Numbers, Shapes, Patterns, & Puzzles

Numbers, Shapes, Patterns, & Puzzles is a joyful and richly integrated mathematics course designed for students in grades 2–4. Through hands-on exploration, memory work, storytelling, and literary connections, students will discover that math is not merely a set of rules, but a language woven into art, literature, and the natural world.

Students build strong foundational skills through math facts and memory work, develop spatial reasoning with tangrams and magnetic puzzles, and strengthen logical thinking using beginner and intermediate logic workbooks. Lessons include spotting shapes and patterns in nature, telling time, color-by-number practice, and engaging logic challenges that reveal mathematical order and beauty.

In addition, students explore cross-curricular connections between mathematics and literature through The Lion, the Witch, & the Wardrobe, discovering patterns, sequences, and logic embedded in story, plot, and narrative structure. Discussions and activities connect numerical and geometric patterns in God’s creation with the moral, symbolic, and natural order in Narnia, helping children see the harmony between mathematics, literature, and God’s created world. Art studies and literature enrich the course further, emphasizing the unity of knowledge and wonder. This course emphasizes curiosity, pattern recognition, and delight in learning while supporting students at varying levels through guided practice and thoughtful challenges.

Key Topics & Materials:

• Math facts and memory work
• Tangram and logic puzzles
• Shapes, symmetry, and patterns in nature
• Telling time and number sense practice
• Literature and art connections
• Cross-curricular study of patterns and puzzles in God’s creation and in Narnia

This course is ideal for students who enjoy hands-on, imaginative learning and for families seeking an integrated approach to elementary mathematics that nurtures both skill and wonder.

• Computer: You will need a stable, reliable computer, running with a processor with a speed of 1 GHz or better on one of the following operating systems: Mac OS X with Mac OS 10.7 or later; Windows 8, 7, Vista (with SP1 or later), or XP (with SP3 or later). We do not recommend using an iPad or other tablet for joining classes. An inexpensive laptop or netbook would be much better solutions, as they enable you to plug an Ethernet cable directly into your computer. Please note that Chromebooks are allowed but not preferred, as they do not support certain features of the Zoom video conference software such as breakout sessions and annotation, which may be used by our teachers for class activities.
• High-Speed Internet Connection: You will also need access to high-speed Internet, preferably accessible via Ethernet cable right into your computer. Using Wi-Fi may work, but will not guarantee you the optimal use of your bandwidth. The faster your Internet, the better. We recommend using a connection with a download/upload speed of 5/1 Mbps or better. You can test your Internet connection here.
• Webcam: You may use an external webcam or one that is built in to the computer. Webcam Recommendations: Good (PC only) | Best (Mac and PC)
• Headset: We recommend using a headset rather than a built-in microphone and speakers. Using a headset reduces the level of background noise heard by the entire class. Headset Recommendations: USB | 3.5mm
• Zoom: We use a web conferencing software called Zoom for our classes, which enables students and teachers to gather from around the globe face to face in real time. Zoom is free to download and easy to use. To download Zoom:
  1. Visit zoom.us/download.
  2. Click to download the first option listed, Zoom Client for Meetings.
  3. Open and run the installer on your computer.
  4. In August, students will be provided with instructions and a link for joining their particular class.
• Scanner: In this class, students frequently submit homework assignments by scanning pages from their workbooks. Students and/or their parents should have easy access to a scanner and the ability to use it.