable decals don’t hurt the floor!

And there’s more…

When we were at the ice cream parlor, she noticed the tiles on the floor and started running along them and saying numbers! This was something I didn’t expect at all.

Not only that, the three sets of three tiles created a number path of 11 when you included the two spacers. I don’t know if she recognized this, or if it was merely a coincidence. But it was fun to see.

Will you do it?

You can do this with anything that has a “block” pattern – at home, or in a classroom.

Let me know if you try it – and the reaction of your kids – in the comments below.

Disclaimer: The sweet folks over at MathRack.com sent me a bunch of MathRacks and the book, at no charge, for me to check out and report to you on, if I wanted to. You’ll be seeing more articles about these soon (they are really cool!).