Really, I’d just wait and see how math goes in school. As with a lot of things, I’ve found that sometimes you just have to be patient for certain concepts to “click”. If things generally don’t click, though, it may simply be a matter of finding a way that he understand things according to the unique wiring of HIS brain. Nothing wrong with that: Schools teach one way for many unique kids, so they don’t hit everybody.

All that said, if you nudge your own awareness of it, there are so many ways to lightheartedly boost a kid’s math awareness and foundation as you go through life and errands. Cakes, pies, cookies and pizzas are especially great for all math operations– we’re into food here!

I’m pretty fascinated by my 6 year old’s mind, as he has that special math-music connection going on. While not everyone has that particular gift or mode, I do believe that music is another thing that supports math and reading abilities.

I hid my fear of math from my girls until they surpassed my limited knowledge. They figured me out when I started telling them to go ask their Dad to help them with their homework. They are both in advanced math classes.

On the other hand they are creative, too. Are they creative because they have been exposed all their life to various art mediums, or is it in their genes? Both, I think.

One example is the fact that the number 5 repeats itself in nature everywhere.

http://britton.disted.camosun.bc.ca/fibslide/jbfibslide.htm

The beauty of the Golden Rectangle in Greek architecture. The basic concept of the golden rectangle is that what we find most beautiful and most pleasing to the eye in architecture and art are based on the golden rectangle.

http://images.google.com/images?q=golden+rectangle&rls=com.microsoft:en-us&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=aHwqSpLfH4eINvTEya0L&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&resnum=4&ct=title

And so many other wonderful ways to explore math in the more creative part of our world will make it more interesting for him (and you). I hope you find some of this useful.

But she’s had some amazing math teachers over the years who have known how to convert that creative streak into full-blown math exploration. I don’t know how they do it, but they have. As a result, she’s a creative kid working at least 1-2 grade levels ahead in the advanced math class at school.

And no, I was NEVER in advanced math.

Big is finishing K right now & much of the “math” they did this year has a lot to do w/grouping and manipulatives. Things I never would’ve thought of as “math”. But by now they’re adding, subtracting & even doing word problems (seriously!) I think much of it has to do w/exposure and the type of feedback they get from those around them. The first time Big did a word problem I just about fell over at how easy it was for her & she could tell, so then she got excited and wants more. I hear similar stories from the other parents.
I think the key is exposure at an early age & trying not to give them our issues. They’ll create their own in due time.
I’ll shut up now.

Art is a form of math. Seriously. I’m sure that show numbers could prove my point, but if you look at the various ways our world fits together, there is all kinds of math involved. It’s so ingrained that we don’t see it as math. (No, I did not smoke anything tonight.) AND if someone showed you the formulas for the math related to your art, you would most likely understand it completely, because you now have an understanding of how it works in the world & it makes sense to you!

That being said, I was “gifted” in math until my Freshman yr of high school. Then they put me in an advanced class for me and remedial for all the Jr & Sr in it. A bit intimidating. I realized I could boost my GPA by back tracking & taking the appropriate level for grade classes & did that. Too bad our system encourages the value of the “grade” instead of what is actually learned.

As the daughter of two accountants who devoted an enormous amount of time to encouraging their children in academic (especially mathematic) pursuits, I was always a math person until it started to involve IDEAS more than actual FACTS. I liked the numbers and the certainty and those ideas weren’t always as certain as I wanted them to be.

At that point in time, everything changed. It was a slow shift, of course, but over the course of about a year I went from being a numbers and math person to being a more creative sort. I found out that I was good at other things besides numbers, so I left math in the dust.

I was 16. And now I know that unlike creativity, when you let numbers pass you by? It’s hard as Hell to catch up again.