Teachers, students, and parents will find the following Web site valuable. Activities found here can be used to teach grade-level topics, to accelerate, and to enrich.

 

NRICH is a project created by the mathematics and education departments at The University of Cambridge. The Web site contains thousands of free mathematics enrichment materials including problems, articles, and games. The information is helpful for students (ages 5 to 19), teachers, and parents. All the resources are designed to develop subject knowledge, problem-solving, and mathematical thinking skills. The Web site is updated with new material on the first day of every month.  

 

Young people are able to practice writing about their mathematical thinking at the Web site. Being able to clearly state one’s process for solving a problem assures that the student truly understands the mathematical process. By practicing this skill, we are able to eliminate the standard response, “It’s hard for me to explain how I got the answer.” By assessing student writing, teachers are also able to identify fallacies in reasoning. Examples of past problem solutions are provided as models. Students can send in solutions to current problems that are posted, knowing that those solutions might be published on the Web site in the future.

 

There is also a forum that is monitored by a team of mathematicians (click on Ask NRICH at the top of the page). You can join in an existing discussion or start a new conversation of your own.