Am I a Good Enough Homeschool Teacher? I wrestle with feelings of insecurity when it comes to homeschooling our boys. Sometimes I wonder if I am the best teacher for my children… Am I alone? Last week I picked up the novel my son was reading to help him with comprehension. He is reading Call it Courage. As I read the first chapter I realized that this book was not about a boy’s struggle with war. (That’s right! I never even noticed the cover) Good Lord, help my children! OK. I am not the most literate adult I know. In fact I did not read one book in high school. I was that student that could scan and skim, gather the right information and quotes to get an “A” in the class while never really having to read anything. I was pleasantly surprised by the plot of this tiny little book my son was reading, yet it made me question my ability to lead him. How could I possibly teach this child when I couldn’t even scan a book in advance to know it was about an island culture and their worship of courage? How could I look myself in the mirror and be confident in my ability to help my son love learning? After about three days of feeling bad, I realized my son’s interest had awakened as he read about and drew the setting of the story: an island surrounded by a beautiful coral reef. I picked up a Coral Reef book filled with fantastic photographs and we began exploring the complexity and delicacy of these living structures. Oh my, we were and continue to be captivated! In our research we discovered a new creature: The mantis shrimp. Holy smokes! This little guy is fantastic. Supposedly this creature has the fastest movement in the animal kingdom as it punches its prey. We had to learn more… A quick internet search, led us to one of my favorite YouTube Channels “Smarter Every Day” and viola, there was the beautiful, powerful, and astounding mantis shrimp. This one is worth watching with your kids! So there you go. A ride on my homeschooling merry go round. First I allow my son to read a book that I know nothing about. second, I form an opinion about the book strictly by its title. Then, I am struck “dumb” as I read to catchup with my son. next I see an opportunity to follow a rabbit trail down an area of interest. Then, we become engrossed and amazed in a little creature we didn’t even know existed. Yep, a successful homeschooling week I’d say. Of course, I failed again when I fell for the “Finding Nemo is all about a coral reef”: hook, line and sinker. How about you? Do you ever struggle with feeling like you fall short as a homeschooler?
Zentangles: Art for Kids with Hard Core Concentration Zentangle. This is the most simple, yet time consuming form of art my kids have learned so far. Our fourth son always draws incredibly detailed pictures with pen. He will sit there for hours adding dots, lines and squiggles to a picture and in the end produces the most beautiful drawings. This week I introduced him to the “formal form” of his natural style of artistic expression… The zentangle. I found an easy tutorial on Tiny Rotten Peanuts. I know. The name is funny, but the instructions are great. Here is our son’s first zentangle! This style of art is perfect for kids who get tunnel vision while doing a project, have a love for detail, or have incredible patience and concentration (or who need to practice!). Looking for Summer Fun for you and your kids? Follow Our Summer Bucket List posts on facebook… Jump over and follow us on facebook, then click on “get notifications!”.
Chemistry and Pizza: Life Made Interesting Chemistry and Pizza: Life Made Interesting Whoever said, “Pizza is boring?” Not this guy!!
Parenting: How to Survive a 12-year-old son My son almost died today. That’s right, I almost killed him. If you just sucked in all your breath and blurted, “How can she say that?”, then I will assume you have daughters, have never had a 12-year-old son, or your sweet little boys are still under the age of ten. Like this love-bug. Now, of course, I would never harm my children. I adore them and see them as precious gifts from the Lord on High. This, however, does not get them to stop testing my limits of self-control daily. My 12-year-old son didn’t wake up hoping to severe the last shred of my sanity. He woke up thinking he was in charge of the universe and that I should bow to his every need. Silly child. What was he thinking? He woke up: believing that he is invincible. Why would I question his ability to run across a busy street while dodging cars? Or that he can catch an arrow between his teeth? with a full measure of resolve. Apparently, what I have been teaching him no longer applies to him because he is 12, after all. He is ready to go toe-to-toe with me over cereal, showers, and anything else that can be spelled out in English. arrogant. And a genius. I can retire because “He knows everything”. a weeping mess. This one confuses me most. Division and handwriting never made him cry before today. This is a problem because I am his teacher. tears cause him to get angry. I mean screaming and stomping and huffing and puffing angry. This too is a problem. Anger is normal for everyone, but outbursts of anger are unacceptable- call me old-fashioned. Can you say, “HORMONES?” As a mom of five sons, I would testify in a court of law that nothing tests a mom more than a hormonal 12-year-old son. Nothing. I mean NOTHING. Nothing except maybe being crazy enough to have five sons, like me. That’s five 12-year-old sons to survive. I should get a gold medal. Do you have a Hormonal 12-year-old Boy (maybe 11-13)? My advice: Watch Captain America together. Pop popcorn even. I am being perfectly serious. Watch the scene where the wimpy Captain Rogers is willingly strapped into the apparatus that transform him into Captain America. Explain to your son, “this is EXACTLY what you are going through right now. You are the pre-captain. Son, you are strapped in for the ride of your life. You will be pumped full of hormones that will stretch your bones, increase your muscle mass, cause hair to grow in strange places, confuse you, give you endurance and courage and will ultimately transform you into being the man you are destined to be.” Son, It will hurt. It will cause pain, not just for you but for those of us watching. But you will come through the other side. I promise. Mama, your job is to help him through this “gauntlet of change”. His job is to realize that while it is painful, scary, and down-right hard, there are some definite boundaries. Attitude, determination, drive, self-control, humility. You need to talk about these. A Lot. That’s why this is clip is so great. Expert tip: Remember, popcorn makes it better. Anytime you feed your son you have better access to his attention. The captain goes through an excruciating transformation, but he never gives up.…even when he is closed in and no one can see what he going through. Not even when he is scared. Or when it hurts. The woman in the scene (like a mom) just wants the pain to stop. She can’t stand seeing the suffering. As moms, we cry, “STOP!” We can’t stand to see our kids struggle. We are confused that our sons, who used to worship the ground we walk on, no longer want us to coddle them. How can we help them through this gauntlet? Show your son what happens in this scene of Captain America: The captain screams in agony. People line up to watch. The Mom figure cries out in horror. The Dad figure swears. Sparks fly. Things explode. Machines break. Suddenly, hero music breaks through, the machine tilts, smoke provides the backdrop for the final results: Captain America is Born. No one questions the results, no one regrets the struggle, everyone beams with pride. It was all worth it. Yes. Watch this with your boys. Over and over again.Talk about it often! Transitioning from childhood to manhood is painful. People will watch him closely. Moms will cry, dads may swear, sparks will fly and things may explode. Sons will feel trapped and may suffer in agony. Growing pains, acne, uncontrollable body functions and emotions are confusing and can cause real pain. But he can make it through the process successfully. Don’t Let Him Be Confused Watch the clip and explain the process his body is going through. Be specific. Talk about the man he hopes to be on the other side but describe him in detail. He needs to know what his “Captain America” looks like, acts like and feels like. Truthfully, you do too. He needs to know what his “Captain America” looks like, acts like and feels like. Quite honestly, you do too. Mama, don’t despair about your hormonal son. He can make it through his transformation alive. Although, it may not be fun for either of you, though. It doesn’t have to be fun for either of you, just successful. Sorry to break your bubble, but “fun” is overrated. Remember, You are raising a future man. How Can you Help Your Son? How can YOU survive the Process? If you are married, trust your husband’s instincts in regards to your son. He will instinctively know how to help him transition to manhood, although you may think he is being harsh. He’s not. Men are hard-wired to expect strength, dignity, respect, honor, and hard work. Let your husband lead. Have a backbone. This is not the time to coddle him. Love him, yes. Coddle? No. Do not allow your son to walk all over you. Work that boy! Make sure he sweats daily! Forget what society says and hand that son a shovel. If you do not have a yard big enough to keep him busy, lend him to the neighbors. (Obviously use discretion, but someone always needs help in their yard. Who knows, maybe he’ll earn a few dollars as well) Give him purpose: He needs jobs to run and lead. Boys need to know they make a difference. Teach him to do chores, change a tire, split wood, cook meals, and change diapers. Be careful, though. There is a difference between keeping him busy and training him to be truly needed. He knows the difference! Pray often. You need supernatural help to be the best mom you can be. Pray hard. This world sees prayer as weakness when it is actually the definition of strength. Be warned: Prayer is hard work. Trust the Lord. Because He promises to never leave or forsake you- even when your son is 12-years-old! Hang in there! I have been through this four times so far and the results have been the same. Pretty soon the music will play, the smoke will clear and you will be looking in the eyes of a great man. Your man. Download your FREE "Surviving your 12-Year-Old Son" {printable Bookmarks} Download your FREE "Raising Men" Cheatsheet {printable}
Learning to Speak in Front of Crowds One of our goals as home-schoolers is to teach our boys to be effective communicators. We strive to teach all of the boys to be excellent in both their written and oral communication skills. As future Godly men, we believe they need to have the confidence necessary to stand in front of a crowd and deliver a speech.Without dying. Without breaking into a sweat. Without cowering in fear. One of the things we do for our boys is to look for speech competitions. One of our current favorites is called Oral Language. The Boys select a piece of literature three to five minutes in length that they not only commit to memory but then perform dramatically in front of a panel of judges and an audience. All three of our younger boys competed this year, two of them are moving on to the next level. The reason we are so proud of the boys has nothing to do with how they perform their pieces, but rather how they handle the stress of being in front of a crowd.They are all champions to us! This is not a small task for either the boys or me. It takes FOREVER to find acceptable pieces. It takes weeks to memorize the pieces. it takes dozens and dozens of practices to figure out how to act the piece out. It takes me hours and hours to help them perfect their enunciation and timing. It is always worth it!Today I recorded two of the pieces to share with you and your children. Enjoy! What kinds of things do you do to help your children become comfortable in front of a crowd? This is his first year competing. He is nine years old and was terrified to go in front of the crowd. It has been a HUGE growing experience for him to participate. This guy is one of my “ham children”. This piece is hysterical and he does a masterful job performing it. Thanks to Anchor me Designs for the cute graphic above~ Download your FREE "Homeschool Journal" {Printable} Sneak Peek at "Homeschool Guide for Real Families" {Free sample}
Math Worksheets, and Activity Packs Ready to Go! I created some new activity packs for you and your kiddos! Click on the images and you will be brought right to my store. Fun packet to help celebrate your child’s birthday. Includes wearable button, table/desk sign, paparazzi game, and more. If you mix food into any subject, it just tastes better. Yes, even math! Here is a daily or weekly worksheet to help your child practice all those different forms of a number: standard form, expanded form, word form, etc. I have included worksheets to cover fall, thanksgiving, winter, valentines, and St.Patrick’s day. Want to watch a quick overview? Visit my YouTube channel
It’s Here! A Sweet and Simple way to Talk to Your Kids about Purity, Sex, and Waiting!! The Lord gave me this idea about 15 years ago while teaching a group of 5th graders. My dilemma: How do you teach giggly, squirmy, and hormonal kids that God has a beautiful design and plan for them as it relates to sex? Just the mention of anything intimate sends kids into a panic. God’s Solution: Puzzles! I created this simple puzzle to explain God’s design for sex and marriage to my own children. All five of our sons have been taught about intimacy and marriage this way. Watch the video above and download your copy of Teaching Your Children about Sex: Focus on Purity (click on the text above)
Thinking Out of the Box Teaching our kids to identify problems is great. Teaching them to think out of the box to solve problems is another thing. In our home, we are working on problem solving. 1. Identify a real need: Like improving our country’s energy resources. 2. Study and Brainstorm possible solutions: For instance, finding a way to produce better solar energy producers. 3. Critique plan: Does simply creating solar fields solve the problem? Is there a better way? Now, before you think that I am more intelligent than I am let me explain. I am not an “out of the box thinker”. I have to stretch to find ways to inspire my boys to think in this capacity. One of the ways I find creative conversation starters is finding unique and amazing videos about problems and solutions and then create a teaching environment. Step one. Find an inspirational image, video or product. Step Two. Using a probing question approach, set kids up to develop their own solutions to a true real life situation or need. Look again at these prompts. 1. Identify a real need: How can we improve our country’s energy resources? 2. Study and Brainstorm possible solutions: What about solar energy? Can we look for an out of the box solution to solve our energy needs? 3. Critique plan: Does simply creating solar fields solve the problem? Is there a better way? Step three. After the kids have come up with their best ideas, inspire them further by sharing the video clip you found here. Step four. After seeing the video (or image), can you think of a better solution? We use fun templates to record our ideas. Here are some free notebooking resources. http://notebookingpages.com/free-resource-center Have fun helping your kids become “out of the box” thinkers!
Teaching the Pledge of Allegiance with Copywork I can feel Summer just around the corner. Sign up here to receive freebies, deals, and resources!! This post contains my referral link which helps support the work of this site. Here’s my full disclosure policy. This is my favorite homeschooling time of year! We loosen up and simply enjoy learning, how about you? Our oldest son turns 21 Memorial weekend. How the heck can I be old enough to have a 21 year old! In honor of the holiday’s coming up, we are doing a few Patriotic lessons. Today, we focused on the Pledge of Allegiance. There is a great set of Patriotic Templates here. I had the boys choose their favorite page for the day. I wrote the Pledge on our white board and we began copywork hour. I am always pleasantly surprised how much more care the boys take in doing any assignment when they get to choose a template that “tickles their fancy”. Munchkin here decided that today is the day that his copywork will be in cursive for the first time. Beautiful! We call this guy our gentle giant. He is huge for his age, and as a result his fine motor skills are still developing. Look at the concentration! Very Happy with his results! Our oldest musketeer loves to write in cursive… He is well pleased with the results We wrote the Pledge of Allegiance. Defined vocabulary: Pledge, allegiance, Republic, indivisible, Liberty and Justice. Researched flag etiquette. Did you know you can only fly an American flag at night if it is illuminated? Did you know you are never suppose to use our flag to advertise and product or service? We are going to be looking at Memorial Day and Independence Day next… Resources:Notebooking Template Pages
Dancing Popcorn Dancing Popcorn? We are embracing science experiments lately. Thank goodness for YouTube! This experiment is called: Dancing Popcorn Make it a full science experiment by downloading these resources… Read More »
Coordinate Plane Drawing: Superman Teaches Math Superman Teaches Math Teaching kids to graph on a coordinate plane can be challenging. x, y, z? We used to say “x, y, z” if someone forgot to zip-up their fly after using the restroom when I was in school. I never did quite understand graphing until recently. This was a fun activity for the boys to practice plotting points on a graph. I found this activity at MathClass.net. Click on the site to go right to the page. How have you reinforced coordinate plane graphing?
Solving Percent Problems Made Easy I have a new Activity packet for You! Are you trying to teach your kids percents? I hated teaching percents until recently… I do not know about you, but I would always get confused: Which way do I set up the problem if I know the percent? OK, but what if I am looking for the percent? Ahhh! That’s right. I would scream, “Ahhh!” (In my head) Last week I had a wonderful teacher friend explain solving percent problems to me in less than 2 minutes. No, I am not that smart. Her way is THAT easy! Her way is a “One size fits all” solution to these math problems. Problems like: what is 20% of 100 20 is what percent of 350 5 is 15% of what number All became easy to solve!!!! I made a quick YouTube video to explain it to you and explain it again to myself so I wouldn’t forget. I just completed a packet that will help you reinforce this cool concept with your kids. (Yes, I am an 80’s kid. I said “cool”) Here is the video I made. Be sure to scroll to the bottom and check out the packet. The first one to comment on this post wins a free copy:). Solving Percents Made Easy Perfect First Laptop
The History of Valentine’s Day Sign up here to receive freebies, deals, and resources!! Our kids make paper hearts and exchange valentines cards in mass quantities. For my boys, valentine’s is all about candy and love. Have you ever studied the origin of this rose colored day? Here is what the History Channel has to say. The history of Valentine’s Day–and the story of its patron saint–is shrouded in mystery. We do know that February has long been celebrated as a month of romance, and that St. Valentine’s Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. But who was Saint Valentine, and how did he become associated with this ancient rite? The Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred. One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine’s actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death. Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons, where they were often beaten and tortured. According to one legend, an imprisoned Valentine actually sent the first “valentine” greeting himself after he fell in love with a young girl–possibly his jailor’s daughter–who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter signed “From your Valentine,” an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories all emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic and–most importantly–romantic figure. By the Middle Ages, perhaps thanks to this reputation, Valentine would become one of the most popular saints in England and France. Origins of Valentine’s Day: A Pagan Festival in February While some believe that Valentine’s Day is celebrated in the middle of February to commemorate the anniversary of Valentine’s death or burial–which probably occurred around A.D. 270–others claim that the Christian church may have decided to place St. Valentine’s feast day in the middle of February in an effort to “Christianize” the pagan celebration of Lupercalia. Celebrated at the ides of February, or February 15, Lupercalia was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus. To begin the festival, members of the Luperci, an order of Roman priests, would gather at a sacred cave where the infants Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, were believed to have been cared for by a she-wolf or lupa. The priests would sacrifice a goat, for fertility, and a dog, for purification. They would then strip the goat’s hide into strips, dip them into the sacrificial blood and take to the streets, gently slapping both women and crop fields with the goat hide. Far from being fearful, Roman women welcomed the touch of the hides because it was believed to make them more fertile in the coming year. Later in the day, according to legend, all the young women in the city would place their names in a big urn. The city’s bachelors would each choose a name and become paired for the year with his chosen woman. These matches often ended in marriage. Valentine’s Day: A Day of Romance Lupercalia survived the initial rise of Christianity and but was outlawed—as it was deemed “un-Christian”–at the end of the 5th century, when Pope Gelasius declared February 14 St. Valentine’s Day. It was not until much later, however, that the day became definitively associated with love. During the Middle Ages, it was commonly believed in France and England that February 14 was the beginning of birds’ mating season, which added to the idea that the middle of Valentine’s Day should be a day for romance. Valentine greetings were popular as far back as the Middle Ages, though written Valentine’s didn’t begin to appear until after 1400. The oldest known valentine still in existence today was a poem written in 1415 by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt. (The greeting is now part of the manuscript collection of the British Library in London, England.) Several years later, it is believed that King Henry V hired a writer named John Lydgate to compose a valentine note to Catherine of Valois. Typical Valentine’s Day Greetings In addition to the United States, Valentine’s Day is celebrated in Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France and Australia. In Great Britain, Valentine’s Day began to be popularly celebrated around the 17th century. By the middle of the 18th, it was common for friends and lovers of all social classes to exchange small tokens of affection or handwritten notes, and by 1900 printed cards began to replace written letters due to improvements in printing technology. Ready-made cards were an easy way for people to express their emotions in a time when direct expression of one’s feelings was discouraged. Cheaper postage rates also contributed to an increase in the popularity of sending Valentine’s Day greetings. Americans probably began exchanging hand-made valentines in the early 1700s. In the 1840s, Esther A. Howland began selling the first mass-produced valentines in America. Howland, known as the “Mother of the Valentine,” made elaborate creations with real lace, ribbons and colorful pictures known as “scrap.” Today, according to the Greeting Card Association, an estimated 1 billion Valentine’s Day cards are sent each year, making Valentine’s Day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year. (An estimated 2.6 billion cards are sent for Christmas.) Women purchase approximately 85 percent of all valentines. Sign up here to receive freebies, deals, and resources!!
Are You New to Homeschooling? In this video, I am answering questions for one of my viewers in Kansas. As I recorded this one, I realized that many new homeschoolers feel the same way she does: frustrated and confused. In this video I talk about: 1. Setting Homeschool Goals 2. Finding your State Requirements 3. Encourage you to consider joining HSLDA.org 4. Choosing a “golden thread” to build your homeschool around. Be sure to leave a comment or question for me after watching the video. If you are a veteran homeschooler, please add wisdom. If you are a newbie, please add questions or concerns that you would like to have addressed. Don’t forget to enter your email to the right so you do not miss any updates. Have a wonderful day!
Homeschool Videos Homeschool Videos 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+! Hi everyone! I wanted to make sure you knew that I have a YouTube Channel where I record videos to help you in your homeschooling journey. If you look a the menu bar at the top of this blog, you will see the tab How to Homeschool Videos. You can follow the link on that page right to this channel. I have recorded over 40 videos so far, and I try to add at least one video a week. My heart is to share with you the good, bad, and ugly of homeschooling from the perspective of a veteran (I’ve homeschooled for almost 15 years). I have 5 boys, ages 20, 15, 11, 10, and 8 as of today. Often times, I find it easier to record a video rather than write and edit a post here. I’d like to encourage you to: 1. First- Subscribe to this blog. Simply add your email in the box to the right and click subscribe. When I post a new idea or thought, you will get an email letting you know there is new information for you. (That way you do not miss anything) 2. Second- Follow the link to my YouTube Channel. Subscribe to the channel by clicking on the red subscribe button on the top right. You will get an email with a link to any new videos I record. 3. If you have any questions or ideas that I can address in an upcoming video, simply email me:). Here’s my latest video: Did You Enjoy this Article? Subscribe here to make sure you do not miss a thing:)
Electricity and Magnetism Electricity and Magnetism 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+! Don’t you just love YouTube? I am using a cool hands on kit to teach the kids about electricity and motors. You can see the actual kit here: Elenco Snap Circuits UC-40 Upgrade Kit SC-100 to SC-500 (affiliate link) What is unbelievable is that even I can teach them about electricity using this kit! I know nothing about electricity and even less about motors and physics. This step by step, easy to snap and operate kit makes me seem brilliant! I do not know about you, but I love things like this. Every time we complete a simple project, we do YouTube research. Did I already tell you I love YouTube? We found a neat little instruction video that taught us all about electricity, magnetic fields, and the homopolar motor. Enjoy learning along side your kids! Did You Enjoy this Article? Subscribe here to make sure you do not miss a thing:)
Projects Don’t Have To Be Fancy! I am so thankful that homeschooling projects do not have to be planned or fancy to have their full impact on my kids learning. Aren’t you glad too? The boys were reading a chapter in Story of the World: Ancient Times and simply could not describe to me how a shaduf would work after reading the selection. They each read it. I reread it. I read it again. Somehow their brains could not picture this ancient irrigation tool. Solution: Impromptu Science, Physics, History Hands-on Learning Experience Materials: 2 sticks at least 4 feet long A Bucket of water A ziplock bag some kind of weight (they chose a shopping bag with pool balls) some string Directions:“Boys, here are the basic elements for making a shaduf. Figure out how to put them together in a way that allows you to fill the baggie with water from the bucket and then swing the arm around to water your make-believe garden.” Results: Dipping bag into the water Swinging the water around to reach the “garden”. “Crops” being watered. Here’s a (windy) explanation of what they learned, narrated by the youngest. Sometimes less is more in homeschooling. I had a whole afternoon of schooly looking activities planned for the boys. Instead, they were able to use critical thinking to solve a problem, build with their hands, and play in the water for over an hour. They learned more in this activity than I had planned for them to accomplish, even though we have nothing on paper to show for it. Aint Homeskoolin” Grate? (Yes, I misspelled on purpose. Sometimes you just have to jump out of the box!) Download your FREE "Unit Study Ideas" {Printable}
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. Download your FREE "Math Concepts to Master Before Graduating High School" {Printable} 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.
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.