We will be moving across the country at the end of the month and I need ideas for independent work my kids can do while I'm packing/unpacking/cleaning/etc. for a few weeks. Here's what I have so far... - Typing Instructor for Kids - Rosetta Stone Spanish - Review pages in math books (we've been saving these for when we move) - SpellingCity.com - Khan Academy - Science Reading and Written Narrations - Listen to audio books - Free reading time - Crochet, beads, coloring, etc. Any other ideas for things they can do on their own? I especially need ideas for my 4.5 yo. Most of the stuff listed above would be for my older two....

We start Miquon at 4 or 4.5 yrs here. We go back and forth between that and Singapore. If they get stuck in one book, we switch to the other curriculum for a while. Otherwise, I just let them choose which book they want to work from. You might also want to check out the videos in my signature below for ideas on how to teach the "Miquon" way. Check paperbackswap.com or bookmooch.com for the Miquon books. You can often get the Lab Sheet Annotations book through there right away and you can wish for the higher level books so that you hopefully recieve them by the time your child gets to that level. Also, I believe Sonlight does free shipping on orders over $25 now. HTH!

I didn't learn that way, either. I've had to learn along with my oldest. It's so freeing to finally be able to understand numbers! I always did well in math, but it was just because I could memorize well. I had no idea what it was really all about. For instance, I remember doing pages on place value in elementary school and wondering what on earth this had to do with any other kind of math. Same with estimation. And I could never figure out how people could do mental math so quickly! I'd try to line up all the numbers in my head like you would on paper and then lose my place and get frustrated! It never all came together for me until we started doing Singapore and Miquon a few years ago. Check out the link in my signature to see how I teach my girls the Singapore/Miquon way!

Try googling "Crewton Ramone" and watch the videos. Maybe add "exponents" to your search, too. It's hands-on, not whole body, but I'm sure it will help!

Either Crewton Ramone videos or the videos linked in my signature below would work wonders for her development of number sense! And they are free! You'd just need to buy the manipulatives. Also, Challenging Word Problems from the Singapore Primary Mathematics Curriculum would be good. Start at level 2 or 3. To see what they are like, you can check out the Thinking Blocks website, which is just an online (easier) version of what is in the books. Oh, and if she struggles in one or two particular areas, then the Math Mammoth Blue books would be great to use. HTH!

Old Mother West Wind (and others by Thornton Burgess) English Fairy Tales (though I kept out some that Ambleside Online wrote notes about when I put them on CD) The Light Princess (kind of advanced vocab, though) The Little Princess Wizard of Oz My Father's Dragon (CUTE little boy reader!) Wind in the Willows

Just chiming in to agree with the others! Maybe have her do every other problem in MM as well as make sure she's at the appropriate level by taking the placement test. Beast Academy would be good. MEP is puzzly (is that a word?) and free. Crewton Ramone stuff and my videos linked in my signature are free. Singapore is similar to MM but with less practice/baby-steps, but if you already own all the MM, then I'd stick with that and just have her do less problems and skip sections she's familiar with. Challenging Word Problems are good no matter what curriculum you use!

40-60 minutes. She does Singapore, Beast Academy, Primary Grade Challenge Math, and Crewton Ramone stuff so it's not always the same old thing every day. And sometimes we just play math games or make up hard problems to do on the white board. I don't have a set time. We just go until one of us wants to stop... unless she wants to stop because she doesn't want to put any effort into solving a difficult problem. Then I make her work through it because we don't quit when things get hard! It usually works out to be about an hour or less, though.

If you can't see the videos, then get the Orange and Red books, Lab Sheet Annotations, and The First Grade Diary to start you off. Sometimes you can find them on paperbackswap.com or bookmooch.com for cheaper!

It sounds very much like she still needs thing to be concrete. Also, is she a visual-spatial or kinesthetic learner? Get a tub of Cuisenaire Rods and let her use those. It will help tremendously! Click the link in my signature for videos showing how to use the rods!

If you're just interested in multiplication and division, you might want to check out the videos in my signature. I love Miquon, though, so I don't want to dissuade you from getting it! You could start with the Orange or even the Red book, I think. The most important thing is to remember to say "of" when reading the multiplication sign. So 4x5 is read "4 of 5" and your child grabs four of the yellow rod. And 1/2 x 6 is read "1/2 of 6" so your child grabs whatever rod is half of the dark green (light green = 3). For division, you ask how many of the second number are in the first number. So for 40 ÷ 8 you say, "How many 8's are in 40?" and lay out 4 orange ten-rods and see how many brown 8-rods fit under it.

I agree with Aime. And I think what he's doing is pretty normal - especially if these are oral narrations instead of written ones. We don't talk the same way we write. There is more formality in writing. Sentence structures are different. The more he hears and reads the right way, the easier it will be for him. That just takes lots of time and lots of exposure. I'd say the most important thing at his age is to get the details right and it sounds like he's doing that. Sentence structure will improve eventually. The Killgallon books would be good for this, but I wouldn't do it at 7yrs old. Wait a couple years. I really wouldn't worry. He's still a baby, really! He's got so many years ahead of him to get this right! Just keep being his "helper," showing him a better way to rephrase his sentences, and keep enjoying good books together! You're not a failure!

When I'm sick I try to give them some independent math and language arts work, then I let them listen to audio CDs or watch educational movies and then play outside. I tend to get bronchial stuff when I get colds so I often can't read to them for a few days at a time. We just do what we can during that time and don't worry about the rest. I know that on other days we push hard so it all evens out in the end. My kids don't seem to get sick much - except for colds. We do our regular days when they have colds since it doesn't seem to affect them much. If they were puking or coughing a lot, though, I'd let them take the day off and just read or listen to audio CDs or watch educational movies.

Have you tried using Cuisenaire Rods? It helps visual and kinesthetic learners a whole lot! Maybe these videos will help... Learning About Factors Learning About Multiples Least Common Multiples

How about the math videos in my signature? You'd only need to buy Cuisenaire Rods. And you could do it with all three of your kids. Family time! It is very common for kids to ace their spelling tests and not have it transfer to their personal written work. Copywork and dictation would help that. Read up on Charlotte Mason method or the beginning of the book The Complete Writer by Susan Wise Bauer to see more of how it works. You can make up your own sentences from books you're reading together or buy something like Writing with Ease if you don't want to make up your own.

1. Is he actually "behind" (check some scope and sequence charts to know) or is he just shutting down so the teacher doesn't know what he knows? (Your comment about your older son also makes me question whether your younger is really behind.) 2. Is this a gifted school? Or is it possible that those topics were covered only briefly (mult, div, fractions)? 3. How far did he get in Primary Mathematics? 4. Are you truly disappointed in him or is this in his imagination? If it's true, would you be willing to work on your own expectations? 5. If he's in school, why do you feel he needs extra math outside of school? Is it so he can catch up? 6. Khan Academy wouldn't be the best option in this situation. Currently, it works best for kids at about 4th/5th grade level and up. (My personal opinion.) 7. It's not clear that he actually has a "problem," as you say. It sounds like it may just be perfectionism and fear of failure. Do you think that's possible? 8. Yes, Math Mammoth is more self-directed. If I may put my opinion in here, it sounds like the heart issues are the first thing that should be worked on here and the math, second. Yes, learning math is important, but relationships and knowing how to deal with disappointment and failure, and seeing yourself properly, etc. are much more important. I would put a whole lot of effort there before just handing him a math book to do on his own. That doesn't seem like it would help the root issues. Plus, if he really does struggle, then he NEEDS a teacher, not just a book. Just some thoughts. I hope they didn't offend you!

Not sure about the threads, but you should look up books at your library by Ronit Bird. They are great for helping kids with dyscalculia (having to count 6 makes me think he might have that). Many of the activities suggested are similar to what I've done with my girls in the videos linked in my signature below. HTH!

It's very normal for a 6 year old to not have all the facts memorized yet or to not be developmentally ready to "make tens" yet. You might try doing problems on a white board. For some reason kids love that! It's also great that she is using C-rods for everything. She'll give it up when she's comfortable... though, I sometimes ask my kids to try a problem without the rods sometimes just to see if they can do it. Often, they find that they can when they didn't think they could previously. You could also consider going "sideways" to things like measurement, weighing things, making graphs, talking about shapes, simple fractions, etc. And reading living math books, if you don't already do that, would be something good to add in to fill time while you wait for her to "get" subtraction. Just some thoughts....

I can't answer your specific question since I haven't ordered 3C yet, but I know that in 3B they do expect them to know what 6x20 is. I was taught the way you were, with no understanding, just knowing that I got the right answer by going through the steps. I'm teaching my dd the way Crewton Ramone shows (with some slight changes) and it is going really well! You might want to check it out HERE.

I don't concern myself with whether my kids know the algorithm very well at level 2. Actually, I sometimes think I'd rather that they NOT know it yet because then they'd have to do more mental work and build up their mental math skills! If you want to make sure she knows it, though, I'd talk to her about how it will be important once the numbers are too big to do in her head. Then give her an example and see if she can figure it out. The other day I gave my oldest dd a problem with numbers in the billions just to see if she could transfer her knowledge of place value all the way out that far. Obviously, you don't have to make the problems that big, but maybe to the thousands?

It sounds like you're doing fine. If she were complaining, then I'd look into it more, but if she's having fun I don't see the problem - especially since she's only six years old. I understand about not wanting to skip anything with your oldest, though! My poor oldest dd has had to do a lot more work than her sisters will have to do! One thing I do is to not go by a schedule (like in the HIG). We just work until it seems like she's had enough for the day (or just before that!) and then put it away. Sometimes I don't even require the whole lesson to be finished. I do try to have her complete a full wb page, though, usually, instead of stopping in the middle. The programs you've chosen are wonderful conceptual programs. I don't think you'll get "behind" using them. Your kids might not be doing exactly the same things as the kids in the local public school at the same time, but they'll still learn what they need to learn (and probably more than the ps kids)! One last thought: There isn't a right pace or correct skill level. The right pace is the pace that works for your child. In spite of how schools are set up, it's a fact that kids develop and learn at different rates. People accept that willingly enough when kids are toddlers but not when they're elementary aged (probably BECAUSE of how schools are segregated by age). If you're wondering what they teach in Kindergarten or 1st grade, though, just look up the common core standards....

I would have her go through placement tests for whatever curriculum you like (I'd choose Singapore or Math Mammoth) so you can see where she struggles specifically. I'd get the Math Mammoth Fractions books - cheap and effective. And I'd get some Cuisenaire Rods and go through the videos in the link in my signature. Fractions are a big reason kids struggle in Algebra - that and not knowing their multiplication facts. Teaching her mental math strategies and some algebra using C-rods will help her confidence, too. HTH!

I absolutely solve them with my kids! Those are HARD for people who are not naturally visual-spatial! The biggest reason we use BA is so they will learn to face frustration and not quit when things get hard. In fact, I view that as my most important goal in schooling them. For the not wanting to do 3rd grade work in 5th grade thing, try reading Understood Betsy with her. We loved that book! There is a part in the book where she is reading with the 7th graders, I think, and doing math with the 2nd graders, and she can't figure out why or what grade she is in. The teacher basically tells her she is not defined by her grade level. She's just... HERSELF. We also have lots of conversations about how my kids aren't really in a "grade" at all. I tell them what grade to tell people they are in but in real life that doesn't mean anything. They do some work ahead of other kids their age and some behind, and IT REALLY DOESN'T MATTER as long as they are constantly learning. (Plus, seriously, does your dd know that BA is for kids who "get" math naturally and who need a challenge? It's not your average 3rd grade math!!!!) Oh, The Report Card by Andrew Clements might be another good one, too!

Did he have the names for the rods memorized before you started trying to do addition and subtraction with them? I have used them with success with two kids with dyscalculia, but they had memorized the colors first. With that said, though, you can use MUS blocks to do the same activities that you see on my site. Cuisenaire Rods just come in handy when you want to teach fractions because they can be renamed as fractional parts since they are not scored like the MUS blocks. Also, from what I'm reading in a book right now by Ronit Bird, what you want is to get kids with dyscalculia (and all kids, really) to the point where they are NOT counting in ones. Cuisenaire Rods aide in that. You may be correct, though, that it was too abstract a year ago for him. The two kids I'm working with who have dyscalculia are 7.5 and newly 10. I can imagine that it may have been too abstract for them at 6yo.

I posted a bunch in this thread.