Date:25/11/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/25/stories/2008112558020200.htm

Back

Tamil Nadu - Madurai

How many months have 28 days?

D.Karthikeyan

Brainteasers test the logical thinking process of students from a rural school

— Photo: K. Ganesan

Engrossing: Students of Karen Matriculation School at Chekkanoorani all ears to what the resource person says.

MADURAI: A good combination of learning filled with fun made the classroom buzzing on a hazy Saturday morning. Yes! The Class VI D section students of Keran Matriculation Higher Secondary School, K. Puliyangulam, Chekkanoorani, had a good exposure to learn mathematics with fun filled games at the Newspaper in Education session held on November 22.

Resource person Eroj Anand used brainteaser riddles and puzzles, providing an excellent learning activity for the students. The class was more or less dialogical in nature with full participation of students.

The resource person threw a few puzzles, with a mixture of googlies, which made the students think and, in fact, it invited quite a few amusing answers from the children. For example, she threw the following question: How many months have 28 days? A lot of the students answered February and a few said that February has 28 days; five months 30 days and 6 months have 31 days. None of the students could answer that all months have 28 days. This again was one of the few tricky questions, which at times would make even grown ups feel unanswerable.

For critical thinking

Brainteaser riddles and puzzles help develop the thinking, reasoning and memory skills of elementary students and help them master both basic and advanced concepts in mathematics, language and writing. It also helps to develop critical thinking as well as logic skills.