Let's get one thing straight - math is not just computation and formal notation. Phew, I feel better already! <g>

Math is just so much more than an unending sea of worksheets. And I bet your kids are encountering it daily, probably without even realizing it! If you think they aren't then your definition of "math" is probably too narrow. Let me think about just this past week at home with say, my youngest - he's six years old as I write this:

• Let's see, one morning he glanced at the front page of the Best Buy flyer on the kitchen table and I heard him say "Whoa! That costs two thousand five hundred dollars!" I came by and glanced at the page. Not seeing anything around that price I asked "how'd you get that?" and he replied "If you buy these two things together". They were a TV and a home theatre sound system placed beside each other and listed as $1999.99 and $499.99. I've seen him round up before, but rounding two things and adding them together was new. Cool!

• Another morning he was playing a video game and he came across some roman numerals. He said his older brother had told him they were numbers but he couldn't remember what they were so I told him the values for I, V, and X as he came across them. I could tell he understood because he was figuring out the rest for himself (like VII and XI).

• Another day we went out with his sister to buy some scrap fabric. He decided to get some as well and sew pillows. When we got home some shape discussion ensued, and we brought out a ruler to help cut out a reasonable looking square. And there's lots of patterning in the act of sewing itself.

• One evening he was playing a video game and had collected 41/50 of something (Boos in Luigi's Mansion if you're curious <grin>). His Dad mentioned that that was 82% as he was passing out of the room. He replied that no, percent was out of one hundred so he had 91%. I could see how he got that and just let him think on it (I was mostly impressed with the "percent was out of one hundred" comment!) When he made it to 42/50 he said now he had 92%. I casually mentioned that since he was measuring out of 50 to get it to out of 100 he was doubling it, so he needs to double the 42 as well, so he has 84%. That's it. I didn't quiz him to see if he understood it, I just gave him some new information to chew on.

• Not to mention all the logical thinking that goes into playing his video and computer games which he does almost daily.

All that and we didn't pull out one worksheet. I tell you, it's everywhere!

I think math is one area where the idea of unschooling (that you start day one by living in real life, seeing the big picture, and as you encounter the details they make quick, meaningful connections) really shines. So many school kids don't get the "big picture" of math because they are caught up in the details, in the computation and notation, and are intimidated because there doesn't seem much they can connect it to in real life to make it meaningful. It's just a bunch of seemingly arbitrary rules that need to be memorized.

Word problems are probably a good example. Why do sheets and sheets of inane word problems (do I multiply? do I add? why do they want to break that cookie in half?) when they occur naturally in the real world where they are full of connections and real meaning: "I want to buy this game that costs $50 and I have already saved $20. I get $5 a week in allowance so if I save it all how many weeks until I can buy the game?"; "It takes 45 minutes to drive to Grammy's house and we want to be there by 1pm for lunch. What time do we have to leave?"; "I want to buy this item for $5 and this item for $7. Do I have enough money?"; "We want to build a skateboard ramp. How much wood do we need to buy?" Don't turn these questions into a "lesson" - that would be thoroughly annoying - and would likely discourage the kids from ever asking out loud again (or listening to me if I talk through them aloud). These are just naturally occurring conversations in the course of daily life.

And here's a bunch of other ways math just naturally appears in real life: board, card, & dice games (think Monopoly, Yahtzee, dominoes, Set, Labyrinth, puzzles etc.); allowances; trips to the store; computer games (like Zoombinis, tycoon series, Freddi Fish, Putt-Putt, Age of Mythology etc.); cooking; building stuff; beading; rearranging bedrooms; building toys (legos, K'Nex etc.); favourite TV shows; video games; sewing; crafting ... math truly is everywhere!

But that's just basic math, you say, what about the more complicated stuff? Well, my oldest son just turned 12 and with his interest in video games he has encountered: algebraic equations (complicated character & weapon evolution formulae); percentages (they are everywhere in video games); serious data management (huge tables of data to manage relationships between character class, levels, abilities etc.); and computer programming and logic (through cheat code effects and make-your-own games software).

And math stuff they don't encounter in "real life" is of no real use to them as adults (I don't think I've attempted long division since elementary school - and I don't consider it a "rite of passage"). Think about the school kids who are taught the rules for more advanced geometry or calculus questions. They may get the right answer on the test but forget it soon after because they don't use it in real life. Did they really learn it? Was it worth the time, frustration, and use of brain cells? Maybe, if they got something useful out of it (like pride in figuring it out in the first place) but it certainly wasn't necessary.

And if they do come across higher-level math in real life? Great! They will be able to see the purpose of it immediately, understand its use, and will likely learn the calculation / notation details quickly because it makes sense to them. They will have something to connect it to. That's what unschooling is all about. But it doesn't matter if they are 10 or 20 years old or older when they encounter it.

And finally, what if you feel intimidated by even the word math? Well, then don't use the word. It's just a word, and usually a limiting one in most people's mind. Just as I don't label stuff we do as science, or geography, or English - those are arbitrary delineations required for school structure. And try not to pass your fear along to your kids. Just talk with them naturally as mathy things show up in real life - the big picture. And I wouldn't be surprised if that math you learned in school starts making more sense to you as you see it naturally occurring every day and are watching your kids soak it up!

Here are a couple of great resources I have come across. I'm sure you can find more if this topic is dear to you!

Math Power: How to Help Your Child Love Math, Even If You Don't by Patricia C. Kenschaft
This is a great book about the process of learning math. It's full of explanations and suggestions and discussions. It just all around makes you feel empowered to help your child through the wonderful world of mathematics!

Joyful Math is a website / blog maintained by Pam Sorooshian. She's a college math professor who also unschools her three kids. Math is one of her joys and she shares many ways to enjoy math with your kids.

This topic also comes up pretty frequently on unschooling discussion lists and where you can often gets ideas of favourite computer games, board games, dice games etc. that are math oriented. Check them out if you like!