Curriculum Chat, MATH!

We've all been there.  The sometimes dreaded time to choose a new curriculum or your first curriculum.  After homeschooling 8 years I have went through this so many times.  You second guess yourself, wonder if your ruining your child's learning progression. 

Well just take a minute, breathe and re-boot.  There's no perfect child nor perfect curriculum.  One of the reasons to homeschool is to meet the needs of your individual child, not 30 kids in a classroom.

To best meet the needs of your child you must first determine how they learn.  You can read up on all the different learning styles and there are even tests to determine your child's style.  I found I already knew based on how they go about their daily lives.  For example, can your child do a chore by having it explained verbally, by watching someone else do it, or by doing it themselves.  There you have your auditory, visual or kinesthetic learners.  Some children like my own have more than one learning style, however one may be more comfortable for them.  So when looking for curriculum I try to find one that meets more than one style.

That brings me to todays curriculum, Math.  Many new homeschooler's freak out about choosing a math curriculum.  In our case, it hasn't been perfect but I find math to be one of the easiest. 

There are so many new math curricula that address all the learning styles in one way or another.  Plus, most good ones have a placement test to help you place your child at the right level.  Remember, this is individualized instruction so don't get hung up on grade level.  It's better to focus on the skills and whether they have mastered them or not. Math skills build on one another so it's best to make sure they know the basics before moving on.

All that said, I have tried a, cough, cough, few different math curriculums over the years.  I will share my personal pros and cons of those this week, beginning with elementary math.  Please note,  I am not paid, nor do I represent any of these companies. 

Elementary Math:

1.  Math U See - This was our first homeschool math curriculum.  I used it with T when he came home half way through 4th grade and didn't really know his multiplication tables.  Yet, he tested above average in the state skills test, go figure.  This was a perfect fit for him.

 

Pros-

This curriculum is simple, hands on and not overwhelming. We could move at our own pace.  It addressed all learning styles.

The lesson is taught on DVD, by Steve Demme, who is quirky but fun. So if your not comfortable or confident in teaching math is a great solution.

It also offers manipulatives for the kinesthetic or hands on learner.  I hate to admit it but T did not use the blocks much, however he did use the fraction overlays. 

It also offers placement tests to help ease a parent's mind about buying the correct level.

Cons-

It can be boring, and a little dry.  Poogie was bored out of her mind.  She would do a whole lesson in one day. 

It's a mastery curriculum.  You learn each skill and master it before you move on. For example, Delta level focuses on division, where as, Epsilon focuses on fractions. Many students and parents are not comfortable with this type of curriculum and that's ok.  But for your child it may just be what they need.

I have personally used Math U See on and off for both of my children.  Even though, it didn't suit Poogie's learning style in the beginning we are now using it for Pre-Algebra and she is doing well.  

Tomorrow I will talk about Rod & Staff math, Poogie's favorite and T's kryptonite, lol. 

First Week Adventure!

We haven't even completed our first week of homeschooling here and we have already had our first adventure.  The weather has been beautiful all week, so Poogie and I just had to take advantage and head out on the Harley to explore. We rode a familiar route, however we finally took the time to stop and explore some of the awesome sites along the way.

First stop on the Great River Road was the Piasa painting on the side of the cliff.  I always found it to be a little creepy.  After reading the story of the creature, I confirmed its creepiness.  We found that we could link the area and some of the former explorers to Poogie's history lessons, and linked it to science with the mining information. 

We then rode up the River Road to one of our favorite destinations, Grafton, IL.  We took time to look at many of the historical homes, noting the materials used to build with then vs. now.  Explored the river bank and noted the changes from the recent flood and how destructive water can be.  This time we also took a moment to stop by an old barn and home along the road that we have loved but never stopped to explore. 

An added bonus to this trip, which tends to happen a lot in Grafton, was the view of these very cool replicas of Columbus's ships the Nina and the Pinta.  Time and the lack of actual cash on hand did not allow us to explore the replicas, but it was an awesome sight. 

This is what I absolutely love about homeschooling.  Taking knowledge and learning out into the world.  Seeing things with your own eyes, not in a book or on a video. We are having so much fun, can't wait to see what adventures we have next. 

2015 Here We Come!

2015 will be a year of firsts!  And I am so excited about the change.  This will be my first homeschooling year with only one student!  It's a little sad but also very exciting.  My son T has completed high school and moved on to other thing such as  work and hopefully college. 

So that just leaves Poogie and I to carry on with our homeschooling adventure!  And what an adventure this year will be. 

This will be our first year of homeschool without having dance as part of our lives.  What will we do having every afternoon free??  Well, we plan on going on some awesome field trips, taking some music lessons, and longboarding (Poogie's new obsession).  Leaving the dance world was bitter sweet but I must say our lives are better without it.

Of course, I've also made adjustments to our curriculum to suit my girl's learning style.  She moves much faster through material than T did and likes moving along at her own pace.  I will post a whole post later this week on our curriculum choices.  Too much to put in this one post.

I plan on posting more in the upcoming year to share this new chapter in our lives.  Stay tuned :)