Rice plus rice equals?

Life is simple. Find a space to eat, sit there and eat your food. If you have the luxury to think of things, count the things that get eaten. Or count the things that get out of the bowl, or plate.

Just kidding. Though that is how we do things in our house.

Still getting over the crisis of the past so my priority is for the family to eat sufficiently. No fancy dining set yet. For now, puzzle mats and the like would do.

This early morning, my younger kids, D2 and D3, demanded I prepare them food. Even if I was very sleepy, I still got up and put rice in their bowls, poured milk and Milo, and went back to bed.

Call me names but it was what I did this morning.

They sat on the rugged puzzle mats while I attempted to get back to sleep.

Thankfully, they know how to feed themselves once food like those is already served to them.

My eldest, D1, woke up as well and went near to where my younger ones were eating. Their father was already using his cellphone browsing reels or whatever on his phone in the living room which is why I thought it was okay for me to go back to bed. In case, he will be the one to assist the kids.

And I heard D2 ask D1, "Manong, rice plus rice?"

The question alerted my brain and I got very curious about the answer to the question. D2 kept asking D1 questions but I focused on the first one.

D1 wasn't minding his brother so I waited until my son finished his food. After saying, "madikon" (he doesn't want to eat anymore, or he is done eating), he washed his hands and came to our room to lie beside me.

Instead of scolding my son that it is not a good thing to lie right after finishing food, I asked him instead of the answer "rice plus rice."

He matter-of-factly answered, "2 rice!" As if saying, "You don't know it, do you?"

I see, so it is not so different with x plus x where the answer is simply, 2x. I almost laughed but I tried not to show it so he won't be disheartened. Besides, I was amused at his game, and I am glad that he seems to be taking after me.

Well, he could be numerical as I noticed his inclination toward numbers whenever I was teaching him his lessons from their modules.

But then I just can't help doubting that his answer to "rice plus rice" would be similar to the answer I would teach to my students in algebra when the question x plus x is asked so I asked him to test and confirm.

I then tried testing him if he was consistent so I asked him, "How about 2 rice plus 2 rice?" Then he answered, 4 rice!

Meaning he indeed grasped the item as similar to algebraic elements and principles.

Four rice plus 4 rice?

• 8 rice.

Eight rice plus 8 rice?

He paused for a moment to ask me, "Ma, what is 8 plus 8?"

I answered 16. So he answered as well

• 16 rice.

Maybe, for the other kids, they would be more bothered about the plural form of rice instead of immediately adding the numbers.

Though of course, we really do not say rice plus rice. Just the form that my son was referring to I believe is algebraic.

Like this:

He may have been looking at the individual cooked grain getting out of his bowl. And what better word to represent the object than rice, right?

It struck me that not all kids think alike and so teaching Math to every student in a four-walled room to understand concepts is not easy at all. You know, we all have different inclinations.

But my boy, I can't wait to share with him similar interests in numbers. He is six now. When he reaches grade 1, I may be able to teach him more about addition.

I wouldn't rush him. I would like for him to also learn about drawing and coloring and reading.

Hmmm... Disclaimer, since I am not sure whether I brought it well to you or not, you may just ask me for clarifications about this article.

I thank you all for reading my silly articles.