Insanely Easy Ways to Teach Kids Math Inside: Practical Strategies for Teaching Math and a handy math printable This post may contain affiliate links. Crocodile tears are big. Crocodile tears are ugly. photo by Steven Arenas I remember the day my son cried huge crocodile tears because he had already spent two hours “doing math” and still wasn’t done. We had just made the big jump to homeschool and he was not thriving. Why? “I know I am explaining these concepts to you, so why can’t you “pound out the lesson” in two seconds flat.” It’s easy to expect too much from our kids. photo by Senjuti Kundu I really expected too much from my son. [leadpages_leadbox leadbox_id=141827f46639c5] [/leadpages_leadbox] Don’t get me wrong, expectations are great. I am the queen of setting the bar high for my sons. But I was missing something critical. It turned out, he had made it all the way to 5th grade without mastering his math facts. After eating a big helping of guilty pie, we began working on fundamentals of math. (Click here for a 25 Minute Video Filled with Ideas to help you teach math) Great News if your Kids are behind: photo byEye for Ebony You can teach a 13-year-old a math concept in a day that they “should have learned” at an earlier age. So don’t panic if you suddenly realize they missed something. Simply identify the goal and create a learning strategy. Ask Yourself: Do you teach your child kindergarten, first grade, third-grade material… Or do you teach your child? Math Concepts and Skills by Age 3 Steps to teaching math facts Discover your child’s way of learning. I had to come face to face with that fact that my son learned differently than I do. His brain is wired differently. Math facts need to be memorized. Sorry. No way around this one. Actually, they need to be over-memorized. Practice over, and over, and over again. Examine your Own Math Mentality Do you hate math? Do you voice that to your children? Does math confuse you? Do you say things like, “I never could do math well,” rather than, “Hmmm, I do not remember how to do this right now, I guess my brain gets to exercise!” Many homeschoolers do not feel qualified to teach math, that’s OK. Instead learn it together! Discover the power of “yet”. Purpose to Speak Positively about Math “Math is everywhere!” “I’m glad I know how to add because that means I know _____.” “I like the challenge of math!” You get the idea. Get Help if you really Do Not Understand When you hit a math wall and simply cannot solve it in order to explain it to your child, seek help. Tell your student you need to have someone explain it to you. Affirm that there is always someone who is willing to help if you are humble enough to ask. Our kids need to see us ask for help! Here is a great online help for you and your kids. Related: Some Practical Math Resources Hands-On Math Activities Use Flash Cards Learn Fact Families Kids need to master facts as related groups. Creative Practice dry eraser markers on windows and mirrors sidewalk chalk pudding:) writing on sandpaper using magnetic numbers on fridge saying facts while playing ball, dancing, or rolling Math Fact Games Manipulatives Use anything from blocks and pattern tiles, Legos, Cheerios, M&M’s, and play games. “You grab 5 and I’ll give you 12 more, how many?” “If I make 4 groups of 3, how many will there be all together?” “Here are handfuls of snacks… divide them into 6 separate zip-lock baggies evenly.” Tip: Give kids time to explore manipulatives without giving them guidelines. I always let my kids “play” with new manipulatives a week or two before I use them in a lesson. Sources of Math Frustration: photo by ryan moreno Attitude: Sometimes it’s them… but sometimes it’s us. Curriculum. Curriculum causes so many issues. We feel our kids need to “get it” and be able to move forward from concept to concept. Page 27 means nothing. It’s like expecting a child to read a book but they only know 11 letters and sounds of the alphabet. Remember curriculum is a tool, not the goal. *Establish a clear math goal (or set of goals) for your student and use the curriculum to help you get there. That may mean you skip pages, even chapters of the book! Relief: There are only 3 types of math for most kids to master by high school: Arithmetic- number sense Algebra- equations Geometry- triangles, angles, etc Guilt. Comparing your kids to mine, hers or theirs. Asking, “Shouldn’t my child be at grade level?” (This is a futile question…) I feel like a failure because I barely can complete the fourth-grade math book without an answer key! Guilt binds us. We need to release it. Curriculum doesn’t teach our kids. We teach our kids and sometimes we may even a use curriculum. More ideas: Count everything. Work on facts daily. Print a bunch of math fact drill sheets and do timed drills (if they at least tolerate them I have one child that drills devastate. for some reason a timed drill shuts his brain down.) Do Car math: Ask math fact questions while running errands Bake Measure things with rulers, measuring tapes, straws, bananas Go to the store and pretend (or really buy) as many things as possible with $100. Lastly, it is important to remember that not all of our kids are destined to be mathematicians. That’s OK. But everyone really needs to know their basic math facts inside out. Focus on the basics and build your math program around fundamentals. Don’t rush your young children. If they master their facts they will be well ahead of their peers in the end and you can help avoid those crocodile tears. Preview of the Heart of Homeschooling God’s Way Master Class. We need to STOP measuring success by grades, achievements, awards, and worksheets.
Homeschooling: Step Three- How Do I Homeschool? When I looked over my first stacks of teaching materials I panicked. “You mean I have to teach this stuff?” Photo by Jon Toney Curriculum- “those stacks of learning materials we rely upon to teach their kids”, can freak out the best of us. Over the last two decades, I have learned to approach curriculum very differently. I no longer feel chained to this page or that lesson. Instead, I rely on what I call the covered wagon approach. The Covered Wagon You can also call this style of teaching/learning: thematic learning, or unit study. First: We choose a focus for the current period of study. I call this choosing the ” Golden Thread”. An example of a Golden Thread: Study Native American History for North America. Second: I need you to look at the picture of the covered wagon. Use your imagination with me. This wagon is on a journey to some destination. There are 4 wheels solidly on the ground to help the wagon make it to its destination. The wagon is steered and controlled by the grown-ups or older children. There are extra horses to facilitate quick side trips. Lastly, notice that the wagon itself is full of supplies and activities to occupy the travelers. How you Teach Using this method We first choose a destination (In this example: studying Native American History). This is where we decide what our final project will be to present what we have learned. Need Ideas for Projects? I have a Unit Study Idea Sheet for you at the end of this article. Second, we look down and see our 4 foundational Wheels: History, Science, Math, and English (Language and literature). We will look for ways to incorporate each of these subjects while teaching about Native American History. History: learn about the main native American groups. Focus: for each group of Native Americans learn: where they lived, what was the climate, what kinds of clothing did they wear, what they ate, did they worship a god? Science: Focus: examples: study weather. create graphs of your local weather, compare that with weather in the areas that the native tribe you are currently studying lived. Study Native American weapons. English: Focus spelling and vocabulary around the tribe you are studying. Choose 5-20 words a week to learn. Choose books to read together and independently about Native Americans. Complete daily copy work about Native Americans, weekly narration about Native Americans, and weekly dictation. Math: Estimate the distance from one tribe to another. research whether each tribe had a way to record numbers and record data. Complete word problems focus on Native Americans. The 4 Wheels of History, Science, English, and Math are your foundation. Just like the wheels of a real wagon would be on the ground every day, these subjects would make up your core learning. Third: Remind yourself that the wagon is “controlled” by older children and adults. A 5-year-old will not necessarily determine that they want to study Native Americans, but an older student might. Remind yourself that you are ultimately responsible for your destinations, but there are almost no wrong places to study! You choose! Fourth: In the picture above there is a lone rider on a fresh horse. With the Covered Wagon Approach, you need to be ready to break free from the wagon when a spontaneous learning opportunity presents itself. For example, maybe your student becomes fascinated with the Appaloosa horse of the plains nation. Take a side trail to study the Appaloosa and other breeds of horses. Look for ways to incorporate Math, Science, English and History while you are on this side trail. Once the burst of Inspired Learning fades, go back to the wagon. Fifth: The covered wagon. Just like the picture shows a wagon full of supplies and activities, you carry into your teaching an endless supply of activities and field trips to supplement your child’s learning. This is where art, music, dance, technology and things like theater fit in. Where can you go, what can you do, how can you see, taste, smell what you are learning about? In our Native American Study you could research and explore Native American Art and learn how to reproduce things like beaded bracelet’s, you could download Native music, attend a POW WOW in your area, visit the museum, watch History Channel Movies (or even Disney Movies), research YouTube videos, interview a local Native American and more. The Covered Wagon Approach means you jump into a golden thread and focus all your learning in that direction. You choose an historical focus and design, plan or purchase programs that incorporate all of those 4 foundational disciplines into that particular area of learning (You really do not need a specific curriculum to learn/teach this way: With the exception of math where you will learn from a math program of some sort. This can be as free or expensive as you desire!) Download your FREE “Unit Study Ideas” {Printable} Join us for the Heart of Homeschooling God’s Way Curriculum has nothing to do with homeschooling success Showers are optional and overrated No amount of knowledge looks beautiful on someone with a terrible attitude Coffee is one of the major food groups Children’s shirts have four clean surfaces: Front, back, inside front, and inside back Feeding kids chicken nuggets and corndogs don’t make you a bad mom The Lord will lead the way in raising and educating my kids
Lapbooking Resources Lapbooks are fun ways to organize what your kids are learning into a fun project that they will be proud to share! I love this article by Tina. Not everyone is cut out for ALL that lap booking can be. It can be too much coloring, cutting, and crafting for some kids (or their moms). Tina from Tina’s Dynamic Homeschool does a great job sharing how to balance the idea of lap booking when the reality is that your kids don’t want to color, cut and paste! Preview of the Heart of Homeschooling God’s Way Master Class. We need to STOP measuring success by grades, achievements, awards, and worksheets.
Homeschooling: Step Two I don’t always fail, but when I do it’s with epic style. photo by Maria I threw an egg at a trash can and missed. Splat! Tried to sit on a cooler at a tailgate party. A styrofoam cooler. Crunch! Backed the car into a parking space at the library and hit a pole. Dent. What do All of these things have in common? … Read More »
Homeschooling: Step One My first day of homeschooling ended with me in tears and nail polish on my bathroom floor. It wasn’t pretty. Thank goodness I asked for help! Homeschooling: Step One Breathe! Welcome to the wonderful world of educating your children. If you are anything like I was when I first began homeschooling my boys, you are overwhelmed and terrified of destroying your children. I know it feels overwhelming. Like you are up to your chin in jello with nothing but a toy lasso from your son’s Halloween costume to pull you out. But you will be ok. I am here to help you. To show you there is no Jello. I want to encourage you to breathe. There is nothing more important than for you to remember that “no one knows your kids better than you do.” You are perfectly suited to teach your children because: They are your kids. No one knows them like you do. You know what they love and hate. You are vested in their success. No one will believe in them with the same level of intensity that you will. Before you begin, let me encourage you to focus your heart. You can absolutely teach your kids, but you will be tempted to focus on the wrong things. Which Curriculum should you choose? Should you participate in State testing? Are your kids performing at “grade level”? Those are important, but wrong. Yes, you should consider questions like these but they have NOTHING to do with whether you will be a successful homeschooler. I would like to encourage you to grab a cup of something wonderful: tea, coffee, cranberry juice, etc. When I first started A Better Way to Homeschool, I wanted to share as many valuable and practical homeschooling advice, tips, stories and ideas as I possibly could. Because… Because… The Homeschooling path can be a dusty, intimidating and sometimes lonely journey. And scary. Do you ever worry about messing up your kids like I used to worry about messing up mine? We all do. Knowing that I wasn’t the only dust covered homeschooler, I began listening to other moms (and dads) and created my website. What I have learned over the past few decades is that homeschoolers want: Easy. You want easy common sense solutions to homeschooling your children and the confidence that whispers, “You are are doing a great job”. Peace of mind. You want to sleep soundly at night, with that little bit of drool coming out of the corner of your mouth because you know are walking down the right path with your kids, even if it’s a bit dusty. Company. You’re not the only one on that dusty lonely road. I’m just a bit further down the path, but I left footprints for you to follow or avoid. Homeschool classes for mom Homeschoolers are what my son calls “stupid busy”. You do it all: cooking, diapering, taxiing, scheduling, planning, and yes, teaching. You want to grab what you need to succeed in a simple and easy way because that’s all the time they have left in your daytime for simple and easy. Preview of the Heart of Homeschooling God’s Way Master Class. We need to STOP measuring success by grades, achievements, awards, and worksheets.
How to Get Your Kids to Read How to Get Your Kids to Read is a post from Bekki @ A Better Way to Homeschool where we learn to train our children to become lifelong learners. If you have enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Bekki on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Google+! I make my kids read. There. I admit it. This summer has been a bit different though. Since I have to be off my feet for the summer, I am personally reading. A lot. The side effect has been that I am watching my boys grab books to read without being told. Apparently the example of me reading has had an impact. How to Get Your Kids to Read: Read aloud to them. Find some cliffhanging adventures, mysterious mysteries, fantastic fantasies, or stupendous science fiction stories and purpose to read every day. I read to my boys at breakfast because I find my day slips away from me. Oh. I almost forgot… Always leave them hanging when at all humanly possible. Find a Book Mentor I lost the ability to find great books for my older kids to read when my oldest passed the 500 words per minute mark. I needed help and I needed it fast. I took him to the local librarian (whom I trusted) and had him ask her for book recommendations. Perfect. Then I got my hands on resource books, like Honey for a Child’s Heart by Gladys Hunt (affiliate link below) and the Sonlight Curriculum Catalogue and used their recommendations. Then I asked my literary friends. That’s it. I am positive that there many be more suggestions like create a reading fort out of sheets and blankets, pop up the camping tent in the yard and fill it with books and bean bags, build an amazing ship in the back by the trees with its own book shelf, or enter a book reading contest and offer a sweet reward but that’s all I’m sharing today. Set a time, grab some books and make them read. Need Book Recommendations? Here are two great resources! Honey for a Child’s Heart Sonlight (click on the appropriate age level when you get there!) Preview of the Heart of Homeschooling God’s Way Master Class. We need to STOP measuring success by grades, achievements, awards, and worksheets.
4 Things My Husband Taught Our Kids In 1 Week Nope. I didn’t know. I really had no idea how much I was micro-managing my kids. The revelation came to me as I was recovering from surgery. While I was down, my husband lovingly whipped my kids into shape in less than a week. While I was laid up in bed, my husband grabbed my boys by the scruffs of their necks, picked them off the floor and set them down on their feet. Firmly. He looked around the house, at me, and at the boys and decided things were going to change immediately. He didn’t raise his voice, he didn’t ask with his soft voice, he just stately things were changing. And then they did. 4 Things My Hubby Taught My Kids in Less Than a Week Hygiene. I hadn’t taught the younger boys how to take a shower (or draw a bath) alone. I’m not sure why exactly. Apparently, I enjoyed filling the tub for my 7 and 9-year-olds and allowing them to be totally reliant on me. (NOT!) I hadn’t realized I had neglected this skill. Husband to the rescue! The boys all now take their own baths and showers unaided. Chore Enforcement. Even though I have a fully laminated chore list posted on my fridge, I was still walking around picking up after the kids. This ended the first day I was down. Hubby ensured that they did their chores and then continued cleaning up after themselves all day. Nothing like the training of a dad! Daddy boot camp. Dishes. This is not to be confused with “chores”. Hubby decided that everyone would do their own dishes all day. While I do have one child assigned to kitchen duty every day, he began having them do their own dishes. Love it! The kitchen duty person cleans pots and pans and wipes down the kitchen, but there is much less for them to complete at any one time. Cooking and Meal Prep. He had those boys diced, slice, stir and cook meals. I’ve been teaching the kids to cook all along, but hubby raised meal prep to a whole new level! He always had at least two helpers in the kitchen making each meal. And the boys LOVED it! Being Team Players. He reinforced that our family of 7 is a complete team and that our world runs much more smoothly when we all work together. He has always been a great encourager for me, but I always run around trying to do too much all by myself. With me down for the count, I had no choice but to watch him coach the boys into doing their best. Honestly, I am only about half way healed from my surgery, but I feel like I have learned so much from him as I have sat here on the sofa (or couch or davenport depending on where you live). He’s my hero! [leadpages_leadbox leadbox_id=140485d46639c5] [/leadpages_leadbox] Go ahead and grab a copy of my book, Homeschooling from the Inside Out! It’s completely FREE. Just click over and fill in your first name and primary email below and we will send you a digital copy immediately!!