Designing a home-centered life: learning, exploring, and creating with our five littles
{I say with the utmost affection,} You might be a math geek if you play board slam at home at night with your husband. You might be a competitive math geek if you happen to forget to tell your husband he can use cubes and squares to get the answers he needs. Ha! But, either way, here are some ideas for keeping the game interesting … [Read more...]
Math seems to require the most concentration for my littles. Even with the struggle (or because of it), this is good exercise for their brain. But, you know training and exercise is hard work. Sometimes you just want to have fun without realizing you're "working out." For these moments, here are some fun ways we've … [Read more...]
In honor of April being Math Awareness Month (No, I did not know this until CC told me!), I wanted to share why we use Saxon math, a round-up of my posts on how to teach math classically, and a favorite article or two on math from the CC Writers Circle.Nearly three years ago, we started with Saxon Math. As with making any educational … [Read more...]
A few months back a friend posted a picture of skip counting boards handmade by her husband. I had never seen anything like them! I thought they looked so cool & started asking for details. My friend and her husband based their design off these online tutorials (1 and 2). They made two versions: one with wooden pegs … [Read more...]
So, I checked in with Saxon Homeschool two days ago via e-mail. I had been hearing mixed reports about changes occurring to their curriculum due to new common core standards. I wanted to hear directly from the company. Here is what they told me, "Since the Common Core Standards do not apply to homeschools nothing has changed. All … [Read more...]
... your children cheer the arrival of the box full of new curriculum, quickly search the box to claim their new math book, and proceed to carry it around with them for the remainder of the day (or longer if you let them). : ) … [Read more...]
Classical Conversations recently sent me the new math facts flashcards to review. Before now, all of our math flashcards were either bought second-hand or homemade. I hadn't considered there could be variety among math flashcards. But, there is! 2 things that make the Classical Conversations math flashcards unique:1. … [Read more...]
"The classical model for math emphasizes memorizing facts for speed and accuracy, and discussing numeracy, operations, and laws for understanding." (p.131, The Core) I can remember reciting addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division tables with my class from simple wall charts in my elementary school growing up. My teachers shared … [Read more...]
So, guys, I spent some time with math while attending my local 3 day parent practicum. Have you been to your practicum yet? Well, if not, prepare to spend some quality time with math. One feature of the 3 morning sessions was a series of conversations between CC's Leigh Bortins and Lisa Bailey. They said that I could learn to love math through … [Read more...]
We are finished our official math studies for the year, but math is on my mind! I'd say it's due to 1) reading what Leigh Bortins recently wrote about knowing math history and 2) my building excitement for this year's CC practicum focusing on math. Both of these things are causing me to think of math in new ways. My previously held opinion of … [Read more...]