Unschooling Math
Trudy
For those of you with older children than mine (ages almost 9, 7, and
5), how have you found they pick up math concepts? My children enjoy
playing games, many of which use some kind of math concept. Computer
games often have these as well.
Our oldest daughter went with my Dad to the Farmer's Market a couple of
days ago and sold green beans. She was having to take money and help
make change. She wasn't too sure, but Dad helped her, and she was
talking to me about it this morning.
I'm just curious about how the more difficult math concepts (i.e.
multiplication, division, percentages, etc.) are "unschoolingly
learned" as time goes on. The more simple tasks (dividing up cookies,
for example)I see daily between the kids, but I'm just curious how it
plays out as they get older.
Trudy Powell
5), how have you found they pick up math concepts? My children enjoy
playing games, many of which use some kind of math concept. Computer
games often have these as well.
Our oldest daughter went with my Dad to the Farmer's Market a couple of
days ago and sold green beans. She was having to take money and help
make change. She wasn't too sure, but Dad helped her, and she was
talking to me about it this morning.
I'm just curious about how the more difficult math concepts (i.e.
multiplication, division, percentages, etc.) are "unschoolingly
learned" as time goes on. The more simple tasks (dividing up cookies,
for example)I see daily between the kids, but I'm just curious how it
plays out as they get older.
Trudy Powell
Queana
Check out the Mathing Off yahoo group. It's a list about
Unschooling/deschooling math. The link is
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MathingOff
~Q~
aka Sarah
http://www.unbridledlearning.com
No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
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Unschooling/deschooling math. The link is
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MathingOff
~Q~
aka Sarah
http://www.unbridledlearning.com
> -----Original Message-------
> From: [email protected]
> [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Trudy
> Sent: Saturday, July 01, 2006 9:54 AM
> To: [email protected]
> Subject: [unschoolingbasics] Unschooling Math
>
> For those of you with older children than mine (ages almost 9, 7, and
> 5), how have you found they pick up math concepts? My children enjoy
> playing games, many of which use some kind of math concept. Computer
> games often have these as well.
>
> Our oldest daughter went with my Dad to the Farmer's Market a couple of
> days ago and sold green beans. She was having to take money and help
> make change. She wasn't too sure, but Dad helped her, and she was
> talking to me about it this morning.
>
> I'm just curious about how the more difficult math concepts (i.e.
> multiplication, division, percentages, etc.) are "unschoolingly
> learned" as time goes on. The more simple tasks (dividing up cookies,
> for example)I see daily between the kids, but I'm just curious how it
> plays out as they get older.
>
> Trudy Powell
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --
> No virus found in this incoming message.
> Checked by AVG Free Edition.
> Version: 7.1.394 / Virus Database: 268.9.8/380 - Release Date: 6/30/2006
>
No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.1.394 / Virus Database: 268.9.8/380 - Release Date: 6/30/2006
Pamela Sorooshian
I'm not sure - but my kids are 21, 18, and 15 and all three picked up
how to multiply multiple-digit numbers, divide multiple-digit numbers
using long division. They learned how to add and subtract and
multiply and divide fractions. They know how to convert decimals to
fractions vice versa. They understand percentages and their
equivalent decimal formats. They can figure out percentages of numbers.
Past that - they picked up a pretty good understanding of probability
- but not formal algorithms about how to compute probabilities (I
doubt most adults know that, either).
They've picked up a good sense of measurement, a bit of geometry, and
a little algebra - not much.
Beyond that, I think math requires more conscious effort to learn - I
doubt anybody is going to pick up advanced algebra or calculus in
their daily life - but lots of kids decide to learn it because they
want to do so for a specific reason.
I have a good story about how Roxana learned long division, though.
She was passionately interested in CATS - the musical. For years we
lived and breathed CATS. I think I saw it live something like 12
times - and watched the video many more times. We made costumes. We
learned to do the make-up. She learned to play the songs on the
piano. She wrote CATS fan fiction. We read T.S. Elliot. We listened
to CATS in different languages. My mother took Roxana to London and
they went to see CATS there. It was the longest-running show, ever,
on Broadway. And we talked about going to see it there. But then - OH
NO - it was scheduled to close on Broadway. Roxana was REALLY wanting
to go see it, before it closed.
So - I was doing laundry and she asked me, "Hey, Mom, how far away is
New York City?" I said, "Around 3,000 miles." Then she asked, "How
far could we drive in a day?" I told her some number - I think it was
350 miles per day. I was busy, folding laundry, and when I looked at
what she was doing, she had put 3,000 at the top of a paper and was
subtracting 350 from it, over and over. I asked her what she was
doing and she said she was figuring out how many 350's there were in
3,000 because that's how many days it would take us to drive to NYC.
BUT - she'd made a subtraction mistake, early on, and had just
realized it. So she was a little frustrated and I said, "I can show
you an easier way to do that." She jumped at the chance to do it
easier - but I told her I'd have to show her some simpler ones first.
She was okay with that - so I started with 6 divided by 3 and then 60
divided by 3 and then 60 dividid by 30 and so on - just showed her
examples, progressively more complex, and then said, "Okay, you
should be able to divide 3,000 by 350 now.
So - she did it. And then asked for more problems to practice on.
The entire process took less than 30 minutes, including the time she
spent working problems she asked me to write down for her.
From then on, she always knew how to do long division. The other day
I saw her doing it - and it involved decimals - she had no problem
with it.
-pam
how to multiply multiple-digit numbers, divide multiple-digit numbers
using long division. They learned how to add and subtract and
multiply and divide fractions. They know how to convert decimals to
fractions vice versa. They understand percentages and their
equivalent decimal formats. They can figure out percentages of numbers.
Past that - they picked up a pretty good understanding of probability
- but not formal algorithms about how to compute probabilities (I
doubt most adults know that, either).
They've picked up a good sense of measurement, a bit of geometry, and
a little algebra - not much.
Beyond that, I think math requires more conscious effort to learn - I
doubt anybody is going to pick up advanced algebra or calculus in
their daily life - but lots of kids decide to learn it because they
want to do so for a specific reason.
I have a good story about how Roxana learned long division, though.
She was passionately interested in CATS - the musical. For years we
lived and breathed CATS. I think I saw it live something like 12
times - and watched the video many more times. We made costumes. We
learned to do the make-up. She learned to play the songs on the
piano. She wrote CATS fan fiction. We read T.S. Elliot. We listened
to CATS in different languages. My mother took Roxana to London and
they went to see CATS there. It was the longest-running show, ever,
on Broadway. And we talked about going to see it there. But then - OH
NO - it was scheduled to close on Broadway. Roxana was REALLY wanting
to go see it, before it closed.
So - I was doing laundry and she asked me, "Hey, Mom, how far away is
New York City?" I said, "Around 3,000 miles." Then she asked, "How
far could we drive in a day?" I told her some number - I think it was
350 miles per day. I was busy, folding laundry, and when I looked at
what she was doing, she had put 3,000 at the top of a paper and was
subtracting 350 from it, over and over. I asked her what she was
doing and she said she was figuring out how many 350's there were in
3,000 because that's how many days it would take us to drive to NYC.
BUT - she'd made a subtraction mistake, early on, and had just
realized it. So she was a little frustrated and I said, "I can show
you an easier way to do that." She jumped at the chance to do it
easier - but I told her I'd have to show her some simpler ones first.
She was okay with that - so I started with 6 divided by 3 and then 60
divided by 3 and then 60 dividid by 30 and so on - just showed her
examples, progressively more complex, and then said, "Okay, you
should be able to divide 3,000 by 350 now.
So - she did it. And then asked for more problems to practice on.
The entire process took less than 30 minutes, including the time she
spent working problems she asked me to write down for her.
From then on, she always knew how to do long division. The other day
I saw her doing it - and it involved decimals - she had no problem
with it.
-pam
On Jul 1, 2006, at 9:54 AM, Trudy wrote:
> I'm just curious about how the more difficult math concepts (i.e.
> multiplication, division, percentages, etc.) are "unschoolingly
> learned" as time goes on. The more simple tasks (dividing up cookies,
> for example)I see daily between the kids, but I'm just curious how it
> plays out as they get older.
Unschooling shirts, cups, bumper stickers, bags...
Live Love Learn
UNSCHOOL!
<http://www.cafepress.com/livelovelearn>
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Joyce Fetteroll
On Jul 1, 2006, at 12:54 PM, Trudy wrote:
Multiplication and subtraction both are just quick ways to do,
respectively, repeated addition and subtraction. As your kids get
older they'll be in situations that need multiplication and division.
Percentages come up in video games, art and photography programs,
sales, tip, tax ...
Joyce
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> I'm just curious about how the more difficult math concepts (i.e.They're as much a part of real life as addition and subtraction.
> multiplication, division, percentages, etc.) are "unschoolingly
> learned" as time goes on.
Multiplication and subtraction both are just quick ways to do,
respectively, repeated addition and subtraction. As your kids get
older they'll be in situations that need multiplication and division.
Percentages come up in video games, art and photography programs,
sales, tip, tax ...
Joyce
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
elizabeth roberts
Here's one example for how it works out for us. I just bought a new treadmill. Sarah wants to walk on it and eventually run, working up to where she can run the mile for the Young Marines Physical Training Tests with a good time.
She played around with the speed, the timer, and the distance; she asked questions and I gave her answers. She asked some of herself and figured out the answers as she walked.
She now has a better understanding of tenths and hundredths as well as percentages (this distance is 15% of a mile, or it's a quarter to my goal or 80% towards my goal) because she is using them towards her own goals.
Hope that helps! Beth
Sing, Dance, Laugh...LOVE!
---------------------------------
Do you Yahoo!?
Everyone is raving about the all-new Yahoo! Mail Beta.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
She played around with the speed, the timer, and the distance; she asked questions and I gave her answers. She asked some of herself and figured out the answers as she walked.
She now has a better understanding of tenths and hundredths as well as percentages (this distance is 15% of a mile, or it's a quarter to my goal or 80% towards my goal) because she is using them towards her own goals.
Hope that helps! Beth
Sing, Dance, Laugh...LOVE!
---------------------------------
Do you Yahoo!?
Everyone is raving about the all-new Yahoo! Mail Beta.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]