Making Mistakes in Math

I want to share something that inspires me each week in my reading and listening about education, self-directed learning, etc.

Math. Of all subjects, math was the hardest for me to imagine kids learning through unschooling. Yet, it's been the most fascinating, so far, to explore. So many smart people are thinking, researching, and creating resources for teaching math based on open-ended questions and creative solutions. I had no idea.

As it turns out, my husband and I enjoy talking about math together. This past week, he recommended an interview with Stanford professor Jo Boaler on math education. She advocates an approach based on experimentation and a growth mindset. I want to explore her site, YouCubed, too
We've also been reading and discussing Let's Play Math, by Denise Gaskins. Her approach is so different from the memorizing and formulas that comprised our math education (and that Daphne was learning in kindergarten last year, as far as I could see, curriculum rhetoric notwithstanding). Denise Gaskins' focus on play seems perfect to incorporate in an unschooling setting, with lots of ideas for games and puzzles. So far, her ideas for pattern blocks have been a success around here.

Next on my list to explore further are the Natural Math website and books. This past week, I watched the founder, Maria Droujkova, explain how Five-Year-Olds Can Learn Calculus. I love the concept of math circles, for kids (and grown-ups) to come together and work on math concepts and puzzles. Maybe that's in our future!

Finally, I love this quote from Maria Droujkova, which I actually came across in Denise Gaskins' book:

When a kid is feeling bad about being stuck with a problem, or just very anxious, I sometimes ask him to make as many mistakes as he can and as outrageous as he can. Laughter happens (which is valuable by itself, and not only for the mood - deep breathing brings oxygen to the brain).

Then the kid starts making mistakes. In the process, features of the problem become much clearer, and in many cases a way to a solution presents itself.

That seems like a good tip for so many areas in life!