Math surrounds us. It's no secret, life is much easier if you're good with numbers. Everyday math skills could jumpstart your kid's future. On the other hand, poor everyday math skills could damage your child's prospects and relegate them to low-paid, mind-numbing work.

"So how do kids learn math and can you help them?"

Kids are natural learners. Often they learn more by discovery and co-operative learning (kids teaching kids), than by adult instruction! Don't believe it? Just watch them try a new video game. They discover how to play within minutes.

From birth kids learn by watching, listening and doing, especially in play. They copy you. They learn more when happy in a safe environment like home. And they learn what they want to! They connect images, smells, sounds and words. They learn by association. Associative memory is very powerful. It develops early in life. For example, kids soon learn that 'green means go', and 'red means stop'. Here's the good news: "Associative memory can be trained".

"Pizza Pursuits 10: family fun and math learning!"

Pizza Pursuits 10 is a new family fun and learning math card game based on associative learning and discovery. Players visually associate pictures of pizza slices with fraction percentage decimal and degree values. Most kids love pizza!

Start playing just with pictures. You don't need to explain fractions or decimals, or even understand them. If you can count to ten, you can play Pizza Pursuits 10, and win! Math learning soon follows by association. And the best part? It's fun!

There are four 13-card 'pizza suits': cheese, veggie, sausage and pepperoni. Each card holds 1, 2 or 3 equal-sized slices of pizza. Ten equal-sized slices: make one whole pizza: - Cheese slices measure 1/10 of a whole pizza (10/10); - Veggie slices are 36° of a whole pizza (360°); - Sausage slices are 10% of a whole pizza (100%); - Pepperoni slices are 0.1 of a whole pizza (1.0).

First player to 'make' a whole 10-slice pizza wins! For example: two 3-slice cards + two 2-slice cards make 10 slices (3 + 3 + 2 + 2 = 10).

"Associative learning by design: matching pictures and math facts!"

Cards are packed with everyday math facts and may seem overwhelming. Don't worry, just start playing! You'll soon get it. Here's a 3-slice cheese card:

You can review your cards, without exposing your hand, just by viewing edge tags (show face value and suit). And make a whole pizza just by counting edge tags!

"Just remember, 10 edge tags make one whole pizza in any suit!"

And you can use edge tags to perform math magic too -- well it seems like magic anyway. You and your kids can add or subtract cards visually without math!

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"Visual addition is so easy. You can see the answer!"

 

"YOU can perform 'Math Magic' just by aligning edge tags & measures!"

Overlap and offset the cards to see both tags. Align tag-start on overlapping card (72°) with tag-end on overlapped card (108°). Read total (180°) on the overlapped card measure. Measure any group value like this too. Overlap and offset successive cards. Align all tags end-to-end in a row. Read total value on the first card measure. You can subtract cards too by aligning the tag ends of any two overlapping cards. And subtract card groups too by aligning the ends of each tag group!

"Visual Subtraction is just as easy!"

  "Visual math is simple and intuitive, even a child can do it!"

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"Okay, I've got 0.3, so how much more do I need to win?"

If you've been following along with me, you already know the answer! You've got 3 pepperoni slices (0.3), so you need 7 more to make 10 slices (whole pepperoni pizza). But there's another easy way. Check out the bottom measure:

This shows amount needed. It starts at 1.0 (not marked) on the left hand card edge and ends at zero on the right. Three 0.1 slices total 0.3 of a pizza as shown, but 'measure' 0.7 on this edge measure. So you need 7 more 0.1 slices!

Overlay successive cards and align all tags in a row as before. Read number of slices needed for a whole pizza on the first card measure.

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"Now here's where the fun could get really wild!"

The 13^th card in each suit is a 'Wild Animal' or 'Gobbler' card. It duplicates any card (same topping) in hand, or gobbles up opponent's cards when discarded!

Wild Animal Example: Cheese Monkey Cheese Monkey duplicates any cheese card in hand. The other wild animal cards are Veggie Giraffe, Sausage Leopard and Pepperoni Bear. Destroy the next player's hand by discarding a Wild Animal card! It turns into a Gobbler and gobbles up their entire hand. They must discard all cards, draw replacements and start again! You define Gobblers' powers before each game. Make them as hungry or destructive as you want!

Two regular Jokers (duplicate any card in hand) complete the 54-card deck:

	Each pizza 13-card suit has 4 x one-slice, 4 x two-slice, and 4 x three-slice cards, and one 'wild animal' card
	Cheese: 4 x 1/10, 2/10, 3/10 slice-cards; Cheese Monkey.
	Veggie: 4 x 36°, 72°, 108° slice-cards; Veggie Giraffe.
	Sausage: 4 x 10%, 20%, 30% slice-cards; Sausage Leopard.
	Pepperoni: 4 x 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 slice-cards; Pepperoni Bear.

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"Okay, but what games can I play?"

You can use the cards for serious self study, for family fun and learning, and even for competitive games. You decide! You can play math games for kids, do everyday math and play many non-math games too. Here's just one example:

"Sample Game: Pizza Pursuits Rummy"

Objective: be the first player to make one whole pizza (10 slices) using 4, 5 or 6 cards of the same suit.

	Shuffle the cards. Deal 6 cards face down to each player in rotation. Stack the remaining cards face down to form a stock. Place top card face-up next to the stock to form a discard pile.
	Players should organize their cards into suits before play starts. Don't disclose your hand. Use card tags to review cards in hand.
	The player to dealer's left starts. Select either the discard on display if this improves your hand, or take the top card from the stock unseen. Review your cards carefully. Discard an unwanted card to end your turn.
	The next player in clockwise rotation takes up the play.
	Normal play continues unless a 'Gobbler' (wild animal discard) interrupts. Then the next player must discard and replace their entire hand from the stock!
	The winner is to the first player to declare one whole pizza during their turn. You may discard 0, 1 or 2 cards to finish.

Sample Winning Hand

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Okay, that's enough for now. You really need to see, feel and play with the cards yourself to experience their true power, yet simplicity.

Reinforce associative learning by eating pizza and playing Pizza Pursuits 10 as a family. Play alongside your kids, don't teach. Just set the scene. Sight, smells, taste and even touch should create pleasurable and memorable experiences.

Associative learning could work wonders with your kids' math. But always remember: 'heavy on fun' and 'light on instruction'!

Remember too, if you can count to ten, you can play Pizza Pursuits 10 and win! There's no need to mug up on your fractions and decimals first. Just play along with your kids, have fun and learn by association as you go.

Enjoy!

Your comments, good and bad, would be appreciated. Thanks! anthony.miller@celebration.fl.us