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Yo-Yo-Math

A book for playing mathematics

Author

Diego Sandoval

Preface

More Math! More Math! This book is my response to that surprising demand.

I have a very inquisitive child whose favorite word is “why.” To him, an answer is never an ending, but an invitation to ask more questions. I often find myself pondering deep philosophical questions or facing improbable situations, such as drawing a blank in front of the whiteboard while he jumps on the couch demanding “More Math!”

That’s how these “impromptu lectures” came to be. They follow a loose order and progression but don’t make up a curriculum. They are just short explorations of topics that caught our interest at a given moment in time and were well-received, eliciting interest and, of course, more “whys.”

While I draw inspiration from great educators and mathematicians like Seymour Papert and George Pólya, I don’t adhere to any particular educational philosophy or method. You are free to define your own goals or let them emerge during the exploration process. In my case, I realized that the main goal was to play, discover and spend quality time together.

I don’t just focus on acquiring skills or accumulating knowledge, though I do think both matter. Mathematics, music, games, and an awareness of the world around you are at the top of my list of things young minds should be exposed to. Rather than the clichĂ©d “learning by playing,” I prefer “playing for the sake of playing” — learning emerges naturally from that, and I am convinced our role is not to teach, but to facilitate and provide the right environment.

Inspired by how my kids watch the same film over and over again without losing their awe and amazement, I designed these lectures to be revisited multiple times. Feel free to skip or add content, or cherry-pick topics from here and there. I included concepts and ideas that traditional curricula consider “advanced.” You might be surprised. Intuition is more powerful than convention.

NoteParent/Educator Tip

I will use boxes like this one to provide tips for the teachers. By “teacher,” I mean the person providing guidance or translating the material. Similarly, when I say “your kids,” I am referring to anyone you are playing math with: your own kids, students, grandchildren, friends, younger siblings, etc.

This book is open source and available on GitHub1 — because it’s meant to grow and evolve. I welcome your feedback, suggestions, and contributions.

Mathematics is not a purely abstract endeavor, but also something you can get a tactile feel for. In that sense, this is a hands-on book—a book for scribbling, coloring, and drawing.

I hope you find this book useful the next time someone demands, “More math!”

TipConsider reading the PDF version of this book

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  1. https://github.com/twaclaw/yo-yo-math↩