Comments on: Math For The Uninspired Child http://girlreturnshome.com/math-for-the-uninspired-child/ A girl travels the world in search of what she needs and returns home to find it - Allison McCune Davis Sat, 28 Jan 2012 22:55:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 By: Why Saxon Math Works For My 12 Year Old http://girlreturnshome.com/math-for-the-uninspired-child/comment-page-1/#comment-4767 Why Saxon Math Works For My 12 Year Old Tue, 19 Jan 2010 13:39:28 +0000 http://girlreturnshome.com/?p=2565#comment-4767 [...] that it is not necessary until they reach the 4th-5th grade arena. (Heck, maybe even later)   See my post here on the experiment I’m doing in math for my 8-year-old dear daughter who DOES ... By the way, I think it is going [...] [...] that it is not necessary until they reach the 4th-5th grade arena. (Heck, maybe even later)   See my post here on the experiment I’m doing in math for my 8-year-old dear daughter who DOES … By the way, I think it is going [...]

]]> By: Allison http://girlreturnshome.com/math-for-the-uninspired-child/comment-page-1/#comment-2918 Allison Thu, 03 Sep 2009 14:35:20 +0000 http://girlreturnshome.com/?p=2565#comment-2918 Awesome Julie. Thank you!! Awesome Julie. Thank you!!

]]> By: Julie Miller http://girlreturnshome.com/math-for-the-uninspired-child/comment-page-1/#comment-2911 Julie Miller Thu, 03 Sep 2009 03:50:47 +0000 http://girlreturnshome.com/?p=2565#comment-2911 I was once a social butterfly. I didn't like to do math or any "homework" for that matter. Instead we played. This was a long time ago (I'm nearly 37 now) and my sister and I played all kinds of games to avoid homework. We used paper money to buy groceries for our doll babies. We had to set up a store and price the items then take turns being the cashier and making change. We had old checkbooks from my mom and we had to write "void" on each check before we could play with them. We used calculators to figure the tax so the check was written for the correct amount. We had to work jobs to earn our paper money so we set up an office in the living room and filled out IRS forms our mom picked up from the library. We took turns writing out paychecks and depositing them at the pretend bank. Then we had to create budgets to make sure our money would buy everything we needed to raise the doll babies. When we grew tired of playing to avoid doing math homework, we'd start baking or cooking in the kitchen. We'd figure how many cookies 1 recipe would make then determine how many each kid would receive and whether it was enough or not. If it wasn't enough we'd double or even triple the recipe figuring the proper measurements needed. We too were uninterested in math and somehow living our pretend lives we managed to learn it anyway. When I was a teenager I noticed all my other friends in public school were doing math homework and I thought I'd better get a move on and learn some math so my mom handed me a set of Key Curriculum workbooks. They were created for students to teach themselves, very clearly explained and THIN! It didn't take long to get through a booklet once I'd started but I wondered how they compared to my friends' thick text books. A friend of mine was failing Algebra so I looked over her book, understood what she was supposed to do and taught her the way I'd learned from those thin workbooks. My confidence came when she started making A's after I spent time sharing with her, what I'd learned on my own. I agree with your daughter, math is no fun. I say let her play! I was once a social butterfly. I didn’t like to do math or any “homework” for that matter. Instead we played. This was a long time ago (I’m nearly 37 now) and my sister and I played all kinds of games to avoid homework. We used paper money to buy groceries for our doll babies. We had to set up a store and price the items then take turns being the cashier and making change. We had old checkbooks from my mom and we had to write “void” on each check before we could play with them. We used calculators to figure the tax so the check was written for the correct amount. We had to work jobs to earn our paper money so we set up an office in the living room and filled out IRS forms our mom picked up from the library. We took turns writing out paychecks and depositing them at the pretend bank. Then we had to create budgets to make sure our money would buy everything we needed to raise the doll babies. When we grew tired of playing to avoid doing math homework, we’d start baking or cooking in the kitchen. We’d figure how many cookies 1 recipe would make then determine how many each kid would receive and whether it was enough or not. If it wasn’t enough we’d double or even triple the recipe figuring the proper measurements needed. We too were uninterested in math and somehow living our pretend lives we managed to learn it anyway.

When I was a teenager I noticed all my other friends in public school were doing math homework and I thought I’d better get a move on and learn some math so my mom handed me a set of Key Curriculum workbooks. They were created for students to teach themselves, very clearly explained and THIN! It didn’t take long to get through a booklet once I’d started but I wondered how they compared to my friends’ thick text books. A friend of mine was failing Algebra so I looked over her book, understood what she was supposed to do and taught her the way I’d learned from those thin workbooks. My confidence came when she started making A’s after I spent time sharing with her, what I’d learned on my own.

I agree with your daughter, math is no fun. I say let her play!

]]> By: Allison http://girlreturnshome.com/math-for-the-uninspired-child/comment-page-1/#comment-2782 Allison Sun, 23 Aug 2009 20:30:24 +0000 http://girlreturnshome.com/?p=2565#comment-2782 Jen - YES! It is so fun to figure out all the steps. Toni - Would love to hear about your reading experiment and I totally enjoy your tweets on twitter! Jennifer O. - Wow! Great encouragement from your testimony. Thanks! Traci - Thank you! I too work daily to simplify!! And you are about the 15th person in the last few months to talk about MathUSee. Maybe after this experiment, I will look at that. Jen – YES! It is so fun to figure out all the steps.
Toni – Would love to hear about your reading experiment and I totally enjoy your tweets on twitter!
Jennifer O. – Wow! Great encouragement from your testimony. Thanks!
Traci – Thank you! I too work daily to simplify!! And you are about the 15th person in the last few months to talk about MathUSee. Maybe after this experiment, I will look at that.

]]> By: Traci Walton http://girlreturnshome.com/math-for-the-uninspired-child/comment-page-1/#comment-2757 Traci Walton Sat, 22 Aug 2009 03:23:23 +0000 http://girlreturnshome.com/?p=2565#comment-2757 Loved your post. How timely a reminder for me as we start our "official" school year next week. Such truth in "more is not always better- sometimes it is just more" I work daily to simplify a hectic life. Lots of prayer. Your blog is inspiring! Traci ( My kids love Math-U-See ) Loved your post. How timely a reminder for me as we start our “official” school year next week. Such truth in “more is not always better- sometimes it is just more” I work daily to simplify a hectic life. Lots of prayer. Your blog is inspiring! Traci
( My kids love Math-U-See )

]]> By: Jennifer Ott http://girlreturnshome.com/math-for-the-uninspired-child/comment-page-1/#comment-2738 Jennifer Ott Thu, 20 Aug 2009 18:30:03 +0000 http://girlreturnshome.com/?p=2565#comment-2738 I just found your blog... I had faked learning math all through school (K-11 at public, private, and prep). My parents homeschooled me my senior year (!) and found out my secret. I would test well but had no retention. By the end of that year I had completed a calculus course and was studying Euclidian Geometry for fun with my Dad. She'll be fine. And besides, I use some basic algebra along with additions, etc. in real life, but that's it! I just found your blog… I had faked learning math all through school (K-11 at public, private, and prep). My parents homeschooled me my senior year (!) and found out my secret. I would test well but had no retention. By the end of that year I had completed a calculus course and was studying Euclidian Geometry for fun with my Dad. She’ll be fine. And besides, I use some basic algebra along with additions, etc. in real life, but that’s it!

]]> By: The Happy Housewife http://girlreturnshome.com/math-for-the-uninspired-child/comment-page-1/#comment-2725 The Happy Housewife Wed, 19 Aug 2009 15:52:18 +0000 http://girlreturnshome.com/?p=2565#comment-2725 Ohh, I love homeschool experiments. Once I get through my 50 comment challenge today I am coming back to read the rest of the article. Very fascinating. I was planning on doing a reading experiment with one of my sons this year. Not sure if I am up to the challenge though! Toni Ohh, I love homeschool experiments. Once I get through my 50 comment challenge today I am coming back to read the rest of the article. Very fascinating. I was planning on doing a reading experiment with one of my sons this year. Not sure if I am up to the challenge though!
Toni

]]> By: Jennifer Dunford http://girlreturnshome.com/math-for-the-uninspired-child/comment-page-1/#comment-2708 Jennifer Dunford Tue, 18 Aug 2009 17:01:10 +0000 http://girlreturnshome.com/?p=2565#comment-2708 Our children ARE a precious treasure, oops. Our children ARE a precious treasure, oops.

]]> By: Jennifer Dunford http://girlreturnshome.com/math-for-the-uninspired-child/comment-page-1/#comment-2707 Jennifer Dunford Tue, 18 Aug 2009 17:00:08 +0000 http://girlreturnshome.com/?p=2565#comment-2707 Great post. Smile. I enjoyed it. Our children our a precious treasure with blueprints designed by God for their lives. Isn't it fun to walk through the plan and figure out little steps, one at a time? THIS IS PARENT TRAINING! And our children will flourish and not only survive, but thrive. :) Love the Sabrina quote. More isn't better, YAHOO! J Great post. Smile. I enjoyed it. Our children our a precious treasure with blueprints designed by God for their lives. Isn’t it fun to walk through the plan and figure out little steps, one at a time? THIS IS PARENT TRAINING! And our children will flourish and not only survive, but thrive. :) Love the Sabrina quote. More isn’t better, YAHOO!
J

]]> By: Allison http://girlreturnshome.com/math-for-the-uninspired-child/comment-page-1/#comment-2662 Allison Sat, 15 Aug 2009 16:32:15 +0000 http://girlreturnshome.com/?p=2565#comment-2662 Amy - You sound like a fantastic mom! I will remember that about Math-U-See. And yes, the Moores are my favorite. I refer to them in another HS post. Might be the first one "Home Education, Are you Interested?" Godspeed to you and your babies! Amy – You sound like a fantastic mom! I will remember that about Math-U-See. And yes, the Moores are my favorite. I refer to them in another HS post. Might be the first one “Home Education, Are you Interested?” Godspeed to you and your babies!

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