Mathematics is not about numbers, equations, computations or algorithms: It is about UNDERSTANDING
-William Paul Thurston
It’s easy to view art and math as completely separate subjects. Right brain vs. left brain. Creative vs. analytical. Imaginative vs. practical. Right?
In fact, many of the core skills in art and math are closely related. Both disciplines require spatial reasoning skills and the ability to recognize patterns. Artists and mathematicians use geometry in their work — including shapes, symmetry, proportion, and measurement.
But sometimes, kids see themselves as either “an art person” or “a math person” – as if they can’t be both. As parents, we can fall into that habit, too – viewing our own skills and talents as fixed and unchangeable.
When we help kids see the overlap between art and math, we not only strengthen their skills in each, we expand their vision of what it means to be an artist and a mathematician. Math can be creative! Art can be analytical! Both can inspire our imagination.
-Deborah Farmer Kris