Mental Math tips

Like most on this blog, this post is long overdue. Last Monday, I wanted to do a mental-math-minute type post about adding 8's and 9's, but after thinking about it, I didn't want to do anything that was a shortcut without addressing how to develop number sense. I thought about all of the background information that I deemed helpful, and this long video became the response.

In this video, I give ideas on how to develop a good number sense, share where to find some manipulatives, and show some strategies toward doing math mentally. If you want, you can skip straight to the strategies.

Now, this video is far from perfect. I didn't have a script. I make plenty mistakes and obscure noises along the way, and the volume's a bit of everywhere, so be prepared to turn up and turn down. Still, I hope that the information shared is valuable and worth any adjustments.

For Even Smaller Sums

If the things in the video are a little too advanced for your little one find addition tips for numbers 5 and under here:

For Sums 6 - 10

At the time of the above video, I was considering making another video for addition sums from 6 - 10. I probably won't, but just briefly, this is the order I would do to get me through.

1. The info from "Getting Started With Math" video.
2. Play games (make them up) to solidify addition facts to 5. Use abacus when playing games.
3. Use your fingers and the color coded abacus to learn your "5 and's..." (5 + 1 = 6, 5 + 2 = 7, etc.) to 10.
4. Represent "5 and's..." in all possible ways (fingers, tally marks, abacus, sticks, etc.)
5. Partition 6 into all of it's parts. Use the abacus to begin.
6. Do the same for the remaining numbers to 10
7. More addition games using abacus when necessary.

Thanks for checking out this blog. Hit me up if you have questions or comments.

The Last Couple of Weeks In Review

Since Christmas break, we really haven't been able to get into a groove. We've had tons of frustrating moments, and we've just haven't gotten a lot done. To add to the fire, I'm trying to learn a couple computer languages, leaving less time for lesson planning. Since we're not in our house, we don't have dedicated space like before. We use our bedroom. Thankfully, I decided to change venues, making a break to the living room. Instead of just starting a lesson, I went back to how we did in kindergarten with something similar to a circle time. It was funny because she wanted to sing all our old circle time songs. The change of setting really prepared her for learning. When it's warmer, I may take her to the park a few times a week to do lessons there.

Here are some of the things we've done in the last couple of weeks. Don't judge! We run homeschool in the afternoons and on weekends, basically whenever we can. I'm looking forward to Valentine's Day. There will be no school on that day. That'll give us time to catch up on lessons, and I can actually do a deep condition on that hair of hers.

Math

This week we worked on making change. We used post-its to put prices on random items. Using real coins, we counted up from the amount charged using pennies until we got to a multiple of 5¢ or 10¢. Then we would used the appropriate coin(s) to get the original amount given by payee.

In addition, reviewed mentally adding double digits and +8 and +9 rules (+8,+9 video coming soon). I really want to concentrate on mental math, but like anything it takes lots of review and practice, practice, practice.

Writing

We're supposed to be ending our unit (which began at the beginning of the school year) in personal narratives (See Our Forray Into The Personal Narrative). She's been wanting to write fiction since the beginning. I'm getting ready to move on, but now she wants to write a book about her recent experiences. This week we began chapter one which is about two manuscript pages. For the first time, they don't include any drawings, and I like it better that way. My "bad mommy" thoughts are that I hope she has forgotten or that we can divert her attention and write a book of fiction. We need to move on from this never ending personal narrative unit. Maybe we'll do both. Who knows!

Reading

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We haven't done a lot on reading, and honestly, I don't think she's improved that much. Her teacher says it's because she's already so advanced, but for me, I do believe that she should be a year ahead of where she placed at the beginning of the year (5th grade 3rd month). She's just now begun to start reading books at school at the grade level she tested in at the beginning of the year. The only thing that I think would keep her from reading higher would be vocabulary. Her vocabulary is already kind of cool for a 1st grader. I often giggle when she uses words like putrid or abhor. They're not big words, per se. They're just words you don't hear that often from someone her age. She's getting some of the words from her gifted class, but the great thing about it, is that she's actually using these words. I learned the words just for tests, but she's figuring out a way to use them in daily life.

My reading plan of attack is two fold. First we'll concentrate on vocabulary. I'll present more words, reward her for using them, remind her to use them, and use them myself. We already have a notebook to write down new words, but just haven't used it that much. We'll try to do a word daily and then add these words to her spelling lists. When the word is first introduced, it'll be her job to figure out the pronunciation. Then she'll have to write sentences using the word.

Secondly, we'll institute a timed reading session everyday- thirty minutes on weekdays and two thirty minute sessions on weekends if time permits. Our library day is Thursday. I'll pick out books at our local library. She'll pick out a book daily at her school library. Some of the books we're reading are above.

Drums

Same beat as here, Non-Drumma Momma.

Gymnastics

Bridges and handstands.

Black History

For music and black history, we've been learning "Lift Every Voice." She loves the tune. In addition we've been reading about African civilizations and important figures in African American history. Next week, I plan on using lessons from Jawanza Kunjufu's Lessons in History: A Celebration of Blackness.

Grammar

Finding Subject/ Verb, Linking Verb vs. Action Verbs, Adjectives. You can find the first part of our lesson, here.

Snow Days Provide Opportunity

For all of those who aren't familiar with the purpose of my blog, or with me, for that matter, I am a mother of one. I view the role of mother as my most important job in life. Also important is my role as wife to my husband (I have to remind myself of this lots of times), but even the most essential aspect of that role's importance is providing the environment to nurture our offspring.
I view education as being very important. I've been a teacher on just about every level imaginable, and from this experience I have concluded that a lot of what's done at school is a disservice to some of our children.

My Goto Example of Education Disservice: Sight Words

For example, I am a firm believer that not every child needs to be introduced to sight words. Sight words themselves aren't the culprit, but the idea of a list of words for students to memorize, especially when words on that list are decodable, is. I feel that sight words are used because it's easier for the teacher. No real concept is to be taught when using sight words. Sight word instruction, while sometimes inventive, is merely presenting words and helping students remember them by sight.
I taught sight words to a class of four years olds. My youngest kid of 3 progressed the fastest and within her first week in my class could recite several sight word books. Her mom was so amazed that her 3 year old was "reading." I really wanted to tell the mom that nothing about what this child was doing is "reading" and that I could really teach her 3 y.o. to read if the school would let me bring my own materials, implemented a real discipline plan, and allowed the teacher to deviate from that curriculum and actually gave time for actual instruction instead of going around the building to have useless extra-curricular classes (I love these classes, if done in a systematic way that actually produced a skill- I mean why go to a class to learn that book= libra, but not be able to construct any Spanish phrases) all day, her 3 y.o would be learning to read. But for as long as unknowing parents are impressed by the non-education of our children, these schools will continue to do what they already do.(Please see Some May Call Me the Sight Word Nazi and How I Taught My Daughter to Read.)

For the Most Part, Teachers Are Not the Problem

I am not hear to bash teachers. I am in my own regard a teacher at heart. Society has painted teachers as people who enter the field to make money, and while in this economy, there may be some truth to that, I have not met a teacher that did not want his class to do well or her students to master the state's standards. The people aren't the problem, but the approach. The fact is that there is no real way to differentiate to meet every single one of the class' 30 kids' needs. It is my experience that differentiation in the classroom is really for those who underperform. Enough is done to ensure that students stay on level. Often times lots of energy goes to bringing up those low level students, but only if there are a lot of them in the class to begin with. And then higher performing students' parents are coaxed along in order to keep their child in the class/school to bring up test scores.
If your three or four year old, or even two year old, is ready to learn to read, why wait until age 6 to teach them. Right now, my first grader can add two digit numbers in her head and extremely large numbers on paper. We're beginning to learn times tables, but have I seen any of this work come home? Will any of these skills be nurtured in any way at her school? The answer is a swift "no." On the Star reading assessment, my child tested on the 5th grade reading comprehension level. Her teacher was proud, I guess, because I heard about it from other parents before I was informed by the school. But have I seen any 5th grade books come home? The idea is supposed to be that at the end of the year, or at least at the beginning of next year, she's advanced a complete year, comprehending at 6.3. Will she this year? If so, it won't be because of work she's done at school, or even work that's sent home from school.

Conventional Schools Are Not Equipped to Meet the Needs of Every Single Child

What I expect for my child- what every child deserves- is nearly impossible for the school to do as it is set up. First of all the idea of grade levels being associated with age instead of skill or knowledge is ridiculous. The idea that you have to spend all year learning something that you can learn in a month is equally ridiculous, but how else is group education to function? I will admit that in recent years great gains have been made in differentiation with regard to reading, but this is really only on what the students read, not so much on direct instruction. Math, however, hasn't come as far along.
Everyday I ask my child did she learn anything new in her regular class. Except for one day, the answer has been "no." Now I do admit that she's exposed to different things in the gifted program. Things that I would not think to do, they've done. For that, I'm thankful.

More About Me and This Here Blog

I view myself as a part-time homeschooler. Why don't I homeschool my daughter full time? I got to come-up just a bit to do that, and believe me, I've been working on that. Academically, I got her, but some of the other things suffered when she was homeschooled due to her not being around others in her age group, and not having certain experiences. But with just a little more work on my part, I plan to eliminate these issues with my own homeschool.
My mantra is that no one at any school, public or private, is able to teach my daughter as well as I. I am my child's primary (not only first, but chief) teacher. And it's not that I'm such a good teacher. It's that I know my daughter. I've taken the time to get to know her, and at this stage (and I hope always) I am one of the ones who is most influential to her. She is the clay, and I am the primary molder. I take this job seriously. This blog documents our educational experiences.

You, My Dear, Are Qualified

How is it that I am able to teach my child with no teaching degree or certification? I do have an advantage in that I've actually taught in schools. I know how to make an effective lesson plan. Based off of the standards, I can develop my own curriculum and curriculum maps. I can read and understand the maps of school districts and compare and contrast them. I can read testing data. I can develop adequate pre and post assessments. I can ask higher order, open ended questions, basing my lesson on the essential question. I've been instructed on positive behavior and teacher efficacy. I have an advantage, but still I have to research, research, research. I research what it is that my child should know and/ or wants to know and/or what I want her to know. Then I research the best way to teach it. That's all, boo. You are totally qualified to teach your own child. Even if you don't know yourself, you can follow this model- research, learn, teach. If for some reason that doesn't work, then you contract the teaching out. Maybe you can leave that aspect to the schools, loved one, or to a tutor.

Take Snow Day Action

So if you have time during these GA snow days, instead of being concerned about the time your learner is missing from school, take the time to fill in the gaps in her education. You as a parent can do more than visit the school to help your child in the academic arena. You can do more than making sure that he gets his homework. I encourage you to take on the role of educator for your children. Work that role, rather it be daily or weekly or monthly. I encourage you to view these "free days" as an opportunity to academically educate your own child. In your researching phase, you'll probably learn that the best way to approach a subject isn't congruent with the school's approach, anyway. Follow the model and the motto. Let's say it together.

I am my child's primary and best teacher. I honor this responsibility and move through it with gratitude, knowing that I am doing what's best for my child. I am qualified by God for this position, and thusly, I take the time to research, learn, and teach.

Happy Teaching!!!

+10, +100, +1000 Preparation

Adding 10 to any number is pretty straight forward for those who understand place value. RightStart, my preferred math curriculum for primary grades, starts developing base-5 and base-10 concepts from the very beginning. Initially, they even have different names for numbers larger than 10. Twenty is said "two-ten" and 54 would be "5-ten four." It's wierd but it really does help children to understand what the number in the 10's place means.

First Steps: Simple Addition

Before moving on to adding numbers whose sums are greater than 10, first make sure that your child is comfortable with numbers whose sums are equal to or less than 5. Can the student visually recognize up to three objects without counting? Does she understand what addition is? Does she have resources to help her find the sum of two numbers? Is she able to write and recognize numerical expressions of addition and subtraction? Can he name all the possible sums of addends less than or equal to 5? This is also a good time to help your child understand the commutative property (1+2=2+1.)

Once all of the sums up to 5 are a breeze, then help your student to memorize sums up to 10. Start by adding numbers to 5. This is a relatively easy concept because the child can use his hands. Once your child knows all the "5+..." facts, you can move on to other numbers. For all of this work, I really do like to make use of the abacus in general, but the alabacus specifically does a great job at helping your child to understand base-5, as well as 10 as a base. Any base-10 abacas will be helpful. When asked to show the number 8, with consistent practice your child will learn that instead of counting 8 beads to slide over, they can just leave 2 beads. The alabacus adds to this feature by changing colors every 5 beads, so in addition to leaving 2 beads, the student can use 5 beads of one color plus 3 of another to show 8. The alabacus, as well as the RightStart Math Curriculum, can be purchased at alabacus.com There,you can also purchase an app version of the alabacus. In addition there is an online freebie called Number Rack. Number Rack can also be found as an ios app. I have no clue about google apps. Lastly, you may decide to make your own abacus. Google can be your friend in this juncture.

The Fun Part: Place Value

Do all you can to ensure that your child has a firm grasp of place value to 1000. Several manipulatives are helpful. Probably the most helpful would be base 10 blocks. I've never owned these because they can be expensive. Instead, I have used the base 10 picture cards. I own the commercial set that came with my RightStart Math package, but I've also printed my own on card stock. In all actuality, I have used the printed version more. My favorite version of this free printable can be found HERE. You can find a virtual manipulative source HERE. If you'd rathe shell out the money for the actual blocks, and not a picture representation, they are easy to find. I won't suggest a brand, but you can find them by searching the internet.

Place value cards are also good to have. Again, I have the commercial and homemade sets. You can find my homemade set HERE. Feel free to purchase any of these products. If money and storage aren't an issue, I would definitely purchase the base-10 blocks, but the b10 picture cards work as well. I won't suggest a brand,so google away. The choices are abundant.

Definitely look up some place value lesson plans, but the premise is to start with the ones blocks. At this point your child can teach you all about the numbers to 10. Next show your child that 10 of the ones blocks equals 1 of the 10s bars. Continue on in this fashion until you get to one thousand. At the same time, help your learner to recognize and write these numbers as they go. The place value cards, as well as My Place Value Number Board. should facilitate this really well. The idea is not only will your youngster know the way these numbers sound and look, but also what they mean. This will help the child to understand that in the same way as 2+4=6, 20+40=60, and 200+400=600.

FREE Virtual Place Value Number Board

As you will find out, my first grader and I love RightStart Math. We are right smack in the middle of the B lessons. RightStart has a lot of manipulatives which really equals a lot of money for these pockets. With the C lessons (we should start in January), I'll probably make a lot of my own manipulatives to use with the many that carry over from the ones we use now.

One manipulative RightStart doesn't use is a place value flipchart. Of course I save those $15-$20 and made my own, but can't put my hands on it right now. I've been able to find all the other manipulatives online, but of course this one is missing in action.  Until now...

It's a flash place value board that I made for times of place value confusion. Pretty basic, huh? But just what my Lyla needed. Later maybe I'll add base 10 blocks... Enjoy!

Here's a LINK.

PS  This will not work in any device that does not support .swf files.