Do I Need to Teach Math to My Kid?...
Heidi
first, a bit of a brag on Katie.
We're driving home from a day in town. I'm hot and tired, and kicked
back in the passenger seat. Hubby driving; Katie looking at firework
ads in the paper. She shows me an ad for a family pack, 20% off, and
wants to know what the 20% means. I explain it thusly: There are 100
pennies in one dollar. Each penny is one percent. If something is 20%
off, then every dollar you spend, you get 20c. off the price. (this
is almost verbatim only I was half asleep)
Then I did drift off, while katie was talking to herself. I drifted
back awake to hear her saying "it would be $16.00" I looked at hubby
and said "has she been figuring out the price on that family pack?"
He nods.
"Was she right?"
He nods again. And says "I've worked with her a bit on percentages"
So, that answers my question: No, I don't need to teach math to my
kid, because she is getting it as she goes through life, as promised
by Holt, and others, and alla youse!
And a question. I didn't do this, but wondered afterwards if I missed
a bit of an opportunity. Would it have been appropriate at the time
to get out pennies and paper and pencil and do some percentage math?
Like, sit down with her and do some, striking while the iron was hot?
I know, "not if she didn't want to" but maybe I could have
said "Let's sit with this and you can learn more about it" and if she
was not into it, then dropping it, but taking it to her to choose.
My kids amaze me every day.
HeidiC
We're driving home from a day in town. I'm hot and tired, and kicked
back in the passenger seat. Hubby driving; Katie looking at firework
ads in the paper. She shows me an ad for a family pack, 20% off, and
wants to know what the 20% means. I explain it thusly: There are 100
pennies in one dollar. Each penny is one percent. If something is 20%
off, then every dollar you spend, you get 20c. off the price. (this
is almost verbatim only I was half asleep)
Then I did drift off, while katie was talking to herself. I drifted
back awake to hear her saying "it would be $16.00" I looked at hubby
and said "has she been figuring out the price on that family pack?"
He nods.
"Was she right?"
He nods again. And says "I've worked with her a bit on percentages"
So, that answers my question: No, I don't need to teach math to my
kid, because she is getting it as she goes through life, as promised
by Holt, and others, and alla youse!
And a question. I didn't do this, but wondered afterwards if I missed
a bit of an opportunity. Would it have been appropriate at the time
to get out pennies and paper and pencil and do some percentage math?
Like, sit down with her and do some, striking while the iron was hot?
I know, "not if she didn't want to" but maybe I could have
said "Let's sit with this and you can learn more about it" and if she
was not into it, then dropping it, but taking it to her to choose.
My kids amaze me every day.
HeidiC
Mary
From: "Heidi" <bunsofaluminum60@...>
<<Would it have been appropriate at the time
to get out pennies and paper and pencil and do some percentage math?
Like, sit down with her and do some, striking while the iron was hot?>>
Great story!!!
What I do is when something like that comes up, I will ask if they would
like me to show them another way or a different way or how to on paper,
something like that. Sometimes the answer is yes and sometimes no. Both
Joseph and Sierra are very good at letting me know when I've gone on too
long. <BG>
Mary B
<<Would it have been appropriate at the time
to get out pennies and paper and pencil and do some percentage math?
Like, sit down with her and do some, striking while the iron was hot?>>
Great story!!!
What I do is when something like that comes up, I will ask if they would
like me to show them another way or a different way or how to on paper,
something like that. Sometimes the answer is yes and sometimes no. Both
Joseph and Sierra are very good at letting me know when I've gone on too
long. <BG>
Mary B
[email protected]
In a message dated 7/1/03 11:31:07 AM, bunsofaluminum60@... writes:
<< Would it have been appropriate at the time
to get out pennies and paper and pencil and do some percentage math? >>
Well no, because she had just proven she was past that point!
Keith was at a company/boss-invites-team backyard barbecue Saturday. They
said "no kids" so I stayed with Holly and Keith went.
First, they had advertised volleyball and swimming.
Nobody played volleyball (though the net was up).
Nobody swam except Keith.
Keith said they had a great diving board, and Keith is a diver, but as he
weighs 300 pounds, he didn't figure they'd be really nice to him even if he
showed them his many dives. (He's a really good swimmer, while I don't swim
whatsoever.)
Later everyone got to badmouthing teenagers, their own children and
themselves as teenagers. Keith said a couple of times he tried to get into the
conversation, but he wasn't a good match for it and his comments fell flat.
Here's why: Our teens aren't sneaky. They've never gotten into trouble.
They've never been suspended, or grounded. We have no report card issues, no
homework issues.
And they got on kids about making change. They said teenagers don't have a
clue what to do if the total is $8.20 and you hand them a twenty dollar bill
and two dimes.
I asked Keith if he told them about the morning Kirby worked a Magic
Tournament booth for the store without even a calculator, and was figuring tax in his
head. He said no, but he DID tell them Kirby had worked in a store for nearly
three years, and the comment he got back was "yeah, we all had summer jobs
too, but..." So he didn't explain that this is no summer job, and that Kirby
has been great with percentages ever since the store gave him a five percent
discount when he was 13 (and 30 percent when he became an employee).
He just withdrew from the conversation and let their teen storm pass by.
"No kids."
I wonder if that has anything to do with why their kids don't know real-world
math?
Clues abound. <g>
Sandra
<< Would it have been appropriate at the time
to get out pennies and paper and pencil and do some percentage math? >>
Well no, because she had just proven she was past that point!
Keith was at a company/boss-invites-team backyard barbecue Saturday. They
said "no kids" so I stayed with Holly and Keith went.
First, they had advertised volleyball and swimming.
Nobody played volleyball (though the net was up).
Nobody swam except Keith.
Keith said they had a great diving board, and Keith is a diver, but as he
weighs 300 pounds, he didn't figure they'd be really nice to him even if he
showed them his many dives. (He's a really good swimmer, while I don't swim
whatsoever.)
Later everyone got to badmouthing teenagers, their own children and
themselves as teenagers. Keith said a couple of times he tried to get into the
conversation, but he wasn't a good match for it and his comments fell flat.
Here's why: Our teens aren't sneaky. They've never gotten into trouble.
They've never been suspended, or grounded. We have no report card issues, no
homework issues.
And they got on kids about making change. They said teenagers don't have a
clue what to do if the total is $8.20 and you hand them a twenty dollar bill
and two dimes.
I asked Keith if he told them about the morning Kirby worked a Magic
Tournament booth for the store without even a calculator, and was figuring tax in his
head. He said no, but he DID tell them Kirby had worked in a store for nearly
three years, and the comment he got back was "yeah, we all had summer jobs
too, but..." So he didn't explain that this is no summer job, and that Kirby
has been great with percentages ever since the store gave him a five percent
discount when he was 13 (and 30 percent when he became an employee).
He just withdrew from the conversation and let their teen storm pass by.
"No kids."
I wonder if that has anything to do with why their kids don't know real-world
math?
Clues abound. <g>
Sandra
Fetteroll
on 7/1/03 12:08 PM, Heidi at bunsofaluminum60@... wrote:
her. I'd do it if I thought she'd find it fun.
What if the exchange had been about some other subject, like grammar or
history? Would you have felt the need to reinforce it, to make sure she gets
it?
Or might you expand on it? Or talk about something related?
What direction might the conversation have gone in if you'd been talking
with a friend?
Joyce
> And a question. I didn't do this, but wondered afterwards if I missedIs it something she'd want to do? I wouldn't do it to get some math into
> a bit of an opportunity. Would it have been appropriate at the time
> to get out pennies and paper and pencil and do some percentage math?
> Like, sit down with her and do some, striking while the iron was hot?
her. I'd do it if I thought she'd find it fun.
What if the exchange had been about some other subject, like grammar or
history? Would you have felt the need to reinforce it, to make sure she gets
it?
Or might you expand on it? Or talk about something related?
What direction might the conversation have gone in if you'd been talking
with a friend?
Joyce
Mary
From: "Fetteroll" <fetteroll@...>
<<What if the exchange had been about some other subject, like grammar or
history? Would you have felt the need to reinforce it, to make sure she gets
it?
Or might you expand on it? Or talk about something related?
What direction might the conversation have gone in if you'd been talking
with a friend?>>
These are the kinds of questions that pop into my head when dealing with
something my kids are trying to get or seem interested in. If it were frogs
and not numbers, would I show the same interest in them wanting to learn
more??? Yes I would. Many times we've gone farther with things like worms
or even dirt just as much as we would history or numbers. And if it was a
friend of mine, and they showed interest, would I also offer to look into it
more for them or ask what they wanted? Again yes. If it was numbers or frogs
could they say they've had enough. Most definitely. And if it was my friend
or my kid and the said no thank you, would I say okay? Yes again. Good
questions that really do help sort out what's enough and what's too much.
Then again I have kids and friends who let me know those exact things
too!!!!!
Mary B
<<What if the exchange had been about some other subject, like grammar or
history? Would you have felt the need to reinforce it, to make sure she gets
it?
Or might you expand on it? Or talk about something related?
What direction might the conversation have gone in if you'd been talking
with a friend?>>
These are the kinds of questions that pop into my head when dealing with
something my kids are trying to get or seem interested in. If it were frogs
and not numbers, would I show the same interest in them wanting to learn
more??? Yes I would. Many times we've gone farther with things like worms
or even dirt just as much as we would history or numbers. And if it was a
friend of mine, and they showed interest, would I also offer to look into it
more for them or ask what they wanted? Again yes. If it was numbers or frogs
could they say they've had enough. Most definitely. And if it was my friend
or my kid and the said no thank you, would I say okay? Yes again. Good
questions that really do help sort out what's enough and what's too much.
Then again I have kids and friends who let me know those exact things
too!!!!!
Mary B
[email protected]
In a message dated 7/1/2003 4:00:51 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
fetteroll@... writes:
fun!
~Kelly
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
fetteroll@... writes:
> And a question. I didn't do this, but wondered afterwards if I missedOr give her a calculator that does percentages---Duncan can do those. They're
> > a bit of an opportunity. Would it have been appropriate at the time
> > to get out pennies and paper and pencil and do some percentage math?
> > Like, sit down with her and do some, striking while the iron was hot?
>
> Is it something she'd want to do? I wouldn't do it to get some math into
> her. I'd do it if I thought she'd find it fun.
>
fun!
~Kelly
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Bill and Diane
>No. If you lie there half asleep while the talk is of fireworks, sales,
>
><<Would it have been appropriate at the time
>to get out pennies and paper and pencil and do some percentage math?
>Like, sit down with her and do some, striking while the iron was hot?>>
>
prices, whatever, then *spring* to action when it looks like something
academic, that wouldn't work so well if the goal is to value all of life.
Some other time when you really have some interest would be a great time
to show some interest, though.
:-) Diane
Heidi
>sales,
> No. If you lie there half asleep while the talk is of fireworks,
> prices, whatever, then *spring* to action when it looks likesomething
> academic, that wouldn't work so well if the goal is to value all oflife.
Good answer! but I was thinking maybe I should have gotten out the
pennies and pencils and papers after we got home. When I explained
what percentage was, I said "I'll explain it to you better when we
get home" and when we got home, she didn't come to me with a request
for that, so going nuts on it prolly wasn't the thing to do.
But this incident SO reinforces the fact that life teaches what
people need to know. In retrospect, Katie looks at sale flyers a lot.
She's going to be a savvy consumer, because she already knows that
7.99 is "really $8.00" :)
HeidiC
> Some other time when you really have some interest would be a greattime
> to show some interest, though.
>
> :-) Diane