Angela

I appreciate all the viewpoints.

I, too, think that math past the second or third grade is something
that I will work on with my children with a text. Perhaps not every
day like I have been...I'm beginning to see I'm maybe making my son
do
useless work that he already knows in some cases. However, I *do*
want him prepared to see certain techniques/problems that may come up
in a test should the state so decide we must take one. So on that
standpoint, I think we will continue to use a math text to some
extent. I can't handle him not knowing this stuff! But I won't be
as
obsessive as I have been.

As far as my 5 yo ds is concerned, I'm just planning on letting him
fly and learn as we go....there is so much out there in real life to
learn math from! It's just that it seems that past the 2nd or 3rd
grade it really changes......

Again, thanks to everyone!

Blessings,

Angela

Tracy Oldfield

I'm reminded here of some quote from somewhere (sorry to be so
vague, but I realy can't remember the details) about how all the
maths ever taught in schools from Kto12 can be taught in about 8
weeks to people who are committed to learning and interested in
the subject matter. If the only reason to 'teach' maths, ie use a
text or curriculum is to make sure they can cope with the level of
maths needed for college etc, I think I would cross that bridge
when it arrived. If someone needs to learn something to be able
to do something important, then, surely (as long as the love of
learning hasn't been snuffed...) they will, and far quicker and
more completely than at a time when they're disinterested.

Well done for owning the problem!!

JM2pW
Tracy

On 6 Aug 2000, at 3:24, Angela wrote:

I appreciate all the viewpoints.

I, too, think that math past the second or third grade
is something 
that I will work on with my children with a text.
Perhaps not every 
day like I have been...I'm beginning to see I'm maybe
making my son
do 
useless work that he already knows in some cases.
However, I *do* 
want him prepared to see certain techniques/problems
that may come up 
in a test should the state so decide we must take one.
So on that 
standpoint, I think we will continue to use a math text
to some 
extent. I can't handle him not knowing this stuff!
But I won't be
as 
obsessive as I have been.

D Klement

Tracy Oldfield wrote:
>
> I'm reminded here of some quote from somewhere (sorry to be so
> vague, but I realy can't remember the details) about how all the
> maths ever taught in schools from Kto12 can be taught in about 8
> weeks to people who are committed to learning and interested in
> the subject matter. If the only reason to 'teach' maths, ie use a
> text or curriculum is to make sure they can cope with the level of
> maths needed for college etc, I think I would cross that bridge
> when it arrived. If someone needs to learn something to be able
> to do something important, then, surely (as long as the love of
> learning hasn't been snuffed...) they will, and far quicker and
> more completely than at a time when they're disinterested.
>
> Well done for owning the problem!!
>
> JM2pW
> Tracy

I think that's a Gatto quote and IF my memory serves me right I think
it's actually 8 days. He said something similar in a speech at our HSing
conference three yrs ago he was our keynote speaker.
A friends daughter decided she wanted to try highschool [ for either the
gr 9 or 10 year]. She'd never done much math at home (they are committed
unschoolers).
When she failed her first math test she and her mother sat down and got
her caught up to either gr 9 or 10 in a matter of days.
She never had a math problem since and I believe she was asked to be on
a math team or ended up doing the advanced stream of math through
highschool.

Buzz
--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Klement Family "Education is what survives when
Darryl, Debbie, what has been learned has been
Kathleen, Nathan & forgotten"
Samantha B.F. Skinner in "New Scientist".
e-mail- klement@...
Canadian homeschool page: http:\\www.flora.org/homeschool-ca/
Ont. Federation of Teaching Parents: http:\\www.flora.org/oftp/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~