HappyNumbers and K-1 Math games

[EspirituSanto]

Hi all!

I'm a long-time follower and first-time poster on WTM. I'm homeschooling my DD4 in the remote rainforests of Vanuatu (an island nation in the South Pacific) and I just wanted to share some really helpful online resources that I've found for math practice. 

I signed up for HappyNumbers on the strength of their curriculum, their focus on manipulatives and mastering basic concepts and skills, and the simple yet appealing graphics. I feel that the grounded approach of this program is a great foundation for Singapore Math, which I intend to start in second grade.

For daily practice we also use TodoMath. DD4 loves this game-based app and I love its structured approach to enhancing her math comprehension in an engaging, game-based format. This is a simple yet very effective tool for putting K-1 concepts into practice.

We played Math Makers when DD4 was first coming to terms with double digit numbers, and I really appreciated the problem-solving skills that this game requires. However we reached an age-appropriate learning threshold in the game as placement value increased so I have put this one on the backburner until her skills advance.

The basic curriculum I am following is Master Maths at Home, however I spend minimal time with DD4 on actual textbook work. At her age it is so much more fun for both of us to explore math through the abacus, playing with geometric nets, or reading math stories. We are exploring all the K-1 concepts with a non-linear play-based approach and my intent is to transition into focused curriculum study at age 6,

DD4 completed all the K Math content on Khan Academy Kids, and as much I love this program for phonics and reading skills (DD was reading fluently after only 6 months of drills on Khan!) I found that their Math drills for first grade jump too quickly to logic stage for my little one to follow. So a combination of the above resources with a lot of creative math play have worked really well for us.  

Of all the elements of the WTM curriculum, math was the element I was most hesitant to approach as a first-time homeschooler. However, my own level of mathematical thinking has already improved since starting on the learning journey, and I have been enormously grateful for recent technology advances when it comes to early math learning.