My daughter’s always done fine in school. Particularly in math. For years, we cruised smoothly through the basic playground of mathematics together, she and I. We hopscotched through the simple playground of Addition and Subtraction in those early elementary school years. We learned about borrowing, and understood when to carry the two. We didn’t freak out when we graduated to the grand ballroom of Multiplication and Division, which dressed numbers up in their fancier clothes and brought them together in new, swirling waltzes. Over the last couple of years, we tackled fractions, ratios, percentages, even flirted with quadratic equations. All with relative aplomb.
My level of involvement was clear: if she needed help, I would sit next to her and serve as support staff. I wouldn’t do the work for her, but sometimes I would help her figure out the first step in the equation, if needed. Just to help her get a sense of direction, or equilibrium. If she asked me some basic theoretical questions, I would provide answers that established a foundation for her process, but still enabled her to unravel the problem herself.
My skills were sufficient enough for this. I held my own. Years after the end of my own math education, I could still solve for “X” just fine, thank you very much.
But now, as we near the end of fifth grade, we find ourselves facing some challenges. Something is happening. Math. Is. Changing.
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the thought of math makes me break out in hives. i cheated my way through it in school & now i'm homeschooling my daughter. she's in 3rd grade. i think next year i might be in over my head.
ReplyDeleteOh man, I totally had that moment with my parents. They're both in CS, so it happened a lot later, but it was bizarre indeed. If you have time to spare from essays, you could always learn along with her! Math can be really cool sometimes... :)
ReplyDeleteI couldn't stand math when I was a kid and I still can't stand it now. (seriously, the song 'Math Sucks' by Jimmy Buffett is my theme song LOL!)
ReplyDeleteWhen our 9 yr old Nephew comes over for help with his math homework I always steer him right to my husband and then I go hide ;).
I spent my math days drawing pictures of pretty princesses. To this day, I cannot write down a division problem and solve it. But I can draw princesses worth a damn.
ReplyDeleteNot having kids of my own, and although I love kids, I have always been grateful that I didn't have to get to the stage where my children would see I couldn't help them beyond 5th grade math! You have my sympathy. (And, Nat, I got through math drawing pictures of sexy mermaids. I mastered that.)
ReplyDeleteI avoided math in school, and thus lost out on any chance of being the subject of the move 'A Brilliant Mind'. I opted for business in college instead.
ReplyDeleteIf Math and Science were dudes, I would punch them both square in the jaw!
ReplyDeleteI keep repeating the mantra 'it is all good once you get to Trig' MATH is MAGIC....when you get there!
ReplyDeleteI do wish that i could help them on the way, but the 'teachers' just want to make them do stupid number-lines and pointless 'Uber-Euro-maths' and it makes my brain bleed.