Math Doesn't have to be Formal #TMWYK

Tonight for some unknown reason my oldest son, who is in 1st grade, made a statement that started an informal conversation about math.  This is the type of math that I do with my kids at home (no worksheets, no flashcards, etc…instead we #TMWYK – Talk Math With Your Kids) and so I thought I’d share how we ‘math’ at home:

J: “A dozen and a half is 12 and 1/2.”

Me: “How do you know that?”

J: “Well, a dozen is 12 and then you just have 1/2.”

Me: “You are right that a dozen is 12, but what would half of that be?”

J: thinks for a moment, “6.”

Me: “So if you get a dozen and a half, how much would you get?”

J: “6”

Me: “So you would get 6 if you get a dozen and a half?”

J: “Oh, no, it would be….18.” and without me even asking (because I ask all the stinking time that he is so used to it) he continues..”18 is just 2 more than 16,” (I look over quizzically at my mother, who was there for dinner, as he continues) “if it would have been 10 and 6 that’s 16 so just 2 more got me to 18.”

WOW!  Tonight really reinforced to me how much ‘mathing’ we do in our house all day long and I want to encourage everyone out there to find informal ways to math.

Just to let you know that all is not perfect at our household…last night I had this experience with that same child (which I posted on Twitter):