Math: The Journey Continues

If there's one thing I've learned from reading my new blog books (which, by the way, are amazing and highly recommended, http://blog2print.sharedbook.com/blogworld/printmyblog/index.html), it's that there is an awful lot in our past that suggests that there might be some mathiness in Nate's future.  (If there are other things that I've learned, they include that Jonah apparently emerged from the womb talking incessantly and also that no one in our family who is currently under the age of 10 has ever eaten anything, but not to digress.)  Hilariously, I seem to have been surprised by each instance, until, I guess, we reached some sort of inevitable tipping point.  "That's weird," I said a lot, "it's almost like he'd memorized the phone number."  "Boy," I often commented, "he sure likes counting by things.  Fours, for example."  Only now, looking back over the past 6 years all at once, is it pretty obvious. 

And what I've learned from that experience is that I really, really like having a record of this stuff so that I can feel stupid put it all into perspective later.  And thus this post, about Where We Are Now.  For anyone truly interested in how you teach math to a guy like Nate, this is fascinating stuff.  For everyone else, feel free to skip this post and check back in a few days for more Adventures in Harry Potter.

Where We Are Now is, Nate has started a program for mathy mathy kids like himself wherein he has been liberated from second grade math altogether, and he's doing all of his math lessons online through this extremely cool program called EPGY.  You sign up for 3-month sessions, and then you get to do all the math your little heart desires in those three months.  Nate started in the 3rd/4th grade course; there is also a 5th/6th and a 7th, and then you enter the world of advanced math.  (Don't ask me what comes after you finish the advanced math if you're still in, say, 5th grade, because I'm a little afraid of what the answer might be.) 

The program covers six "strands," or subject matters, which are things like integers, decimals/fractions, geometry, etc.  It is entirely self-paced, and it jumps around among the six strands to keep it interesting.  It's through Stanford, and darn if the instructor doesn't sound exactly like a wise, avuncular Stanford professor.  He explains each concept in a 10-30 second lecture, which is followed by problems.  If you get a few right in a row, the program moves on.  If you get one or more wrong, the program figures out why you got it wrong and tailors the next problem to your difficulty.  (It's a really smart program). 

You can make your sessions as long or short as you please.  Nate is currently set up for 30 minute sessions, and he does one at school, on a school laptop and wearing hipster headphones, while the rest of the class does math with the teacher.  He has also been doing 2-3 half hour sessions at home every day since April 1, when he started.  He's currently about 3/4 of the way through 3rd grade math, although he's slowed down since it's gotten harder.  And friends, it is hard.  There's no way all of this is really third grade math; he's doing multi-variable equations, wacky geometry, and story problems that have me pulling my hair out.  (Also having me pulling my hair out: Parents are allowed crazy real-time access to the progress reports (if I were so inclined, I apparently could review every problem he's done), but we're not supposed to interfere with the sessions.  No help, no advice, no hints.  Which, of course, is maddening.)  He has, according to the progress report I just pulled up, done exactly 1300 problems since last Friday. 

He is a Boy Who Loves Math.  And at the end, he gets a little Stanford transcript.  I die.

The H family loves, loves, loves this program.  Nate can't get enough of it.  He sits there, giggling and beaming while he works.  And the cool thing is, he doesn't get upset when it's challenging and he starts getting stuff wrong.  We're still working on understanding the format and how all the online tools work, so there's some amount of mistake-making coming solely from that; others come because this stuff is freaking hard.  (We have a tutor he can call or email, but so far he hasn't.)  Case in point: Today he did not get tripped up by a trick question, and I commented, "Wow, they can't fool you!" 

"Yes they can!!" he replied.

So: That is Where We Are.  We feel really lucky to have found the perfect program for our little math nut.  No doubt 2015 me will have a good laugh over this post, wherever we may be by then.

Comments

[Bubbe]

So happy the program is working well and Nate is enjoying it. By the way, if I had been blogging in the early 70's, I would have noted that you also emerged talking non-stop, just like Jonah.

[Grandma Nan]

LOVE IT! If they design online programs for kids like Nate, he can't be alone in his mathiness. I'm glad he likes it so much -- congrats on finding what works so well for Nate.