Feel Good Pi-Day! 3.14 Easy Ways to Get Kids Excited About Math Again

We’re quickly approaching Pi Day, and it’s time to celebrate math in all its forms! Pi Day is celebrated on 3/14 because the date resembles the first three digits of the mathematical constant π or pi. It falls on the same day as the International Day of Mathematics , so it’s the perfect occasion to get young mathematicians stoked about numbers and number games!

But we know that some kids simply don’t feel good about math. Whether it’s undiagnosed neurodiversity, poor past experiences, or merely a lack of interest, it constantly ranks as the subject that learners enjoy least— and it’s a shame because it’s one of the most relevant and interesting in the curriculum.

This Pi Day, as well as the learners who love number work, we’re thinking about sparking interest in the ones who might take a little while longer to see the magic in math too. Let’s get started!

#1: Get creative with the math you do

It might not be in your budget right now to do a whole-class pie picnic, but that doesn’t mean that the classroom has to be a pi(e)-free zone this March 14th. From creating amazing —or revolting— fantasy pie recipes with your learners to teach them about circle graphs or making Pi Day paper chains that help learn place value, there’s still plenty of scope to have fun without breaking the bank or leaving out learners with dietary differences.

It’s kind of a cliché, but making math feel exciting is often half of the battle. If we can introduce practical tasks and multi-modal elements, it’s way more likely to hook their imagination and create long-term interest.

#2: Keep budding writers and artists involved too!

As hard as we try to make number work interesting, there are always going to be a number of ‘humanities kids’ in the classroom who excel at English, history, languages, and art but just can’t get behind math. But on Pi Day, it’s time to make a change! Creative writing exercises like this Pi in the Sky writing prompt task can keep budding writers feeling engaged with math even if it’s not their favorite subject. For the artists in the classroom, you might want to try something like this Math in Art activity pack to spark the idea that math can be central to design and creative pursuits.

#3: Time to have a conversation about dyscalculia?

And it’s not as fun as making paper chains or MC Escher-eqsue tessellations , but Pi Day is as good a time as any to start thinking about why some learners in your class might not be feeling the love. That means addressing the possibility of dyscalculia: a learning disability that impacts someone’s ability to understand number-based information.

Look out for…

?? Difficulties in remembering things like everyday passcodes or phone numbers

?? Needing to use visual aids (like fingers or blocks) to count long after peers no longer require them

?? Delays in learning to count or misremembering number order

?? Difficulties in non-standard math activities like telling the time, knowing left and right, and following or giving directions #

?? Pronounced difficulties with interpretation, such as in terms of counting money or understanding data presented in a graph format. You can find out more about dyscalculia and how to spot it at Child Mind Institute , and all about diagnosis and support at Understood.org .

#3.14: …And maybe one about dyslexia, too.??

But dyscalculia isn’t the only learning disability that may be in play if somebody shows persistent difficulties in engaging with math. Dyslexia (or a combination of the two) might also be part of the reason. So much of math is reading-based— think about word problems, algebra, or even the complexities of mathematical language. Try adding a text-to-speech reading support or a peer reading buddy into the equation (…no pun intended): it might be the beginning of an important support journey.

How are you celebrating this Pi Day? Let us know in the comments below, or tell us about your experiences supporting learners with dyscalculia. ??