Relating arithmetic to patterns, cubes, etc is important for today's students.
I personally don't get the grid example - please explain. However, figuring out codes and recognizing patterns is very important to higher math. Starting this early will pay off.
Relating numbers to geometrical figures is a weird concept for the brain and building this will help in science and other fields.
It is the same topic - over and over again - but different areas of study.
I, like you, was skeptical at your child's age. However, my daughter is now 13 and is great at estimating and especially in science.
