Let’s face it. Most math curricula out there is worksheet based. It goes something like this: read lesson, practice concepts from lesson, practice review problems from previous lesson, done. Everyday it’s the same story.
I’m not condemning math programs that require reading, and I’m certainly not telling you to ignore the worksheets. How else do you master a concept, but to practice it? Whether you practice it on paper or computer, it’s basically the same thing. I’m simply pointing out that there is and can be more to mathematics education than just the worksheets.
What else is there? First, you need to understand that the study of mathematics was not created in a closed, dark, classroom. But rather, math was discovered by curious people. That means that wherever you look, you can find math. The concepts that we study in math were created by man to explain the patterns that were found in nature. For example, Archimedes was an ancient Greek philosopher who searched for perfect truths by studying the geometric shapes around him. He discovered that the ratio of the circumference of a circle by its diameter is always the same number. This is where we get pi.
Once we realize that math is not some man-made elaborately constructed impossible subject, but that it is a discovery of creation, we start to see how to discover math everyday. We see math in the patterns in nature. Why does a flower always have an odd number of petals? What is the series of events in nature that show us the passage of time? How long does it take the earth to revolve around the sun? Pretty soon you will find yourself deep in science. Are you surprised? You shouldn’t be. Mathematics is the language of science. Math is how we communicate the truths of the scientific world. Learning how to study circles and squares is a mere stepping stone to learning how to study the planets and stars.
So, how do we make math fun? It’s simple really. We take math out of the man-made classroom and put it back into its natural habitat. Observe nature, patterns, relationships, and numbers as they show up all around you. Do you stop your everyday math worksheets? Maybe, for a short period, but probably not. Instead you start to pay attention to the language of mathematics all-around you. You share it with your children, help open their eyes, and then make those connections in your daily math work.
My 6 year old son learned the terms parallel and perpendicular on the ski slope. When your skis are parallel to the slope then your skis slide downhill, when they are perpendicular, then you stop. He also clearly learned the word “slope”. A steep slope means you go fast and a shallow slope means you go slow. This vocabulary will help him when he enters algebra and hears these words again.
Like any other language instruction, the study of mathematics is vocabulary and grammar based. For elementary aged students, the grammar is addition/subtraction and multiplication/division math facts. The vocabulary consists of words like parallel, slope, and fraction. Bringing the vocabulary out of the classroom and into the world where it was discovered will be a huge step toward making your child’s math education fun!
How to Get Started
- Look for math vocabulary that you know. Purchase a math encyclopedia to help you understand some of the math terms. (Usborne has a great one, or “Understanding Mathematics” by Kressin)
- Cook something.
- Have your child help you with measuring ingredients. Show him how a quarter of a cup is a whole cup cut into 4 EQUAL groups. Together, discover how 2 quarter cups make a half cup.
- Compare cookies by using terms like diameter, circumference, and the number of chocolate chips in each.
- Go outside:
- Study the steepness of a hill.
- Compare the number of mushrooms on two different trees
- Find the average number of sunflowers on a stem
- Ask questions about what you see, and find the answer together. Why is a day lily called a day lily?
- Learn how to use a compass – map your backyard
So helpful! Makes me like math even more when I see it as a part of creation. Thanks for writing this!