by Dave Youngs
This month's Puzzle Corner is a maddeningly-challenging, four-piece puzzle. I would like to thank Barbara Kelly, an AIMS trainer from Virginia, for sharing this intriguing puzzle with me. It's such a good puzzle that I am passing it on to you.
The Maddening M is one of many puzzles based on letters. Puzzles like this are called moving-piece puzzles because the various pieces are assembled to make specific shapes. These puzzles can be challenging, especially for those who haven't yet developed their innate spatial abilities. For this reason, they are great for building persistence -- a key puzzle and problem-solving trait.
To use this puzzle with students, copy it on cardstock or some other similar material and have students cut out the pieces. While the puzzle can be copied onto paper, the thicker cardstock pieces are much easier for students to manipulate. If you wan an even more durable copy of the puzzle, the pieces can be traced on a rubberized placemat and cut out. If this is done, the puzzle can become part of your permanent classroom puzzle collection. Many teachers keep a dozen or more puzzles on hand for students to work on throughout the year. Since this puzzle is a challenging one that may not be solved quickly by your students, you may want to include it in your puzzle corner or center.
Have fun and good luck!