So. Given the imminent birth of this squiggly wee wain, I have cut back considerably on the rigors of our curriculum. This is not to say that I don’t feel guilty, mind you, but it is what it is and there are only so many places that these swollen ankles can take me.
One subject that I am not willing to abandon is Math. We need to keep our chops up in this department and I’m sure you agree but it’s hard—isn’t it?—when you’ve got so many students working on so many levels.
I mean, really.
Can’t we just count a bag of chocolate chips…consume them…and be done?
No, we can’t.
Not when you have kids in Middle School, anyway. Not when you have a pregnant mommy who’s gained at least five ten pounds by doing Math this way.
So please tell me what you know, dear homeschooling friend. How do you juggle Math on your end? How do you keep it interesting?
- Do you do Math right away each day?
- Do you have one student playing Math games while the other is doing a drill?
- Can you recommend some good resources? What I’d really like is a list of websites that have games & drills & whatnot, because those colored flashcards are getting old.
I am counting on you (pun intended) to come through for me.
AMDG,
My sons LOVE a game called timez attack for multiplication practice. Even my kindergartener is strating to learn his times tables because of this game…
Here is the link:
http://www.bigbrainz.com/indexb.php
We downloaded the free version, and they love it!
My kids are freaked out by Timez Attack but they are weird like that. They love Multiplication.com. We have switched this year to Teaching Textbooks for the older kids. Right now, the oldest is doing #5 and we are waiting for #4 to arrive for Sunshine. He chooses to do Math first every day and does it completely on his own. It’s like having a math tutor in my home! We are still using MUS for the little ones but as they started moving up the levels, we found that Mr. Demme wasn’t teaching them the way I had learned math so it was only more confusing when I tried to help them.
I wanted to be, really I did, but I’m just not a math games sort of mama. Here, we drill our math facts all together in the morning, at the same time that we work on our poetry memorization and state capitals and whatnot. Whoever shouts out the answer first gets the card and whoever gets the most cards gets a candy. (I guess that’s sort of a game…) We use Math-U-See for the elementary levels, and they come with an instructional video which I THINK is supposed to be for me, but I have the kids watch them and then do their lessons. If they need help, I’m available for clarification and re-education, but they usually do great all on their own. Brenna is working on Algebra, BY HERSELF. It’s a great text, and again, I’m available for troubleshooting without having to hold her hand through the whole thing.
This method gives me plenty of time to count and consume chocolate chips with the preschoolers, which cuts down on the calories, because there are fewer of them. 🙂 In case of over consumption, though, I just go get the mail. It’s something like a quarter mile there and back. I’m pretty sure I walk a couple of miles a day, just doing my outside chores, which, of course, justifies the chocolate.
I’m not sure I’d be of much help. I have John Paul read the lesson himself and do it so I’m not really “teaching”. The other two, I have one doing the facts sheet from Saxon (we don’t time it) while I go over the lesson with the other. Then they just do handwriting or a chore or something until I get to them. I don’t do a lot of stuff, I really keep the lessons very simple. It works for us. There is a website iknowthat.com that has some good math games, but watch out for the advertising (there was an ad for grand theft auto once). Maybe check it out first before deciding if it is good for your guys.
And if it’s a thought for you, I have them reading their own lessons around 2nd-3rd grade. Of course, I still help, but once they catch on to learning it themselves, you have sooooo much more flexibility.
Praying for you and baby!
I second the Timez Attack recommendation. They all love it!
🙂
Math Games by Peggy Kaye is a winning book for us. Some take prep work, though, so computer games might be the best bet at this point!
We are also having great success with Times Tales by Trigger Memory.
Here’s the Amazon description: Times Tales is a creative, innovative mnemonic-based program that makes it fun and easy to memorize the upper multiplication facts. Times Tales uses cute, simple stories to provide students with a “memory peg”, allowing them to quickly recall otherwise abstract facts.
http://www.iknowthat.com has a variety of games for math and other subjects. We don’t homeschool, but my kids love this website.
Math has been the biggest issue with my DD (she’s 7). The one thing that helps is I allow here to choose the order of which she does her individual work (Math being one of them). She sometimes does it first thing, other times she does it last. She and I both know it’s not going to be easy. So allowing her to decide “when” to do it has help some.
Oh, we are done with school this Friday, except Math!!!
I just ordered and received some “wrap-ups” (sounds like a sandwich, doesn’t it?) I ordered them from Timberdoodle.com, they are great for self drilling, at only around $6 each, different kinds, division, multiplication, adding, subtracting and counting.
I’m hoping they will be fun for the summer and in the clinic waiting room where the kids and I will be at least 3 times/week all summer!!
Timez Attack is fun, but the free version is not very much, not very challenging, so they really want you to buy the program, and that is pretty spendy…at least that’s what my hubby said!
Otherwise, I keep telling myself, give yourself a break, it’s summer, all curriculums have review at the beginning…it’s just so hard to let go of all we’ve taught, isn’t it?
Oh, yeah, we do not do math right away, it is drudged until last, sometimes we do it in the afternoon, when I can put my leg up and it’s impossible to do them at the same time, I try to teach the easier ones first.
When we get behind, my oldest can easily catch up by learning a few lessons at a time, but not my first grader, she can only handle one lesson per time. (and barely that)
When I was dealing with pregnancies and babies we did math computer games like Math Munchers and Math Blasters.
Math is second, after Religion. My kids like Timez Attack, but the free version is limited. Two links for you – first is Cyber Challenge, lots of fun. http://www.mathmastery.com/cyberchallenge/
Next is Lets Play Math website. They have lots of links to games, etc.
http://letsplaymath.wordpress.com/free-mostly-math-resources-on-the-internet/
Love all the ideas!
Use Peanut M&Ms — they're more nutritious.
Ok…chocolate covered strawberries.
😉
We still have math to complete, too. About 3 weeks ago, I started correcting 'the page' right after the page was done (we use MUS & I have the kids do 3 out of the six pages for each lesson) … if there were errors, they needed to be corrected immediately. This has kept us up in Math and they've made fewer errors on their 'first' work.
We have Math Counts (a CD for the PC), but haven't used it much. We also have MathShark, a handheld math game. They will use this in the car and seem to like it. Board games are a great way to break it up. Our kids enjoy Life, The Farming Game, Number Rings, Monopoly, & Mancala to name a few.
Knowing me, I should mark this post and refer back in October/November/December!
I’m sure this will be terribly unhelpful, but couldn’t help but notice that CurrClick’s free curriculum e-book this week is “Chocolate Fractions”. 🙂
I am definitely a Teaching Textbooks convert. They’re expensive, but with as many younger ones as you have coming up, maybe worth the investment, in my opinion. I was a Math-U-See convert for awhile, but as Matilda said, I ended up confused, and thus so did the kids, when I tried to follow his methods with older kids.
Cds: Math Blaster and I Love Math.
Online, nothing really stuck for a long time, but sometimes it’s helpful to just Google around and find some games that work for each child.
We’re such a mixed bag when it comes to Math, but we do mix games and drill, and ongoing practice. We’re done with everything here now but some algebra. But then, I’m not 99 months pregnant, so it just doesn’t feel as hard.
Could you have them graph the rate of growth of a baby over nine months? Calculate the rate at which a baby gains weight in the first year? Give them story problems like, “If a pregnant mommy eats 3 gazillion chocolate chips in nine months, how many months of walking the floor at 3 in the morning will it take before she’s hungry again?”
🙂
Sorry. I’m not helping, am I?
Math is the 1st core subject in our day, they have the energy and attention otherwise I lose my 2nd grader.
This is what is used here:
Teaching textbooks http://www.teachingtextbooks.com/
I have to say this was a winner. My 6th grader just completed Math 6and went straight to math 7. Gotta love the motivation.
2. My 2nd grader uses a Hourcourt publisher math "California HSP Math". He likes it, having colorful pages and all.
Since you are nearing the end of the year and your pregnancy I assume you need quick and easy stuff that teaches.
How about:
1. Riverdeep Math (they also have reading) it's a web site by Houghton Mifflin. It's very animated with a funny looking character and does a good job with teaching and reenforcing math concepts. I use it mainly for my 2nd grader. There is a 30 day free trial period and I think the year subcription is around $50.
web site: http://web.riverdeep.net/portal/page?_pageid=818,1381089&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL
2. This game is AWESOME!!! It's called Wonder Number and you can find it at: Wondernumber.com or through Rainbow Resources. There are 2 lesson plan books available PreK-2 and grades 3-up.
I'm telling you this game is a must!! It cracks me up to watch the kids play this and the whole time they are learning prime numbers, fractions, multiplication…CHECK IT OUT
I hope you find something that suit your needs.
God bless you and you are in our prayers for a healthy delivery!
Elizabeth
CA
Popping in to say that you guys are awesome! My kids have been playing Timez Attack ALL morning.
Yeah, maybe because I think of mathematics as inherently interesting, I have never bothered to “try to make it interesting” for my kids. They should be able to perform adequately without being terribly interested.
My 8yo works independently on Saxon 5/4, and teaching your oldest children to do this with math is an excellent investment of time. He is supposed to do a certain amount every M W F. I don’t need to know even which lesson he’s on. He reads the lesson, solves the example problems, and then does the ODD numbered problems. He checks these in the solution manual and records his score. I have a rule that for every problem he misses, he must also work the even numbered problem before it and after it. If he misses either of those, too, he is supposed to see me. He also has to tell me his score on the tests.
I work directly with my 5yo on Saxon math. We pretty much just follow the script, except I skip a lot of parts of the “meeting” as soon as I’m satisfied he’s mastered the relevant skill.
It’s wonderful to hear all these responses, I’ll have to look into some of these websites. I am a Math U See convert this year and am loving it. With my daughter’s personality (active, easily frustrated) Saxon was NOT working for us. I love having the video we watch together, work a page and then she’s onto independent work. Mathusee.com is great for online drill add,sub,multi, divide. Easy way to get the timed review without awful flashcards. Also like wrap ups through Usborne books for a little different review as well.
I’ll need to pop on later to see all the great ideas here….but I just perused them to see if anyone (I don’t think I saw it) uses FLASHMASTER. We got ours a few weeks ago and the kids are finally learning their facts. This is awesome. You can pick from
1. Tables in order (you pick the table)
2. Tables no order (again, you pick the table)
3. Timed practice (you pick a level of problems it goes through)
4. Timed Test (again – pic the level)
It does + – X /.
When they get something wrong on the practice it will give them 2 chances to get it write – then GIVES them the right answer, gives it to them again, and then throws it back in the mix again (if I am not mistaken)
You can see something like the last 8 scores.
I have my kids doing it until the get 90% or better -most times they are motivitated to do it again to improve (like aarrggh I hit the wrong button mom – I could get 100% – like I’m gonna say no!)
It sells on amazon.com for something like $150 but you can get it at flashmaster.com for $50. If you are just looking for facts this is the BEST thing I’ve seen – I love that we can choose tables rather than most things where they add 6+8, 5+10, then onto 23+91, etc.
I highly recommend it – I have 4 kids using it right now. They have fun learning, I can see the scores, and I DON’T HAVE TO CORRECT IT!!
And…we too are moving to TeachingTextbooks next year for my older kids and MUS for the younger ones.
I have no ideas for you…sorry. My oldest is in second grade, and the majority of math is spent on her. My Kindergarten man knows what he needs and more for first grade, so I’ve been able to focus on just the one the majority of the time.
I did laugh at your chocolate chip comment, though. At least you haven’t lost your sense of humor…
Oh, and we use Abeka, so the only drills I do, per say, are the ones given to us in the testing section. We do drills about four times a week.
When I was in high school, my geometry teacher had us read the book Flatland. It’s a real basic story about shapes and perspective. Even though the story doesn’t involve numbers, this a great way to incorporate shapes and classifications, while introducing the idea of dimensions. Try it out if you’re looking for something different in your math lessons.
Lots of great info here. You may have to make this a page all to itself.
We started doing some math drills at http://www.mathisfun.com based on the recommendation of a Mom from our co-op. My kids really enjoy it for drills. I like that it keeps popping up with the facts that they seem to have the most trouble with.
Oh, and we pretty much always do math first. It seems to be the subject that takes us the longest, so we prefer doing it first. Or, I actually don’t know that the kids prefer to do it first, but I prefer that we do it first.
I wish I were a math genius…or even slightly good at it.
I got nada.
But I can diagram a sentence for you….
Math is the only non-negotiable here, and we do it first thing so that afterward we are free to runnoft and do whatever else we want without me feeling guilty for not doing math.
Timez Attack was a big hit with ds a few years ago. Well worth buying the full version.
The Ed Zaccaro and the Marilyn Burns books are also winners.