Why do we call our group Mathful Play, not Playful Math?
In math education, there has been a lot of effort put into making math playful and fun with games and activities. However, for people who love math, it is already fun. It would be like saying, let’s make art fun by playing board games to learn color names! We don’t create playful art, we simply do art and enjoy it. Along those lines, we ask ourselves:
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What if we see math as intrinsically enjoyable, like art?
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How do we explore, uncover, and leverage what is fun about math in order to enhance children’s learning experiences?
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How do we make math more playful and play more “mathful?“
We are a group of playful, curious, and motivated educators, gathering here and in real life to study how to make math more playful and play more mathful.
Yvonne Liu-Constant
Instigator & Leader
Yvonne teaches early childhood education at Lesley University in Cambridge MA. When she’s not teaching or thinking about teaching, she likes to run, read science fiction, and try new foods.
Adam Hughes
Adam mentors early childhood education cohort students at Berkshire Community College. When not engaged in education work, he enjoys hiking, trying out new recipes in the kitchen, and studying critical media analysis.
Ariel Mayer
Ariel teaches PreK in Somerville, MA. When she’s not teaching she likes to read and try cooking new foods. Growing up, math was very sedate and boring. She loves being part of the Mathful Play group; helping children learn with their whole bodies.
Jaclyn Gallant
Jaclyn works as a second grade teacher in Framingham, MA. “Whole body learning and play is my favorite! I love to be creative through movement, dance and acting.”
Jacquelyn Berkowitz
Jacquelyn is a Pre-K teacher in Somerville, MA. She enjoys researching the positive effects movement has on learning for young children. Outside of teaching, Jacquelyn loves the arts and being in nature.
Julia Phillips
Julia teaches second grade at a STEAM school in Framingham, MA. Outside of the classroom she likes to draw, listen to music, take hikes with her dog, and cook.
Leah Bugden
Leah teaches Kindergarten in the Boston Public Schools. When she’s not teaching or thinking about teaching, she likes to explore nature, swim and play music.
Stephen DeBenedictis
Stephen is an early childhood educator in Somerville Public Schools. He is also an artist, musician, outdoor enthusiast, and foodie. Stephen is always playing and exploring both inside and outside of the classroom.
Amanda Bock
Website Fairy Godmother
Amanda is a librarian in the Cambridge Public Schools. When not at school, she enjoys knitting, reading, and learning to build websites.