Homeschooling Math: From Frustration to Fascination
Beyond Numbers: Rekindling Your Child’s Love for Math
Does your child “hate math?” If so, you are not alone. By the time children graduate high school, many have decided that math is boring, difficult, or both. Programs that have been designed to solve the problem, like Common Core, have only exacerbated it. American students, homeschoolers included, increasingly believe that math is something to be endured instead of enjoyed.
A Utilitarian Perspective
The typical mathematics course starts with an intensive nine-year slog through arithmetic, basic computation, pre-algebra skills, and introductory geometry. Frequently, despite the best efforts of parents and teachers, this can lead to a monotony that causes many children to dread mathematics. The focus of today’s textbooks tends to be on the skills that are easy to evaluate with standardized tests, and those tests are aligned with the Common Core standards.
Common Core was a multi-state initiative born of a desire to standardize math education nationwide. Additionally, according to the designers of the Common Core initiative, “the standards are designed to be robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college and careers.” Ultimately, there is a utilitarian perspective of mathematics instruction. In order for math to be valuable under this system, it has to be useful to employers.
The mathematics contained within the Common Core standards is, by definition, limited to “useful” mathematics. This is a reductive way to look at a beautiful discipline that, if approached correctly, can even help us contemplate the glory of Creation. With the complete abdication of a metaphysical view of the world, mathematics becomes a narrow and prescriptive tool that can only be used to measure and describe things in the natural order.
When confined to the “box” of a utilitarian approach, mathematics can be perceived as boring and painful.
Finding a Way Out of the Box
One of the many beautiful things about homeschooling is that we are not limited by what bureaucrats have decided about education. We can make our own decisions and give our children exactly what they need. We can inspire wonder and creativity. Many children would benefit from an “out of the box” approach when it comes to mathematics.
Mathematics is everywhere. The patterns in creation echo the order of the creator, and that order is described by mathematics. Natural and human phenomena can be described using mathematical models. New mathematical systems can be created when we change our underlying assumptions. Mathematics can go hand in hand with philosophy to help us contemplate things larger than our own minds.
If your child says that they hate math, they may only be expressing their frustration with the limited and reductive version of mathematics version of math taught through the typical textbook approach. Even if your child is gifted at math, exploring topics outside a routine curriculum could benefit him or her by being exposed to math beyond the typical arithmetic/algebra/calculus path. When you help your child who has strong computational skills acquire the ability to see the larger picture and identify patterns and structures in the world, you might just be preparing them to be someone who will one day discover life-saving drugs or innovate new technologies.
While our educational system is set up to create useful workers, those who are taught an “out of the box” perspective are genuinely prepared to make meaningful contributions to society.
And So We Begin!
The challenge for many parents, especially those who believe that they do not like mathematics, is to find ways to teach this important discipline that allows the student to see the joy and wonder in the foundational principles that undergird the very structure of the universe. Join me as we explore various mathematical subtopics that have the potential to spark joy and inspire both you and your students to truly enjoy the wonder and beauty of God’s creation through the lens of mathematics.
What are your thoughts on this topic? Join me and other homeschooling parents at our Homeschool Connections Community or our Facebook group to continue the discussion!
*Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series. In future articles, the author will give you the tangible tools you need to nurture a love for finding the beauty in math!
