Friday, November 17, 2006

New Math

Conversation overheard today between Sophie and Noah as they were playing with Michael and Emily's birthday present, The Ball Popper.

Noah: "Sophie, you have 3 balls and I only have 2, that's not fair!"

At this point, Sophie refuses to give up her 3rd ball, and I wait for it, knowing what will come next.

Noah comes running to tell me, I reply that I am SURE that he and Sophie can work it out, after all, they are both 5 now. And of course I have to throw in that if they can't play with the toy without arguing, I will have to put it away.

Noah thinks about this for about 2 seconds, runs back in to Sophie and says: "Let's take one ball away, that way, we will both have 2."

Sophie: "Yeah, that's a great idea, let's take one away."

So they do, and the game continues, with each having the same number of balls to play with.

Here is my question, since when do 5 year olds know what "take away" means? I can vividly remember learning subtraction, and it was with scary Sister Rosemary....in the 3rd grade!

Luckily for me, Terry is a math person, because I can see that I will be of little help past the 2nd or 3rd grade.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Was that 'Sister Rose, picks her nose, wipes it on her pantyhose'? I thought I had her for first grade...

Dorothy Gould said...

You may have. I had Mrs. Nellesen for 2nd grade and compared with her, Sister Rose was a nightmare. I don't remember ever seeing her smile. I have vivid memories of sitting at my desk, willing her not to call on me to recite the times tables....good times!

Anonymous said...

Mrs. Nellson liked me I think. All I remember about 2nd grade was hitting the blackboard with my fist in a tantrum when someone accused me of something I didn't do and Mrs. Nellson sided with them.