When I was a kid, math was a cool topic. Learning math beat out every other subject. I would much rather the beautiful simplicity of 2 +2 always being 4 than worry about which George did what or how on earth you know to use ir instead of ur. Sometimes I think I still have a math bias, there has to be a reason why my kids are so good at math, and so terrible at writing.
I asked my mother to teach me calculus at a rather young age. She told me I had to learn algebra first. I thought it rather mean of her. I hope she laughed at the absurdity of it all. But I can honestly say as a kid I truly felt my mother was keeping me from the 'good stuff'.
I think as a child I may even have said "When I have kids I am going to teach them calculus when they want!"
Well things don't generally work out in quite the same way as youthful plans.
Just last Sunday Dude told me "I want to learn algebra so I can do calculus". I couldn't help but smile, at least he isn't mad at me over having to go in order.
Oh, in case you were wondering, my mother never did teach me calculus. I had to wait for senior year of high school. Though having learned it, I promptly forgot a good deal, and haven't used it since.
I remember wondering how much madder you would be when you found out you had to multiply first too.
ReplyDeleteSo not true though - Knucklehead learned algebra before subtraction, much less multiplication. He seems to pick it all up easier out of order.
ReplyDeleteWell any kid ho really understand how math works will get algebra intuitively, long before they get the symbols and writing.
ReplyDeleteThen there is Princess ....