Living Math?

This is an excellent site.  I have many living math books in my lending library.  One of my favorite series is the Young Math series.  These are very well done.  I often use them to introduce a concept.  The Math Start series is good as well.  Some of the themes are more modern, which I care less for, but they do a good job of presenting math topics.

Well I think instead of using “only” living books for math, I would use them to introduce a concept and then find ways in real life to use that concept.  For example, one of the books in the Young Math series is called How Little and How Much:  A Book about Scales.  It talks about how to measure all sorts of things.  I would read the book, then find things in real life over the next several days that would give us an opportunity to measure.  Then when you thought your child was ready, you could introduce the actual symbols for those measurements if you wanted.  This makes math, which can seem so abstract in a workbook, come alive for children.  Directing their attention to ways math relates to life is very important.

We use a math curriculum called Math on the Level.  What I love about it…well several things…it DOES relate math to real life.  The author gives you several ways to teach a concept and how to make it practical.  She also stresses what she calls maturation.  You teach each concept WHEN the child is ready to learn it, using “things” first, then symbols.

HTH.