My son just asked me to write out two pages of math problems . . . single and double digit addition. He completed them with great spirit and joy. The reason, I believe, he did this stems from the fact he attends a progressive school, part of the Palo Alto public school system. The only reason the Ohlone School kids have homework is if they don't finish their work during the day. That leaves evenings and parent time open for exploration . . . reading, talking, and yes, math.
The concept is that he will ultimately drive his own learning and be responsible for it. I admit to thinking "yeah, right" and "what's the downside of trying." What I see is a curious child who genuinely want to learn, to test his knowledge and increase it. He's aware of his level among his peers in math and reading. He's comfortable with it. He'll say "I'm not at that level yet." And he'll ask to practice math.
I have no idea whether Graham's curiosity and spirit will continue for four more years at Ohlone and beyond. I hope and pray it will. There's a bit of magic starting to happen now. The spark of learning and the journey to mastery are evident. I'm thrilled to be along for the ride.
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