The kids have all been struggling with doing basic addition and subtraction facts quickly, and so recently I asked them all to do an iPad game called Number Run three times a day for ten minutes each. In T.J.'s masters' program he learned that short, frequent study sessions are best for memorization, and we're testing that idea out here. The problem is that we've used Number Run before without much success, and so the kids were not thrilled with the idea, especially Ezra. But I really felt the problem had more to do with attitude than with method, so I told the kids not to worry too much about how quickly they progress through the levels, but just to enjoy it and to do their best. I figure the human brain can only keep information out for so long. Still, after the joy of blasting through the initial, easy levels, the kids were frustrated when they plateaued.
I had a hunch that if they could just believe in themselves, they could make progress again. So yesterday we started asking for help with this specific problem in our daily prayers alone and as a family. Yesterday Eliza passed off the level she was struggling with. Today Naomi busted through her roadblock. And we expect Ezra to have a breakthrough any minute now.
Faith. It solves all kinds of problems--even, as it turns out, mathematical ones.
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