"I like Math," my 8th grader announced earlier today while working on her Algebra homework. "Why is that," I inquired. "When you know how to do something, it's fun. It's like solving a puzzle," she responded.
It occurs to me that I should provide some background information and also mention that I was inspired to post the quote after reading the comments on the "Extremely Fast Learning" post.
First, M's Algebra teacher seems to be doing a nice job of teaching and the textbook appears to be solid. Plus, we have the advantage of having a live-in tutor in the form of our older child, who is a high school senior. (Let me also note that the relationship is not always harmonious, but it beats any other alternative.)
When M was in third grade, we became increasingly concerned by the non-sequential, non teach-to-mastery approach her teacher was using. I'm sure that in the teacher's eyes, M was "doing fine" in math, but that wasn't the point. We just had this sinking feeling that something was amiss. After several requests to the teacher for more practice with basic math facts went unanswered, we decided to start M at KUMON. She did KUMON for two and half years, because 4th and 5th grades were no better as far as math was concerned.
So, math is fun for her right now because she has a solid background with the arithmetic algorithms. I think this is the point that numerous commenters at KTM have made. It's a lot more fun to solve problems when you have the necessary background information to be able to do so.
I totally agree, Karen. Kids need time to bask in the glory of their own competence. To rest on their laurels for a day. Why take that away from them?
Perhaps an obscured side-benefit to "drill" in mathematics is that it gives kids a chance to practice what they know, to operate in familiar territory, rather than to be dropped into foreign territory day after day, armed only with a calculator. A graphing calculator for students of algebra, I suppose.
It occurs to me that I should provide some background information and also mention that I was inspired to post the quote after reading the comments on the "Extremely Fast Learning" post.
ReplyDeleteFirst, M's Algebra teacher seems to be doing a nice job of teaching and the textbook appears to be solid. Plus, we have the advantage of having a live-in tutor in the form of our older child, who is a high school senior. (Let me also note that the relationship is not always harmonious, but it beats any other alternative.)
When M was in third grade, we became increasingly concerned by the non-sequential, non teach-to-mastery approach her teacher was using. I'm sure that in the teacher's eyes, M was "doing fine" in math, but that wasn't the point. We just had this sinking feeling that something was amiss. After several requests to the teacher for more practice with basic math facts went unanswered, we decided to start M at KUMON. She did KUMON for two and half years, because 4th and 5th grades were no better as far as math was concerned.
So, math is fun for her right now because she has a solid background with the arithmetic algorithms. I think this is the point that numerous commenters at KTM have made. It's a lot more fun to solve problems when you have the necessary background information to be able to do so.
I totally agree that having a firm foundation makes all the difference! How wonderful that y'all were able to accomodate appropriately early on :)
ReplyDeleteI hope and expect my daughter will be saying the same thing in four years. In spite of how the school is teaching her.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree, Karen. Kids need time to bask in the glory of their own competence. To rest on their laurels for a day. Why take that away from them?
ReplyDeletePerhaps an obscured side-benefit to "drill" in mathematics is that it gives kids a chance to practice what they know, to operate in familiar territory, rather than to be dropped into foreign territory day after day, armed only with a calculator. A graphing calculator for students of algebra, I suppose.