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pumpkinmom
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| Posted: April 25 2013 at 3:48pm | IP Logged
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Can we discuss this quote from CM?
"That which is wrong must remain wrong: the child must not be let run away with the notion that wrong can be mended into right. The future is before him: he may get the next sum right, and the wise teacher will make it her business to see that he does, and that he starts with new hope. But the wrong sum must just be let alone." This is from volume one on page 261.
I pulled this quote out of another book and didn't get the original book out, so maybe my questions would be answered if I read some more.
This is a struggle for us. I want all incorrect math work to be corrected as I feel they can learn from their mistakes. Of course, this is hard to do as sometimes it is a day later when I go over the work and we both hate going back and are usually ready to move on. The quote also makes me think I should be watching every step and catching mistakes before they happen.
What is your thoughts on this?
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Cassie
Homeschooling my little patch of Ds-14 and Ds-10
Tending the Pumpkin Patch
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Betsy
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| Posted: April 25 2013 at 7:09pm | IP Logged
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I have read the original quote and have discussed at length in a group setting.
I think that jist of it is that you don't let you child get use to the idea that they get a "second chance" to do their best work.
I do agree that there is merit in redoing problems in math to make sure that an concept is learned, but what I do/recommend is to give them a different problem that is similar to make sure the concept is learned, but not undermine the idea that their best work needs to be done the first time.
I hope that helps....
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Kathryn
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WOW...hmmmm...never heard that or considered it. I have my DS go over his errors ad nauseum.   And of course he *hates* seeing those red marks. I try not to make a big deal of it and just put a circle around the incorrect answer and have him re-do it. I've hoped this would force him to focus and give me his best work the first time but I can completely see how this can be counter-productive. I like what Betsy said about the child NOT getting a "second chance" but how do you implement that exactly? Do you show them the error of the problem and then simply give them a very similar problem one? Seems kind of like doing the same thing. ? Or do you just keep a running tally of the problems and give them say at week's end as "practice" to ensure child has learned the concept? But then how does that have them know they didn't give their "best" the first time? I can see how this can go both ways. Would love other's input too.
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Kathryn
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| Posted: April 25 2013 at 9:05pm | IP Logged
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Also adding...interesting that I feel my DS struggles greatly in math b/c I do seen to have to go over and over the concepts and he seems to constantly miss problems and yet his co-op teacher says he does GREAT in her class, almost always knows the answer, helps out other students etc. They don't do a lesson per se in class but more "concept" based games, activities, few worksheets. She felt like he was right on target and we chatted about how maybe the worksheet drill to kill at home was making me see things differently.
Question is though (I'll prob. post this more generally in another topic) but when you have a child that NEEDS that reinforcement and extra practice to get it to STICK in their brain...how can you do that any other way except the practice, practice, practice...repetition, repitition, repetition?
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Kathryn in TX
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Denise in IL
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| Posted: April 26 2013 at 12:44pm | IP Logged
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pumpkinmom wrote:
Can we discuss this quote from CM?
"That which is wrong must remain wrong: the child must not be let run away with the notion that wrong can be mended into right. The future is before him: he may get the next sum right, and the wise teacher will make it her business to see that he does, and that he starts with new hope. But the wrong sum must just be let alone." This is from volume one on page 261. |
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I haven't read the first volume yet, but in my reading of volume 6, it seems that Mason valued math primarily for the beauty of logic:
pumpkinmom wrote:
| "We take strong ground when we appeal to the beauty and truth of Mathematics; that, as Ruskin points out, two and two make four and cannot conceivably make five, is an inevitable law. It is a great thing to be brought into the presence of a law, of a whole system of laws, that exist without our concurrence,––that two straight lines cannot enclose a space is a fact which we can perceive, state, and act upon but cannot in any wise alter, should give to children the sense of limitation which is wholesome for all of us, and inspire that sursum corda which we should hear in all natural law." (vol 6 pg 230-231) |
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I would not make a child re-work all wrong answers. Constantly being told one is wrong and having to redo things can only be tedious and discouraging. BUT I would point the problem out to the child: "I think there might be a mistake in this one. Can you tell me how you got this answer?" In the process of explaining his work, the child will usually find the mistake and correct it.
In fact, I make it a habit to use the question, "How did you get that answer?" on ALL math problems, right or wrong. (See my blog post on Buddy Math.)
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A veteran homeschooling mother of five, and still learning.
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pumpkinmom
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| Posted: April 26 2013 at 1:11pm | IP Logged
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Denise in IL wrote:
I would not make a child re-work all wrong answers. Constantly being told one is wrong and having to redo things can only be tedious and discouraging.Constantly being told one is wrong and having to redo things can only be tedious and discouraging. BUT I would point the problem out to the child: "I think there might be a mistake in this one. Can you tell me how you got this answer?" In the process of explaining his work, the child will usually find the mistake and correct it.
In fact, I make it a habit to use the question, "How did you get that answer?" on ALL math problems, right or wrong. (See my blog post on Buddy Math.) |
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This is good! I too find the bolded part to be true. Yet, I keep thinking "learn from your mistakes". I guess as a parent we need to uncover if it was just a careless mistake that could be overlooked or a misunderstanding of the lesson which would prompt more problems to be completed or more learning on the subject.
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Cassie
Homeschooling my little patch of Ds-14 and Ds-10
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pumpkinmom
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| Posted: April 26 2013 at 1:19pm | IP Logged
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Betsy wrote:
I do agree that there is merit in redoing problems in math to make sure that an concept is learned, but what I do/recommend is to give them a different problem that is similar to make sure the concept is learned, but not undermine the idea that their best work needs to be done the first time.
I hope that helps....
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 This does help!
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Cassie
Homeschooling my little patch of Ds-14 and Ds-10
Tending the Pumpkin Patch
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4Real Forums : Living and Loving Numbers
Topic: CM on correcting math errors
