Adding in the kitchen

I like to try make it a habit asking my daughter math questions here and there. Today, while working in the kitchen, I said we're doing "plus one" questions. I asked, what is one plus one, which was easy for her. Then she told me a question. I did another one, six plus one. After that we dealt with one plus six and how to make it easy.

She suddenly said eight and six makes two. Well I should have dug deeper into why she thought that way but this time we just did it with tiny rocks on the carpet. I put the rocks out and asked could that make two. She agreed it couldn't and counted the answer.

After that she said 1 + 2 = 4. Well I asked her to make it with rocks again and then she came up with the right answer.

Then she wondered herself what is 3 + 1, and found the answer.

Then, one more time I got to hear the wrong math: while eating her soup, he announced 2 + 2 = 5. This time I asked her to use her fingers to get it straight.

We've done similar things with plastic bears and blocks too.

I do love the fact that she's interested, and is doing it on her own even.

And I'm sure most kids do the same - we educators just should try not to kill the little child's enthusiasm as school years go on.