Roman numerals....why??

[2Late2BCreative]

Just wanting a little feedback on this subject....
Can anyone educate me on the importance of Roman numerals?? I'm wondering why my kids would need this information. I certainly don't use Roman numerals in my everyday (or weekly, monthly, and even yearly life)...but, just wondering if there is some sort of value to knowing them. Sure...the basics...for clocks, etc....but is it depriving my children of something greater to not know their Roman numerals? Thanks for any feedback :-).

[eilonwy]

My son loves Roman numerals because there are lots of straight lines. He frequently asks if he can write in Roman numerals rather than standard ones just because they're a lot easier for him to form.

[Keria]

Leraning a new thing is always good. They are not that hard so really why not.

[lach]

I think most kids find them fun little logic games to figure out. That's my experience, at least.

They do pop up now and then and it's good to know them. I'm sure you can survive without knowing them, but it's nice to be able to read them when you see them on buildings, coinage, movies, clocks, etc.

It shouldn't take more than a few hours before a child has them down pat.

[laohaire]

Interesting question! I don't know the answer, but I would venture to guess that it's a little akin to learning a foreign language. Learning Roman numerals allows the mind to stay flexible in terms of ways numbers can be expressed. It's not merely different symbols, but a different way of seeing the numbers - you draw a mark I for one, another II for two, another III for three, another for IIII four, but then you gather up all those marks into a separate mark V for five. It's not coincidental that this separate mark denotes all the fingers on one hand. Nor is it a coincidence that the next unique mark denotes all the fingers on both hands.

I think it also is useful for people to know of different numeric systems - we use the decimal system (it matches our hands) but understanding the binary system (and perhaps the hexadecimal system and octal systems, at least in theory) opens your mind to other ways that numbers (and even logic) work. We also understand that the decimal system isn't inherently THE system of numbers, but just the one that matches our biology.

Anyway, those are just my musings on it.

[2Late2BCreative]

Thank you for such quick and insightful replies. :-) I took a look at a book today that has lessons for learning Roman Numerals...and I went "Ugh...I don't want to do this today!".....then of course thought "Why does it need to be done anyways??".....this is really speaking to my mood today...lol.

I agree, though, that learning them may actually be fun...for all involved! Thanks again!!

[umsami]

It's fun for reading copyright stuff (when it's done in Roman numerals.)

Honestly, I learned them sometime in elementary, but they didn't really click until I took Latin in 6th grade.

I actually think in many ways, they help reinforce math concepts. I, II, III...make sense. V is five so four is I less than V. Etc.

[Multimomma]

It's very very important for tracking the superbowl. I can never remember which one we're having, and I can't figure it out because I don't know my Roman numerals.


seriously, it's good for literature, in a book the index is usually in RN, also good for pop culture. My boys learned Roman numerals watching Looney Tunes

[umsami]

Here are some online math games that deal with Roman Numerals:
http://www.homeschoolmath.net/online...man%20numerals

[ChristaN]

Originally Posted by umsami

I actually think in many ways, they help reinforce math concepts. I, II, III...make sense. V is five so four is I less than V. Etc.

That's about what I was going to say. It seems to me to be a good way to reinforce number sense and the concrete meaning of numbers (7 is 5+2).

[tanyalynn]

Originally Posted by TropicalGirl

Leraning a new thing is always good. They are not that hard so really why not.

I love math, I love numbers, but Roman numerals were my first big hurdle. Math was self-paced, we studied and took the test when we felt ready, and I failed it three times in a row--going back to re-read the section and do more problems in-between each time. My teacher finally just told me to go to the next topic.

They are cool in the sense that they don't use the place value concept. I'm going to teach the kids binary and hex just to enjoy the difference in place value, so Roman numerals will come up eventually, but if you don't want to do it now, it just doesn't spark anyone's passion about numbers, then you can wait. I found it a lot easier to learn when I was older (how old? I don't remember).

[Needle in the Hay]

Originally Posted by 2Late2BCreative

I took a look at a book today that has lessons for learning Roman Numerals...and I went "Ugh...I don't want to do this today!".....

I wouldn't have been interested in a book with lessons for Roman Numerals either. I don't think it's so much a matter of "they need to learn this" as it's just another thing in the world to discuss and play around with. My son was interested in Roman Numerals around the age of 5 so we talked about them and sometimes he liked to write out the numbers 1-20 and eventually he asked how to write bigger numbers. It was all very, very informal and it didn't come up because I thought "OK, he needs to learn this today".

Sometimes there are crossword puzzle clues that ask for a Roman numeral, if you are still interested in reasons it might be useful to know them

[zinemama]

I hate math, I hate numbers. But for some reason, Roman numerals were easy to learn. In fact, I don't even remember learning them, they were so easy. Plus, they're all around - chapter titles in books, carved onto buildings - and knowing them makes me feel educated.

[Lollybrat]

Because they're fun.

And because they are useful when counting wheels on a big rig: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60hAe...eature=related

[notjustmamie]

So they can tell what Superbowl it is, and why Shakespearean scholars study HIV (parts 1 and 2).

[PGTlatte]

I think it's good to be able to read them when they are occasionally encountered.

They also helped me appreciate how much easier it is to do math in our base ten numeric system, than in Roman numerals !

[Kontessa]

Because it is on all sorts of little places and I think on the big state tests as well!

[CariOfOz]

Originally Posted by notjustmamie

So they can tell what Superbowl it is, and why Shakespearean scholars study HIV (parts 1 and 2).

THAT was totally my answer . One day your dear child might be an avid football fan and kick him/herself because they have to look up the number on the web to figure out which one we are up to Ok, bit tongue in cheek there obviously

I'll probably go with brief exposure (and probably just in the course of our regular history odyssey studies when they touch on the Romans

[waiflywaif]

This kind of question always bugs me. Why do you have to use something in your "everyday life" for it to be worth learning or knowing? I believe in learning for its own sake. Because it's fun.

[lach]

Originally Posted by waiflywaif

This kind of question always bugs me. Why do you have to use something in your "everyday life" for it to be worth learning or knowing? I believe in learning for its own sake. Because it's fun.

Ditto. IMO learning this sort of thing is the reason I want to homeschool. This is exactly the sort of information that a solid education should provide, but which gets pushed out (even though it only takes a few minutes to teach) in a large class where everyone needs to get up to some standard.