Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Learning Environments A good homeschooling math day.

SPG, you'd be surprised how much comes back to you. Honest!

I never considered myself very mathy either, and there will definitely come a time in the not-so-distant future when we either have to use a packaged math curriculum all the time, DH the engineer will have to take over teaching math, or DS7 will have to go back to some sort of school. But for now, it's actually kind of fun to wind our way through math as we like. I use Internet sites as guidance and worksheets, workbooks or computer games with him as they make sense. But as long as he's learning and enjoying it, I figure we're doing okay.

To tell you the truth, I'm probably *really learning* some of the concepts--not just the heuristics for getting an answer--for the first time, even though I got nearly all As in math all through school. It's not until you have to teach someone that you really understand something!

I do try to keep an eye on resources so that I don't teach him anything that's just plain wrong. If something comes up that I'm not sure about, I tell him so and we look it up. (There's value in seeing how to do that, too, I think.) But I don't cram. <shrug> It works so far. He's progressing, he's happy, and he's excited about learning, so we keep going!

I missed this, LMom. Sorry--I didn't mean to ignore you.

Things are good. I could have used a babysitter this week, but that's just because I was single parenting while DH was at a training. It's a temporary thing though. When he's been around to give me some backup, it has been fine to go without a sitter. The boys and I are all used to the routine now, and they play by themselves enough that I do okay. Plus I feel more relaxed about what we're doing, so I suspect I'm not wound quite as tightly as I was last year. That helps a lot.

Yes, we still plan to send DS4 to K next year. He adores his pre-K, which is apparently more academic this year than it was last year. (I didn't know that when I signed him up.) But he doesn't know how to read yet, so it seems to be hitting him where he is, so that's okay. I think K will be much the same.

Plus I want him tested on the public school's dime.

I suspect math might be where he's going to have trouble fitting in at public school. (Supporting evidence: He just interrupted my typing to ask me "What's 4 x 4 + 4?" So yeah, mathy!) But if he gets the same teacher DS7 had for K, then I know he'll be fine. She was good!

Finally, I'm still not sure how well I would do as DS4's teacher. His personality is a lot more challenging for me. I don't think it would be easy on either of us. Plus his being an extrovert who needs a lot of people around means that school might really be a better fit in his case.

You know me--I'm going to go with the flow! We'll see how K goes before we make any decisions about 1st grade. DS4 is a very different kid from DS7. I definitely cannot assume that what worked (or didn't work) for one is going to work (or not work) for the other!

Anyway, thanks for asking.

So are you going to HS DS4, too, LMom? Have you made that decision?

Hi Kriston,

Great! I love when that happens.

Have you tried teaching x! (x factorial, as opposed to Hurray for x!) ?

My DS8 asked about it the other night and got very into the idea:

DS8: "Hey, what's this exclamation point on the calculator for?"

<explanation from Mom and other adult>

DS (considering the implications): "Cool!"

The wikipedia has a cool entry on factorials. It has a nifty table with factorial values on the top right. The mathematics below the top part is a bit advanced though.

Val

I used to have summer jobs that involved counting change in the register at the end of the day. I used to count the coins by putting them into pyramids with four coins at the bottom. Each pyramid had 10 coins, and so counting accurately became fast and easy. Other people noticed and starting making pyramids when it was their turn to count change!

I understand your son; I love number tricks like this.

Val

No, Val, we haven't done factorials yet. Good idea! Thanks!

We did do square and triangular numbers earlier this year. That works really well with pattern blocks, actually, and it was one of the things that jumpstarted him on learning his times tables this year. So you'll get a big "YAHOO!" for square and triangular numbers from me!

Heading over to wikipedia now... triangular numbers are new to me....

JB

Oh, you'll LOVE them, JB! The pattern thing will be right up your DS's alley.

Niiice. Get it. First this DW asked about was the relationship to square. Nice.

Now we just need ONE NIGHT where both younin's sleep well.

JB

I too am learning new things (not math that would take a while) but there are things in CyberEd I didn't known about or remember them anymore. BTW play-doh comes quite handy when explaining how mountains, canyons, plateau etc. are created.


Good to hear that things are working out. I hear you on DH not being home, lots of business trips here lately


I think as long as a big chunk of school time is spent by learning new things (reading and writing) then he will be fine. Plus you have a half day K. Can you ask for the same teacher?


I hear you, DS4 is very different from DS6. He is quite a clown but also very stubborn. He does anything and everything to get his way. He has been like that since I can remember. I am sure we would run into problems like we run into problems with DS6 except they would be quite different and it would be like starting from the beginning.


We haven't really talked about that but I believe it's what both DH and I expect at this point. I don't want to make any plans for next year, we all know how it works with gt kids. What I plan now may be useless a few months down the road. One thing is sure, DS4 would be a huge misfit in K. He reads really well now and lately he is just going through what I call an academic spurt. He is not as mathy as his brother was at this age, but he is the kid who needs to know how everything works and loves to make connection between different information. You know the engineering type May be we can compare notes one day. You tell me what DS7 liked and I will use it for DS4 and vice verse

BTW If you teach n! include a lesson about permutations as well. He will love it. It would go nicely with how fast 2 grows when you start doubling it.

Good help! Thanks, LMom!

Yes, we should definitely compare engineering notes. Have you discovered "How It's Made" on the Science Channel yet? DS7 LOVED that show for a while. He could talk for hours about how golf balls and streetlights were made. It's boring as sin to a non-engineer, but DS7 and DH (the engineer) could watch it for hours almost without blinking! LOL!

Of course, "Mythbusters" on the Discovery Channel is also great, even for me. I love those nerds!

Have you given your DS broken appliances and let him tear them apart to see the inside? That's always a hit for engineer-y kids. My dad used to take two broken appliances, crack them open, and create one that worked. A skill I wish I had...