The FREE Brick Math Lesson of the Month for November 2024 comes from Brick Math Division.  It introduces two important concepts – division as grouping into equal sets, and division as repeated subtraction. To get this lesson, click here, and you'll also get a new free Brick Math lesson every month after that. 

The lesson starts with pages from the Teacher Edition of Brick Math Division. First, the teacher models two set boxes and asks the students to divide the brick studs evenly into the two boxes. Then the teacher asks students to relate the division problem to multiplication, ensuring that students understand the relationship between division and multiplication. Finally, the teacher shows students how this same division problem can be viewed as repeated subtraction. In one short lesson, students are learning so much about what division means! The last two pages are from the Student Edition of Division, and they are used by students to answer questions in writing as they work through the lesson.

This technique is why Brick Math works so well to help students who haven't learned through more traditional curricula. Students build brick models, then draw those models and answer questions explaining why the math works. It's a proven process, moving from concrete to abstract, that really helps students understand math.

The Brick Math curriculum is divided into 13 separate content areas: 
Counting, Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division, Basic Fractions, Basic Measurement, Fraction Multiplication, Fraction Division, Advanced Measurement and Geometry, Decimals, Data and Statistics, and Pre-Algebra.  ​

The FREE Brick Math Lesson of the Month for October 2024 is from Brick Math Basic Measurement, and it teaches students the introductory concepts of area. To get this lesson, click here, and you'll also get a new free Brick Math lesson every month after that. ​

Students will understand area best when you teach it visually. This lesson uses the "studs" on the plastic toy bricks to represent square feet in problems that teach area. Students count the studs to determine how many square feet are in the area of various rectangles. After they understand the idea of area, they learn the formula for area (L x W) and can extend it to other problems.

In this lesson, students are also learning how to relate area to perimeter and understand the differences between the two terms. In  Brick Math Basic Measurement, perimeter has just been taught in the previous chapter. Math knowledge always builds on earlier math knowledge, which is one of the most important reasons to make sure students have a strong foundation of understanding before moving on to a new concept. And the focus of Brick Math is for students to learn a deep, foundational understanding of math.