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chicken lady
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| Posted: March 13 2007 at 9:26pm | IP Logged
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I am totally fine with my dc not having formal textbook math, but.......this year is the first year I "registered" with the school distict, I always try to fly under others radars  And to top this, I also lost my "certified" teacher to sigh off for me if I ever needed it. So I'm looking for another teacher who understands unschooling, but I'm also trying to figure out what I need to "show" for my girls ages! I guess their grades would be 5,3,and 2! We don't believe in grades or tests so this is a little confusing for me. Actually I think if we had to take Standard test we would be great in everything, with the exception of math. Having said that I don't know, how can I know? Is anyone following me here, I think I am beginning to confuse myself! 
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: March 14 2007 at 2:57am | IP Logged
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for those ages the only things you really have going on are real basics.. add, subtract, multiply, divide, fractions, percerntages, money, time (that's off the top of my head.. there may be other little things in there) You can get all that stuff in normal everyday life.. as long as you are sharing it with your kids  I like analog clocks so there's one in my kitchen and one on my wrist.. and I use them.. so the kids want to use them.. money.. oh.. there's tons of games not to mention real life for this. Cooking especially for large families is FULL of working out fractions not to mention multiplying by 2's and 3's and 4's.. my oldest could double or triple a recipe long before she knew she was multiplying
And as far as how you'd do on a standardized test.. that's easy.. buy it.. administer it yourself and see. You can have the kids take them just for your information, not because others make you.. it wouldn't have to be official either.. maybe the practise tests would be cheaper? I don't know.. haven't done them myself but I know you can.
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All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
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Mary G
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| Posted: March 14 2007 at 8:23am | IP Logged
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Molly, one way I "stuff" the math facts into the kids is playing games -- Countdown or any of the variations on the Shut the Box are great for simple addition and subtraction games -- you can even do multiplication and division facts if you wangle it a bit.
Yahtzee is a great one for sets, probability and multiplication facts
Tripoley is another great one -- I usually skip the poker part for the littles and just play the more rummy-like part.
Cooking math is big around here -- my littles know fractions and liquid quantities (better than mom  ) because I quiz them while we make bread, dinner or whatever.
Any of Anno's books are great for math concepts: Anno's Counting Book, Anno's Magic Seeds, Anno's Mysterious Multiplying Jar, and any of Anno's Math Games of which there are 3 volumes -- those are oop, but you can usually get them pretty cheap from used sources -- they're a curriculum in themselves!
Have fun and play with the kids -- store, shape puzzles, etc are all fun ways to get math into the tykes!
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MaryG
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my website that combines my schooling, hand-knits work, writing and everything else in one spot!
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chicken lady
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| Posted: March 14 2007 at 10:20am | IP Logged
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We do all the math I think we need at their tender ages, however I do like the more game thought. I forgot about some of our games for getting in more factsma nd quick recall.
BTW I really like the Annos book, if someone else is unfamiliar.
MAry you surprise me by not mentioning knitting there is alot of math in my girls knitting patterns
Jodie I did not realize I could order the tests myself and just keep the info. I need to look into that more. Where does one get these "test"? Perhaps I could make them a game, or somehow more appealing than what I remember in grade school.....I seriously use to make patterns with the dots, and they put me in the accelerated classes......got to love Ca, public schools of the 70's!
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Mary G
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| Posted: March 14 2007 at 1:23pm | IP Logged
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molly wrote:
MAry you surprise me by not mentioning knitting there is alot of math in my girls knitting patterns
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Well, now, if you want the LONG version of the answer -- I could wax poetic about math in knitting for a few days
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MaryG
3 boys (22, 12, 8)2 girls (20, 11)
my website that combines my schooling, hand-knits work, writing and everything else in one spot!
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vmalott
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| Posted: March 18 2007 at 8:27pm | IP Logged
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Do you have a network of other unschoolers or relaxed homeschoolers in your area Molly? They might be able to hook you up with a sympathetic teacher who does portfolio review. I'm able to get a "sign off" from another unschool-ish certified teacher who believes that the parent is better equipped to assess their own children than he is. 
I live in Ohio also and I've considered administering one of those tests to the kids, just to kind of cut out the middle man. After all, I know what and how they are learning, so I wouldn't stock in the test grades. If the test scores didn't look too bad, then I'd probably consider sending in the results with my notification letter. Otherwise, I'd have someone do the portfolio.
Anyway, if you can't find someone who understands unschooling, you can still put together an acceptable portfolio that meets the requirements of the state. All the assessor has to do is see that your children are progressing according to their abilities. We don't have a set scope and sequence for each grade level as homeschoolers, just that really general assertation that we will provide instruction in the subject areas set forth in the Ohio Code.
Valerie
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Leonie
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| Posted: March 18 2007 at 8:56pm | IP Logged
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With younger kids, we do a lot of games, As Mary suggested. I write them in my log and sometimes take pics of the kids playing and stick those in their portfolio.
I have also been known to ask the kids to write and draw about their cooking/crafts/games in their maths journals - again, proof for the state of maths learnin.
But I am lucky with extra proof of written maths - my 10 year old loves to do a bright, colourful Maths workbook a couple of times a week. He enjoys the challenge and always picks his own book from the educational supply store.
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CatholicMommy
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| Posted: March 23 2007 at 6:57pm | IP Logged
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Seton has standardized tests for $25 each - I don't know if anyone else is cheaper. I just bought two for two of my tutoring students, just to give them practice here at my house before they have to take them at school.
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PDyer
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| Posted: March 23 2007 at 7:21pm | IP Logged
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molly wrote:
| Actually I think if we had to take Standard test we would be great in everything, with the exception of math. Having said that I don't know, how can I know? |
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I live in Ohio too. I've always given my son either a CAT test from Seton or (the last two years) an IOWA test because for us it's just easier. I don't put any stock in what the test results say; I view it as a hoop-jumping exercise for the local superintendent. Well, that's true most of the time.
In any event, the only information you have to provide to the superintendent is the composite score on the test. So even if math was 'low' and everything else was 'high', as long as the composite is 25% or higher, you're in compliance with the law. You do not have to provide scores in the detailed subject areas. If you think testing would be easier for this year, you can always find a portfolio reviewer for next year.
Hope this helps!
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chicken lady
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| Posted: March 23 2007 at 7:54pm | IP Logged
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Thanks for the info everyone. Praise God, I found a "teacher", state certified who heard me speak a couple of years ago on unschooling, and she said she felt comfortable with my style of education and she would have no problem signing off for me!!!! YIPPEE!!! I love when I find open minded "teachers", she blushed when I told her all the different activites and lessons my children participate in, she said "WOW children in my school don't do half that much". How cool is that????
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thepojtoo
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| Posted: April 29 2007 at 12:30am | IP Logged
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I think you should have your children count chickens. Just "kidding". Ha, another one. Okay, seriously. I will help you with math "two".
Yes, I really am a silly chicken and for those of you who may not know the chicken lady has a pregnant goat.
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4Real Forums : Living and Loving Numbers
Topic: Unschooling - Can we talk math again?????
