Year 8, Week 6: Avast ye, it's Math!

     This week was a bit busier than usual.  We had a lot going on, some of it was preparation for a few things that aren't normally on our schedule.  Luckily, I've padded our schedule to accommodate for such times. This week a lot of my time was spent helping my son with reading comprehension.  With his syndrome it's hard for him to see the answer when it's not obvious.  Last year when I used Wordly Wise with him a lot of the answers in the readings were direct but this year not so much.  I know this is because when he was in the special day class of his public school most all of the reading and comprehension lessons were laid out so that the answers could be easily found.  This was part of the reason we decided to homeschool him; he wasn't prepared for the junior high work requiring him to make inferences when necessary, even with all the support they were providing.  I find myself spending more time with him, getting him to re-read a lot of the short paragraphs and teaching him how to draw conclusions.  He's making progress slowly but surely, but that's one of the benefits of homeschooling.  I can take my time and make sure there's a real understanding and not just "check, that's done" and move on.  That was just a part of my busy week.  I can't even remember all the details, it was such speedy blur!

     Last week I wrote about my favorite subject.  This week, well...let me be honest, it's my least favorite, sort of.  Really, I'm just lazy when it comes to math.  I love words.  I love art and creativity.  I love history.  The only math I like is when I'm measuring ingredients for a cake I'm baking.  I like math when working with our budget.  I'm good at it, it's just low on my list!  This is where The Principal comes in.  He is the Math Whiz.  I call him my "Walking Calculator".  I don't even need to pull out my phone!

     We've used Singapore Math with Little Toughie from the very beginning.  It's my understanding that the Common Core Math you see these days was supposed to be a version of Singapore Math (but gone wrong).  I can tell you that my daughter, having used Singapore, can do most of the math in her head, much like her dad.  So, when I'm baking and I need a fraction multiplied or divided and The Principal isn't around, guess who I'm asking?  Little Toughie!

Little Toughie doing math on my lap!

     It's a little different with my son.  When I first started homeschooling him I wasn't sure what math to use.  I signed him up for CTC Math, an online program which he and I actually enjoyed.  However, at the time, he'd get distracted being on the computer and I couldn't tell how he was doing (it was a fairly new program that has since been updated and is much user friendly now.)  I eventually settled on Teaching Textbooks (which originally was a computer CD program, but I think they're moving to an online platform too.)  It came with the textbook and workbook, so at first he would listen to/watch the lesson in the program and then I'd have him do the work directly in the workbook to limit his time on the computer.  At some point, he was able to get the computer distraction under control (sort of) and that's when I let him do all his work using the the CDs.  This year I wanted to focus more on math for life skills so I purchased a Life of Fred Financial Choices book.  He's also finishing up his last Pre-Algebra Teaching Textbooks program, which I decided he could take as long as he needed to complete.  Progress!

     There are A LOT of math products out there.  I know a few parents whose kids couldn't work with Singapore Math or Teaching Textbooks.  If you're new to homeschooling, try to figure out how best your child learns first. Do they lean more toward auditory learning?  Are they more visual or hands-on?  That could help you narrow it down to math curricula such as Math-U-See or Life of Fred.  It will take some trial and error to figure out what is best, but it's better than having your child get frustrated (or you!)  I sometimes turn to Cathy Duffy for reviews to help narrow my decision.

     On that note, have a great day and don't forget to talk like a pirate!

Kindergarten, Week 35: Our Penultimate Week!

     ONE.  MORE.  WEEK.

     I cannot believe that there is only one more week of our first year of homeschooling.  It just went by so fast!  Just this past Saturday we attended our Classical Conversations end-of-the-year celebration (which ended right before Spring Break started).  I remember last year's celebration and can't believe it's come around again.  Now, I find it implausible that we are nearing the end of Kindergarten.  I say this, despite all the preparations and research I've already been doing for the Fall.  There is a very high likelihood that I will homeschool our son come the next school year.  We have one last meeting in a week or so and are continuing to pray for guidance and answers.  My investigation into different programs has narrowed down my curriculum, and with God's guidance (more than anything else) I am prepared to homeschool both kids and I am excited about it!

     This week we continued reading about Paul in the Bible.  My daughter likes that the origins of many of the books in the New Testament came from Paul and the cities he visited.  For example, I explained that the book Corinthians was written by Paul to the people of Corinth and that my favorite verse, Philippians 4:13, came from his letters sent to Philippi!  She was amazed to hear that, plus seeing the map of his journeys helped her see how far he was willing to go to bring the Good News to the Gentiles.

     I haven't written much about math, simply because at this age, it's not too exciting.  My daughter loves math and our math lessons have now become math drills.  The program we're using was a bit short on practice so I used Super Teacher Worksheets to create sheets for her to complete and to reinforce what she learned.

Super Teacher Worksheet made just for my Little Toughie

     I was using the above referenced site and liked that I could personalize it.  However, a fellow homeschooling mom (who used to be a public school teacher) recommended that I use sheets where the math problems are horizontal rather than vertical (pictured above) as much as possible, especially when it's simple single digit addition and subtraction.  She explained that this will assist them more when doing algebraic work in the future.  She also recommended creating my own flashcards, writing addition facts horizontally, rather than vertically.  Since learning the tricks of the trade I began using The Math Worksheet Site which allows you to choose a vertical or horizontal layout.  I don't get to personalize it, but it will help with her math facts memorization and as my friend stated, it will assist with her ability to read and solve algebra problems later on.  We also use an online program that she absolutely loves (which I will review in a few weeks).  I only use it because once she gets done with her worksheets she wants to do more and this site doesn't use a lot of graphics or music or anything game like.  It's very simple and straightforward and once again, the math basic math problems are horizontal.

     We also began a new book titled The Hundred Dresses which touches on teasing others and the effect it has.  I've taught both of my kids to stand up for themselves should they encounter someone who picks on them and I'm trying to teach them what to do if they witness someone else being bullied.  I can only pray for God's protection over them and that the Holy Spirit guide them throughout their day.

     With that, I bid you farewell.  This is our last week, a busy one at that since my daughter is also in a production of The Wizard of Oz (Have I ever mentioned that she LOVES stage performances and was excited to be in this one?) and this week is chock full of rehearsals and late nights.  I'll write about that another time.  Ciao for now!

Kindergarten, Weeks 29 and 30

     Once again, I find myself having to summarize two weeks of our homeschool experience in one post.  With planning my Little Toughie's birthday party, attending weekly play dates (there is ZERO socialization issues with homeschooling, despite what you may hear) and researching Bible and Language Arts curriculum for both kids for Fall, plus getting our summer plans in order, it's been hectic to say the least.  On top of that, my daughter is going to be in a stage performance of The Wizard of Oz, which requires acting and dance class.  They meet on different days of the week, but take up a chunk of time in our schedule.  Whew!

     In Week 29 we began reading The Story of Dr. Dolittle.  Originally written in 1920 by Hugh Lofting, apparently this particular version is abridged and some parts are cut out.  Nonetheless, we are enjoying this classic and are happy that it's in our curriculum.  I don't think I would have remembered to reach for this book had it not been included.  It's a delightful read and my daughter thinks the personification of the animals is quite amusing.  She told me that she didn't think animals could do a good job of cleaning a house!

     This week we also started a simple addition game using dice.  My daughter uses a path of numbers from 0-20 in her workbook (you can easily have your child draw 21 boxes or circles and write the numbers 0-20 in each) and a pair of dice and a penny (or something just as small).  She rolls one die, moves her piece along the path using that number and leaves it there.  She then rolls again and then moves her piece that number.  Together, she sees the sum of both of those dice.  She picked up on it quickly and began to roll the dice and add without having to count or move the piece.  She was already doing addition work, but this was just a visual tool for her to see the concept in action.

     In Week 30 my daughter discovered the Kids Crossword Puzzle in the Sunday paper.  I'm so glad that she took it upon herself to give it a try and now she wants to do it every weekend.  This helps to reinforce her writing and spelling but also lets her dabble in a little trivia.  Here she is with her first completed puzzle:

     I have to wrap it up because tomorrow is my Little Toughie's birthday and I have so, so much to do!  Have a superb week.

Homeschooling, Week 12

     I can't recall much of our week.  I know there was homeschooling, and we worked on our Classical Conversations facts and ran a bunch of errands.  I workout 3-4 times a week and try to schedule errands on my non-work out days.  I had planned on doing certain errands on certain days, but it ended up getting all switched around anyway.

    Every other week my daughter and I pick a place to have breakfast and do a little homeschooling there.  It's our School Breakfast Date.  I made sure to put everything in her backpack that she would need for that day, even though we were just there for breakfast.  Afterwards, we were supposed to head to Costco, but the coupons we were planning on using didn't go into effect until the next day, which was my CrossFit day.  Instead,  I brought my car for it's scheduled service (I was supposed to bring it in later in the week).  Since I had her homeschool work with us and the waiting area had comfy chairs along with tables to work at, we went ahead and did school at the dealer (it looked like a Starbucks in there!)

     The next day I was able to get my workout done in the morning, homeschool after that and then headed to Costco after lunch.  Since we have a strict budget, I had my daughter add up everything I put into the cart.  I showed her how to use the calculator (and explained that right now it is only used for the purpose of sticking to our budget, not for learning math).  As we were shopping I would point to the price and she would input the numbers.  She did a fantastic job and was happy to help me.  I told her what our budget was and what number to look for.  I asked her to let me know when we where close to or over that number.  As we were getting close (roughly $100.00 away) she would show it to me and say, "Mommy, it's almost there!"

     We ended up over budget because our annual fee was due and I did not calculate for that.  It was supposed to be due in August, but never came up (even during our monthly shopping trip in September) so I forgot about it.  Technically, we weren't supposed to be able to shop in September without first renewing but something went wrong.  Still, we would have been right at our target number had it not been for the fee.  Kudos to my daughter for helping me and I'll give myself a pat on the back for sticking to the list and not purchasing anything that wasn't on it.

     That was our week.  I got to teach my daughter about schedules, even if they do change; about car maintenance and about shopping within a budget.  There's always something to learn and always something to teach.  Thanks for stopping by!

    

Get Outside!

     We have recess everyday.  Everyday.  Now, I say it's recess but really it's the P.E. part of our curriculum.  I think recess sounds more fun!  The kids get outside and I either play with them or workout (or try to check something off of my never-ending mommy/teacher to do list).

     I recently happened upon Mama's Like Me and her post about Fun Water Games.  I loved her ideas and found the Sponge Bullseye was one that I could immediately set up (we were just about to head outside).

     My daughter got a kick out of it.

     Please excuse the other chalk mark scribbles.  Our driveway, along with the sidewalk in front of our house, is filled with chalk art.  I recently drew a giant ant that said, "Feed Me!"  The kids on our block think it's funny.

     Anyway, as you can see I used 1, 2 and 3 as points so that my Little Toughie could add up her score for three tosses.  As I was practicing cleans I watched her play and listened to her as she added up her points.  The most she got was an 8.

     What I was most pleased about was the fact that unbeknownst to her, she was doing math work!

     Never stop playing and never stop learning.

Homeschooling, Week 4

     Yawn.  That is how our homeschool week started.  My daughter was extra sleepy after a very active Monday.  She woke up late and said, "I'm tired." then laid her head back down.  On Monday we headed out to meet with our Classical Conversations family to discuss The Core while the kids played on the field.  If you are interested in homeschooling or even just supplementing your child's education, I highly recommend reading The Core, now.  While your little ones are still little.  It will make a huge difference as they get along further in school.

     During our book club discussion we covered Math and Geography.  Admittedly, math was not my favorite subject in school.  I was a fan of English and Art.  My husband is a math whiz and I find myself being lazy and turning to him to calculate something instead of taking it upon myself to solve.  That bad habit ends now.  Or, at least I'll try.

     Anyway, the wonderful moms shared some great ways to incorporate math into daily routines:

• Cooking, especially teaching kids how to halve or double a recipe.
• Flash Cards (for speed and accuracy)  You can make your own and personalize to your child's level.
• A deck of cards (or two) which you can use to have your child either add, subtract or multiply as you lay the card(s) down.  I actually want to play this myself.
• Use a ruler to measure things different things and then either add or subtract the difference (again, depending on your child's level).

     While shopping I give the kids our budget and then as we put items into our grocery cart we add things up and see how close we are to either meeting our budget or going over it.  This isn't easy for my Kindergartner since she can't add yet, but this also serves as a lesson in smart purchasing choices and how to stick to a budget. My son adds things up (with the help of my husband, the walking calculator) and lets us know when we're over our budget.

     Our group also discussed Geography and I shared with the lovely ladies a great website that provided printable maps.  I'm currently working with the kids to help them learn the Continents and their location on a World Atlas.  Worldatlas.com is another source for larger, colorful maps.  We have a map of South America printed out and in my school binder from this site.  Last year in CC, thanks to a delightful song taught by my daughter's teacher, both of my kids have the countries of South America memorized.  There was even a question on Jeopardy last week about South America and my son was able to answer it because of the song (my daughter was napping and missed out).

     That was just part of our Monday.  The rest of the day was filled with activities, before and after the book club meeting.  We were so busy that when Tuesday morning came around, both kids were still feeling the need for rest.  Our school day started slowly (and later than usual).  I could tell that they weren't ready for class, so we took it easy; only doing our Bible study and some reading.  Afterwards, I let them relax.  My Little Toughie opted to draw and this is what she came up with:

     We just finished our study on weather last week and while she didn't have the energy to go over new material that day, I was happy to see that she wanted to share what she had learned with a picture.  She explained to me that the girl got caught in a thunderstorm.

     This is the prettiest thunderstorm I've ever seen!