I've been really worried for a few years about teaching math. Yeah I know kindergarten math should be easy, right? But I was more worried about giving her a bad start... Her not really getting it, which is what happened to me. How I coasted through math for 14 years I'll never understand. I never understood anything. I remember nothing I learned. I know I'll have to relearn everything along with Madeleine.
So my friend Rebecca (shovedtothem.blogspot.com) has been "talking me down" since I confessed this to her. She pointed me in the direction of Miquon math, which teaches math as a language in a way kids can understand. I went ahead and ordered the first book and the teachers manual then had a mini breakdown the day I got em in the mail. Then Rebecca wrote this awesome blog post:
http://shovedtothem.blogspot.com/2012/07/i-blame-math-teachers.html?m=1
(you're welcome for inspiring that post, Rebecca! :)
So I just figured I'd follow along with the program and see how it goes. Miquon uses cuisinaire rods as a manipulative. Rebecca told me to go ahead and let Madeleine play with them and see what happens. I showed her the rods (each one is a different length and color and represents a different number.) I told her which rod went with which number and she had em memorized in about 2 minutes. Then I showed her the "10" rod and asked her to see how many ways she could figure out to make 10.
She figured it out immediately! She was saying, "1 and 1 and 8 make 10!"
And
"2 and 3 and 5 make 10!"
She probably found 20 different ways to make 10. I was amazed! Then she started building other structures with the rods so I thought she was just messing around. But then I heard her talking, saying things like,
"I don't have any more 5s, so I'll just use a 2 and a 3 to make 5."
She blows me away on a daily basis. And I feel better about teaching (and learning) math... For kindergarten anyway :)
Thanks Rebecca!!!
7 comments:
That's a great approach! M will do great.
You'll do great! I know you will. Thanks for the shout out and the kind words, but you're the one who raised the genius! :)
Oh that genius was a fluke!!!! LOL Just like H delivery 5 weeks early! :) hahahahaha
Seriously, I'm amazed by how smart she is! :) I'm so glad I don't have a genius! LOL
That is just WEIRD! We just pulled out the cuisinaire rods for a little Miquon "preview" and did the exact same little exercise. I set out the 5 and asked Eliot if he could think of a couple of rods he could put together to make 5. He didn't even have to stack them to say- "Oh, 2 and 3. Or even 4 and 1!" And then he wanted to do the 10 rod,a nd cmae up with tons of ways to make 10. I'm excited that you guys will be doing Miquon too!!!
I love Kindergarten math!! I was amazed at my kids in school picking up time-telling... They did so well with hours that we whizzed right through K and finished 1/4 hours (1st grade)! 5 year olds are sponges, I tell ya!
Great ideas. I will have to use those in a few years.
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