The Early Years - Math

Let's face it, some kids are born with the math gene, and some just aren't. I personally missed out on that valuable piece of genetic material, but fortunately at least one of our children inherited his dad's ease with math.

So what does math learning look like in the elementary grades? Especially if mom isn't all that comfortable with the subject herself! Does 30 minutes of math mean sitting at the table doing a workbook for 30 minutes? Yikes! I sure hope not ...

If you have a workbook-loving student, then spend 15 minutes going over a worksheet together. Then close the book and move on to 15 more minutes with counting blocks, or math games (Mathtacular is a great choice!) on the computer. I remember teaching my younger students about pairs by having them match and fold socks. We learned simple addition and subtraction by setting the table ... counting out the forks, knives and spoons ... discussing how many we needed to take away if dad wasn't going to be home for dinner that evening. And baking is an awesome way to introduce simple fractions (and even get in a little Science at the same time!).

Have *FUN* learning math with your child. It doesn't have to be painful. If you'd like some additional practical ways to teach math without workbooks or textbooks, check out Ruth Beechick's Three R's Series.

More to come! ...

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What Happens if it Doesn't Work?

I was chatting with a new homeschooler via phone this morning. She's about two weeks into her school year and her son is just whizzing through the math and history products she chose. Her greatest concern was that she had chosen the "wrong" materials ... and what should she do about it?

I suspect this is a perennial question for many homeschoolers ... both new and veteran. And I don't know that there's any "right" answer to the question. But as I shared with this mom today, I do think there are a couple things to consider.

One ... are you concerned about the choice you made because your student doesn't like the material? While I'm always willing to listen to feedback from my kids, and will certainly consider any "legitimate" concerns ... "liking" your math or science curriculum is not a prerequisite for using it. I do agree that products that are boring or not well written are worth re-evaluation ... but I've also come to the conclusion that bells, whistles and making you "feel happy" are not necessary when it comes to learning.

Two ... are you concerned about the choice you made because the material doesn't seem to be a good fit for your student? This is an entirely different issue from your student not liking their school work. Now "not liking" your math or language arts may indeed be a symptom of a "poor fit", but if your student is whizzing through 3 or 4 math lessons each day and is acting bored ... or if you're utilizing a workbook based language arts program and your child is just not "getting it" ... then you may want to consider a different approach. Not all children learn the same ... some do better with hands-on tools, others excel with textbooks and workbooks. Sometimes there is some trial and error involved in figuring out which approach works best for your student. The Way They Learn by Cynthia Tobias is a great resource for discovering your child's learning style (and your teaching style!).

So make a change if a change is needed. Invest a bit of time now figuring out how your child learns best ... and make adjustments to fit that need. This is not a failure of your curriculum choosing abilities, but rather a great opportunity to tailor your homeschooling to your child's strengths. A momentary "glitch" in your school year that will reap years of benefit is not a bad thing!

Blessings ...
~Judy

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