Borland Educational News and Views

Tuesday, March 01, 2016

Pentomino Toys, Aids, Activities

A polyomino is a geometric figure formed using edge-to-edge squares of the same size.

Pentominoes are polyominoes of order five, geometric figures comprised of five square units. 12 distinct pentominoes exist, 18 if you count reflections, as in Tetris.

All kinds of colorful 2D tilings can be created using pentominoes, and cubic pentominoes can be arranged in innumerable 3D combinations.

Recommendations below:

2D Colored Plastic Pentominoes

Tetris Puzzle

Cube Tetris Puzzle

Square Pentomino Puzzle

Katamino Pocket Game

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Contact Chris

borlandeducational.com

Monday, February 01, 2016

Tangram Toys, Aids, Activities

Originating in China, seven-piece Tangram puzzles were brought to Europe and America in the early 18th century.

All seven pieces can be arranged to form a square, but that's just the beginning. Using the five right triangles, square, and parallelogram comprising the classic seven-piece Tangram set, a limitless number of creative alternative arrangements can be formed, as well,

Kids and adults alike enjoy solving puzzles and creating designs with Tangrams!

Recommended Tangram resources:

Plastic Tangrams

Tangram Blocks

Colored Wooden Tangram Puzzle

Classic Tangoes

Tangrams: 330 Puzzles

Magnetic Travel Tangram Puzzles Book

Travel Tangoes - Animals

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Contact Chris

borlandeducational.com

Friday, January 01, 2016

Best Educational Vendors

Parents who plan to organize home learning stations or activities for their children will need to find reliable vendors from whom to buy.

Of all the educational products companies providing math manipulates, classroom props, and other items to enhance learning at home, those listed below are my favorites.

I recommend them to parents and others seeking to expand learning at home or at school.

ETA Hand2Mind

Learning Resources

Didax

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Contact Chris

borlandeducational.com

Tuesday, December 01, 2015

Fraction Toys, Aids, Activities

Aside from "word problems," nothing mathematical perplexes and dismays students more than fractions.

Most of this unfortunate and unnecessary dread stems from a lack of "fraction sense," an insufficient familiarity with fractions, what they are, and how they work.

There are numerous ways to help students acquire fraction sense. Following are several of my favorites:

Everything's Coming Up Fractions with Cuisenaire Rods

Rainbow Fraction Squares

Rectangular Fraction Decimal Tiles

Rainbow Fraction Circles

Rainbow Fraction Circles (Marked)

Decimal Squares

Decimal War Playing Cards

Fraction Bars

Fraction Bars Playing Cards

Fraction Towers

Fraction Tower Card Game

Fraction Flash Cards

Fraction and Decimal Dominoes Game

Math Stacks Fraction Equivalence Game

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Contact Chris

borlandeducational.com

Sunday, November 01, 2015

Alphabet Toys, Aids, Activities

From a very early age, parents can make a game of learning the ABC's.

There's the song, of course, which is a great way to start. Even better if sung slowly while reading a favorite alphabet book and touching your child's index finger on each letter, in order, as sung. Refrigerator magnets can be ID'd and traced using your child's index finger, to help with recognition, memory, and (later) proper letter formation when writing. Once the alphabet is mastered, young children can learn sounds typically associated with letters along with a few words beginning with each letter and sound.

Immersion is a great way to learn anything, and so it goes with reading, writing, math, or anything else. Having your home filled with fun and interesting learning activities is one good way to make learning a basic family value.

Learning the alphabet is game number one! Below are some ideas to help get things going:

Alphabet Bulletin Board Cards

Self-Correcting Alphabet Wooden Puzzles

Alphabet Puzzle

Alphabet Jumbo Floor Puzzle

Spot it Alphabet

Alphabet Slap Jack

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Contact Chris

borlandeducational.com