September 2026

From a New Angle

"Take out your arithmetic homework..."

During my elementary-school days, that was my least-favorite phrase.

And that experience doesn't seem to be unique.

For the next generation of students, though--and for their parents and teachers--Count Play Explore is offering a new perspective on math, science and computer science.

A program led by the Office of the Fresno County Superintendent of Schools, Count Play Explore begins with the concept of having fun, by relating these subjects to the real world.

Focusing on students from birth to third-grade age, they offer activities and games based on children's books or some of a child's everyday experiences.

Their free resources, for parents and teachers, include book guides and bite-sized videos, usually under two minutes, which introduce a subject and its applications.

The emphasis is always on having fun, and along the way, young students and their families are exploring subjects including patterns, money. and spatial thinking. Life science, problem-solving and technology are among the areas covered in the science and computer-science lessons.

I especially like that storytelling is central to many of the math lessons, with guides to numerous pages of inviting and imaginative children's books.

In addition, Count Play Explore offers tabs of content specifically for families, and for educators. They also host professional training sessions, including a free virtual Early STEAM Fall Forum, coming up on October 20th.

Among the educator resources, there's also an especially imaginative activity. This had to be geared towards teachers whose math classroom experiences were similar to mine.

The exercise: "Write a letter to math."

Mine might start with, "Maybe we can work it out, after all."

And, that's it for now! Have a great week.

See you next week!