Coming Next Week: Math Week!

I have spent some of the last few weeks studying up on the Quadrivium. I have a deep desire to teach these things as liberal arts–as arts which humanize, which contain truths worth knowing and delighting in. When it comes to math, I think that I was taught most math as if it were tricks to be known and done, often times without any deep understanding. I thought I didn’t like math until I was taught Algebra, at which a lot of the truth of math suddenly came alive for me.

That was when I understood and appreciated–dare I say fell in love with?–math.

I still think that teaching math is not my forte, which is quite frightening when I think that Charlotte Mason said that unlike literature and history, math depended more on the quality of the teacher than it did the textbook.

I am blessed to know of a few people who are quite gifted in this area, and I asked three of them to share with you next week during what I’m calling Math Week. First, we have upside-down math from Down Under {just kidding}, brought to you by Jeanne from A Peaceful Day, who is too humble tell you she is a brilliant scientist/geneticist {so I’m telling you}. Jeanne is going to share about Charlotte Mason’s philosophy on math and apply this to teaching elementary math.

Next, we’ll have the imminent Tammy Glaser from Aut-2B-Home in Carolina, who has not one but two degrees in mathematics. Lucky for us, she loves to talk about math. Tammy and Jeanne work together to moderate the math portion of the Ambleside Online Forum. She’ll give us some pointers on teaching which will apply at any age.

And, lastly, when I wanted to know more about teaching Euclid {which Charlotte Mason did for a time in the junior high ages, where it was treated as both geometry and logic}, I knew I needed to invite one of my favorite book club buddies of all time, Willa, who is always blogging somewhere but seems to be mostly at athelas these days. A number of her children have done Euclid before graduation, which more than qualifies her to enlighten us on this subject!

So here we are, with a full math lineup for next week. I hope you’re as excited as I am!