Re: [Unschooling-dotcom] was fluff / now Math
Betsy
**
I have still acquaintances whose kids go to public school. Today one
said that she asked my son if I had given any homework and when he said
no, she came up to me and told me her second grader already had her
first spelling test today and implied that I had a lot of catching up to
do.**
I have confidence that my son doesn't need to drill on spelling or
grammar in order to learn to read and write his native language. (English)
However... the same confidence doesn't always follow with respect to
Math. There are a lot of words in our everyday life, but not so many numbers.
Any thoughts about strewing a little more math into our lives?
Betsy
I have still acquaintances whose kids go to public school. Today one
said that she asked my son if I had given any homework and when he said
no, she came up to me and told me her second grader already had her
first spelling test today and implied that I had a lot of catching up to
do.**
I have confidence that my son doesn't need to drill on spelling or
grammar in order to learn to read and write his native language. (English)
However... the same confidence doesn't always follow with respect to
Math. There are a lot of words in our everyday life, but not so many numbers.
Any thoughts about strewing a little more math into our lives?
Betsy
Betsy
**I have confidence that my son doesn't need to drill on spelling or
grammar in order to learn to read and write his native language. (English)
However... the same confidence doesn't always follow with respect to
Math. There are a lot of words in our everyday life, but not so many numbers.
Any thoughts about strewing a little more math into our lives?**
I have to laugh at myself. About an hour after I wrote this, my mom
called me up and asked me what we were doing for math this year! (She's
also concerned about James' handwriting.) But... she did tell me that
she thinks he will pick up grammar and spelling naturally, from reading.
It cracks me up that my mom and I share the same anxieties. Maybe it's genetic!
Betsy
grammar in order to learn to read and write his native language. (English)
However... the same confidence doesn't always follow with respect to
Math. There are a lot of words in our everyday life, but not so many numbers.
Any thoughts about strewing a little more math into our lives?**
I have to laugh at myself. About an hour after I wrote this, my mom
called me up and asked me what we were doing for math this year! (She's
also concerned about James' handwriting.) But... she did tell me that
she thinks he will pick up grammar and spelling naturally, from reading.
It cracks me up that my mom and I share the same anxieties. Maybe it's genetic!
Betsy
Fetteroll
on 9/7/02 12:37 PM, Betsy at ecsamhill@... wrote:
patterns, connections, relationships.
By realizing that what kids need is to absorb the language of math by
seeing, for example, percent used in a variety of contexts.
That said, board and card games, computer games, video games. Puzzle books.
There's a Dorling Kindersley book that used to be called Comparisons but I
think has a different title now?
But above all speak math. Walkthrough solving problems out loud. (Stick to
problems he asks, like how long until Christmas, if you can't help sounding
like a lesson when you figure out a tip. ;-) Compare things. Pick some
standard of measurement to help him grasp relationships. (It's more
meaningful to translate 18 feet into 3 Daddy's for instance. Some of the
ones I use are a story which is 10 ft, 3000 miles across the US, 600 miles
from Boston to Pittsburgh as units of measurement.)
The reason math in school takes so long is they need to substitue drill for
understanding. It's really hard to do pages of problems like 7.5% of 182
when you don't know and don't care what percents are. If the understanding
is there first, the details are *much* easier.
Joyce
> Any thoughts about strewing a little more math into our lives?By being more conscious of math that's around you. Numbers, but also
patterns, connections, relationships.
By realizing that what kids need is to absorb the language of math by
seeing, for example, percent used in a variety of contexts.
That said, board and card games, computer games, video games. Puzzle books.
There's a Dorling Kindersley book that used to be called Comparisons but I
think has a different title now?
But above all speak math. Walkthrough solving problems out loud. (Stick to
problems he asks, like how long until Christmas, if you can't help sounding
like a lesson when you figure out a tip. ;-) Compare things. Pick some
standard of measurement to help him grasp relationships. (It's more
meaningful to translate 18 feet into 3 Daddy's for instance. Some of the
ones I use are a story which is 10 ft, 3000 miles across the US, 600 miles
from Boston to Pittsburgh as units of measurement.)
The reason math in school takes so long is they need to substitue drill for
understanding. It's really hard to do pages of problems like 7.5% of 182
when you don't know and don't care what percents are. If the understanding
is there first, the details are *much* easier.
Joyce
[email protected]
In a message dated 9/7/02 11:10:46 AM, ecsamhill@... writes:
<< There are a lot of words in our everyday life, but not so many numbers.
<<Any thoughts about strewing a little more math into our lives?>>
I have a thought about parents deschooling about math, and the idea that math
always involves numbers: play Zoombinis.
Not a number in the whole deal, and fairly difficult puzzles, too. All logic
in pictures.
Logic in words would be a good way to "do some math" without numbers too.
Logic puzzles, one-minute mysteries, Mind Trap (card game with various "brain
teasers."
Patterns help mathematical thinking without being numbers.
Sandra
<< There are a lot of words in our everyday life, but not so many numbers.
<<Any thoughts about strewing a little more math into our lives?>>
I have a thought about parents deschooling about math, and the idea that math
always involves numbers: play Zoombinis.
Not a number in the whole deal, and fairly difficult puzzles, too. All logic
in pictures.
Logic in words would be a good way to "do some math" without numbers too.
Logic puzzles, one-minute mysteries, Mind Trap (card game with various "brain
teasers."
Patterns help mathematical thinking without being numbers.
Sandra
Gerard Westenberg
> Any thoughts about strewing a little more math into our lives?<By being more conscious of math that's around you. Numbers, but also
patterns, connections, relationships.>
Once I decide to keep a "Maths journal" for a week, just noting where/how the kids or I used Maths in our everyday life. It was an eye opener. I suggest it as another way of being conscious of the maths around us, and of how our kids are absorbing Maths ideas in their every day life...Leonie W.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Betsy
Good news! While I was sitting here reading your reply, Joyce, my son
came in and asked me to play "multiplication war", a card game that I
made based on PamS's suggestion. A good time was had by all. My son
even "Yee-haa'ed" a few times when he got good cards.
**There's a Dorling Kindersley book that used to be called Comparisons
but I
think has a different title now?**
Is this the type of book that shows how many kangaroos stacked one on
top of the other it takes to reach the top of the Empire State building?
Those can be cool.
I love DK books, because I am seduced by the pictures. I have to
realize that I'm a lot more visual than my son. When I'm looking for a
great math book for him, I have to tear my eyes away from the juicy
pictures and actually evaluate the text, preferably by reading it outloud.
**But above all speak math. Walkthrough solving problems out loud.
(Stick to
problems he asks, like how long until Christmas...**
Joyce, I think you must be psychic. (Maybe your daughter is only a year
or so older than James, 8.) He frequently asks me how long it is until
Xmas, his birthday, or Halloween. I can "show my work" for him when I
calculate it out loud. (For some reason, this question always comes up
in the car, not anywhere near a calendar.)
**(It's more
meaningful to translate 18 feet into 3 Daddy's for instance. Some of the
ones I use are a story which is 10 ft, 3000 miles across the US, 600 miles
from Boston to Pittsburgh as units of measurement.)**
OK. Time for me to figure out where our measuring tape disappeared to.
**The reason math in school takes so long is they need to substitue
drill for
understanding. It's really hard to do pages of problems like 7.5% of 182
when you don't know and don't care what percents are. If the understanding
is there first, the details are *much* easier.**
I think the amount of mathematical drill done in school is ridiculous.
I need to get comfortable with the idea that maybe will spend only 5 or
10 percent as much time on math as a school does. I don't think we will
ever be doing/talking math an hour every day, unless we have another
Monopoly marathon.
James did get to hear an explanation of percents in the car, recently.
But it was aimed at his dad and I don't know how much of it was
accessible to him. Dh and I were thinking about investments and
speculating about what an increase in interest rates might do to the
stock market. I was babbling to my dh about "return on investment" and
"price-earnings ratio".
Betsy
came in and asked me to play "multiplication war", a card game that I
made based on PamS's suggestion. A good time was had by all. My son
even "Yee-haa'ed" a few times when he got good cards.
**There's a Dorling Kindersley book that used to be called Comparisons
but I
think has a different title now?**
Is this the type of book that shows how many kangaroos stacked one on
top of the other it takes to reach the top of the Empire State building?
Those can be cool.
I love DK books, because I am seduced by the pictures. I have to
realize that I'm a lot more visual than my son. When I'm looking for a
great math book for him, I have to tear my eyes away from the juicy
pictures and actually evaluate the text, preferably by reading it outloud.
**But above all speak math. Walkthrough solving problems out loud.
(Stick to
problems he asks, like how long until Christmas...**
Joyce, I think you must be psychic. (Maybe your daughter is only a year
or so older than James, 8.) He frequently asks me how long it is until
Xmas, his birthday, or Halloween. I can "show my work" for him when I
calculate it out loud. (For some reason, this question always comes up
in the car, not anywhere near a calendar.)
**(It's more
meaningful to translate 18 feet into 3 Daddy's for instance. Some of the
ones I use are a story which is 10 ft, 3000 miles across the US, 600 miles
from Boston to Pittsburgh as units of measurement.)**
OK. Time for me to figure out where our measuring tape disappeared to.
**The reason math in school takes so long is they need to substitue
drill for
understanding. It's really hard to do pages of problems like 7.5% of 182
when you don't know and don't care what percents are. If the understanding
is there first, the details are *much* easier.**
I think the amount of mathematical drill done in school is ridiculous.
I need to get comfortable with the idea that maybe will spend only 5 or
10 percent as much time on math as a school does. I don't think we will
ever be doing/talking math an hour every day, unless we have another
Monopoly marathon.
James did get to hear an explanation of percents in the car, recently.
But it was aimed at his dad and I don't know how much of it was
accessible to him. Dh and I were thinking about investments and
speculating about what an increase in interest rates might do to the
stock market. I was babbling to my dh about "return on investment" and
"price-earnings ratio".
Betsy
Mary Bianco
>From: Betsy <ecsamhill@...>Oh I think there are lots of math stuff everyday too. Sometimes we just have
>Any thoughts about strewing a little more math into our lives?**
to see it that way. My kids have knows the concept of fractions at a very
early age just by cutting their toast in the morning!! Fractions can apply
to many things in that way.
When the kids help feed the puppies or cook or bake, all kinds of numbers
come about. And then there's board games. My kids love Monopoly. When
they're cleaning up and sorting through their toys, there's grouping and
adding and multiplying. We wrap coins and just dividing up snacks for the 3
kids start number thinking. You just have to look at it differently.
Mary B
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helencolbeck
We have a terrific card game called 'SET' that is great for this
kind of thing.
H.
kind of thing.
H.
--- In Unschooling-dotcom@y..., SandraDodd@a... wrote:
>
> In a message dated 9/7/02 11:10:46 AM, ecsamhill@e...
writes:
>
> << There are a lot of words in our everyday life, but not so many
numbers.
>
> <<Any thoughts about strewing a little more math into our
lives?>>
>
> I have a thought about parents deschooling about math, and
the idea that math
> always involves numbers: play Zoombinis.
>
> Not a number in the whole deal, and fairly difficult puzzles, too.
All logic
> in pictures.
>
> Logic in words would be a good way to "do some math"
without numbers too.
> Logic puzzles, one-minute mysteries, Mind Trap (card game
with various "brain
> teasers."
>
> Patterns help mathematical thinking without being numbers.
>
> Sandra
Cindy BUEHLER
You can download a version of SET at this website http://www.setgame.com/set/setlite.htm. It is much more fun to play with the deck of cards and an a friend though.
Cindy
Cindy
----- Original Message -----
From: helencolbeck
Sent: Saturday, September 07, 2002 10:08 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [Unschooling-dotcom] Re: was fluff / now Math
We have a terrific card game called 'SET' that is great for this
kind of thing.
H.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[email protected]
**There's a Dorling Kindersley book that used to be called Comparisons but I
think has a different title now?**
Factastic Book of Comparisons
Russell Ash
How big? How many? How much? A fascinating compilation of facts and
comparisons covering topics from animal speeds to the size of the universe.
Fun for browsing and pondering.
This is a composite volume, it includes the full text and pictures of the
previously published books Incredible Comparisons and The World in One Day.
Deborah Cunefare
Unschooling.com Online News editor
think has a different title now?**
Factastic Book of Comparisons
Russell Ash
How big? How many? How much? A fascinating compilation of facts and
comparisons covering topics from animal speeds to the size of the universe.
Fun for browsing and pondering.
This is a composite volume, it includes the full text and pictures of the
previously published books Incredible Comparisons and The World in One Day.
Deborah Cunefare
Unschooling.com Online News editor
Mica
Just before getting back to reading here, I happened upon an article "A
Few Words About Unschooling Math"
http://borntoexplore.org/unschool/math.htm at Unschoolers Unlimited,
which immediately came to mind when I read Betsy's concern. What do you
think?
Mica
ghal9720@...
Stawell, Victoria, Australia
-----Original Message-----
From: Betsy [mailto:ecsamhill@...]
Sent: Sunday, 8 September 2002 6:56 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [Unschooling-dotcom] was fluff / now Math
**I have confidence that my son doesn't need to drill on spelling or
grammar in order to learn to read and write his native language.
(English)
However... the same confidence doesn't always follow with respect to
Math. There are a lot of words in our everyday life, but not so many
numbers.
Any thoughts about strewing a little more math into our lives?**
I have to laugh at myself. About an hour after I wrote this, my mom
called me up and asked me what we were doing for math this year! (She's
also concerned about James' handwriting.) But... she did tell me that
she thinks he will pick up grammar and spelling naturally, from reading.
It cracks me up that my mom and I share the same anxieties. Maybe it's
genetic!
Betsy
Few Words About Unschooling Math"
http://borntoexplore.org/unschool/math.htm at Unschoolers Unlimited,
which immediately came to mind when I read Betsy's concern. What do you
think?
Mica
ghal9720@...
Stawell, Victoria, Australia
-----Original Message-----
From: Betsy [mailto:ecsamhill@...]
Sent: Sunday, 8 September 2002 6:56 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [Unschooling-dotcom] was fluff / now Math
**I have confidence that my son doesn't need to drill on spelling or
grammar in order to learn to read and write his native language.
(English)
However... the same confidence doesn't always follow with respect to
Math. There are a lot of words in our everyday life, but not so many
numbers.
Any thoughts about strewing a little more math into our lives?**
I have to laugh at myself. About an hour after I wrote this, my mom
called me up and asked me what we were doing for math this year! (She's
also concerned about James' handwriting.) But... she did tell me that
she thinks he will pick up grammar and spelling naturally, from reading.
It cracks me up that my mom and I share the same anxieties. Maybe it's
genetic!
Betsy
[email protected]
>Any thoughts about strewing a little more math into our lives?Yes! Money!
If kids have their own money they get to make real choices about saving
or spending or just counting it over and over again like some people I
know.<G>
Money is a real part of life and has real meaning to kids who have some
to spend. They have to figure out if they have enough for both toys or
just one, etc.
Kids need help figuring for a while but not for long. Don't make them do
the calculating on their own if they're not ready because that's just
frustrating and a bummer, but lots of experience with money gives kids
lot's of exposure to real life math.
Deb L
Betsy
**Just before getting back to reading here, I happened upon an article "A
Few Words About Unschooling Math"
http://borntoexplore.org/unschool/math.htm at Unschoolers Unlimited,
which immediately came to mind when I read Betsy's concern. What do you
think? **
Thanks, it's a good reminder of the myriad places in our lives that math
and physics can be seen.
Betsy
Few Words About Unschooling Math"
http://borntoexplore.org/unschool/math.htm at Unschoolers Unlimited,
which immediately came to mind when I read Betsy's concern. What do you
think? **
Thanks, it's a good reminder of the myriad places in our lives that math
and physics can be seen.
Betsy
[email protected]
In a message dated 9/7/2002 3:58:57 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
[email protected] writes:
active games, cooperative parlor games, outdoor games, logic games, strategy
games, etc. Make up games yourselves. Fool with the rules of existing games
to make them more fun or more interesting. Have dice and cards and puzzles
and open containers of things that are useful as manipulatives and a big jar
full of money to fool with. Pattern blocks just sitting on a coffee table --
maybe a geoboard. Those are fun.
Give him one of those cool plastic clipboards with a calculator on top -- and
paper and pencil. Just to play with. Also restaurant order-taking pads are
fun to play pretend with and encourage fooling with adding and subtracting.
My kids all went through periods of making menus and taking orders for
dinner. If he isn't into that -- just give him a cool calculator to play
with. And a ruler and a protractor. Maybe a compass for drawing circles. And
maybe a stencil with lots of different geometrical shapes to play with.
And discussion - even in little bitty spurts - about things like the
probability of pulling a red M&M out of the bag or how long do you think
we'll have to wait in line (look at how long it takes for one person to get
waited on and estimate how long until it is your turn, correct your estimate
as you observe more data) and how far it is to grandma's house and how long
it would take to drive there in heavy traffic and in light traffic or how
many pieces of gum we'd each get if we split the package equally between
mommy, daddy, and James and how many pages there are in this book and how
many more will be left if we read 20 of them now and on and on....
--pam
Not speaking officially for:
The National Home Education Network
http://www.NHEN.org
Changing the Way the World Sees Homeschooling!
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[email protected] writes:
> However... the same confidence doesn't always follow with respect toGames, games, and more games. Board games, word games, card and dice games,
> Math. There are a lot of words in our everyday life, but not so many
> numbers.
>
> Any thoughts about strewing a little more math into our lives?**
active games, cooperative parlor games, outdoor games, logic games, strategy
games, etc. Make up games yourselves. Fool with the rules of existing games
to make them more fun or more interesting. Have dice and cards and puzzles
and open containers of things that are useful as manipulatives and a big jar
full of money to fool with. Pattern blocks just sitting on a coffee table --
maybe a geoboard. Those are fun.
Give him one of those cool plastic clipboards with a calculator on top -- and
paper and pencil. Just to play with. Also restaurant order-taking pads are
fun to play pretend with and encourage fooling with adding and subtracting.
My kids all went through periods of making menus and taking orders for
dinner. If he isn't into that -- just give him a cool calculator to play
with. And a ruler and a protractor. Maybe a compass for drawing circles. And
maybe a stencil with lots of different geometrical shapes to play with.
And discussion - even in little bitty spurts - about things like the
probability of pulling a red M&M out of the bag or how long do you think
we'll have to wait in line (look at how long it takes for one person to get
waited on and estimate how long until it is your turn, correct your estimate
as you observe more data) and how far it is to grandma's house and how long
it would take to drive there in heavy traffic and in light traffic or how
many pieces of gum we'd each get if we split the package equally between
mommy, daddy, and James and how many pages there are in this book and how
many more will be left if we read 20 of them now and on and on....
--pam
Not speaking officially for:
The National Home Education Network
http://www.NHEN.org
Changing the Way the World Sees Homeschooling!
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Betsy
**
Games, games, and more games. Board games, word games, card and dice
games,
active games, cooperative parlor games, outdoor games, logic games,
strategy
games, etc. Make up games yourselves. Fool with the rules of existing
games
to make them more fun or more interesting.**
Hi, Pam --
Thanks! We have a lot of different shaped dice and sometimes like to
substitute one type for another. (Knights and Castles is an Aristoplay
game with a board layout like Parcheesi, and we roll the 6 sided die to
"start" a man, but the 20 sided die to get him around the board quicker.)
I went thrift shopping yesterday and came home with Survive, Pirateer
and TAKE-OFF. In TAKE-OFF you have to fly a fleet of planes through a
web of flight paths connecting cities around the world. And we had to
make up the rules as the rules were missing, even though the little
packages of parts were unopened.
**And discussion - even in little bitty spurts - about things like the
probability of pulling a red M&M out of the bag or how long do you think
we'll have to wait in line (look at how long it takes for one person to
get
waited on and estimate how long until it is your turn, correct your
estimate
as you observe more data)**
I've gotta clean up around here and find his stopwatch. I bet I have
the only kid on this list who actually took a stopwatch to the park and
timed his play date!
Betsy
Games, games, and more games. Board games, word games, card and dice
games,
active games, cooperative parlor games, outdoor games, logic games,
strategy
games, etc. Make up games yourselves. Fool with the rules of existing
games
to make them more fun or more interesting.**
Hi, Pam --
Thanks! We have a lot of different shaped dice and sometimes like to
substitute one type for another. (Knights and Castles is an Aristoplay
game with a board layout like Parcheesi, and we roll the 6 sided die to
"start" a man, but the 20 sided die to get him around the board quicker.)
I went thrift shopping yesterday and came home with Survive, Pirateer
and TAKE-OFF. In TAKE-OFF you have to fly a fleet of planes through a
web of flight paths connecting cities around the world. And we had to
make up the rules as the rules were missing, even though the little
packages of parts were unopened.
**And discussion - even in little bitty spurts - about things like the
probability of pulling a red M&M out of the bag or how long do you think
we'll have to wait in line (look at how long it takes for one person to
get
waited on and estimate how long until it is your turn, correct your
estimate
as you observe more data)**
I've gotta clean up around here and find his stopwatch. I bet I have
the only kid on this list who actually took a stopwatch to the park and
timed his play date!
Betsy
achisms5
-=-And we had to
make up the rules as the rules were missing, even though the little
packages of parts were unopened.-=-
If you are interested in finding the rules, you might be able to find
a website of the company who made the game and get the rules. Not
that making up your own rules isn't great fun!!
Mary
make up the rules as the rules were missing, even though the little
packages of parts were unopened.-=-
If you are interested in finding the rules, you might be able to find
a website of the company who made the game and get the rules. Not
that making up your own rules isn't great fun!!
Mary
MO Milligans
At 09:39 AM 9/9/02 -0700, you wrote:
LOL. Our daughter (9) is in the mode of timing a LOT of things, mostly how
long it takes to get to and from places. She also times how long we shop,
etc. :-)
Todd
Our HOME page
http://rambleman.tripod.com/index.html
>I bet I have the only kid on this list who actually took a stopwatch to==
>the park and
>timed his play date!
>
>Betsy
LOL. Our daughter (9) is in the mode of timing a LOT of things, mostly how
long it takes to get to and from places. She also times how long we shop,
etc. :-)
Todd
Our HOME page
http://rambleman.tripod.com/index.html