Unschooling and Learning Maths

by Beverley Paine
First publised in Stepping Stones for Home Educators, Autumn 2002

Learning maths without picking up a maths books is a challenge we've never completely mastered. We had long bouts of no maths books at all, and the children seemed to learn and master the skills without much overt help. That encouraged me. When April was twelve I purchased 7Plus and 8Plus, two beaut maths books that set out how to do the problems and offered puzzle, test and answer pages. All three of the children have used these books to test their maths abilities and to expose them to the written expression and workings of maths. This revision and 'topping up' of maths skills provided comfort for me as a learning naturally mum and served a useful educational purpose for them.

Most of the children's maths learning derives from daily life activities. We've built two homes around their heads over the last twenty-one years. We're continually building. Try divorcing using maths from building! It's impossible. Our eldest's toddler years were spent playing with tape measures, levels, squares, and angles. Her brothers weren't spared either. Add a fantastic LEGO collection, a wonderful tool for installing and cementing maths and physics concepts into young minds, and you can see why my children are competent mathematicians.

Money is an excellent tool for teaching the four functions - addition, subtraction, multiplication and subtraction. As the years advanced the children became competent at working out percentage and fraction discounts and interest as well as making sure they got the right change. As a 15 year old checkout assistant our daughter was stunned by how many children have no idea what to tender or how much change to expect.

As to advanced maths for tertiary education I've always encouraged the children to understand that, with the basics covered, they can learn anything they want or need to at any time in their lives.

Our daughter discovered algebra was used in spreadsheet calculations and overcame a learning block as a result, finally seeing a use for something she'd met in maths books and hadn't understood. The boys inadvertently began using equations when designing a Lego game based on a Dungeons and Dragons style computer game. Their father has used trigonometry in their presence to calculate amounts used in a landscaping problem. Seeing the usefulness of these maths tools demystified them for the children.

Good study habits make learning from maths texts easier, and I've found that a lack of book learning in the early years doesn't impede the development of these skills. Access to a sympathetic and competent mentor is essential in all learning situations, and having someone to model oneself on helps too. We all feel confident that should the need arise we can all tackle any kind of maths in order to pursue a career or interest. For now coping with everyday maths seems sufficient and is still learned 'on the job'.