Julie Stauffer

Adriane is 12 and is a superbly confidant youngster who happens to be more
interested in make-up and clothes than just about anything else <sigh>.
Anyway, she is very involved in 4-H and it requires a significant amount of
math in the paperwork (keeping feed records, budget sheets, etc.). For the
last 3 years, I have talked her through the problems, pointing out patterns,
etc. and this year she has been able to do it independently, not with great
joy but without major problems.

Tuesday, we are driving back from Fort Worth after spending 4 days living in
a showbarn with goats. We are stinky and tired but having a good time. Out
of no where, Adriane says "829 plus 829 is 1658". I agreed and asked what
made her think of that. "The time was 8:29". Ok.

Adriane gets out a notebook and pen and starts adding 829 over and over and
over. Suddenly she says "Hey there's a pattern. The last number is always
one smaller than it was before". I'm thinking that I had explained this to
her many times before but luckily kept my mouth shut. She has now spent 3
days adding 829 and just enjoying the pattern.

I had told her about the pattern many times and shown it to her and she
forgot it. She discovered it once for herself and will remember it forever.
That's why we unschool.

Julie