by god I think he's got it ...

To paraphrase Professor Higgins.  A little while back I wrote about the article I'd read in the NY Times about Jump Math.  After a long and terribly tedious process I finally managed to order the book "The end of ignorance" and also a couple of the workbooks of Jump Math.*  And I duly got started on the matter with my son.  I handed my daughter her copy of Grade 4 math, and she started - at the first page.  I protested.  That whole section is for parents.  You need to start with the work sheets.  No I don't. I can start where I like and actually this is all the interesting stuff as it explains all the stuff behind the worksheet.  OK Ma'am, who am I to disagree with any of that profound logic...

OK, the diary of our week goes something like this.  Tuesday the books arrive.  I agree with my son we'll do 30 minutes a day without fail until either the book is finished or 5 weeks are finished. (see Neuroscience lite for the reasoning).

We start on the first page of the workbook, and he goes like a train.  After the usual 10 minutes (I have my stopwatch on the ipad counting down), he sags a little, demands water, drinks water and keeps going.  We finish the 30 minutes and he's done 10 pages.
Wednesday, we start rather late, as he had an ECA, but he's had dinner and a bath and is feeling fresh.  12 pages down.  And he's starting to have some "ah ha" moments.  Like, really? 4+6=6+4.  Like Oh, now I see, 10-4=6 and 10-6=4.  Honestly you won't believe it, he's reached nearly 8 years of age and truly he had NO SENSE OF NUMBERS WHATSOVER.  I blame it all on Everyday Math.  Which should be banned and burned.  Not that I'm a book burner by nature, anything but. But that Math system should be burned.
Thursday morning.  We do 15 minutes before school, as he has music after school.  We have a major argument as he wants to take the math workbook with him to school to work on during recess (WTF?? My son??).  We do 15 minutes after his music lesson.
Friday afternoon.  He has no activities, so we sit down to do the math.  After he's said he's not going to do it and doesn't want to do it.  I insist he does it.  He gets angry.  Starts doing it in slow motion.  We hit a major speed bump - the book makes him write out words.  He doesn't like writing much and especially not if it's unanticipated.  After 30 minutes we've done 3 pages. His chair has fallen down 5 times, so has he, and we've had a row.  I remind him of how well he's done for the rest of the week and that his goal was 10 pages on average a day to earn a set of coveted beyblades.  We continue grimly.  He's not happy. I'm not happy, I need to study Chinese not put up with this S***.
Saturday, we sit down after football.  There is considerable reluctance, but I insist. Dad insists. The sheets flow by.  He has some more "ah ha" moments.  Before we know it, the 30 minutes is gone.

He goes off for an outing with dad.  I get to do some studying.  They come back much later, and Dad is impressed.  Apparently he's dropping numbers into normal conversation, calculating change, using mathematical concepts - something he's never done before.  I fill Dad into the loop on Jump Math.

Sunday, dad decides to see what this Jump Math is about and takes care of the 30 minutes.  After the 30 minutes is over and he's had a quick jump on the trampoline, he's back upstairs insisting on more.  They carry on until page 70, the first point where he can take the Beyblade shooter out of the box.
Even Dad thinks we're onto something here.

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* Just like pointless DVD zoning laws exist, primarily for some antiquated idea of how the world can and should be divided, so too there are publishing zones.  And they're pissing off a lot of readers and authors and seem primarily to be in the self interest of publishers. Here is some more background and vitriol about it (I'm not the only one, even Joyce is getting exasperated.)
My sad story, and the sad story of Jump Math and John Mighton and their ability to extend what they're doing beyond the Canadian borders is as follows:

I read the NY times article.  I try to buy the book.  Book Depository UK (my default, due to free fast shipment to HK) doesn't have it, I try Amazon - 7 -12 weeks delivery IF I choose the middle option, 40 week delivery if I choose "economy" and more than double the price, but still 4 week delivery if I choose "super expensive I want it now" option.  I try (although I know in advance it's a non-starter) - Paddyfield 7 weeks minimum, no guarantees.  I know I won't be here in 7 weeks, which is more than they can tell me.

I drop the issue.  I have a little piece of sticky paper with the author and title on my desk.  A few weeks later,  I have a melt down about the fact that my son is in Grade 2, expected to do long division in an assessment, is clueless, I don't seem to be able to help him, he doesn't even understand addition and subtraction so how on earth will he pass his test?  I go back to the feeling that he just simply stated does NOT get numbers.  No idea. No sense.

I tidy my desk.  See the paper.  I try again.  Go around the same circles, but see now that I can get the book on the Kindle via Amazon.co.uk.  NOT.  Only if I'm a UK customer.  I could get it from Kindle USA - if I'm prepared to wait until December 2013 (yes, you read that correctly, 2013).  Highly frustrated, I contact Nora at Jump Math, I down load and print what I can download and print from their website (after registering).  She's ultimately sympathetic, and explains they didn't want to self-publish, as that wasn't their specialization, they're a charity, they're running on a shoe-string, and she offers to send the books to me, but the postage is pretty expensive - as expensive as from amazon.ca (it's published in Canada, so I worked out that was the best source) and I don't want to waste the time of a lady as nice and helpful as she is.  So I order it from Amazon.ca, it takes a few days to get here (the postage nicely doubles the cost, but I'm desperate after all).
Yes, it was worth the cost - but guys, you've just had some fabulous free marketing in the USA, I'm telling all my friends how good this is - YOU'VE GOT TO KICK YOUR PUBLISHER'S BUTT!

(Here is an interesting article about the future of publishing)