The Art of Reading Backwards: The Magic of Palindromes

The Art of Reading Backwards: The Magic of Palindromes
By Kelli A Pearson

Have you ever tried to read words backwards? I tried it once when I was a kid. My name was Illek. My cat's backwards name was Niffum, and my favorite food was etalocohc. I went around saying words nobody else understood. It was like speaking my own language.

But then I happened upon some very surprising words that stayed the same when I read them backwards. "Dad" stayed dad and "mom" stayed mom, and even my friend Hannah stayed the same! I didn't know it then, but I had discovered the very cool world of palindromes.

What is a Palindrome?

Palindromes stay the same when you read them frontwards or backwards. They can be words:

eye

pop

radar

They can be phrases or sentences:

never odd or even

don't nod

Was it a cat I saw?

Do geese see God?

They can be numbers:

505

62326

12:21

And some palindromes are even the same frontwards, backwards, upside-down, and upside-down backwards:

108801

SOS

NOON

Palindrome Magic Trick

Here is a trick you can do to turn almost any number into a palindrome. First, think of a number and write it down:

3241

Then, write that number backwards and add the two together:

3241

+ 1423

4664

In some cases, it doesn't work the first time. When that happens, just keep reversing and adding numbers until you get your palindrome:

4972

+ 2794

7766

+6677

14443

+34441

48884

Are You a Palindromaniac?

Warning: palindromes can be addictive! Some people start looking for them everywhere and can go a little nuts in the quest for finding palindromes.

You may be at risk of being a palindromaniac if:

• You have friends named Ana, Eve, Izzi, Otto or Bob.
• Your favorite times of day are 10:01, 11:11, 5:55, etc.
• You love to kayak and have always wanted to drive a racecar.
• Your favorite car is a Toyota.

Find Out More

Get your palindromaniac fill with these books and resources:

For young kids: Mom and Dad are Palindromes, by Mark Shulman and Adam McCauley, or If You Were a Palindrome, by Michael Dahl. Both of these fun picture books are a great introduction for kids into the world of palindromes.

For older kids and grown-ups: Jon Agee is the king of palindrome books like Go Hang a Salami, I'm a Lasagna Hog, and Palindromania. Cartoony line drawings are paired with wacky captions for some good fun.

Kelli Pearson is a dynamic speaker who shows parents and teachers how to bring math and science to life by using the power of play. The author of "Miss Brain's Cool Math Games", Kelli dreams of a world where kids learn with dice, cards, scavenger hunts and (of course) palindromes. Find out how you can use play to spark learning at http://www.growingsmartkids.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kelli_A_Pearson
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Art-of-Reading-Backwards:-The-Magic-of-Palindromes&id=7741032