Easy as pi. Pie. A fraction of a pie. Whatever.

On Sunday I tweeted this direct quote from Dale, speaking about math:
"I don't like hard stuff like addition or subtraction. I like fun stuff like geometry and fractions."


It is true that he whizzes through his multiplication exercises, while moaning and plodding through addition/subtraction (gasp! word problems! borrowing!).


On Tuesday he backed up his proclamation by unintentionally (and unknowingly) besting me at mental math.


I was doing something in the kitchen when Dale came along and asked me, "what is 3 1/5 divided by 2?


I began doing some mental calisthenics, and at the same time I had arrived at 1 6/10, he answered his own question. "It's 1 3/5!"


I was dumbfounded, really.  Not that what he figured up was that hard.  But we have only covered basic fractions.  Colored in pieces of the pie.  Stuff like that.  We have not talked about how to add, subtract, multiply or divide fractions.  I don't remember ever teaching how to reduce fractions, and I am certain he's never even heard the phrase "lowest common denominator."


I won't even begin to go into the way he came up with 3 1/5 in the first place.  Sometimes I really don't understand how that boy's brain works.  I just know he keeps mine spinning!