Natural Math

"I love algebra! It is like a puzzle!" A friend of mine once told me this several years ago. Do you think her algebra teacher loved the subject? You bet! Math is a 4-letter word to some people (well it IS a 4-letter word, after all) me included! My math teachers basically just said, "this is how it is, I can't tell you WHY!" I think the WHY is way more important than the end result. My daughter's 5th and 6th grade Catholic school math teacher taught math one way. If your student had a hard time understanding it she would, very nicely, stay after school to go over it. The exact same way! Isn't that the definition of insanity? Seriously, these poor kids just never got it, over and over again. The teacher never understood that she was the problem.

Now, if you are a homeschool parent, then YOU are the teacher. Which leads me to the point of the post. Research the math before you have your kids learn it! Math is basically a series of relationships and patterns. That's it! Like a game, math also has rules. Approach math in this way and it won't seem so scary! (scary to you and your child!) I never liked math but I always did "ok" in it. The reason? I have a pretty good memory. By memorizing the math "facts" and the rules, you can get the correct answer. But, is this really learning? I never learned the relationships and patterns that make up what we call "math." Fast forward to our homeschooling days, and I was forced to see that math is actually these patterns and relationships! This was my "a-ha" moment! Did this realization make me want to run right out and take a college math course? NO, but I feel much more secure in my math abilities.

Take a look at this website for some natural math learning ideas. These are great for both parent and child!

Learning Math Naturally