Simplifying

While working on our Miquon labsheets ... ... ...

Me: Er... three-sixth? Can that be simplified?
B: Hmm... oh yes! One tooth!
Me: Ha?
B: I mean half.

It's All About Readiness

Six month ago, I started a math problem solving assessment book with my boys. Somehow, my boys had difficulty drawing the models. I know that they understood the problems because they could tell me the answers to the question. They saw the whole model drawing process very tiresome and complicated; they couldn't see the need to go through all that trouble to solve what could be solved mentally. So each session was met with a lot of resistance.

My assessment of the situation? Laziness, ill-disciplined, blah blah blah... everything negative :-(

I finally decided that this is not a battle I want to fight. Math had been one of their favourite subjects. I don't want to change that. We put the book aside and have been working happily on our Miquon labsheets since then.

Just this week, I blew the dust off those books and tried them out again. They completed what would have taken 30 minutes previously in just TEN! Boy! Was I surprised?! What shocked me more was when B said, "Can we do more?" :-o

What happened?!

I am slowly beginning to believe what I read. Some homeschool parents have assured that it is perfectly okay to start formal math at age 10. The Moores and Bluedornes come to mind. Their take is that less effort is required for learning when a child is developmentally ready. I am not that "brave" to take it to THAT extreme. But it is a good reminder that I don't need to get frustrated if they don't "get it" NOW... ... ... They will "get it" ... one day.