Living Math ~ Learning about fractions while baking our daily bread

Can we really learn a subject like math in a natural way?

I want to tell you that yes, you can!

We do it in all sorts of ways, but today I wanted to share some of our recent experiences with learning math in the kitchen.

A really good friend of mine let me in on the secret to having yummy, crusty bread with dinner any time you want and baking it yourself. The secret? This book:

It's true. We now have delicious bread twice a week and it does not add to my ever-growing to-do list at all. It's simple. It really does take five minutes (or less). And, the best part is that I know exactly what I am feeding my family ~ yeast, sea salt, filtered water and good flours like organic rye and whole wheat and unbleached all purpose flour. No yucky chemicals or dough conditioners. No preservatives. Nothing yucky. Just mouth-watering, crusty bread to go with our soup and pasta nights. Perfect.

Okay, back to the subject at hand.

Math

So, the recipes in the book help you to make enough dough at one time to make four loaves. In our family, I plan on having freshly baked bread about twice a week (once with home made soup and once with pasta) rather than four times a week. I could totally go ahead and make the dough for four loaves and bake the other two the following week, but I don't have a ton of room in my refrigerator to store the dough and I honestly enjoy the process of making the dough each week. So, I have to cut the recipe in half.

Enter ... living math and learning to halve fractions ... in your head.

Since this is now something that I do every week, I do not worry about always baking bread with the children. Often times I am making this up while they are playing outside or building things with legos. But, on occasion they are either playing in earshot or sometimes even want to get their hands in the game and make the dough. When the opportunity presents itself, I get them involved in the process, even if only by asking them to "help" me figure out quantities orally.

In the past week or two, such an opportunity presented itself twice.

The first time, the girls were both in the kitchen doing something and I was able to ask them to help me figure some things out. I was amazed at the Hippie's ability to do these equations in her head. She was able to tell me what half of 4 1/2 was and what half of 5 1/2 was without a problem. Now, those particular concepts kind of blew the Princess's mind on that day (and that is okay ... our brains are developmentally ready to tackle certain topics at certain times and she is not quite at the same developmental stages as her older sister). But, the Princess was able to tell me how many 1/4 cups we need to make 3/4 of a cup and how many 1/2 cups we need to make 2 cups. She was able to figure out that 1 1/2 tbsp is the same as 4 1/2 tsp.

And, she got the learning experience of helping me to actually make the dough.

Then, when I was going to prepare the dough this week, the Princess wanted to do it all herself. This time, we were one-on-one and as we walked through the recipe and talked about cutting each measurement in half, guess what? She was able to do those same calculations that a week prior had blown her mind. She did it in her head.

She told me that half of 1/2 was 1/4.

She told me that 1/2 of 3 was 1 1/2.

She told me that 1/2 of 5 1/2 was 2 3/4.

She told me that a tablespoon and a half was the same as 4 1/2 teaspoons and that half of that was 2 1/4 teaspoons.

And, she made bread from start to finish on her own.

Who says you can't learn math without a prescribed scope and sequence that someone else devised and placed in a workbook? 

 

 

Until next time,

~ Irie Momma

Sick, but not stagnant

Well, I went from three posts in one day to nothing all week.

The culprit?  

The sickies.  

First it was Daddy.  Which meant more work for Momma (an extra person to take care of during the day) and more stress from lack of pay (unfortunately, he is in the line of work that means if you're not working, you're not getting paid).

Then it was Momma.  Which really just meant more of the same.  As I explained to the girls, when you have a "job" (you know, the kind where you actually GO to work), if you get sick, you can call into work, stay home and get rest and get better.  When THIS is your "job", there's no such thing.  UGH

Then it was the Hippie.  She hasn't been terribly sick, but she has the most vibrant personality; you know immediately when she is not herself.  For one thing, there is actually a bit of quiet.  :-)

We're still nursing ourselves back to health.  No one is perfect just yet.  But, hopefully we are on the mend.  

This week was supposed to be the start of a lot of our school year's goodies.  Spanish Club was cancelled due to the illness of the leader (must be going around town).  Handwork, though, was not cancelled, so we missed the first one.  Major bummer.  Then, we had to miss our homeschool group's trip to the Museum of Science & History yesterday.  Double bummer.  

Next week starts our Homeschool Theater Troupe and more handwork and more homeschool adventures.  So, we are just hoping to be all better by then.  Keeping our fingers crossed.

So, for the average kid, when they're sick, they don't go to school, which means (to most people) that they don't learn anything (haha ... as if we can't learn anything outside of those four walls).  

For the average homeschooler, when the Momma is sick, they don't "do school", which means (to most homeschoolers) that they don't learn anything (haha again ... as if we can't learn anything without carefully laid out plans and curriculum choices).

So, what about the family that learns through life?  The family that learns organically, naturally, all the time?  What happens in that family when Daddy is sick or Momma is sick or one of the "students" are sick?

A LOT OF LEARNING, that's what. 

Since the sickies entered the household, we've:

• Learned about worms on Wild Kratt's
• Added fractions while making breakfast (1/2 + 1/4 = 3/4)
• Played library
• Practiced reading (the one who's still learning) by reading the directions on the oatmeal
• Calculated the amount of protein in breakfast by dividing and multiplying fractions (8 is 1/3 of 24, 1/3 of 6 is 2, then added all the grams of protein)
• Both girls have made shirts for Daddy's birthday (a tradition we started last year)
• The Princess painted Daddy a picture for his birthday
• The Princess has written a "thank you card" a day 
• The Hippie made Daddy another birthday gift
• painted the inside of brown paper bags to use for wrapping paper
• The Hippie has written several chapters in her book "Mermaid Dreams"
• drawn A LOT
• worked with Sculpy and then did math to determine how long to bake it (measure its thickness, 15 min per 1/4", so for 3/4" it needs to bake for 45 minutes)
•  painted some more
• the Hippie's drawn an illustration for her book
• the Hippie worked outside, creating what she called a 'dog bowl' ... she stood a gutter up against the roof and attached it to a bucket lid, filled in any holes with weather stripping and said that the rain would travel down the gutter and collect in the lid so that the dogs would always have water
• read aloud at night
• the Hippie worked on making a "bomb" with soap and glue and paint and water and whatever she could find (when they girls tried throwing it at the fence, though, it never would explode ... bummer)
• baked with dirt and paint and glue and leaves outside
• made a "Springs" with rocks and twigs and leaves and water ... talked about why the water kept disappearing (soaking into the ground) and why that doesn't happen at the real Springs
• the Princess wants to be able to read SO BAD ... she doesn't want to read the easy readers anymore, she wants to be able to read the chapter books, the real books about horses ... like Black Beauty and the Black Stallion and Misty of Chincoteague and the like 
• Spurred by the above, she broke out her Bob books and started practicing again, on her own, then sounded out the title to Misty of Chincoteague ... then made the connection that the Misty in that book was the same Misty as the one in the album we have of Marguerite Henry's ... then ran off to draw pictures of Misty and declare that Misty was her new favorite horse
• we've watched The Summer of the Colt
• we've watched cooking shows
• we've played with the kittens 
• we've made smoothies
• the Hippie's continued to read about the Titanic and Picasso
• we all watched an adult documentary on the Titanic today ... it was quite intense, but they wanted to watch it
• We've talked about getting books published and what exactly publishers do
• We've talked about what it means to "edit" your book

I could go on and on.  Reading and drawing and playing and creating and painting and cooking and making connections.  All while we were sick.  Awesome!

I just have to share another proud moment in my home.  A morning of proof that the way we are learning is really working! 

This morning, within minutes of waking up, the Hippie runs up to me and says, "Momma, do you know how to say 'omelette' in French?  I do."    "omelette du fromage" 

"Where'd you learn that?"  

"Dexter's Laboratory" (that's a cartoon that would not be considered the least bit educational for those of you who don't already know that)

Ahhhh ... very interesting.

A few minutes later, the girls are eating breakfast and the Hippie tells me to come see.  She has put salt and pepper on the plate and proceeds to rub a pen on her head to create static electricity and then moves the pen slowly over the plate, watching as the pepper jumps up to stick to the pen.  Apparently the pepper is attracted to the electric charge she has created.  

Then, the connection was made that the pepper was just like the little dirt people in her favorite Swiffer commercials.  "So, how does the Swiffer work, then?" "Static Electricity" 

Aaaahhhhh .... 

Connections.  

No lessons planned.  No schedules adhered to.  No worksheets.  No boredom.

Just sickness and lots of fun learning still going on.

So blessed to be a homeschooler!

Learning never ends ...

So, I gather from the school buses on the road and the SLOW speed limits around 3pm that school must be back in session for lots of folks.

What does that mean around here?  

Well, same old, same old, really.  

We're taking a different approach these days.  
  One that makes life about learning and learning about life.  
    One that doesn't separate the two as if they are two different things. 
      Because, really, isn't life supposed to be about learning?  

So, we aren't doing a "First Day of School" thing this year.  
  I mean, if the girls want to mark things, officially, somehow, I will most certainly oblige.  
    
Maybe we can fill in those All About Me things we've done the last two years ~ see what has changed about them ... my guess is that the Princess would say the same exact things ~ horses and pink.  She would just be a bit taller and weigh a bit more.  I wonder what would be different on the Hippie's?  Maybe we will do that. 

The reason we're not doing a First Day of School thing this year is that I wouldn't know when to do it.  I mean, we've been "doing school" all along.  I only started taking note of what all the girls were doing a few weeks ago, but the list is HUGE. 

Just this week ...
  

• The Hippie put on another cooking show for me (with play dough this time)

• The Girls have played with our kittens CONSTANTLY.
• They've made them toys and clothes and "crates" (baskets) and collars.
• We've had some mediation and talk about feelings and how to treat each other.
• We've talked about feeling overwhelmed.
• We've read books galore.
• We've been to the farmer's market and the playground.
• We've been to the library.
• We've practiced reading (the Princess) and have started reading words all over the place!
• The girls have been surfing and improved.
• The girls have been practicing cart wheels and round offs & walk overs (no gymnastics class. just plain fun).
• The girls have been cooking with dirt and leaves.
• The girls have practiced running a restaurant (serving Daddy and I said dirt).
• The Princess (of course) draws horses daily.
• The Hippie's drawn a perfect replica of the Titanic & many Mermaids.
• The Hippie has continued reading her Emily Windsnap books (she is on the 4th one).
• The Hippie has read 3 Ivy & Bean books (each in about an hour or so).
• We've played outside.
• We've walked to pay the water bill.
• They've collected pine cones of all sizes and made a family out of them.
• We've added fractions ... 1 1/3 cups is the same as 4 scoops with the 1/3 cup.
• We've studied Picasso and Mary Cassatt. 
• We've studied Frida Kahlo ... did you know she was married to Diego Rivera? 
• We've listened to classical music ~ and the Hippie recognized a Mozart and the Nutcracker.
• The Princess has started writing her Thank You cards all by herself ... as neat as she can.
• They've tried to play our flute along with a part of a Trevor Hall song.
• We've made granola and soda bread.
• The Hippie played secretary and wrote down our brainstorming for upcoming birthday gifts.
• The Hippie has worked with clay ... starting on said birthday gifts. 
• Both girls made their Uncle Scott a card; the Hippie made him a "bolt can" (he's a mechanic).
• The Hippie did more math ~ bake 15 mins per 1/4" thickness; measure it; how long for 1/2"?
• We've talked about the Titanic a lot and how important it is to learn from history.
• The Hippie has looked through the 20 or 30 Titanic books we have from the library.
• Momma's rekindled her interest in Titanic, sharing what I know.
• Momma's watched a 2 hour documentary on the Titanic.
• The Hippie's also read about Pompeii. 
• We've read aloud.
• Momma's reading for pleasure for a change (The Help ... LOVE IT).
• The Hippie and I have spent an entire morning outside reading, side by side. 
• Momma's read in the hammock while the girls played some make-believe world.
• They've watched their cooking show, Giada at Home.
• They've decorated their scrap books for this year's HAP.

You get the idea.

So, when do we start school?  
  When do we STOP? 

How are you learning these days? 

Living Math that works ...

This morning was yet another example of how well Unschooling works with the Hippie.

I knew that I had a pretty long "to-do list" today, so I suggested that the girls pick out a game for us to all play together.  "I'll play a game with you guys, which gives you time and then you guys can play and give me some time to get some things done, okay?"
 
Great plan.  

They brought me Yahtzee Deluxe to play.  

I decided to just sort of help ... or, according to them, I was "on the Princess's team".

This one game was a fantastic MATH LESSON for both children.  

Throughout the game, each girl got to practice addition, multiplication, counting by 2s, 3s, 5s and 6s.  They got to add doubles, think about strategy, probability (where to put that ZERO ... which of these are you LEAST LIKELY to get) and so much more.  

I was pleased as punch to watch as each of my children multiplied 6 x 4 and 5 x 3 and add one number to another to another and so on ... all in their heads.  

Now, if you asked one of them "Do you know your times tables?" or "Do you know what multiplication is?", they may look at you with a bit of a blank stare.  

But, can they DO IT (you know, the part that actually matters)? 

Absolutely.  In the context of something useful and fun ~ a game.

Anyway, I would have been pleased with just that, but I decided to attempt to take it one step further.  

When the game was over, the Princess ran off to draw (her millionth or billionth horse drawing, I'm sure), and I asked the Hippie if she'd like to add up the scores to see who won.

Keep in mind, a month or so ago, I attempted to show her how to "carry" while adding two digit numbers where the ones place added up to more than ten ... she was not having that at all!  

In that context (a worksheet), she freaked out and said I was "blowing her mind".  So, I backed off.

Now, today, I showed her how to add the scores and she did it with no problem, no freaking out, no "blowing her mind".  

She added columns of numbers, she carried numbers ... she did this up to the hundredths place. 

And, did it well.  

Awesome!

She did this:

  15       15       105      70         22       143         6         73      
  25       16       +92    +35         25     +108       12       +35   
  30       15       197     105        50        251       16       108    
+22     +24                               25                    15
  92       70                            + 21                   +24
                                             143                     73

Needless to say, I was one pleased Momma today.  And, the really fantastic thing was that the Hippie was one pleased little learner today!  She was so excited to realize how much she'd learned and done today, with ease.  Especially when I pointed out that it was the same thing she had turned her nose up to only a month ago as being "too difficult" and "blowing her mind". 

So, my plan for the coming year?  I'm leaning towards a Living Math approach ... books, activities, games, fun, cooking, baking and more games and even more fun!  

Why?  

Well, duh.  Because it works! 

p.s.  In case you were wondering, the Princess won the game .... but, the Hippie won at her own math challenge today!