Re: [Unschooling-dotcom] Math questions
susan
i'm not versed if the 'unschooling approach' to math but we just started with miquon math. i find the philosophy and approach to be child lead . we've also used the anno's math games and the other books by mitsumasa anno which my son (4yo) loved. my son is really into math (he says he was born a scientist) and loves books so we just got some books written by theoni pappas which are math stories that introduce all kinds of math topics often very 'advanced' but he wants to read more and more of the stories. also regarding adult level books you can check out naturalmath.com they have a reading list one book i got which they recommended is: a beginner's guide to constructing the universe by michael s. schneider. i'm really bad at math. i am dyslexic and math (as well as reading and spelling:) is one of the areas i am truly poor at, but now i have a son who says he can't really understand science until he knows math so i'm learning right along with him:)
like i said i don't know what is meant but 'unschooling math' i've seen books in the holt catalog along this line but i've not gotten them because my son loves doing math from cd-rom, books etc. so it seems to just be happening of its own accord that's why i believe it's unschooling:) the reason i'm reading books about math myself is that i want to be able to choose wisely the kind of thing which will broaden his mind and not something that will close it off.
here's an excerpt from notes to teachers by lore rasmussen of miquon math materials:
'notations such as numerals and operational symbols come alive only through the active human mind. yet, arithmetic is often taught as if these symbols were the only way in which certain relationships can be expressed. our numerals and other notations are arbitrary choices of preceding generations in our culture to express man's thinking about numerical and non-numerical relationships among physical phenomena. every generation of thinkers in a dynamic, forward moving culture must scrap, supplement, and revise this symbolism in order to express with more precision and power its new understanding and mastery over universal relationships. therefore, it is of utmost importance that even on the most elementary level of mathematics education, an atmosphere is fostered in which ideas may be explored and new symbols may be invented.'
also she says: '...we learn children's capabilities and interests directly from them.'
-susan
austin. tx
'unity through diversity'
ps another book i'm reading mathematics: the science of patterns by keith devlin.
Have a Nice Day wrote:
Do you all unschool math as well? I've read over and over the ways you can unschool math, and it is starting to "sink in". I think its interesting that you all talk about the relationships of numbers, patterns, etc of the universe, and how mathematics underlies all of it. This is something I never understood. I never thought of math this way at all. To me its abstract numbers. I love math stuff, but I have never really applied it to the "patterns" of life or the universe. Is there a book that points some of this out so I can understand it better? Thanks,Kristen
susan
-susan
marbleface@... wrote:
> But I don't think this is happening of it's own accord and I don't really get
> too uptight about what label I am wearing -- but I really do think you should
> feel free to call yourself an unschooler (if you want) because I think you
> are doing the most important part of unschooling -- providing the
> opportunities! Whatever form it takes, you're doing it!
>
> Take care.
>
> Nance
dawn
4-5, and has done some generic workbook type stuff that he has found in
stores since then. Now that he can do addition, subtraction,
multiplication, division (although long division is still kind of
mystifying for him), fraction work and decimal stuff, he's satisfied. He
still doesn't know most of his "facts" but I figure he's only 7 and he'll
pick them up when he needs them.
So for "math" for the past 6 months or so, we have played games that use
mathematical reasoning.....now, he won't play with me because there is no
challenge; I lose every time (chess, checkers, Othello, Goh, Mastermind,
etc). And so, he is reading biographies of scientists and explanations of
how they arrived at their theories with is father, much of which involves
math. Currently, it's Newton.
My 4 yo just started adding using his fingers and my older son got the
bright idea that this would be the best time to teach him about
multiplication, since it is really just addition. So, now the 4 yo is
multiplying some things.
I looked into Miquon when my older son was 6 but he was too advanced to
really use it at that point.
We practiced multiplying (by 6's) when we were shopping since our local
tax rate is 6%. And we practiced estimating in all forms while grocery
shopping.
That's how we unschool math.
Oddly, my son went through a period where he wanted quite difficult math
workbooks and the more "interactive" ones bored him. He wanted row after
row of math problems. So, I got him a workbook and he worked through the
pretests until he hit one that he got fewre than 90% correct. Then he
started on the chapter, skipping what was easy, and spent a few weeks
"doing math>" I say it is odd because I HATED math and just can't see
someone enjoying doing it that way. He'd finished with that stage for
now.
We have worked on reading skills in much the same way. Recently skimming
text for specific information.....he has learned to skim the ingredeients
in prepackaged foods to see if they contain any form of milk.......and has
transferred that skill to the dictionary and other books to find specific
info.
dawn h-s, Mama to two wonderful boyz
[email protected]
writes:
<< but now i have a son who says he can't really understand science
until he knows math so i'm learning right along with him:)
like i said i don't know what is meant but 'unschooling math' i've seen
books in the holt catalog along this line but i've not gotten them
because my son loves doing math from cd-rom, books etc. so it seems to
just be happening of its own accord that's why i believe it's
unschooling:) the reason i'm reading books about math myself is that i
want to be able to choose wisely the kind of thing which will broaden
his mind and not something that will close it off.
>>Yep -- science is a lot more fun if you can get the math.
But I don't think this is happening of it's own accord and I don't really get
too uptight about what label I am wearing -- but I really do think you should
feel free to call yourself an unschooler (if you want) because I think you
are doing the most important part of unschooling -- providing the
opportunities! Whatever form it takes, you're doing it!
Take care.
Nance
susan
i don't think books are the problem or what makes the difference between unschooling and schooling. imo it the disregard for the child's ability to know: what s/he wants to learn, how it will be learned , at what pace it's learned , etc. books are just vehicles of knowledge, a vehicle to acquire knowledge the child is seeking. holt even says in teach your own if your child wants to learn a subject in which you don't know anything about get a textbook and learn it with him/her, or let the child learn on her/his own or find someone else to help the child pursue the knowledge that is of interest.
i am a bit confused at what other see as unschooling. my understanding is that you use whatever the child wanted to use, nature, workbook etc., it doesn't matter. it isn't our place to judge the method, just our place to provide the stimulation and access to that which the child is seeking.
-susan
austin,tx
'unity through diversity
Tamilooch@... wrote:
I have such a difficult time explaining to my husband and other folks . Why I didn't use a book to teach something,Tamie
susan
i'm sorry i'm being dense, but what makes something more un or less un and what is your own personal definition (perspective)? i've read the posts and i'm curious - why you said in response to my post - I don't think this is happening of it's own accord ? and i was wondering if you would be kind enough to elaborate on your personal views, opinions and why you think this. i'm always fascinated how others view things and enjoy shifting and expanding my own perspective by hearing another's.
thank you,
susan
austin,tx
'unity through diversity'
marbleface@... wrote:
I thought we just did. :)If you take all of these posts and string them together and then pick which
parts work for you and yours, that's getting closer to a definition. Some
are more un, some are less un, etc.Nance
[email protected]
fxfireob@... writes:
<< how would you describe unschooling math?
-susan
marbleface@... wrote:
> But I don't think this is happening of it's own accord and I don't reallyget
> too uptight about what label I am wearing -- but I really do think youshould
> feel free to call yourself an unschooler (if you want) because I think youI thought we just did. :)
> are doing the most important part of unschooling -- providing the
> opportunities! Whatever form it takes, you're doing it!
>
> Take care.
>
> Nance
>>
If you take all of these posts and string them together and then pick which
parts work for you and yours, that's getting closer to a definition. Some
are more un, some are less un, etc.
Nance
[email protected]
fxfireob@... writes:
<< my understanding is that
you use whatever the child wanted to use, nature, workbook etc., it doesn't
matter. it isn't our place to judge the method, just our place to provide
the
stimulation and access to that which the child is seeking.
>>Susan,
You're right. That is what I'm aiming for - providing the opportunity for my
kids to find what they're seeking. You know, that old "strewing their path
with interesting things". My problem is that everytime we get the workbooks
out it reminds me of school. It doesn't bother the kids at all. It's just
MY problem. sigh... School sure does leave long-lasting marks on those of
us who have been through it.
*** KiM ***
runs with scissors
[email protected]
writes:
<< hi nance,
i'm sorry i'm being dense, but what makes something more un or less un and
what
is your own personal definition (perspective)? i've read the posts and i'm
curious - why you said in response to my post - I don't think this is
happening
of it's own accord ? and i was wondering if you would be kind enough to
elaborate on your personal views, opinions and why you think this. i'm
always
fascinated how others view things and enjoy shifting and expanding my own
perspective by hearing another's.
thank you,
susan
austin,tx
'unity through diversity' >>
Well, I don't want to upset anyone. I just think some people are more un --
to me that means they absolutely do not approve of using, for example,
textbooks, or workbooks or anything at all school-y. Then I think there are
people who are less un -- a little more like me perhaps -- who use a mix of
things -- but don't exactly, or at all, fit in the school-at-home category --
don't follow a curriculum but see some value in using the content of a
textbook or workbooks or whatever as needed. And everyone seems to define
the un-ness of their own situation a little differently. There are many
shades of grey here. But I don't think any of them are necessarily wrong.
Just that one of the nice things I have noticed about unschooling is a
general tendency to accept fellow-unschoolers no matter how more or less un
we may be. That's all I was trying to say -- you are using materials that
some unschoolers would not use -- but that doesn't make you any less an
unschooler than the next guy. By my definition. But it might not fit how
the next unschooler descibes herself. How's that for vague?? But that's
what is so nice about unschooling -- taking what you need and using it and
developing your own personal takes on different situations and changing (as
you suggest) as you grow and are exposed to others' ideas.
Take care.
Nance
[email protected]
In our house, this is what I consider unschooling math:
we have a multiplication table hung up near our kitchen table where we eat
all our meals; we have tupperware addition flash cards( that give the answer
when you insert the card into the case) in the car; we have Monopoly, several
chess sets, a chess computer game; a fraction chart in the bathroom,
Stratego, Battleship (the only war-related items in the house, I promise!);
we make pancakes from a LLL recipe several times a week-more fractions! We
are on a limited budget and have 4 children who each want a fair share of #
of turns at a game, pieces of pizza and cake, and cookies out of the box, so
the opportunities are endless to learn division and multiplication! We also
bought a few $1.50 "We'll Be Back at _o'clock" plastisigns that businesses
stick in their front doors b/c the toy teaching clocks are $15! We put 5, 10,
15, 20, etc. on pieces of masking tape on our kitchen clock for the minutes.
Bridget