Math in our house this morning
Melissa
So Rachel starts digging out Emily's old math workbooks this morning, and starts flipping
through them. "MOM! Do you know where the grade 3 book is?" So I dig it out and sit back
down to my book, and watch her sit at the table. "MOM! I need you to make up some
multiplication worksheets for me, these don't have the right kind! I'll get the paper right
now." So when she gets back I flip through the books to see what NOT to do, and start
writing down various types of multiplication equations. On the last sheet of paper I write out
a multiplication table, which she instantly gloms on to. "THIS is exactly what I needed,
something to help me find the pattern." So she sits down, fills out the ones she knows, and
then asks me to help her figure out ways to fill in the rest. So we work on ways to figure
things out, and she figures out how to add and subract to ten and find the answers easily and
quickly. She worked through the table, threw the papers away and went outside to dig in the
mud. :-)
M
through them. "MOM! Do you know where the grade 3 book is?" So I dig it out and sit back
down to my book, and watch her sit at the table. "MOM! I need you to make up some
multiplication worksheets for me, these don't have the right kind! I'll get the paper right
now." So when she gets back I flip through the books to see what NOT to do, and start
writing down various types of multiplication equations. On the last sheet of paper I write out
a multiplication table, which she instantly gloms on to. "THIS is exactly what I needed,
something to help me find the pattern." So she sits down, fills out the ones she knows, and
then asks me to help her figure out ways to fill in the rest. So we work on ways to figure
things out, and she figures out how to add and subract to ten and find the answers easily and
quickly. She worked through the table, threw the papers away and went outside to dig in the
mud. :-)
M
Deb Lewis
***So we work on ways to figure
things out, and she figures out how to add and subract to ten and find the
answers easily and quickly. She worked through the table, threw the papers
away and went outside to
dig in the mud. :-)***
This is like an adult coming across a puzzle in a newspaper or magazine,
finding it a little interesting and hunting down a pencil, working the
puzzle until she's satisfied and then moving on. What a fun moment for your
daughter and nice of you to help her do what she wanted.
The mistake parents might make at this point is assuming the child is
interested in learning math from a book and getting a bunch of math stuff
out and pressing, however gently, for the kid to look it over and try a few
pages.
That's not just about math, though. I've seen parents go overboard when a
kid enjoyed watching ants. Next thing you know the parent has purchased an
ant farm and checked out a stack of books on ants and a field guide to
insects and expects the kid to enjoy that stuff like he enjoyed watching the
ant hill.
Deb Lewis
things out, and she figures out how to add and subract to ten and find the
answers easily and quickly. She worked through the table, threw the papers
away and went outside to
dig in the mud. :-)***
This is like an adult coming across a puzzle in a newspaper or magazine,
finding it a little interesting and hunting down a pencil, working the
puzzle until she's satisfied and then moving on. What a fun moment for your
daughter and nice of you to help her do what she wanted.
The mistake parents might make at this point is assuming the child is
interested in learning math from a book and getting a bunch of math stuff
out and pressing, however gently, for the kid to look it over and try a few
pages.
That's not just about math, though. I've seen parents go overboard when a
kid enjoyed watching ants. Next thing you know the parent has purchased an
ant farm and checked out a stack of books on ants and a field guide to
insects and expects the kid to enjoy that stuff like he enjoyed watching the
ant hill.
Deb Lewis