avoiding math

Can children really have a preference?

Halley was now in her second year of this first/second grade class. I needed to make sure she was gaining math skills in a school that gave children a lot of opportunity to make choices. Her choices were never bringing her to the math area. She would much rather spend time in the greenhouse or in the art room or in the writing corner. Every time I went to request some math practice, she looked disappointed and dragged her feet.

For students like Halley, I began a system of requiring everyone to complete one activity each week, and I kept a checklist of those who had finished. It took some effort on my part, but Halley’s response was surprising. She began to get very interested in the math activities I was giving her. Instead of disappointment, she began to show real enthusiasm for her own math accomplishments, and I hardly had to remind her at all to complete the work.

When children express a preference for (or against) something, I really question how much they understand about their own choice. Often they give more value to what is familiar, since they know they will like it, in contrast with the unfamiliar, which may be pleasant or unpleasant. If they often get to choose for themselves, they can form ingrained habits, and become even more resistant to change.

The irony here is that choice makes them less free. Carried forward by unexamined impulses, children lose the ability to look deeply at anything. The desire for immediate satisfaction wins over the patience that brings real satisfaction. What Halley discovered was the joy of doing work and learning through the process. She would probably need many more experiences like that before she would challenge herself through her own initiative. The restriction I placed on her actually gave her opportunities that she didn’t know existed.

: : : Structure deepens a child’s freedom.