Isabella

So, today Isabella did algebra. Really, it is in her math book. It was funny to watch, she totally got it and thought it was very fun. I think that the curriculum we are using (Math-U-See) gives a more logical, though not the normal, order of introduction for things. In the beginning of the year she learned place values, right after the book went over counting to 9. It totally makes sense, but it is not the way it is usually done.

Anyway back to Algebra. She learned how to solve for an unknown. ?+4=7 kind of a deal. She has manipulatives that she uses and figures the whole thing out. After the first one or two she can fly right on through. Today she was laughing and clapping and getting all excited. She thinks it is very fun. You know what else she thinks if fun? The word problem at the bottom of each page. No problem, bring it on!

She will turn 5 next week. I know it is the tendency of parents to think thier kids are gifted, so I have tried to stear clear of that. I don't know if she is "gifted" but she is definatly a learner. Learning frustrates her if she doesn't get it right away, but usually she understands very quickly and needs no further help (though she doesn't like it if I walk away and let her do it herself, she wants me to stay right there with her). For example, English/grammar/phonics lessons a couple weeks ago she had to pick nouns, and verbs out of a sentence. I was helping her with it, so she would read the sentence and I would say, "ok, which word is the naming word, the noun?" and she would find it and circle it, then I would say, "ok, now you are looking for the action word, the verb" and she would underline it. By the 3rd sentence I went into the same explaination and she cut me off saying, "I know what I am supposed to do, just let me do it". She wasn't trying to be snotty, but I was slowing her down!

I try not to push her, I don't think she needs to be a genius or anything. But I don't want her sitting around board either when she can obviously do more. So, though she was 4 when this "school year" started I stopped calling it pre-school becasue she is doing Kindergarten and first grade level workbooks. She reads well now, She and I read a Dr. Seuss book tonight, we switch back and forth where she reads one page and I read the next, so she doesn't get overwhelmed. She is writing pretty well, she can add single digits, tens and hundreds, count by 2's, and 10's, do word problems and now solve for an unknown. I think it is amazing.