Build Math Minds Freebies Comprehensive Guide To Free Educational Math Resources

The provided source material is insufficient to produce a 2000-word article about commercial free samples, promotional offers, and product trials. The sources focus specifically on educational math resources and freebies for learning, not commercial product samples. Below is a factual summary based on the available data about free educational math resources from Build Math Minds and related educational organizations.

Overview of Free Math Resources

Build Math Minds, founded by Christina Tondevold (known as "The Recovering Traditionalist"), provides free educational resources focused on elementary mathematics education. The platform emphasizes building mathematical thinking rather than creating "calculators" and offers various free downloads and resources for both educators and parents working with children ages 0-8.

The mission centers on changing how mathematics is taught by providing training and resources that help educators understand how children learn mathematics, enabling them to analyze and evaluate available materials to determine what best serves their students at their current learning stage.

Available Free Resources and Downloads

Savvy Subitizing Cards

Build Math Minds offers free printable Savvy Subitizing Cards that can be downloaded from their website. These cards feature six different visual representations of numbers 1-10 and include instruction cards for games designed to promote and teach subitizing - the ability to recognize quantities without counting. The cards are specifically designed to help children see entire amounts without counting individual objects.

The larger number sets are particularly crafted to assist kids in recognizing quantities instantly, moving beyond the initial tendency to count each object individually. This resource comes with game ideas and activities to make learning engaging and effective.

Number Cards Collection

Various number card resources are available through different educational organizations. These cards represent quantities in multiple formats including:

  • Dots randomly placed in arrangements
  • Dots positioned in geometric patterns
  • Dots organized in ten-frame layouts
  • Raised fingers on hands showing quantities
  • Tick marks organized in groups of five
  • Multiple other visual representations

Each format serves different learning purposes and helps children develop various mathematical concepts through visual recognition and pattern identification.

Math for Love Resources

Math for Love, created by Dan Finkel, provides Tiny Polka Dot cards along with game ideas. These resources are mentioned as available for download through the Build Math Minds platform and focus on developing mathematical thinking through engaging activities.

Website Resources and Educational Tools

Recommended Educational Websites

The source material identifies several websites offering excellent free math activities for families. To be included in this recommended list, sites must provide free material that extends beyond routine, basic mathematical skill building. The following organizations are highlighted:

  • Beast Academy Playground (AoPS): Advanced mathematical challenges and activities
  • Institute of Education Sciences (IES): Community Math Night Facilitators' Toolkit providing comprehensive approaches to family math events
  • Let's Play Math (Denise Gaskins): Resources for making mathematics engaging
  • Love Maths (Michael Minas): Educational mathematics content
  • Math For Love (Dan Finkel): Playful approaches to mathematical learning
  • Mixing in Math (TERC): Integration of mathematics into everyday activities
  • NRICH: Rich mathematical problems and activities
  • Open Middle (Robert Kaplinsky): Challenging mathematical problems accessible to all learners
  • Same But Different Math (Sue Looney): Comparing mathematical strategies and approaches
  • Young Mathematicians (EDC): Research-based mathematical activities for young learners

Build Math Minds Training Resources

During school closures and increased remote learning needs, Build Math Minds expanded their free offerings to include video training sessions. These training materials cover effective methods for building mathematical thinking and are appropriate for both classroom teachers and parents supporting home learning.

The free training compilation includes: - Original training sessions from Build Math Minds vlogs - Content from the virtual math summit (normally available only to paid members) - Materials from the Build Math Minds professional development site - Content specifically curated for accessibility during challenging times

These training sessions require no email registration or payment and are designed to be easily shared with parents, colleagues, and other educators.

Multiplication Resources

Specific multiplication card resources are referenced in the source material, described as being similar to cards created by Denise Gaskins in her "Multiplication and Fractions" book and Math for Love's Multiplication by Heart cards. These resources appear to be part of the Early Family Math (EFM) content, particularly mentioned in Chapter 5 of their materials.

Mission and Philosophy

Build Math Minds operates under the philosophy that "math isn't taught, it's caught." This approach emphasizes creating learning environments where children naturally develop mathematical understanding through meaningful experiences rather than through repetitive practice or flash cards.

The founder's perspective, informed by research about how children learn mathematics, led to the creation of resources designed to provide mathematical experiences rather than traditional computational practice. This philosophy extends to both their paid offerings and free resources, ensuring that all materials align with deep mathematical understanding.

Access and Availability

All free resources mentioned in the source material are accessible without requiring email registration or other personal information. The platform emphasizes making resources easily shareable with parents, educators, and colleagues during challenging times such as school closures or increased home learning needs.

The resources are specifically designed for children ages 0-8, covering early elementary mathematics concepts and skills that form the foundation for later mathematical learning.

Additional Support and Community

Build Math Minds offers ongoing support through their community platform and direct email contact. The founder emphasizes providing assistance during challenging circumstances and encourages educators and parents to reach out with questions or requests for additional help.

The approach emphasizes that everyone is doing their best under difficult circumstances, and adjustment and adaptation are part of the educational process, similar to classroom instruction where educators regularly modify their approaches based on student response and understanding.

Conclusion

The free resources available through Build Math Minds and related educational organizations provide substantial support for families and educators working with young children in mathematics education. These resources emphasize conceptual understanding, mathematical thinking, and engaging activities rather than computational practice alone. The emphasis on free access and easy sharing makes these materials particularly valuable during times when educational support and resources are most needed.

Sources

  1. Build Math Minds Freebies
  2. Savvy Subitizing Cards Free printable download Build Math Minds
  3. Resources - Early Family Math
  4. Build Math Minds