(Note: this is a copy of part of the original Math Delights site. The complete site is at mathdelights.org.)
The purpose of Math Delights is to
I modeled my Math Delights Workshops after the Julia Robinson Mathematics Festival, www.msri.org/specials/festival. At that festival, there are about 30 tables with different activities, problems, games, and puzzles and at least one facilitator/table to check answers and to help 6-12th graders who need or want assistance. Attendees work individually or in small groups of 2 or 3.
There are typically four activities and at least six adult volunteers (mainly parents) at each Math Delights Workshop. Students circulate among the "activity tables" to work on the activities of interest to them. Guidelines for Facilitators
The best way to learn math is by solving mathematical problems.
Before you arrive at a Math Delights workshop, you should take time to become familiar enough with your assigned activity that you know several good directions to lead. If you don't understand or like your activity, request or find a new one that you do enjoy. We want you to be enthusiastic since enthusiasm is contagious.
In a Math Delights workshop, let the children experiment, compute values, and make their own mathematical discoveries. Your role in facilitating is to get each student to engage. Let students do their own thinking, experimenting, and solving.
Avoid trying to teach students new concepts or shortcuts; allow their natural processes to guide them. Start by finding out what the child has done and what the child knows. For some, you'll be helping them read and understand the instructions. Strive to ask more questions than you answer. Ask questions such as, "What have you tried so far?", "Why does that have to be so?", "Can you show me an example?", "What have you found that has worked?", or "What might you do next?"
Generally limit yourself to 2 or 3 minutes talking to any one child or a group of children, then move on. Feel free to return to a child or group if you sense a need or desire for more interaction. Meet each child at his or her level.
Often it helps to remind a child of problem-solving strategies like "Is there a simpler version of that problem that you already know how to solve?", "Can you draw a picture?", or "Are there manipulations you can use to help solve your problem?" For a child near a solution, you may point him to what is requested. Or, maybe a child will solve the problem by herself and you can guide her towards a different way of looking at the problem or solution.
Encourage the children to WRITE DOWN what they're doing so you can make more effective use of your time when you work with them. Writing is a great skill for young kids to learn. Many children may need help with the basic skills of problem solving, like figuring out what's requested, writing things down in an organized way, and not giving up if they don't get the answer in one minute.
Keep the focus on the math. Keep abreast of what each child at your activity table is doing and figure out where the child wants to go next. If you see a kid's attention wandering, point her or him back to the problems, and try to figure out what may be of more interest to that student and direct the student accordingly. Some kids may get more interested when they see fellow classmates working on the problem. Other kids may need some support in working on harder problems: they may not have experience in what to do when it takes more than a few minutes to figure something out. You might suggest an easier, related problem to help get them started, and reassure them that they are doing well.
Give kids positive feedback for discovering something that excites them, for writing things down clearly, and especially for battling a challenging problem. Remember that praising effort rather than ability is extremely important. Here's a summary of tips for facilitating: