At the mention of math, you may think of a teacher creakily writing a computational process on the blackboard with a piece of chalk. But here at Beijing Kaiwen Academy (KWA), math is about students in higher Grades vividly telling math stories to their attentive juniors in lower Grades. You may associate math with boring, monotonous, and abstract computation or exams and competitions that make you feel nervous. But here at KWA, you can learn math by reading interesting math stories, such as “Feast of Spaghetti and Meatballs",“Kingdom with People Who Love Magic”, and “Two Rays Hand in Hand”, with your little partners sitting cozily in twos or threes.
 

On March 26, 2018, the Math Group of the KWA primary school organized a math reading day. With a theme of “Number VS. Book”, the activity was for students in higher Grades to read a math picture book and impart mathematical knowledge to those in lower Grades.
 Math teachers of the primary school have racked their brains for ways to stimulate student interest in math and expand their cognitive ability. Since the wonderful “Math Carnival” held last year, students have long been looking forward to this activity. The teachers classified and integrated math books by topic, difficulty degree, and language. They selected reading materials and picture books suitable for students in different Grades. They also paired classes up and asked 4th and 5th graders to read together with 1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders.
 

After the activity started, the senior students acted exactly like a teacher. Driven by their great sense of responsibility, many of the “teachers” prepared for lessons in advance. Attracted by the vivid explanation of their brothers and sisters, the students in lower Grades immediately became fans and kept asking them questions. In a lively atmosphere, many of the “teachers” were amazed at how quickly their “students” could learn. Some 2nd graders have actually learned “decimal addition and subtraction.” Some even had a rough idea of “probability.” This activity has broadened the children’s mathematical horizons. Many of the children who had barely understood any mathematical concept were able to grasp certain mathematical knowledge unknowingly. All this was achieved in a relaxed and happy atmosphere. At the same time, the activity has allowed the children to experience the fun and beauty of math. Learning math has become a lively process and is full of fun here at KWA.

 Math is an important basic subject at KWA. The school has attached great importance to teaching students math knowledge, expanding their way of thinking, and developing their interest in learning. The art of education is not to teach, but to inspire and awaken. As a Western saying goes, “The essence of education is not to fill up a basket, but light up a lamp.” We believe that after this math activity, children will love learning and exploring all the more. Let’s look forward to meeting again in the coming year!