Campbell & Wyman

I was reading these posts and thinking about the issue that I had to deal
wit yesterday with my 10 year old daughter. She has never loved math but
she understands it and her process is solid. I have emphasized with her
over and over how she is learning at her own pace (at par with her school
mate pals) and that the multiplication will come. She knows most of the
tables but I have never asked her to memorize them. However, yesterday she
burst into tears and said, "Enough of the understanding math... I just want
to know all my multiplication tables. All my friends in school know them
off the top of their heads. " This came after struggling with a
multiplication problem.
So, I am going to help her memorize the multiplication tables. Gag... But
this is obviously something that is important to her...right now.

Anyway, my struggle is with keeping up with the math. I do slip back to
workbooks and texts because I have a comfort zone working with them. I do
see how mundane and unreal they become, however this morning I am wondering
if I am doing enough with my daughters along the lines of math and etc.

Pensive Brooke

>. The retention of
>>knowledge just doesn't seem important in the overall scheme of education;
>>understanding and creativity are much more important to me as well.
>>Blessings, Lori in TX
>>
>Lori,
>Understanding and creativity a more important to me also. Sometimes,
>however, I do ponder whether memorizing things isn' t a good "brain
>exercise"? I realize there are many ways to develop your brain, but it
>seems memorizing something is one of them. Those in drama do this to learn
>their part. People who learn Latin memorize a lot. Memorizing seems to
>have it's place, too.
>Suz
>
brynlee@...

Randy's Mail

As evidenced by your post, you are certainly doing one important thing
right... caring.

I have helped my children memorize the math tables because I believe it adds
to their competence and helps with their self-esteem. We have made it an
interactive and fun thing in our house and they did not mind learning them
at all. So I say go for it!

-- RJS