countdown!
Get your mind ready for math.
QUIZ
Are You Mad
for Math?
When you think about math,
does your brain rev up or shut down?
1. All day long, I find myself counting,
figuring time, and wondering,
How long? How far? How many?
Sounds like me.
That’s not me.
2. I’ll often
choose
to do
my math
homework
first.
Sounds like me.
That’s not me.
3. Sometimes I worry
that math is a subject
I’ll never be good at.
Sounds like me.
That’s not me.
4. Math
tests
make
me
nervous.
Sounds like me.
That’s not me.
5. I’d feel comfortable
tutoring a friend
who’s having a hard
time in math class.
Sounds like me.
That’s not me.
6. I wonder
why we have
to study so
much math
in school.
We have
calculators and com-
puters, right?
Sounds like me.
That’s not me.
7. I can picture myself
working in a job
where I’ll need great
math skills, such
as teacher, banker,
computer scientist,
or accountant.
Sounds like me.
That’s not me.
8. When I get stuck on a
challenging math problem,
I give up trying to solve it
pretty quickly.
Sounds like me.
That’s not me.
9. My friends think
I’m a math whiz!
Sounds like me.
That’s not me.
Answers
Did you choose mostly violet answers? If so, you have a super-positive
math-titude! You like the way it feels when math challenges you, and you enjoy
using your mind in a mathematical way. This book is for you because it will show
you new ways to think about math and new tricks to explore the subject you love.
Did you pick blue answers the most? You might feel a bit uncomfortable with
math. That’s OK! This book is for you because it can help you understand how
you do math all the time, every day, without even thinking about it. Plus, you’ll
discover cool tools to boost your math confidence and strategies to help you
understand math better than you ever thought you could.
Whether math is your favorite subject or your favorite subject to avoid, your
brain is made for math. Every time you take a step, your mind figures how
far to move your foot. Every time you catch a ball, your mind calculates how
fast it’s coming toward you and tells you when to put up your hands. In math
class, you learn the concepts behind things your body and mind do naturally.
Tools of the Trade
Prep for success with the right supplies.
your favorite pencils
Use pencils instead of
pens so you can easily erase.
scratch paper
Diagram, draw, or
calculate on blank
paper when you’re
trying to figure
out tricky math
problems.
protractor
Draw proper angles
and curves.
engineer’s or
artist’s eraser
A good vinyl or
plastic eraser lets
you rub away
mistakes with-
out smudging
your paper.
ruler Measure accurately and draw straight lines.
graph paper
It’s a mathematician’s best friend!
Use it to
keep your
computation
super neat
or to figure
out complex
problems.
calculator
It’s OK to use a calculator to
check homework answers, as
long as you do the work first!
dry-erase board
Just erase and use it over and over
again to solve problems. It’s fun!
flash
cards
These