elementary-homeschooling Archives

Math Boy – Elementary Math

March 22, 2009 By Laura 4 Comments

As I pondered this post I had coming up, I had a vague recollection of blogging something similar before. So I went looking and found this post from almost a year ago; Math Madness and Memorization. So today’s post is basically talking about the fact that nothing has changed….but merely progressed quite a bit since then. I especially love the last 3 paragraphs of that old post, as my feelings have not changed, but only grown as well.

From the time this boy, {S} was about 1 year old, he has loved everything about letters and numbers. He was less than 2 years old when he already knew the entire alphabet. Not just saying/singing the alphabet…..but recognizing any letter, upper case or lower case, any where, any time, in any letter style. He gave the same zealous interest to numbers. Number recognition. Counting. He’s always been very physically active, but even so, he has always spent a lot of his mental energy on letters and numbers. And he still does.

All 4 of our kids happen to do very well with their schooling, and in all subjects. Naturally, I have a whole philosophy that explains why, in my eyes, they do so well….and enjoy it! (Because at this age, they need to have fun learning, to learn to love learning.) But {S} just has a particular fondness for numbers, in the form of math. And that’s the reason why he does so well in math. Simply because he loves it, so he enjoys it, so he learns more. I love the look he gets when you give him a problem. He looks off to the distance, and with that little content smile, you can see him calculate in his head. And then he whips his head back and let’s out the answer in a big announcement sort of way. And then he is ready for the next one. And the next one.

$homeschooling-math$

He usually zips right through his math, and rarely has one wrong either. If we ask {J} or {O} a math problem to do mentally, {S} often blurts out the answer in a heartbeat, because he can hardly contain himself. We have to remind him over and over to not answer for them. But he REALLY wants to….because he KNOWS THE ANSWER!

$math-workbook$

Most times, when he sees me correcting books, he wants to know if he had any wrong. He doesn’t much expect me to say ‘yes’ either. But on the occasions when I did say yes, because there was indeed one wrong, he’s off to get his pencil and eraser, because he MUST fix it.

He loves to count days too. How many more days until this day, or how many days ago that was. He wants to be the score keeper when they play Scrabble or Uno, so he can add the points.

$elementary-homeschooling-math$

He’s just really focused, and content, in the numbers world. I recall one week that he was just having a run of days of LOTS of extra energy, and it was tending to get him into trouble. So over those days, when he was ‘heading down the wrong road’ so to speak, I redirected his attention. I would simply call him over, and say “I just want you to stand here, and count to 100 by odd numbers…..real-ly slow-ly.” And he would say ‘Count to 100 by odd numbers? Ok!”….with a very pleased look on his face….because he was HAPPY to do it. Or, I would give him a REALLY big math problem. Any of those times, he never ask why I wanted him to do it, because he was so excited just to get to it, that the WHY wasn’t occurring to him. I could see the numbers going around in his head, and the little smile remained. Once in awhile he would just let me know what number he was on, to assure me he was going slowly.

By the time he was done, he was in a content state of mind, and would go off to play, imagine and create…..with the behavior we expect and appreciate. : ) Worked for both of us! I’m keeping that one in my tool box. ; )

The funny thing is…..when I was in school, I didn’t like math, because I wasn’t good at it. Actually, more likely, I wasn’t good at it, because I didn’t like it! It wasn’t FUN to me. I found math and algebra hard. But I was ‘Geometry Girl’. My teacher said I rocked Geometry in a second nature way, because I was an artist. The funny thing is….I do love math now, AND I’m pretty good at it! Maybe because I’ve been having FUN doing it!

The other day, {S} was talking to his big sister about math, and numbers. So she shared with him that soon with school, he would be learning how to add with carrying numbers over. She decided to show him what she meant, and then let him try it. Well by golly…he got it! And that has been his ‘new thing’ lately. I taught him how to know where to put the commas simply by giving him a pattern, left to right, 1-2-3-comma. 1-2-3-comma. We have not gotten into teaching the 1st grade trio the hundred-millions place, yet. lol. But I am guessing soon, now!! lol

After doing this particular math problem (above) at the table, he was pretty happy. As usual, he said “Hey Mama! I have a great idea! Why don’t you take a picture of me, and blog about it!!” (Well Ok…..twist my arm why don’t you, Math Boy. : ) And then he wanted me to take a photo of his shirt….which is his very favorite t-shirt (which he got from his aunt, uncle and cousins for Christmas one year.)

So I did.

I can see why he loves it.

It think it has the truth written alllll over it!

Save

Nicholas – A Massachusetts Tale – Elementary Reading

March 18, 2009 By Laura 5 Comments

I think I’ve mentioned, oh, maybe a kazillion times, that all of our kids just love reading books. (But it’s true!) Thank God too. I mean, to love reading is just, helpful, to get through the school years enjoyably. Because they love it so much, they are way above their grade level with that. So I started thinking they (the triplets; 6 years old) were probably quite ready for bigger chapter books. But….I really didn’t know, like, WHAT chapter books. Because the thing is, I am very particular about content of most anything where TV/videos/reading material goes. All I could really think of, was possibly some Magic Tree House books? Which turns out are pretty easy for them. But they do like the stories.

So one day not too long ago, I was at the children’s library with my girls. I am a fanatical person about really nice children’s illustrated books, as an illustrator of sorts myself. When I am looking through books, any books, I really do judge them by the cover. Especially if it’s a children’s book…..and has bad illustrated cover? I don’t even open it up. lol So I was flipping through and piling up a lot of ‘worthy’ books to have lined around our school window sills, for the kids to grab when they feel like it. I do this a lot. Even though…all 3 of the little ones just read them all in a matter of 30 minutes.

So sitting there on the library floor, ( I know…yuck….that’s what I was thinking at the time…), I started looking at the books on the shelf behind me, and saw this title: Nicholas – A Massachusetts Tale. Hmmm. That alone got my attention, so I grabbed it. One look at the cover, and I was sure it was a gem! ; ) I read the inside jacket of the front cover:

MEET NICHOLAS- a lively field mouse from
Massachusetts. He lives tucked under a
farmhouse outside Stockbridge until a flood
destroys the journal that contains his
family history. Faced with the loss of all
his family stories, Nicholas embarks on a
journey across the state to find his Uncle
William and a copy of the precious journal.

Early in his travels, Nicholas meets up with
a haughty chipmunk named Edward, and the
pair decides to head east together. Along
the way, they learn a great deal about their
home state-the animals that live there,
the geography, industries, and even about
the state’s history. West Tisbury is their
destination, but when they arrive there, will
they be able to find Uncle William, and will
he still have the remaining copy of
Nicholas’s family journal?

I was hooked already! I opened the book in the middle, and quickly read a few pages. It was passing my ‘appropriateness for 6 year olds test’ too. But dang…it was a big book! So I called {O} over, opened it to the first page, and told her to start reading to me. She did. Now, if you could hear this girl read anyway…she sounds like a little adult. I’m not kidding. Expression….use of punctuation….vocabulary and articulation…you’d probably chuckle. It’s just kind of funny. She almost sounds like a teacher or a librarian, reading to the children. So….it was cake for her. And I was EXCITED I found a great chapter book.

We checked it out, along with the ‘window sills’ pile, and {A’s} her own hefty pile, and headed home to meet the boys, who had been at a basketball clinic.

{O} got right to reading that book. After the first few chapters, she was telling me all about what happened. But you know…I couldn’t ask her any questions, because I hadn’t read it myself. So later when I got the chance, I read the first few chapters, just to check her com-pre-HEN-sion. (I just had to type that word out like that…because the kids love that word, and we always giggle when we say it. They also love…actual comprehension checks. Which works out great, because I love to put the little people on the spot, and they love to prove to me that I didn’t ‘get them’. We’re a very competitive family. lol)

Anyway, maybe a week or so later, {O} was done with the book. She had chatted excitedly every day, after reading a few chapters, about this little adventure Nicholas went on, or where she left off and she was wondering what would happen next. So when she was done….I grabbed the book, and read a few chapters a day myself, by the fire.

I am telling you…I am SMITTEN with this book. CHARMING. It really is. Now, I am sure, being a Massachusetts girl, it was all the more cooler. I grew up in western MA, and now our family resides on the south shore. So I was like “Hey! I know where that is!” As these little critters traveled across the state, meeting new friends along the way, and having quite the adventures, I learned quite a bit myself, about places I had always known, been, seen….throughout MA. Very interesting little bits I didn’t know. And having been to these places, it was all the more fun to read, and BE there. {A} had to grab it herself to read, and she enjoyed it as much.

Not only is the style of writing charming, but there are beautiful pencil sketches scattered throughout the chapters, from cover to cover.

When I was done, and with all of the chit-chat about the adventures of Nicholas, {S} decided he was going to read it too! He loved telling me what was going on, in between the chapters he read over those few days. It was nice to be able to have these conversations with him about the book, having already read it myself! When he was done….{J} decided he wasn’t letting it go back to the library before he read it too. (We’re a very competitive family.)

So basically….I guess we had a BOOK CLUB thing going on here. Only Daddy hasn’t read it. But hey…..he’s been busy reading the Bible cover to cover…and who am I to suggest interrupting THAT. He can just check this book back out later, if he feels left out. lol. (Because I am quite sure he won’t be done with his any time soon. That’s a bigger good book!)

So I have really just been eager to tell you about this great book, and I am glad I finally did. It’s great for any elementary kids….maybe even some middle school kids….to read. Especially if they are from Massachusetts….because it is loaded with history and geography. ALL good stuff. Just a great piece of children’s literature. It’s hard to find books this great these days! (Especially when you have to read them first, yourself, to find out if they are!) For picky me, there always seems to be parts that I deem inappropriate, unnecessary, or just a shame. Where, otherwise it would have been great. But this one is ALL good!! So I HIGHLY recommend it for your kids if they are at the right age or reading level. If not, than I highly recommend you cuddle up on the couch with your kiddos, and read it TO them! Huh, huh?? (Am I sounding pushy yet? lol) I looked it up at Amazon, and the (reading) age level for this book is 9-12 years old. As I said before, it’s 27 chapters, and 152 pages long. And did I mention it has great illustrations?

Once I was done reading the book, my attention/fascination turned to the author, Peter Arenstam. Wouldn’t you know…he’s a native of Massachusetts!….and lives very close to home. : ) I might go track him down very soon. Perhaps shake his hand. Maybe catch him off guard, freak him out a little, and hug him for a very long time? The illustrator is Karen Busch Holman. She and her pencils are very gifted. Together, they did one HECK of a job.

To our delight, there are TWO follow-ups, that we’ll be tracking down. (ETA:) Well, one is a follow-up (Nicholas-A Maine Tale), and the other looks like the beginning of a new series (Oliver’s Travels-An Ohio Adventure) , but I do not see a Book Two to it yet. AND….there is also a whole series on 2 other mice who go on state adventures, called Mitt & Minn. Same illustrator for those books, but a different author named Kathy-Jo Wargin. THAT series looks awesome too! I guess we’ll let you know~

Maine and Ohio! Here we come!!

(Oh gosh….I was so excited to blog about this book. I just knew I was going to blab on forever.)

Save

A Quiet Dr. Seuss Day Celebration

March 2, 2009 By Laura 12 Comments

We just wanted to share with you a peek into our quiet Dr. Seuss Day celebration.

“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.”

~ Dr. Seuss

Earlier today, we celebrated the 105th birthday of Dr. Seuss. It was a much quieter celebration, than our usual fanfare, because most of our kiddos (6 years old triplets) are a bit under the weather. Low grade fevers, little coughs and headaches, and a big dose of the ‘Quiets’. That’s just who they are today. Actually, 1/4 is recovering, 2/4 are pretty down and out by this time of the day, and 1 was out playing in the new-fallen snow. But late this morning and early afternoon, they were up for a little quiet fun and reading. We did some Dr. Seuss – themed face painting for them, for the occasion.

triplets-kids-reading-dr-seuss-book
Dr. Seuss was a man of wise words. One of my personal favorite quotes from him is:

“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.”

That’s one I try to keep in the forefront of my mind, because we need to remember it frequently! It’s so hard for us to understand why some people are the way they are. So what to do? Well, another Seuss quote comes in handy as well:

“Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.”

Enough said there. lol

We’re blessed in that all 4 of our kids truly do love reading. They just love books, and always have. And we know that will take them a long, long way in life.

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”

The little ones are quite beyond their grade level in reading, so the Dr. Seuss books are at this point, way too simple for them. They are reading chapter books now. But today, as we celebrate this gifted author and artist, for his great contributions to children’s literature, we honor the value of his non-sensicals, that are so cleverly woven with his words of wisdom, which even an adult can gleam advice from. So we all enjoyed his books today, none-the-less.

dr-seuss-day-ideas_2

dr-seuss-day-ideas_3

It was the perfect activity, for a day that called for quiet and rest.

fun-mismatched-socks

Here’s another great quote, that simply must be a Pro-Life declaration!:

“A person’s a person, no matter how small.”

They were somewhat smiley this morning, as quiet as they were. But as you know how fevers go….as they day wore on, they were feeling less and less their best. I sure hope they feel better tomorrow. Meanwhile, we’ll keeping enjoying the quiet, and giving cuddles. Things could be worse! lol

Thanks for dropping in! See you again soon, perhaps!

“Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one.”

Save

A Word on Mem Fox

August 8, 2008 By Laura Leave a Comment

I’m happy to say, we’ve managed to somewhat keep up with our Author Fiesta journey. As I mentioned was up next, the month of July featured children’s author Mem Fox.

I think you will find in this post, that I repeatedly will manage to compare Mem Fox, with our previous author who we studied, Patricia Polacco. It was quite a transition for us, and the only 2 authors we have studies thus far. So my thoughts inevitably compare the two, though they are both very gifted in their own right, and have both blessed the availability of wonderful children’s literature, in their own distinct ways.

Our experience with studying Mem was completely different than our 2 months with Patricia Polacco. Reason being, they are very different in their style of writing. Each of Patricia’s stories were a good and long read. One book could take us up to 20+ minutes! But we loved the depth of the story to each one of them, and enjoyed every page immensely, both in text and illustration. Mem’s stories are very simple and very short, which was a welcome perk with July being a very busy month for us as a family. We did not manage to get EVERY one of Mem Fox’s book from the library, but certainly a good tall stack. Unlike the huddling and cuddling that took place with Patricia’s stories through the months of May and June, with Mem’s we had most story times out on our deck, and breezed through 4 or 5 at a time. It was too hot for cuddling anyway!! In addition to story time, the kids read many of the books over and over again on their own. They LOVE to read. It seems all out loud, with different books, all at the same time. But that’s ok!! As long as they keep on loving reading!

Another vast difference in these authors was the illustration work. We enjoyed Patricia Pallaco’s own unique style of her own illustration work that went with each story she wrote. The familiar style of the pictures seemed to make us feel closer to Patricia, perhaps make a better connection with her, if that makes any sense. The illustration work that went with Mem’s books were inconsistent, explained by the fact that each had a different illustrator. Being an educated illustrator myself, some of the work I really admired, and some I didn’t care as much for. For ME, the illustration work really helps is a crucial element to my connection, or lack thereof, to each story.

Nonetheless, many of Mem’s stories, like Patricia’s, had an effective message or moral of the story, in a more subtle yet right to the point way. {S}’s favorite storybook of Mem’s was The Straight Line Wonder, and it was the book he chose to do an assigned illustration of his own for. It’s a wonderful story that encourages one to follow their heart in what they love to do, or who they want to be, regardless of if doing so makes them different. In this story, a group of ‘straight line’ friends worry about one of their own, who decides he’d rather not be a straight line all of the time. He was not afraid of being different, as the following excerpt expresses:

“People will stare!” said the other straight lines. “I don’t mind” said the 1st straight line, and he kept on jumping in humps, twirling in whirls, and pointing his joints.”

Sometimes, being different makes you stand out, but that can serve to be a good thing!! Such is the case with The Straight Line Wonder, he became famous as a showman, and spent the rest of his life doing what he loved to do.

{O}’s favorites were Sophie, Wombat Divine, and Where the Giants Sleep. Yet her drawing was from the book Sleepy Bears, which was my absolute favorite. (I wish there was a link to that one on the Mem Fox web site, which seems to need updating.) To start, the illustration work, by Kerry Argent, is beautiful. Very much my style of work. But my love for this story went beyond the pictures, to the content of the story, although I do believe the illustration work drew me in deeper than might have happened otherwise. First of all, I love the whole image in real life and in this book, of the family bed. (Although it’s not something we practiced with our children, until morning anyway. lol) I just love the illustration of all of those adorable bears, under that beautiful, colorful quilt, which I want!! But this story of Mem’s is also sort of reflective of a concept I have always tried to use with my children. I have always told them to think about fun and wonderful things that they love to think about as they drift off to sleep, and they just may have wonderful dreams about the same, even beyond their imagination.

{J} especially enjoyed Wombat Divine, and also Particular Cow, (which all of the kids thought was a riot), but he did a beautiful line drawing of Time for Bed. {A} really liked her work in Hunwick’s Egg and Particular Cow, but did an amusing illustration for Boo to a Goose,…specifically for the excerpt: “Id skip across town, with my pants hanging down, but I wouldn’t say “BOO” to a goose!” If you can only imagine, you’re probably imagining correctly. She thinks that part is the funniest thing.

My least favorite book was Feathers and Fools. While I ultimately liked the ending, I just found the story a little disturbing along the way. Maybe I am alone in my surprise, but I didn’t expect such ‘bloodshed’ to be part of a children’s story book. (is it ok to critique? Too late. lol) On a more positive note, I really loved the message of Whoever You Are, confirming the truth in the fact that no matter how different each of us looks, dresses, acts, or how or where we live, we are all the same. We also all enjoyed Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge. It made me want to take my kids to do some visiting at the local nursing homes. (Can you do that anymore?) My children are still saying that line from the book “A memory is as precious as gold, young man, a memory is as precious as gold”. (Isn’t that the truth!!) I might add, more wonderful illustration work in that one as well, by Julie Vivas.

As I said, Mem Fox was a great fit for our busy month of July. We enjoyed her, but was still flying high from Patricia Polacco. This month we are behind already. While we are not at all familiar with Tasha Tudor’s work, I find her life story completely fascinating!! It’s virtually a dream I could go with; living on a farm and living the simple life as she did. Although I wouldn’t insist on roughing to quite the extent she did. I think the interesting details, simplicity and hard work ethics of her life will lend itself well to the report {A} writes on this particular author. Also, I was delighted to learn that she, like Patricia Polacco, also illustrated all of her own story books. Unfortunately, Tasha very recently past away. So her spirit truly will live on in her works now. I am very much looking forward to spending some time with my children, and a great big pile of books, that is the the work of her life. Best get to that library again, before August is over!

My Buttons Jar

April 19, 2008 By Laura 2 Comments

(My Button Jar)

Like many women, I am sure, I feel that a home is a place in which you should be surrounded by the things that make you happy. Things that touch your soul, lift you up, comfort you. Aside from one’s family, I think that these are the things that make the house, a home. They could be meaningful pieces, that perhaps have a family history, or were passed down to you. Maybe it’s something that brings back cherished memories. Perhaps it’s something created just for you, or given to you by a very special person in your life. Or maybe it’s just ‘things’ you collect, because they speak to you, for reasons you aren’t even sure of. (And don’t really feel the need to figure out.) You just like seeing them there. Whatever those things may be for you, they matter, and should be part of your ‘sacred environment’.

My button jar is one of those things in my home. I simply just started getting and collecting buttons in this jar, because I liked the idea of it. I love buttons, and I knew seeing a bunch of them, in all of their colors, in a clear jar, would just give me one of those quiet inner-smiles. And they do. But for even more reasons than the visual appreciation I have for it, now.

It started with my husband’s comment in the store on that late summer day, as my oldest daughter and I excitedly spun the button rack, plucking off little packs we loved. He asked “What are all these buttons for, again, Honey?”. It was the way he said it. So gently. He knows better than anyone, how I get when I get an idea. I go on an urgent mission. He doesn’t always understand it. But he is always so understanding of ‘me’ and my simple needs, and you can just hear the love in his voice, when he asks these questions, trying hard to understand the purpose behind the urgency of my latest mission.
So he asked, in that sweet way he does.

By the grace of God, an answer came to me, that didn’t sound quite so crazy, as the truth it initially was. I said “Well, I’m going to keep these in the school room, and they’ll be great manipulatives to have on hand for the kids, in helping them understand math concepts and stuff, for kindergarten.” I surprised myself, and thankfully, the answer seemed to suit him just fine. So then I honestly added, “And also, I just want a button jar.” Which made him laugh, in a way that I knew, he knew, that was the bigger of the truths.

Turns out, those buttons have been used a whole lot! They don’t ‘just’ sit there, looking pretty. At the beginning of the kids schooling, they used the buttons for the building of math skills, on their number charts. I would call out a number, and they would see how fast they could find that number on their chart, and mark it with a button. Or we would teach them about numbers that come before, after, or in between, other given numbers.

$buttons-math-chart-homeschooling$

As the beginning of the year wore on, we also used them for lessons on counting higher, comparison, direction and position (right, left, up down, next, last, over, after, before, etc.) They also came in handy for number theories (ordinal numbers, even, odd) , and sequences such as first, 2nd, 3rd, last. etc. At this point in the year, we mostly use them to show them the visual concept of addition and subtraction.

I’m not the only one that has truly enjoyed having this jar of buttons in our home! The younger kids ask all of the time “Mama, can I play with your buttons?“, and the ‘your‘ part always makes me chuckle. (But I don’t feel the need to correct them 😉 Of course, I always say “Yes“. They ‘play’ with them, making up their own games that incidentally, re-enforce every mathematical concept we have taught them. Everything they learned with those buttons, was FUN to them, and so they just want to do it more. And I think ‘Keep playing.’

When I first got that jar of buttons together, and sat it on my school cabinet, the sight of it, as I said, just gave me a quiet inner-smile. Maybe they represent my surpressed urge to start sewing. (For all of the beautiful sewn things I just totally make up in my head, and then so surprisingly, cannot find in the stores!)

But more than anything now, seeing that jar already brings me warm memories: Of the thoughtfully put question my husband asked me in the store that day, or the fun the kids have had with them during school time, and the value in the various lessons they’ve learned while using them. Or the many times I watched any one of the children at the table, buttons scattered about, ‘playing‘. Suddenly, the vision-turned-reality of my button jar just sitting there, holds true purpose, life-long lessons, family value, and cherished memories. It’s times like these I am really glad I had such a crazy idea.
And as it sometimes turns out, so is everyone else in our family.

Save

“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.”

~ Dr. Seuss

“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.”

“Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.”

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”

“A person’s a person, no matter how small.”

“Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one.”

Amazon Affiliates