Got Rid of the Math Books!
The O'Donnells
Hi all,
Finally, I got caught up! Whew! Been a busy week for you guys. By the
way please ignore my last post I did not mean to keep the ball rolling when
it had finally stopped. Sorry!
Anyway, I finally did it! Those math text books are history (well, they
kept them in their rooms because they wanted to but I told them they could
do them if they wanted to or they could box them up or just use them for
reference tools.) Eeeeek! I'm anxious now. But boy what a load of books
on math libraries carry - I never knew! My oldest is still not interested
in looking at them but I guess that is where I get to trust right? This is
hard sometimes. Oh well, we still enjoy hsing and I'm seeing my dds
gradually moving toward more and more self directed study - I'm confident
it will come together with time. :o)
I got lots of math games books like I Hate Mathematics and Mathematics for
Smarty Pants from the library and read a couple of things to dd who was
quite surprised that on one hand she may have difficulty in a particular
segment of math but that in another she is quite good. Her eyebrows raised
more than once as I read about 5 pages to her. I set the books down and to
date she has ignored them completely! We did discover the use of our
Yatzee game once again but she was miffed when she later discovered that
she had been doing math. The legos are out in the living room now and they
have already built houses and barns to go with the Little House on the
Prairie book we are reading. Monopoly is the next one (that is a hard one
for me because they want me to play and I hate to tie up that much time,
sigh, guess I'll have to bite the bullet.)
Well, any ideas on how to help dd (age 10) get back into math in any form
is very welcomed. I really want/need to conquer this desire to direct the
kids learning too much. How do some of you do it? Do you simply state I
want you to work on some math now or do you completely stay out of the
process? I'm probably going to be a nuisance on this topic for a while. :o)
In His Service,
Laraine
praxis@...
Subscribe to Our Prairie Primer Today Community at:
http://www.onelist.com/subscribe/PrairiePrimerToday
Finally, I got caught up! Whew! Been a busy week for you guys. By the
way please ignore my last post I did not mean to keep the ball rolling when
it had finally stopped. Sorry!
Anyway, I finally did it! Those math text books are history (well, they
kept them in their rooms because they wanted to but I told them they could
do them if they wanted to or they could box them up or just use them for
reference tools.) Eeeeek! I'm anxious now. But boy what a load of books
on math libraries carry - I never knew! My oldest is still not interested
in looking at them but I guess that is where I get to trust right? This is
hard sometimes. Oh well, we still enjoy hsing and I'm seeing my dds
gradually moving toward more and more self directed study - I'm confident
it will come together with time. :o)
I got lots of math games books like I Hate Mathematics and Mathematics for
Smarty Pants from the library and read a couple of things to dd who was
quite surprised that on one hand she may have difficulty in a particular
segment of math but that in another she is quite good. Her eyebrows raised
more than once as I read about 5 pages to her. I set the books down and to
date she has ignored them completely! We did discover the use of our
Yatzee game once again but she was miffed when she later discovered that
she had been doing math. The legos are out in the living room now and they
have already built houses and barns to go with the Little House on the
Prairie book we are reading. Monopoly is the next one (that is a hard one
for me because they want me to play and I hate to tie up that much time,
sigh, guess I'll have to bite the bullet.)
Well, any ideas on how to help dd (age 10) get back into math in any form
is very welcomed. I really want/need to conquer this desire to direct the
kids learning too much. How do some of you do it? Do you simply state I
want you to work on some math now or do you completely stay out of the
process? I'm probably going to be a nuisance on this topic for a while. :o)
In His Service,
Laraine
praxis@...
Subscribe to Our Prairie Primer Today Community at:
http://www.onelist.com/subscribe/PrairiePrimerToday
Linda Wyatt
> From: The O'Donnells <praxis@...>I completely stay out of it, as far as making any suggestions to work on
> Well, any ideas on how to help dd (age 10) get back into math in any form
> is very welcomed. I really want/need to conquer this desire to direct the
> kids learning too much. How do some of you do it? Do you simply state I
> want you to work on some math now or do you completely stay out of the
> process?
anything in particular.
However, I love math myself. It is a large part of what I do for fun, so
they see it all the time.
I recently bought a book that I just love. It's written as stories, but
it's some of the world's classic math puzzles. I know my oldest would love
it, so I told him that he can read it when I'm done- so naturally, he
didn't want to wait and borrowed it sooner. ("Just don't lose my
bookmark!") I often share books this way, mention them to whichever kid I
know would be interested, and offer it when I'm finished.
This book is called "The Man Who Counted: A Collection of Mathematical
Adventures" and can be found at amazon.com at
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0393309347/qid=939615786/sr=1-1/002-72612
94-2633032
I highly recommend it- and this is the sort of thing I recommend to those
who want to see the beauty of math. The best thing about the book is that
it isn't all numbers and arithmetic.
Linda
--
Linda Wyatt
hilinda@...
http://www.lightlink.com/hilinda
Learning everywhere, all the time.
Algebra before breakfast
"A lie, you see, no matter how often or how vociferously repeated, may be
mistaken for the truth, but it does not become the truth." - Adam Crown
[email protected]
In a message dated 10/10/99 11:04:24 PM EST, praxis@... writes:
<< Well, any ideas on how to help dd (age 10) get back into math in any form
is very welcomed. I >>
Laraine,
have you tried the mouse math games? they are really good, and my guys like
to play them.
Teresa
<< Well, any ideas on how to help dd (age 10) get back into math in any form
is very welcomed. I >>
Laraine,
have you tried the mouse math games? they are really good, and my guys like
to play them.
Teresa
Jeff & Diane Gwirtz
> Well, any ideas on how to help dd (age 10) get back into math in any formShe's probably going to resist anything for awhile that has MATH in
> is very welcomed. I really want/need to conquer this desire to direct the
> kids learning too much. How do some of you do it? Do you simply state I
> want you to work on some math now or do you completely stay out of the
> process? I'm probably going to be a nuisance on this topic for a while. :o)
> In His Service,
>
the title. Games are great. We like a book called Family Math
because it's full of games. That's a good place to start when she's
ready to try something, or maybe you could suggest a game without
her knowing where the idea came from. Another thing that doesn't
seem like math is logic puzzles and my son loved them before he'd do
anything else. There are a lot of games like Monopoly that use math,
but the kids don't think of it as a math game. Also, does she like
art - coloring, etc. What about patterns and tesselations. That's
geometry. I've heard of some people playing War with cards, but
laying down two cards and multiplying or adding them before they see
who wins. We also have a game called Krypto that you can simplify or
make harder. It's a card came where you try to come up with an
equation that will equal the objective card - definitely math - no
sneaking this by - but a lot of fun.
Diane from KS
jagwirtz@...
Jeff & Diane Gwirtz
> Prairie book we are reading. Monopoly is the next one (that is a hard oneSorry, I forgot to add this to my last post. I know what you mean
> for me because they want me to play and I hate to tie up that much time,
> sigh, guess I'll have to bite the bullet.)
>
about Monopoly taking so much time. What we have done is to play a
continuing game. Leave it set up, and play for a half hour or so
every once in awhile.
Diane from KS
jagwirtz@...
The O'Donnells
At 10:49 AM 10/11/99 +0000, you wrote:
or maybe you could suggest a game without
math whiz in my area and started playing Yatzee with the kids. DD kept
asking me what made me decide to play this game? I avoided the questions
for days but one day she overheard me talking to someone on the phone and
figured out it was the math in it I had used it for. She looked nearly
betrayed. I felt so bad. But we will continue with chins up!
In His Service,
Laraine
praxis@...
Subscribe to Our Prairie Primer Today Community at:
http://www.onelist.com/subscribe/PrairiePrimerToday
or maybe you could suggest a game without
>her knowing where the idea came from.Had to sit and laugh at this one - I took the advice of a local unschooler
math whiz in my area and started playing Yatzee with the kids. DD kept
asking me what made me decide to play this game? I avoided the questions
for days but one day she overheard me talking to someone on the phone and
figured out it was the math in it I had used it for. She looked nearly
betrayed. I felt so bad. But we will continue with chins up!
In His Service,
Laraine
praxis@...
Subscribe to Our Prairie Primer Today Community at:
http://www.onelist.com/subscribe/PrairiePrimerToday
[email protected]
In a message dated 10/11/99 3:30:50 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
praxis@... writes:
<< - I took the advice of a local unschooler
math whiz in my area and started playing Yatzee with the kids >>
My mom played Yatzee with us when we were kids and we loved it. I still
haven't been able to get my kids to play. They are very suspicious of having
anything educational snuck in on them.
Laura
<Bonknit@...>
praxis@... writes:
<< - I took the advice of a local unschooler
math whiz in my area and started playing Yatzee with the kids >>
My mom played Yatzee with us when we were kids and we loved it. I still
haven't been able to get my kids to play. They are very suspicious of having
anything educational snuck in on them.
Laura
<Bonknit@...>
[email protected]
I too had that problem. I tried everything in the beginning. Needless to
say, resistance was the norm...followed by tears. 10yo dd was so
distraught I finally just went searching. First thing, LUCKY ME, I found
unschooling. Then we decided to let her "pick" her math activities. I
went to the close-out store and selected math "related" books. Then off
to our little library and she chose several books there. This was
earlier in the year....now? Well, some days she will work on math
subjects all day long. There are
onlinesites(www.aplusmath.com/www.brainplay.com are two of her favorites
right now). She has a multiplication/division Dinosaur game from
Scholastic that she loves to play. We don't rush and she is allowed to
use pencil and paper. Other days she will spend less time, however, the
change has been wonderful. Whenever I run across some math related book
or game I'll pick it up and add it to her "pile".
Not to say she does not struggle, but the "struggle" is an image
building challenge for herself. She has trouble retaining the
multiplication, but she will now work it out on her own. She can't
always remember but she knows she can work the problems out.
We have the same problem with spelling. However, I don't worry too
much as her reading level and retention abilities are excellent. Hope
this helps!
Aleasa in MS
say, resistance was the norm...followed by tears. 10yo dd was so
distraught I finally just went searching. First thing, LUCKY ME, I found
unschooling. Then we decided to let her "pick" her math activities. I
went to the close-out store and selected math "related" books. Then off
to our little library and she chose several books there. This was
earlier in the year....now? Well, some days she will work on math
subjects all day long. There are
onlinesites(www.aplusmath.com/www.brainplay.com are two of her favorites
right now). She has a multiplication/division Dinosaur game from
Scholastic that she loves to play. We don't rush and she is allowed to
use pencil and paper. Other days she will spend less time, however, the
change has been wonderful. Whenever I run across some math related book
or game I'll pick it up and add it to her "pile".
Not to say she does not struggle, but the "struggle" is an image
building challenge for herself. She has trouble retaining the
multiplication, but she will now work it out on her own. She can't
always remember but she knows she can work the problems out.
We have the same problem with spelling. However, I don't worry too
much as her reading level and retention abilities are excellent. Hope
this helps!
Aleasa in MS
[email protected]
I've got to recommend Logical Journey of the Zoombinis, (software
from Broderbund), if you haven't got it. It hasn't a number in it. She'll
probably want to start playing it just to keep you from hogging it. It's so
good, and one hasn't an inkling that one is being "edutained". It's getting
a little old, but one should be able to get it. It seems to get in bundles a
lot these days. I just wish they'd make me a sequel.
Karen, (with Helen, 6, Agent of Chaos, and Gordon, 4, Agent of Destruction)
from Broderbund), if you haven't got it. It hasn't a number in it. She'll
probably want to start playing it just to keep you from hogging it. It's so
good, and one hasn't an inkling that one is being "edutained". It's getting
a little old, but one should be able to get it. It seems to get in bundles a
lot these days. I just wish they'd make me a sequel.
Karen, (with Helen, 6, Agent of Chaos, and Gordon, 4, Agent of Destruction)
[email protected]
In a message dated 10/10/99 11:04:18 PM, praxis@... writes:
<<I guess that is where I get to trust right?>>
i am with you on this laraine. our homeschooling consists of all radical
unschooling except (for my comfort) dd (10yo) is to do writing and math each
day, period. meaning she has to write ANYTHING and do ANY sort of math...
the unplanned for bonus is the fact that she is good at identifying the
learning in the everyday! anyway, many days she doesnt get too creative and
just does calculadder (where you try to beat your last time on a sheet of
problems-- she only began to like this when we picked a level that was well
within her reach, (below where i would have put her!) i dont blame her
though, she can improve that way-- so its great!) other days for math she
does play games. i have been happy to move into the age of games as this
year our oldest two children turned 10 and 7 and so can play many games
together. monopoly JR they play on their own, so that i dont have to find
the time to sit. they play checkers and chess, and we have moneywise kids
and hive alive (from aristoplay.) dd also enjoys tangrams and shape blocks
and riddle type problems when we give them to each other and do them outloud.
she bores with writing them, again, i can relate!!!!
hey, what about playing with money? in the past, my dd has set up a bank or
a store for her younger sibs as part of playtime and we have a big jar of
coins that they play with.
also, i instruct my dds on attitude. i explain to them that the deal is that
it is their responsibility to learn! i do not formally teach, i answer
questions when needed but mostly they are doing it. sometimes i will ask a
question out loud out of the blue (like, why do i keep money in a bank?) and
if there is interest from the one who does not know the answer a discussion
may ensue... i guess what i am saying is that i think a big part of her
getting over math-dislike, is her realizing that no-one is going to be
shoving it down her throat anymore, ever! wow! she has the freedom to
approach it! and then, yes the time and trusting may need to hold you over
til she really believes it is true.
******************************************************************
it is good to me to be on this list bc i am reaffirmed in what i want to do
with my kids! i know they are learning but the second someone starts in:
what curriculum do you use? or what do you do for history? etc i get
uncomfortable. sometimes i do beautifully in explaining where we are other
times not. i am sure you all know what i mean!! do you all ever get the
impression that so many people think those unschoolers are doing a bad job?
erin
<<I guess that is where I get to trust right?>>
i am with you on this laraine. our homeschooling consists of all radical
unschooling except (for my comfort) dd (10yo) is to do writing and math each
day, period. meaning she has to write ANYTHING and do ANY sort of math...
the unplanned for bonus is the fact that she is good at identifying the
learning in the everyday! anyway, many days she doesnt get too creative and
just does calculadder (where you try to beat your last time on a sheet of
problems-- she only began to like this when we picked a level that was well
within her reach, (below where i would have put her!) i dont blame her
though, she can improve that way-- so its great!) other days for math she
does play games. i have been happy to move into the age of games as this
year our oldest two children turned 10 and 7 and so can play many games
together. monopoly JR they play on their own, so that i dont have to find
the time to sit. they play checkers and chess, and we have moneywise kids
and hive alive (from aristoplay.) dd also enjoys tangrams and shape blocks
and riddle type problems when we give them to each other and do them outloud.
she bores with writing them, again, i can relate!!!!
hey, what about playing with money? in the past, my dd has set up a bank or
a store for her younger sibs as part of playtime and we have a big jar of
coins that they play with.
also, i instruct my dds on attitude. i explain to them that the deal is that
it is their responsibility to learn! i do not formally teach, i answer
questions when needed but mostly they are doing it. sometimes i will ask a
question out loud out of the blue (like, why do i keep money in a bank?) and
if there is interest from the one who does not know the answer a discussion
may ensue... i guess what i am saying is that i think a big part of her
getting over math-dislike, is her realizing that no-one is going to be
shoving it down her throat anymore, ever! wow! she has the freedom to
approach it! and then, yes the time and trusting may need to hold you over
til she really believes it is true.
******************************************************************
it is good to me to be on this list bc i am reaffirmed in what i want to do
with my kids! i know they are learning but the second someone starts in:
what curriculum do you use? or what do you do for history? etc i get
uncomfortable. sometimes i do beautifully in explaining where we are other
times not. i am sure you all know what i mean!! do you all ever get the
impression that so many people think those unschoolers are doing a bad job?
erin
Campbell & Wyman
What age level is this for Karen????
Brooke
(back from a great holiday down in the Maritimes visiting family...sigh)
Brooke
(back from a great holiday down in the Maritimes visiting family...sigh)
> I've got to recommend Logical Journey of the Zoombinis, (softwarebundles a
>from Broderbund), if you haven't got it. It hasn't a number in it. She'll
>probably want to start playing it just to keep you from hogging it. It's so
>good, and one hasn't an inkling that one is being "edutained". It's getting
>a little old, but one should be able to get it. It seems to get in
>lot these days. I just wish they'd make me a sequel.brynlee@...
[email protected]
In a message dated 10/12/1999 07:34:42. Eastern Daylight Time,
brynlee@... writes:
<< What age level is this for Karen????
Brooke >>
I think it says 8 and up on the package. I've known a number of 4 yos
who've enjoyed it, but mostly tried things at random at that point. My 6 can
do all the levels, but she watched others do it a lot first. Hubby and I
both like it, played it pretty obsessively for a couple months, and now haul
it out occasionally. But, if I had to have 1 and only 1 game for my
computer, it's the one I choose. The first level has fairly easy bits that
mostly just require matching or following the directions, but it gets harder,
and the last level is a reasonable challenge for an intelligent adult.
Karen, (with Helen, 6, Agent of Chaos, and Gordon, 4, Agent of Destruction)
brynlee@... writes:
<< What age level is this for Karen????
Brooke >>
I think it says 8 and up on the package. I've known a number of 4 yos
who've enjoyed it, but mostly tried things at random at that point. My 6 can
do all the levels, but she watched others do it a lot first. Hubby and I
both like it, played it pretty obsessively for a couple months, and now haul
it out occasionally. But, if I had to have 1 and only 1 game for my
computer, it's the one I choose. The first level has fairly easy bits that
mostly just require matching or following the directions, but it gets harder,
and the last level is a reasonable challenge for an intelligent adult.
Karen, (with Helen, 6, Agent of Chaos, and Gordon, 4, Agent of Destruction)
[email protected]
Zoombinis are also our favorite (it was actually a Valentine's Day gift for
ME a couple of years ago LOL!)
As to a sequel, we were at Epcot last week, and in the new Innoventions
Plaza, where they have all the latest technology, IBM has a display with all
kinds of new software that's out...they had several new ones with the
Fripples in them, similar to the Zoombinis (I had lots of fun with the demos
at Epcot ;) There are also new BrainBytes products, which are wonderful (my
10yo likes them alot, and he HATES anything that sounds like "math"); they're
only $9.95, too, which is a really good thing! If anyone needs any info on
any of the ones we have, just let me know, and I'll do what I can :)
Check out www.edmark.com - they have lots of new products out, demos to
download from the website, a great newsletter, a teacher's section, etc...
They're my current favorite software company (and can you tell I love
software? LOL)
Linda in FL :)
<< I've got to recommend Logical Journey of the Zoombinis, (software
from Broderbund), if you haven't got it. It hasn't a number in it. She'll
probably want to start playing it just to keep you from hogging it. It's so
good, and one hasn't an inkling that one is being "edutained". It's getting
a little old, but one should be able to get it. It seems to get in bundles
a
lot these days. I just wish they'd make me a sequel.
ME a couple of years ago LOL!)
As to a sequel, we were at Epcot last week, and in the new Innoventions
Plaza, where they have all the latest technology, IBM has a display with all
kinds of new software that's out...they had several new ones with the
Fripples in them, similar to the Zoombinis (I had lots of fun with the demos
at Epcot ;) There are also new BrainBytes products, which are wonderful (my
10yo likes them alot, and he HATES anything that sounds like "math"); they're
only $9.95, too, which is a really good thing! If anyone needs any info on
any of the ones we have, just let me know, and I'll do what I can :)
Check out www.edmark.com - they have lots of new products out, demos to
download from the website, a great newsletter, a teacher's section, etc...
They're my current favorite software company (and can you tell I love
software? LOL)
Linda in FL :)
<< I've got to recommend Logical Journey of the Zoombinis, (software
from Broderbund), if you haven't got it. It hasn't a number in it. She'll
probably want to start playing it just to keep you from hogging it. It's so
good, and one hasn't an inkling that one is being "edutained". It's getting
a little old, but one should be able to get it. It seems to get in bundles
a
lot these days. I just wish they'd make me a sequel.
>>
The O'Donnells
At 08:29 PM 10/11/99 -0500, you wrote:
In His Service,
Laraine
praxis@...
Subscribe to Our Prairie Primer Today Community at:
http://www.onelist.com/subscribe/PrairiePrimerToday
>From: leestore@...So when did your year start, in other words how long did this take?
>This was
>earlier in the year....now? Well, some days she will work on math
>subjects all day long.
In His Service,
Laraine
praxis@...
Subscribe to Our Prairie Primer Today Community at:
http://www.onelist.com/subscribe/PrairiePrimerToday
Linda Wyatt
> From: Campbell & Wyman <brynlee@...>(asked about the Logical Journey of the Zoombinis)
>
> What age level is this for Karen????
Any age, really. My youngest started playing it when she was four, and in
many families, the kids have a hard time getting it away from the adults.
Even my mother loves the Zoombinis!
If you're asking what ages it was designed for, I don't know and I don't
care. :-)
Linda
--
Linda Wyatt
hilinda@...
http://www.lightlink.com/hilinda
Learning everywhere, all the time.
Algebra before breakfast
"A lie, you see, no matter how often or how vociferously repeated, may be
mistaken for the truth, but it does not become the truth." - Adam Crown
[email protected]
<< > From: Campbell & Wyman <brynlee@...>
The disc we have says it is for ages 8-12.
But my 4 1/2 yo likes it on one level and the 6 yo on another.
Take care.
Nance
>(asked about the Logical Journey of the Zoombinis) >>
> What age level is this for Karen????
The disc we have says it is for ages 8-12.
But my 4 1/2 yo likes it on one level and the 6 yo on another.
Take care.
Nance
[email protected]
In a message dated 10/13/99 2:01:28 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
hilinda@... writes:
<< If you're asking what ages it was designed for, I don't know and I don't
care. :-) >>
It says age 8 and up but my kids have been fooling with it from age 4...
Well them and their mom :)
Charlotte
hilinda@... writes:
<< If you're asking what ages it was designed for, I don't know and I don't
care. :-) >>
It says age 8 and up but my kids have been fooling with it from age 4...
Well them and their mom :)
Charlotte
[email protected]
In a message dated 10/13/99 4:01:27 PM EST, hilinda@... writes:
<< the Logical Journey of the Zoombinis) >>
Oh rats! I know you already talked about this, but I missed it or slept thru
it, or it got rained out! Anyway, is it a book or a game, and where do you
get it?
Teresa, currently in brain freeze!
<< the Logical Journey of the Zoombinis) >>
Oh rats! I know you already talked about this, but I missed it or slept thru
it, or it got rained out! Anyway, is it a book or a game, and where do you
get it?
Teresa, currently in brain freeze!
[email protected]
In a message dated 10/14/99 12:29:33 PM, Hsmotgo@... writes:
<<Oh rats! I know you already talked about this, but I missed it or slept
thru
it, or it got rained out! Anyway, is it a book or a game, and where do you
get it?
Teresa, currently in brain freeze!>>
It's a computer game from Broderbund, and I'm thinking maybe I've seen it at
the online $9.99 software store. Let me see if I can find the URL.
OK, got it.
www.999software.com
Betsy
<<Oh rats! I know you already talked about this, but I missed it or slept
thru
it, or it got rained out! Anyway, is it a book or a game, and where do you
get it?
Teresa, currently in brain freeze!>>
It's a computer game from Broderbund, and I'm thinking maybe I've seen it at
the online $9.99 software store. Let me see if I can find the URL.
OK, got it.
www.999software.com
Betsy