Two students come up to you in the middle of class and in unison say, "We're bored!" You know your students well. These two are not bored for the same reason. The one on your left has already finished their math assignment for the day and is champing at the bit for something else to do. The one on your right got stuck halfway through, and staring at a problem they don't feel equipped to solve is definitely demotivating. 

What's a teacher to do? It's difficult navigating a classroom full of different needs, but puzzles are uniquely suited to help with this challenge. We've seen students just like the two described above work constructively together on the same puzzle! Since the best puzzles require an outside-the-box approach and strategic thinking, a student who may be struggling with a math concept can be the one who has a creative insight, and unlocks a path forward.

A Matter of Scale

Our puzzles are written by world puzzle champions and passionate educators, not by computer algorithms. Students can tell the difference! They are built with simple rules and a patterned example that encourage all students to get started. And, since most puzzle types can be self-checked, students can work thoughtfully and understand each obstacle they hit.

Puzzles progress artfully from simple introductions to extraordinary head scratchers. As they progress, students will encounter puzzles that are fun and charming. Here are instructions and a worked example for Dot Puzzles, from BA Puzzles 4. 

And here is one of the more challenging Dot Puzzles students will encounter. It manages to reinforce geometric definitions, strengthen strategic thinking, and be cute (it's a heart!), all at the same time. (The answer is at the bottom of this post, but don't peek until you've tried it.)

This design philosophy means every student will find an appropriate level of challenge. When the whole class learns to hit their limit and then keep pushing, they collectively improve. It can be discouraging for a student to watch their peers blow through a set of problems on a worksheet and never appear to hit an obstacle. That's a disservice to both the student who now feels they're incapable of doing math, and to the student who flies through problems and doesn't learn how to effectively navigate a challenge.

A Puzzling Appetizer

According to educational researcher Peter Liljedahl, starting a lesson with hard puzzles that push students to their limits sets a better tone for their perseverance and engagement than the classic escalating "I Do, We Do, You Do" construct that's so pervasive across K-12 mathematics. In your next lesson, try using a puzzle as a warm-up! You could give two or three of varying difficulty so everyone gets their fill.

Many of our puzzles serve to reinforce specific elementary math skills, but others are skill-agnostic and focus on logical reasoning, strategic thinking, spatial reasoning, and pattern-recognition. When we ask a student to move a kitten past a series of lasers towards their bowl of milk, or find patterns in Mondrian art, it may not be arithmetic, but it is mathematical problem-solving. Such skills are  critical in a modern world. If there's a puzzle that's relevant to an upcoming lesson to explore with your students, fantastic! Otherwise, choose one that uses skills your students already have and gets them to go deeper.

‍Gather Around

Most Beast Academy puzzles consist of a series of discrete problem-solving steps, where strategies can be applied to determine the next move. As the puzzles grow and get more complicated, the number of applicable strategies increases as does the amount of tinkering required to determine the best next step. Working together can help with this!

Encourage your students to pair up or work in small groups on tricky puzzles. Because each puzzle uses the same strategies, all students are able to contribute to the solution. If a student makes a move that someone else doesn't see, have them explain their thought process. This dynamic, conversational approach to mathematics gets everyone involved, improving their engagement and confidence with mathematics. As the teacher and guide on this puzzling journey, you are part of this conversation, too! By avoiding answer keys you encourage students to lead the problem-solving effort. You can model an approach that will help your students grow while they unpack ideas together.

Our Puzzle Books are a great way for a class to dip their toe into the deep and rich problem-solving waters of Beast Academy mathematics. They are available for Levels 1–4 but can be enjoyed by all students! Try one out, and contact our team at schools@aops.com for more tips on making the most of this resource in your classroom!

Puzzle Answer

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