Math Facts Help for Digital Learning

  There is an idea I heard about from some homeschooling moms for kids who are ready for higher math but don't have their math facts memorized. The idea is for them to use a times table or other with the facts written down, and refer to it as needed. As they continue working on the higher level work they will have the facts reinforced by them seeing it and eventually they won't need it anymore. But in the meantime you're not frustrating the kid with boring repetition when they're ready and interested in going beyond 5=2+3. Early Bird is back to doing math at Dream Box (at his request) for the next few months. Since he always does that on the laptop, I turned the area into a math center for him with all the reference materials and tools he may need to make it smooth sailing.  I used Command Hooks to hold up his Right Start abacus (I love Command Hooks,) I got the cute 10 Buddies print out from Teachers Pay Teachers (free to download!) and the rest I either used a Google image search or made myself. Early Bird does well learning from visual sources, so here's hoping this will work for him.

Math: Going Against Common Advice

Part 3 of my series wrapping up what we learned this year in different subjects and what each experience taught me about homeschooling in general. (Part 1: History, Part 2: Science.) It was a year of adapting and adjusting, that's for sure. Just like the year before...

Weekly Wrap-Up: Week 2

Last week I gave a review of our week by subject. This time I'm going to do it by day. Because it has been A Week. *Warning!* This got really long. And involves what kind of looks like complaining. Feel free to skip this one. BUT, there is also a learning progression that happened for me, that might help others if they're in a similar situation with their homeschooling. So maybe it's worth reading.

Right Start Math Drop-out

Okay, I'm finally ready to admit it: we are Right Start Math drop outs.

I love Right Start Math. Truly I do. It helped me improve my own mental math, just teaching Builder Boy the first level! It had great hands on stuff that Builder Boy needed and the way it dealt with numbers really worked for Builder Boy.

But.

It took too long. There was too much stuff to look ahead and plan and get out (even though it's all laid out for you.) And Builder Boy could not just do a set time limit. Oh no, we had to do an entire lesson. And then we had to add on something from a previous lesson that he just LOVED. So that even when it was easy for him, it was still taking much longer than I was willing to spend on it.

We didn't even finish the first book. And I got so sick with Lady Bug's pregnancy, and...yeah. After Lady Bug was born I tried to start it with Early Bird, and it worked for a while. But again, too long. Especially now that I have two students.

I wanted so much to go through the whole program. But the best curriculum isn't one or the other, but rather the one that gets DONE. So I'm not going to be buying the next level. (Which is a bit of a relief money wise, though I still believe that if you have the money and it works for you, you should totally do it.) So what now?

Working on Dreambox

Well, sometime before I had Lady Bug I signed Builder Boy up for a free trial of Dreambox online. I knew after watching for just two days that this was something I was willing to pay for. (And it wasn't too expensive, either!) The on screen abacus they used was the same as the Right Start Abacus, which was good. It also introduced other things that were new to Builder Boy. I was very happy with the way that they presented most things. I had heard that there was an assessment test, and I was confused when nothing I saw him doing looked like an assessment test. The "tests" were actually sprinkled in with the other activity choices. When a new concept popped up with a star on it, it was a test. If you knew it, you moved on and didn't do any more. If you didn't "pass" high enough, or pushed the "I don't know" button, then they teach it to you. Very low key, and perfect for test anxious kids. I really loved the progress reports sent to the parent's e-mail, and the ability at any time to see where exactly he was in various sub sections of math. Also, it was cartoon-y and fun. It had a built in reward system and other "games" (that were actually math application practice and logic games) and little stories and videos that the kids earned by doing enough activities. It was perfect for Builder Boy and he loved it. Until he didn't. I don't know if it was a lack of practice, scaffolding, or teaching, or if he just wasn't developmentally ready; but somewhere at the end of the 2nd grade materials Builder Boy hit a mental wall and just couldn't go any further and started crying every time I asked him if he wanted to do it.

He'd been playing quite a bit for several months at that point, so I gave him a math break. He'd almost completed 2nd grade math before Christmas, so I wasn't worried about him being behind. Plus, Dreambox saves the child's progress, even if we dropped our membership for a while.

December is when I was dealing with the worst of my postpartum depression, so math got dropped for several months. In February I purchased the first six Life of Fred books (grades K, 1, & 2.) Builder Boy devoured them up in a week. We've started going though them a bit more slowly now together, once in a while.

Around that time we also started working on telling time. I mostly made stuff up and got Pinterest ideas for that.

Sometime around March I picked up Second Grade Math in Action (Sylvan Workbooks) (Math Workbooks) at Costco, and we did whatever Builder Boy felt like in that for math.

Taking the ADAM

Around this time I started looking into Math Mammoth workbooks. I really liked that they had not only grade level books, but subject specific books to work on areas that needed more practice. Since we'd been practically unschooling math, I thought it would be good to get a better idea of where Builder Boy was. So I signed him up for the ADAM K-7 by the same company that produces the DORA. Like the DORA it was online, so no writing (yay!) and adaptive, which means less time wasted, and you're not stuck in one grade level only. His scores left me a bit more confused, however. (I still recommend it! Worth the $20.) But as part of the report it offered the Khan Academy lessons that corresponded with his lower scoring areas.

I've been hearing about Khan Academy for years; since I first started reasarching homeschooling online. They're free (yay!) so I signed Builder Boy up. It is not a cute and there's no play like Dreambox. It is just plain math. But you can earn badges, which fills Builder Boy with pride. And the teaching videos are great.

Builder Boy has been working faithfully on Khan Academy since early April, and he's almost finished with the Early Math (K-2nd Grade) stuff. Their assessments make you prove more times that you can do it, and I like that. It makes advancement a little bit slower, but so far it hasn't frustrated Builder Boy. There are things that the videos, which teaches, I'm thinking, a more traditional way, that sometimes aren't everything Builder Boy needs on his own. But because I'm watching a little bit, and I watched some of Dreambox, I can tell him "remember, it's like __________ on Dreambox?" And that different way he learned months ago he can then apply to the Khan Academy problem, and then he's good. It's only been a month and a half, but I've seen a great jump in his confidence and his ablity.

So now the plan is to finish the Early Math and then continue to 3rd Grade Math at Builder Boy's own pace throughout the summer, taking a break near the end of the summer. (We school year round. At least, that's always the plan.) In the fall we will do Math Mammoth 4 days a week and Khan Academy on the 5th or for extra fun or to earn extra rewards or something. I'm looking forward to having Builder Boy take the ADAM again next year and see the difference.

I don't know if Math Mammoth is going to be the curriculum for us or if we'll have to go looking next year. At least it's pretty inexpensive in comparison to Right Start. (I'm planning on buying the pdf and printing it out.)
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Links in this blog post will either take you to the main website of the company mentioned or another blog post of mine with further information. Only the Amazon.com link for the workbook is an affiliate link. The rest are linked purely for your convenience.

Life of Fred: a Gateway Book!

I purchased the first six books of the Life of Fred elementary series because I have been feeling unsure about our choices in math. I thought it would be a fun supplement to introduce new math concepts. What I did not realize was that it would get Builder Boy to read!

Until recently I wouldn't have called Builder Boy a reluctant reader. But he doesn't have reading stamina, nor much enthusiasm for it. Taking the DORA certainly proved that he can read. He just doesn't want to very much. His favorite books are the Magic School Bus books. But mostly he just looks at the pictures and reads the little pieces of information, but not the story.

On the day the Life of Fred books showed up in the mail I read the first three chapters with both boys. Early Bird wasn't as interested in the story, which surprised me. I thought he would be the one who responded best to the story format.

Later that day I read a few more chapters to Builder Boy, who liked the story very much. The next day in the car, he finished the book all by himself! This was unprecedented. He excitedly talked about reading the next book and the next. Between that day and the next, he read the entire 19 chapter, 120+ page second book all by himself!

I knew Builder Boy was my math guy. But I never realized math would get him to read! I highly recommend these books for anyone with a math loving reluctant reader. Or anyone, really. These books are a lot of fun! I hope that once he finished the series he'll be confident enough to read other chapter books.

Added later: This morning Builder Boy came up to me and asked for the third book. And proceeded to read seven chapters; 52 pages!
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Sometimes the Life of Fred books can be found on Amazon.com (the picture to the side is an affiliate link.) I've been looking on and off and it changes. But if you buy them directly from the publisher, more money goes to the author, and the shipping is free in the US. 

Learning Time the Kinetic Way

I've written before, though not recently, about how Builder Boy learns best when he can physically move something related to the topic. I don't do this with every single subject, but when he gets stuck on something I find for him it's best if I pull away from the official curriculum for a little while and come up with something different and tangible. Builder Boy was getting frustrated with his telling time workbook, so we stopped started trying some other things.

The first thing I had him do was to write the minutes on a paper circle. Then I gave him some of his PVP pipes to use as clock hands and I had him be the clock. He really liked that.


 


The next day we used two pieces of paper, one on top of the other. On the top piece I wrote the regular clock numbers and then cut between numbers to make tabs. Under each number Builder Boy wrote the minutes for each one. This way he could practice without being given the answer.




The next day I cut different colored construction paper circles into fractions that fit his clock from day one. I made half's, quarter's, and sixth's. On one side I wrote the fraction, on the other side I wrote how many minutes. He loves playing with fractions, so he played with these for quite a while, experimenting with what equaled what.




The next week I made construction paper circles for every number on the clock and had him jumping around the clock. We also practiced "top of the hour," "bottom of the hour," "quarter after," and "quarter 'til." He jumped clock wise 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, and 30 minutes. We worked/played with the floor clock for a week. We also used larger pvc pipes to show fractions on the floor clock. Even Early Bird is joining in with the floor clock.

I think it's starting to sink in, though Builder Boy still thinks a "quarter of an hour" is 25 minutes when initially asked. But at 11:45 one day he did look at the clock and say "it's a quarter 'til lunchtime!" We'll practice a little bit more, and then try the workbook again.

Kindergarten Online Math Comparison

This summer I saw Early Bird try three different math learning programs online: MoreStarfall.com, Mathseeds (off shoot of Reading Eggs,) and Dreambox.

We have been paying for MoreStarfall.com happily for a year and a half now ($35/year.) They have been adding things to it since we first signed up, and it was Early Bird's first introduction to math subjects outside of a few things I did with him. However they are games, not actual lessons. While a bright child could learn from it, they could also pick up wrong ideas if they are doing it without being taught what exactly it is they're doing. It also has multiplication and division games, again without actual teaching, which does not seem appropriate for their target audience (pre-k to 1st grade.) There is also no progression; the kids can pick whichever game they want to play without having to prove they have the skills or knowledge necessary.

1 of 5 Math Categories on More Starfall

We tried Mathseeds when we signed up for the free trial of Reading Eggs. Builder Boy took the assessment test and tested out of it. Early Bird said that he didn't want to take the test and instead wanted to start at the beginning. So he started with them teaching him his numbers and shapes (which he's known since he was 2.) But it was entertaining and fun enough that he didn't mind that it was all stuff that he knew and enjoyed it. He also enjoyed the reward system, getting to decorate his in-game tree house and changing his avatar. The Mathseeds trial period was only for two weeks, as it is separate from Reading Eggs so the codes we used for Reading Eggs didn't apply to it. You also have to pay separately for it, which is only good if you want just one or the other. From what I saw on Builder Boy's assessment test I would be interested in letting Early Bird do it if it didn't cost so much (to us.) I did appreciate that it was progressive, and that the child had to finish lower levels before advancing higher (unlike Starfall.)


I only let Early Bird try Dreambox twice. He really wanted to do what his big brother was doing, but with no manipulatives it really wasn't developmentally appropriate. I do like that for young kids they test their mouse skills before letting them play, to make sure they have the computer skills to even use the program. Early Bird has the mouse/computer skills, but wasn't able to connect what he knows with what they had on the screen. Dreambox is working really well for Builder Boy; Early Bird just isn't ready for it yet.

Overall, I would say that math should not be done on a computer for kindergarten level children. Math readiness skills like number recognition, counting, learning shapes, sorting, and patterns are fine. But when it comes to actual math; combining numbers and such, it should be done in person with manipulatives. This year I am going to start Early Bird on Right Start A and see how he does. It will be my first time teaching a subject on different levels, and I'll have to do it individually. Something new for me to learn!

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I don't get paid for linking to or reviewing these sites. All opinions are my own.

M is for Marshmallows and Mugs Math

We had hot cocoa today and it got me thinking of a fun way to review math. We still have some leftover mini-marshmallows from our shooters, so we did math with them! I thought about using real mugs, but I thought those would be harder for the kid to see, so I found a print out of a mug at freestockphontos.biz.

Counting:
I gave Early Bird 8 marshmallows to count and I gave Builder Boy a handful. (I forgot to have him guess/estimate before counting.) We are using Right Start Math, so instead of counting them all, he put them in lines of 5, two lines together to make 10, and figured out that he had 20 without having to count them.

Adding: "How many marshmallow are there if you put Builder Boy's and Early Bird's mugs together?"

Subtracting: This was fun. Say the number you have in your cup, and then eat some and say how many you have left! :) Good for taking away 1 at a time and counting down.

Sharing Fairly (dividing evenly): Start with marshmallows in the big mug. Take turns taking some for each kid's mug to divide them evenly. Practices "even" and "fair." Then have kids take turns splitting the marshmallows themselves. Divide some unevenly/unfairly and have them decide who needs to share how many to make it fair. Also start with an odd number and have them decide what to do with the leftover marshmallows.

Multiplying Practice: Put the same number in each mug (you can print more than 2 mugs for harder problems) and figure out what the answer is.

(This is the point where Early Bird was done and ate his marshmallows and went and played with other things.)
 

Making 5: Right Start Math has kids practice dividing 5 with a whole-to-parts circles. We did it with our mugs.


















Mystery Mug with 10: Right Start Math has kids learn numbers as quantities and numbers as 5 + n for 6 through 10. Builder Boy and I played "Mystery Mug." I told him that there were 10 marshmallows, put some on his mug, and he had to tell me how many were in my (real) mug. (This also counts as subtraction from 10, and could be done with other numbers.)

Math is fun!

Math Extras

Builder Boy loves math. We are using Right Start Mathematics and that's the subject he asks to do first every day (but we don't do it until after language arts.) There is so much hands on fun that it's perfect for him. But there are three things that I have added to it that I thought I'd share.


Copies and Reflections with building blocks


Right Start Level A introduced the idea of making copies and refection of tile patterns.

Builder Boy really liked that so I though we would try making it more three dimensional and we started doing it with building blocks. We make sure ahead of time that we have the same types of blocks, and then we take turns coming up with structures and having the other copy it or make a refection of it (with a well defined line of reflection.) It amazes me the things Builder Boy comes up with, and it's a lot of fun trying to make "tricky" ones for him to try. And it's a great mental exercise.


Collection Sticker Book from the dollar store
This was a gift from a friend for Builder Boy's birthday last year (she got him the Cars 2 movie one.) Buying all those packs of stickers at a dollar a piece adds up, but I use them as prizes/rewards over time. They have the numbers 1-197 and it's really good practice for him to have to find the number, look at the numbers on the page in front of him, and determine if he needs to go "lower" in the book or "higher" in the book. We do the stickers out of order so he has to do a lot of searching. To help him with the number I have him put the number of the sticker on the abacus (and the ones over 100 with the number tiles) so he can tell better if it's 46 or 64.

Skip-bo Junior
Not to sound like an add for this, but this game is great. My grandparents got it for Builder Boy a year ago and it's his favorite card game. It practices putting numbers 1-10 in order, but in a fun way that doesn't get boring. It also has wild cards which makes kids have to think differently. We love it. I had never heard of it before they got it for him, so I thought I'd share.

Candy Chart 1

Here is a scan of Builder Boy's first candy chart. He's having a lot of fun with these. He's discovered that he prefers fruit flavored candies to chocolate candies. He only gave M&Ms two stars! But Early Bird invariably goes for the candies with the brown wrappers (Milkey Way, Snickers, etc.) knowing that they will be chocolatey. I wasn't going to have Early Bird do a chart, but maybe we'll try next candy.

(Click here for the original blog post and the blank chart to copy for free.)

Candy Scientists

Bob the Builder and Super Why

I realized today that aside from Halloween, Christmas, and Easter, our kids don't eat candy. It's not a conscience thing, they do like it and they're not allergic. We're just not in the habit of purchasing it, and we don't encounter it in other places we go. So for the boys, Halloween candy is a like-new experience every year. So I thought it would be fun to record our candy in a scientific way, making observations about each candy. It will practice identifying tastes and textures, and will give us a good idea of the sorts of things they like for future buying (making comparisons!)

I made a chart for our observations. We will tape or staple the candy wrapper in the spaces on the right side (above the stars.) Builder Boy will check the boxes that apply and give it a starred rating.

I am sharing the picture freely if anyone else wants to do this. (I hand drew it, scanned it in, and added stars with Paint.)

Happy Halloween!

Added later: Check out the Candy Experiments website! There are a tun of cool science experiments you can do with candy (that doesn't require eating!) If we have any duplicates we might try some of these.