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Natalia
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| Posted: July 21 2007 at 9:27am | IP Logged
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I am trying to decide what to do for math with my 5 yo. I know that at this age I don't need a formal program but I am afraid if I don't have one it just won't happen. So, how many of you do a formal math program in K? If you do what do you use? If you don't what do you do and how do you schedule it to make it happen? If my 5 yo was my oldest I am sure it would happen but, as it is, he is my third and I am afraid he would get lost in the shuffle of our first year of high school for my oldest and 5th grade for my second.
Thanks,
natalia
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helene
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| Posted: July 21 2007 at 9:50am | IP Logged
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I have always used Abeka's Number Skills K (will be using it again this year with my 5 yo) one page a day. We use crayons or legos or cheerios as manipulatives to illustrate problems if necessary. We also use flashcards to encourage counting and skip-counting. This isn't flashy or fancy, but it is an excellent workbook (B&N does not have anything near as good) and boy, the work gets done. We have had issues with Abeka math in the later years, but Number Skills K is always a sure hit.
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Leonie
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| Posted: July 22 2007 at 1:29am | IP Logged
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We've started when the child seemed ready or seemed to want to move to a bit more formal work - often wanting a bright coloured workbook that they had seen at the bookstore....
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Leonie in Sydney
Living Without School
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JuliaT
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| Posted: July 22 2007 at 3:33pm | IP Logged
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We do use a curriculum--RightStart Math. It is very hands on with manipulatives and card games. I vary our math routine by doing RS for one or two weeks and then living math on the same concept that we are doing for RS on the alternate week. This works very well for us.
blessings,
Julia
mom to 3 (8,6,4)
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Juliainsk
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Mary G
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| Posted: July 22 2007 at 5:16pm | IP Logged
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Natalia -- no advice, just letting you know I'm in this quandary now. I THINK I'm going to start Thomas (8 - 3rd grade) on Singapore math this year but keep it informal and fun for Maggie (7) and JohnPaul (4). Then I'll start Maggie next year if that seems appropriate for her ....
But I have so much fun doing living math and playing games with the kids, I'm NOT looking forward to giving that up so will do formal math with Thomas 4 days a week and play on the 5th!
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my website that combines my schooling, hand-knits work, writing and everything else in one spot!
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Natalia
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| Posted: July 22 2007 at 10:45pm | IP Logged
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Mary G wrote:
But I have so much fun doing living math and playing games with the kids, I'm NOT looking forward to giving that up so will do formal math with Thomas 4 days a week and play on the 5th! |
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You see, this is my problem: I like the idea of liking playing games with Nicolas but the truth is when it comes to it, I forget. He learned a lot last year just from some file folder games and a game called Number Chase that we got from Timberdoodle, but I felt it wasn't enough.
If I was going to continue in this informal math track is there any guides to concepts that a 5 yo should know and how I can introduce them to him?
Thanks for the input. I am going to look into Right Start Math. I am looking at Horizon math also. And we use Singapore with my 10 yo so maybe I should give Early Bird another chance.
Thanks,
natalia
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Leonie
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| Posted: July 22 2007 at 11:04pm | IP Logged
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Natalia wrote:
| If I was going to continue in this informal math track is there any guides to concepts that a 5 yo should know and how I can introduce them to him? Thanks |
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We used the Ruth beechick guide - part of the Three Rs series, a Start in Arithmetic. The Three Rs
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Leonie in Sydney
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Jane Ramsey
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| Posted: July 23 2007 at 1:55pm | IP Logged
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Natalia,
I have a 5 yo, too, and have been debating how to get him "started" with math--not really wanting to do a formal program, just some fun activities once or twice a week. I just orderedFamily Math for Young Children
I'm hoping this will do the trick for us. You might want to check it out, too.
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Barbara C.
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| Posted: July 24 2007 at 6:28pm | IP Logged
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We use Singapore's Early Bird Kindergarten workbooks. There are four of them. The first two are meant to be done at age four and the second two at age five. They aren't very expensive and they offer suggestions for incorporating objects from around the house.
My oldest really enjoys workbooks, and she breezed through the first set of Singapore workbooks within a month of turning four. I've been holding her off on the second set until I think she's developmentally ready (four months until she turns five). I think we may be ready to start next month and work at a slower pace.
Getting some sort of workbooks might help your youngest feel included as he "does school" with his older siblings. I also really recommend the Kumon "Number Games" workbooks.
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graciefaith
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We use RightStart and she just finished with Level A. We did maybe 2-3 lessons a week and took many breaks. She loves the program and i love it too. We just started Level B and dd2(4.5yo) has started Level A. With dd2, b/c she is so young, i am going very slow with her. It's very parent intensive though and there are not many worksheets involved, which is good for us.
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Genevieve
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My oldest is only four and a half and we have do math by
a) Mom thinking out loud when we cook, craft and woodwork. It results in a leisurely, learning activity. I make sure we at least cook together once a day.
b) Play games. This is "scheduled" once a week, otherwise we play when he asks.
c) We go through the Math readers suggested at Living Math. We get a book or two every week. Some weeks we do all the suggested activities at the back of the book. Others we just read and re-read the books.
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Jennifer
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Formal math sounds so, so, .....formal. In our house math happens every day - at the refrigerator sized calendar, cooking in the kitchen, playing Chutes and Ladders, jumping rope, playing cards. I've found that in the early years homeschooling math is enjoyable because of the relaxed pace. Soon enough it's time for a more formal format.
We enjoy the MathStart books from the library. We read them all in any order - Level 1, 2, and 3. It gets kids thinking of all the times they use math and the importance of having a firm grasp on it. Activities, discussion questions and further reading suggestions are found at the end of each book.
By the age of 6 or 7 I start very gently with a book called Math for Your First and Second Grader. I have used this book with both of my older children, age 8 and 9; I will be starting my soon to be 6 year old with the book this September. The book is set up in minilessons for 1st grade and 2nd grade. It's a very no nonsense type of learning. The author is a college math professor and wrote the book because he was tired of seeing freshman coming to his classes not knowing the basic facts of math. My daughter did both years and my son did only 1st grade and then part of 2nd grade before telling me that it was just too easy and he was bored. So then both started in Saxon 3 at the same time.
Anyway, talk about math topics naturally and when it's time to start more formal lessons your child will have a head start.
As far as a resource spelling out what the typical K-er should know, I love the book Home Learning Year by Year by Rebecca Rupp. Each chapter lays out a detailed outline of what a child in a particular grade should study and know. Topics for K Math include: Patterns and Classification, Numbers and Number Theory, Operations, Money and Measurement, Geometry. Rupp provides ideas and resources for each topic. This book has been a terrific resource over the last 4 years.
Jennifer
Camp Homeschool
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4Real Forums : Living and Loving Numbers
Topic: when do you start Formal math with your c
