Miquon can introduce math ideas so quickly in the early books, that I get caught off guard. For the past few days, M has been practicing addition and subtraction, playing on number lines, and I’ve been getting breakfast dishes done while he just does whatever came next, being about to help answer questions and keep K from drawing on the table or herself.
Today he asked me what these dotted symbols meant. Glancing over from the oily pan I had roasted potatoes on the night before (OK, it was breakfast and Large things that hadn’t fit in the dishwasher from supper dishes) I explained that it meant "times" or "groups of." M nodded, and began working away, although he was pleased to learn later that he only had to draw two diagonal lines, not a group of diagonal dots. He even said, "Oh, I can skip writing 2+2+2+2+2+2+2 on the sheet I didn’t finish yesterday and just write 2×7, I’ll be done quicker."
So far so good. He has more trouble remembering not to write his numbers mirror style than figuring out the actual math. No temper tantrums over perfection this month either. He was a little frustrated that he’d mixed up the x with the + a few times. I suggested that tomorrow he borrow Daddy’s highlighter pen to find all the x’s first, so that would be easier tomorrow. Oh, a gadget? Be still his heart!
A gadget! Hooray– he's clearly your son!