I want "mathy" kids!

[Indian summer]

I don't know why, I just do. One of my kids hates math, the other two don't mind it but I fantasize about turning on a math passion switch and having us all spend hour after hour every day happily, easily doing all sorts of maths! Math games, math activities, math puzzles....ahhhh...

 

I never realized how much I liked math until now. And I know I could do it myself but that's not what I'm hoping for.

 

I feel the same way about philosophy...

 

There. I've said it.

[Gil]

I didn't like math until middle school. Its not like they are too old to develop a passion for math later on, or even just go through an intense Math Phase at some point. Don't count them out just yet.

[Mrs Twain]

If you do a lot of math with your kids (practice math facts every day, speed tests, dxtra practice problems, extra math over summer) then your kids will get good at math. When they are good at math, they will enjoy it more and more.

 

Evidence shows that working hard at math makes students better at math rather than the common western misconception that certain people are just not good at math or are not math-people.

[RootAnn]

My oldest didn't use to like math even though she was good at it. Her passion was ignited this year with a good (DVD) teacher & something a little different (pre-algebra) than what she'd been doing up until now. I'm even sending her to 'math camp' this summer.  :svengo:

 

I have a fantasy that dd#2 will end up loving math like a poster on here once talked about with her artistic daughter who started off majoring in art in college and ended up in engineering(?). Hope springs eternal.  :coolgleamA:

:grouphug:

[sunnyday]

I have a "mathy" kid and a "bookworm". Just like always wanting to have your nose in a book doesn't automatically make you a better student than only reading when asked, and just like drilling vocabulary and phonics can make you a better reader and a more competent reader and a less reluctant reader without actually making you *love* it, having a mathy kid is not really the same thing as having a kid who gets good grades in math and has a positive feeling toward the subject, and it is also not really something that's engendered by fact drills and speed practice. However, just like a child can bloom late into a passion for reading, I'm positive that you can't rule out the possibility of future math-o-philia just because kids aren't super keen early in life! Keep modeling enthusiasm and perseverance and you never know. ;)

[mumto2]

I have mathy kids but dh and I both have mathy degrees so I have attributed it to our enthusiasm to some degree.  We have always done math in some form daily, especially when they were younger.  We had tons of math manipulatives and jigsaw for them to play with when littles.  I set up 6 or 7 stations around a big rug in the living room most mornings with the manipulative s and throughout the day they would do those when bored.  Things like pattern blocks with a puzzle fill in.  Through elementary I normally had 3 curriculums going, a beka, Singapore, and minquin/key to.  The purpose of that was broad exposure but the real benefit was they never were given the impression it was hard.  If they weren't catching on to a topic quickly I rotated that curriculum out for a few weeks while prepping the problem area discreetly.  When the book returned they sailed through and generally commented that it was easier then they remembered. ;)

[cagirlintexas]

If you do a lot of math with your kids (practice math facts every day, speed tests, dxtra practice problems, extra math over summer) then your kids will get good at math. When they are good at math, they will enjoy it more and more.

 

Evidence shows that working hard at math makes students better at math rather than the common western misconception that certain people are just not good at math or are not math-people.

Couldn't agree more. I was so behind in math as a kid but had a really good tutor who taught me the basics. All of a sudden I started liking math and excelling. Same has been true for my oldest son. He was bad at math. We started RightStart when he was 5. He didn't even know his numbers At that point. We started right start and did it every day 6 days a week. We spent a ton of time on it. He got so much better. I wouldn't say he loves math now but he likes it. He will figure math problems when we are shopping just cause he feels like it. He is proud of his abilities.

[Ausmumof3]

I have mathy kids but dh and I both have mathy degrees so I have attributed it to our enthusiasm to some degree. We have always done math in some form daily, especially when they were younger. We had tons of math manipulatives and jigsaw for them to play with when littles. I set up 6 or 7 stations around a big rug in the living room most mornings with the manipulative s and throughout the day they would do those when bored. Things like pattern blocks with a puzzle fill in. Through elementary I normally had 3 curriculums going, a beka, Singapore, and minquin/key to. The purpose of that was broad exposure but the real benefit was they never were given the impression it was hard. If they weren't catching on to a topic quickly I rotated that curriculum out for a few weeks while prepping the problem area discreetly. When the book returned they sailed through and generally commented that it was easier then they remembered. ;)

I love this. I have been trying to take a similar approach after a tough year last year and hope it works for us too.

[Lolly]

Just gotta make sure there is one Debby-downer in here. Yeah, working at math can make it easier for most; but some people are math naturals and some aren't. Some people do suddenly pick up on math when they are a bit older; some never do despite hard work to make it so. We all have our natural inclinations. One of my kids can draw like nothing you have ever seen. I could practice drawing until I passed out daily and never reach what she comes by with little effort. Don't get me wrong, she practices it! A lot. But it is her gift, and she would be good at it even if she didn't try. A lot of effort makes me better, even passable. One of my girls could work at drawing all day every single day and still be producing horrid results. Math is the same way. Some people come by it naturally. (Those are the ones I consider "mathy". They just get it.) Some people can work at it and do well. (Those I consider normal.) Some can work at it, and do okay. (Still on the normal spectrum.) Others can try as hard as they can and never be able to catch on. (Usually some sort of learning disability going on.) So, yes, keep working on it; but don't expect it to turn nature on its side!

[PeterPan]

If you want to do math games, why aren't you doing them?!?!  My ds has some struggles with math and may have dyscalculia (he's 5.5 and can't tell you how many fingers he has), but he totally enjoys the math games we play.  I get them in a curriculum by Ronit Bird meant for dyscalculia, and they're at his level.  There are math games and living math books for ALL levels, even for my blessed boy with a probably gifted IQ who can't tell you how many fingers he has, lol.  I'm sure you could find some to suit your situation.  

 

You might try  Living Math!   

 

PS.  Obviously the amount of time you spend will vary with attention and age-appropriateness.  It's totally reasonable to expect a typical dc to interact with you for a short 5-10 minute math game as part of a math session. Also, some curricula like BJU have supplements with math puzzles and more challenging work.  It's totally reasonable to do those things.  Beyond that, take up a hobby and find more ways to use that teeming brainpower...

[Julie of KY]

I'd recommend to just keep plodding along teaching your kids good math. Some kids will want to do more and more - others may be great at math, but would never choose to do more.

 

My oldest is complete math geek.

 

My second is very good at math and dislikes it very much. I say he'll learn enough math that it will never keep him from doing whatever he wants (he's a very creative engineering sort of guy - just not mathy).

 

For you - I'd recommend getting a free account on AoPS and doing Alcumus. It can be a lot of fun and you will probably learn a lot of math along the way.

[OneStepAtATime]

Drilling math facts may really help some kids.  I get that.  I think I would have done better in math if I had had more practice with math facts.  But I also would have found it deadly dull.  It has only been since I started teaching my own kids and being exposed to fun games, challenging puzzles, fascinating practical application word problems that are complex but very interesting that I have found math to be "fun".  I think you need balance, and the realization that some kids (as others have posted) just need more time to develop a good math sense.  Or a completely different approach.

 

My DD13 hated math and it was a terrible struggle for her.  She would burst into tears every night as we tried to tackle her homework.  Even after we started homeschooling for 6th grade just the very thought of math made her cringe.  If all I ever did with her was drill and and drill her math facts she would still hate math.  Playing math games, solidifying subitization skills, approaching math from different perspectives, giving her the top down picture of why math is important and showing her practical application math has turned that around.  My absolutely hated math child has asked that we up our game and do more advanced maths over the summer, during our lighter days.  And she asks to do math games now.  But for her, at least, I had to stop dwelling on just math drills since they weren't actually helping her get better at math.   

[wapiti]

If you do a lot of math with your kids (practice math facts every day, speed tests, dxtra practice problems, extra math over summer) then your kids will get good at math. When they are good at math, they will enjoy it more and more.

 

Evidence shows that working hard at math makes students better at math rather than the common western misconception that certain people are just not good at math or are not math-people.

 

I strongly agree with summer math - of a puzzle/fun sort, if possible - and math fact practice via games, for example.

 

FWIW, I would disagree with speed tests (except perhaps in unique cases of special learning issues).  While quick recall of facts is useful (how quick?), rote practice isn't math, isn't the only way to achieve quick recall, and ultimately may be counterproductive if you're seeking to encourage a love of math.

 

OP, you might also try to develop a love for solving puzzles and thinking/strategy games, as problem solving is at the heart of "real" math, particularly at the higher levels (by that, I don't mean to imply "real world" math, but rather, mathematician's math).

[Mrs Twain]

Why Don't Students Like School... (Willingham).  This is one of my favorite books ever, primarily because it summarizes the current applicable evidence regarding education theory.  The first chapter deals with the OP's question.  People like solving problems if they are successful at solving them.  If the problems are too difficult and people can't find the answers, then they dislike the problems.  Specifically applied to math, the task for teachers (or homeschool parents) is to find just the right difficulty of math problems so that there is enough challenge but not too much.  If you can find that happy balance with math problems so that your children must work hard but are successful at solving them, they should develop an enjoyment of math.

 

If your kids don't know the math facts, then math will probably always be too difficult and hence no fun.  Knowing the math facts well is the first step (IMO).

[Alte Veste Academy]

Just gotta make sure there is one Debby-downer in here.

 

Because I'm in that kind of a mood... I'll be the second to wah-waaah. LOL

 

My mathy-est kid (very very very math intuitive and loves puzzles, games, etc.) was/is also the hardest to actually teach math. Seems I was always getting in his way... Now I just hang in the mental space beside him, LOL, and that's been a marked improvement. But it was not all sunshine and roses. 

[Alte Veste Academy]

Why Don't Students Like School... (Willingham).  This is one of my favorite books ever, primarily because it summarizes the current applicable evidence regarding education theory.  The first chapter deals with the OP's question.  People like solving problems if they are successful at solving them.  If the problems are too difficult and people can't find the answers, then they dislike the problems.  Specifically applied to math, the task for teachers (or homeschool parents) is to find just the right difficulty of math problems so that there is enough challenge but not too much.  If you can find that happy balance with math problems so that your children must work hard but are successful at solving them, they should develop an enjoyment of math.

 

If your kids don't know the math facts, then math will probably always be too difficult and hence no fun.  Knowing the math facts well is the first step (IMO).

 

I'm reading this book again right now. I was LOLing at that part because here apparently the perfect level of challenge is found in that magical moment when I utter the words, "Oh, I think I've got this one!" Competition. Super motivating... It wasn't my dream, but it is our reality.

[IsabelC]

I believe the experts who claim that anyone, barring extreme learning disability, can become competent at math. But I still think that most people will never spend hours doing math in their spare time for the sheer enjoyment of it, no matter how they are raised and taught. Most kids, even once they know their facts inside out and can solve problems readily, are still going to prefer non math related hobbies.

[raptor_dad]

I think DS7 is a "mathy" kid. He completed 2 full years of both Miquon and MEP this year(and some other stuff). He loves building factor trees. Every few months we check "You can Count on Monsters" out of the library and he spends an few hours with it. A week ago, we were on long car ride back from the North Shore and he was looking for prime numbers. I then encouraged him to predict and then find perfect squares, cubes and 4th powers(n^4) up to 100-150ish and 5th powers(n^5) for 2 and 3. He observed that some of the 4th powers were also perfect squares. While barreling down the highway at 75mph, I then guided him to the fact that all 4th powers  are also perfect squares. This took a little more than half an hour. After that he was worn out and we listened to Newfoundland sea shanties and U2 for a while.

 

I wouldn't correlate being "mathy" with doing math all day... even "fun" math. DS likes the math straight up more than some of the living   math like Sir Cumfrence or puzzles or games He doesn't clamor for more math, but he does actively ponder it in his free time(probably to the same degree he ponders other academic subjects). Currently we do math ~45 minutes a day. I don't think we have ever done over an hour in a single day. I suspect this will change as he matures. But, right now, for DS being "mathy" doesn't mean that he wants to do math with other people for larger amounts of time.

[Eagle]

Every few months we check "You can Count on Monsters" out of the library and he spends an few hours with it.

This looks AWESOME for my ds. Thank you so much for mentioning it!

 

My ds loves some aspects of math and dislikes others. Today he asked if we can play the math game Knockout every day. I said sure and he was SO excited. He can play math games (physical or ipad) for hours, but he would like the Singapore math books to never be seen again.

[wingedradical]

Take mine! 

 

Still, I am so sick of math. My student, who will be a senior in the fall, has finished calculus and most of statistics. This year, chemistry was also full of it and next year, it will be physics.