Number sense is having a moment. At its core, number sense is the ability to make sense of numbers: to understand their size, see relationships, break them apart and put them back together, and use them flexibly to solve problems.…
At the beginning of a new school year, we think a lot about what we want students to learn. But there’s another question worth asking: How do we want students to feel while they’re learning math? Curious? Confident? Interested? Willing…
In the year since its launch, Tile Farm Academy helped thousands of students strengthen their number sense, build confidence, and develop a more positive relationship with mathematics. Along the way, we listened closely to teachers, learned from students, and discovered…
Homeschooling has a way of sharpening your instincts as a parent. When you’re choosing the curriculum, setting the pace, and learning right alongside your kids, you get very clear about what’s actually working. Math, especially, has always been an area…
For many students, math anxiety doesn’t begin with numbers, it begins with adults. A growing body of research suggests that teachers’ and caregivers’ attitudes toward math can significantly shape how children experience the subject. When adults feel anxious, uncertain, or…
Some of the most powerful professional learning doesn’t come from lengthy presentations or complex frameworks, it comes from interactive experiences full of genuine mathematical curiosity. Tile Talk was originally designed as a student-facing math discussion resource: low-floor, high-ceiling activities built…
What’s the best way to develop great scientific and mathematical minds? It can be helpful to draw inspiration from some of the great thinkers of our era. As a kid, Vera Rubin used to watch the stars drift past her…
When people ask what age groups Tile Farm Academy is designed for, they are often surprised by our answer: PreK to PhD. In fact, our entire team regularly plays, experiments, and makes new discoveries inside Tile Farm Academy. To some,…
By Alex Romero In addition to wearing many hats at Tile Farm, I am a lifelong teacher and look for any opportunity I can to get back into the classroom. This past summer, I had the opportunity to teach a…