Now, learn math with magic squares and dogs' legs

London, Jan 20 (ANI): Iranian born Stella Baruk has devised a unique way of teaching mathematics that involves magic squares, fingers and dogs' legs.

Initially attracting criticism for her teaching methods, Baruk is now being hailed as a saviour for children unable to grasp square roots, algebra or geometry.

Branded as "the maths fairy", Baruk's teaching method for mathematics are becoming increasingly popular among teachers in France and abroad.

Her new 851-page mathematical dictionary has already sold tens of thousands of copies.

The impenetrable language used by teachers often makes it difficult to understand the subject

"Teachers think their pupils understand what they are saying when, in fact, they are often understanding something entirely different," Times Online quoted her as saying,

She starts counting by displaying five fingers and then getting them to recognise five lines and dots.

After introducing her pupils to five, she moves on to six and seven, three and four, eight and nine, and two and one before leaping to 37, a number "which has sufficient tens for it to be worth using them".

Later, she goes back through the twenties to ten, a number that she says is far harder to integrate.

To ensure that pupils have completely understood the concept, she shows them different objects, such as a dog in the lesson about four.

Baruk said some children say the number is appropriate because it has four legs, others that it is inappropriate because there is just one dog. Either way, they have understood the "ideality" of four.

She teaches addition by putting fingers together. "Show seven fingers," she said. "Now I add seven fingers. That makes 14. It's easy to see and easy to memorise." (ANI)