The Borrowers

Nuttin' like startin' out the second semester with a bang.

Our first day back, after two glorious weeks of vacation,

and Beka had to learn borrowing.

It is one of the hardest concepts for lower elementary kids to grasp.

Being patient while teaching one of the hardest concepts

is one of the hardest challenges for those teaching lower elementary kids.

At first, my patience was STILL on Christmas vacation!

Quickly, I had to get back into the calm, praying teacher mode,

so I didn't add to her frustration.

I took out all the tools.

Place value was quickly reviewed, then Beka wrote the problem

31-28

with the digits in the correct columns on my place value chalkboard.

This THING is amazing.

It's old, it's cool, and it helps visual learners.

If you can't find a vintage THING like this,

you easily could use Legos or Duplos.

 Or, if you don't have little ones crawling around eating your manipulatives,

you could use pipe cleaners and pony beads.

Look around....there is probably something you could use...

When you show tens as a unit,

it is much easier to understand the concept of carrying and borrowing.

Instead of saying you're borrowing "one"

it is helpful to say you're borrowing "one ten."

Here we borrowed one ten from the tens column,

and placed it in the ones column.

Instead of 31, we made 20 + 11.

We don't change the amount,

you never create or destroy matter,

you just changed its clothes.

This is why modern curriculums call it "regrouping."

I guess it is more accurate, because you're not borrowing

like you're going to return it, you use it and don't give it back.

It is good to introduce all the terms you know for any concept,

you never know what they'll be called on testing, or in different curriculums.

We practiced several times before we began the worksheet.

I had her physically move the group of ten over to the ones column

for each problem we did.

You get to touch your math,

you get to see your math,

you get to hear your math

with mom using manipulatives.

When math isn't working with numbers, I talk about candy.

"You have only three pieces of candy and you

need to give me seven pieces of candy.

You have to borrow ten pieces of candy from your sister next door."

Sometimes, it grabs their attention long enough to grasp the concept.

It still wasn't clicking, so I brought out another manipulative.

Yea, Dad!

This was his last day of vacation,

then I am on my own.

I'll make sure my patience comes back to school with me.



Is $1 Cheap Enough?

I am always looking for an inexpensive and quick

 learning manipulatives.

File folder games work well for me because they are easy to store,

and can usually be self-correcting.

During back to school shopping,

Target sold file folder games in their dollar section.

That's cheap enough for me!

Using one of my favorite DIY tools,

self adhesive laminating sheets,

I quickly covered the game board...

and the pieces.

A cheaper and easier to find alternative is clear Contact paper,

but the laminating sheets are clearer and a bit stiffer.

Then using another favorite tool,

my little cutting thing,

I cut apart the game pieces.

DONE.

You can use the pieces as a memory game,

with pieces turned down,

or as a matching game,

where you put down one set of cards,

then match up the second set.

The only caution in buying school materials not created by

educational companies, is to watch for inaccuracies.

I bought a poster from a dollar store that was missing

several letters from the Spanish alphabet.

Some math booklets and games progess too quickly for age level.

You don't want to jump from 2 + 2 = 4

to

8 + 9 = 17

A phonics item might use words that begin with the correct letter,

but not the correct phonetic sound.

Church would NOT be a good clue word for the letter "c."

The Dollar Tree stores have been known to occasionally

get a small shipment from Evan Moor company.

Be on the look out for inexpensive, easy and accurate

 manipulatives to enhance your curriculum.

What inexpensive treasures have you found lately?

Why I Teach Health

At first it seemed a waste of time.

I thought Health curriculums, especially in the younger years,

just taught things that Moms should be teaching at home - 

combing hair, brushing teeth, manners and nutrition.

In the older years, they were teaching things I

DEFINITELY

wanted to be the one to  introduce to my children.

Then, I learned what other parents have sadly learned.

Just because I am teaching it, doesn't mean my kids are learning.

Physically hearing doesn't impart knowledge,

physically hearing along with a willingness to comply

 and believe imparts knowledge.

I have also learned that kids are slower to believe what I tell them because, well,

I'm just their Mom.

Not dissin' my kids, just stating a fact.

Point in case, coint in pace, CASE in POINT....I always get that mixed up...

This morning my daughter, Rebekah, said, "Mom, did you know..."

(When they say this, not only do I know, I probably told them no less than 100 times.)

"...that you're supposed to wash your hands several times a day?"

Seriously?

Like I have said that, stated that, demanded that,
ok YELLED that
a gajillion, bajillion times?

REALLY?

Kids believe other people. 

It's a sad fact. 

My oldest daughter came home from her four months stint in 2nd grade public school

 and insisted horses used to have toes. 

No matter what creation things we showed her, she wouldn't budge.

It's a frightening truth that can be used for your advantage.

Kids believe other people. 
My daughter washes her hands and combs her hair

several times a day because her book told her.

I'm not washing my hands of this health curriculum, that's for sure.

Keeping Place Value in Its Place

Place value can be a mystifying concept to young children.

Place value can be a mystifying concept for adults

trying to teach  young children.

I like to use various methods to help my kids gain understanding.

I found this old place value chalkboard,

that gives a great visual of the place value columns.

We write the numbers with the digits in the correct column.

When comparing numbers, it is easy to see which number is the least

and which is the greatest.

It also comes in handy for learning to carry,

or regroup, as some curriculums call it.

Plus, it is just fun to write with chalk,

isn't it?

To utilize a place value chart,

you can make paper charts,

they're easy to find on the internet.

You could also make your own gridlines

 on a chalkboard or a dry erase board.

Anybody else have any great ideas for teaching place value?

Crayons, crayons, everywhere!

The home we live in  does not have a school room,

just a large open L-shaped room that serves as living room,

dining room, sewing room, library, school room

 and occasionally a bedroom.

When you add my sewing cabinet

and all the STUFF you need to homeschool

the room can get crowded and unattractive.

My first passion was to organize the supplies we use every day.

We tried school boxes for each kid,

but they never held all the supplies they each needed.

Each kid had their own crayons.

Then, we had a huge box of community crayons.

We had crayons with the coloring books.

It seemed easier to keep most items in a community stash.

I had my heart set on an old, wooden portion of

a library card catalogue,

until I saw the prices.

I The Lord found something that worked even better.

I say the Lord because when I found this piece of furniture,

it was an answer to prayer.

Everytime I look at this piece, I am thankful for His provision.

Each drawer holds only one type of item.

One drawer holds all my glues.

Another holds all the tapes.

Other items assigned a drawer are

scissors, edging scissors, paints, rubber stamps,

skinny markers, fat markers, coloring crayons, flashcards,

pens and pencils and dry erase markers.

When we need colored pencils,

we just put that drawer on the table.

The dresser gets a lot of wear and tear,

but since shabby chic is in style,

I don't mind the paint wearing off the edges.

In 11 years, when I am done homeschooling,

I am pretty sure I can come up with a few other uses

for this amazing piece of furniture.

But for now,

the crayons aren't everywhere,

they're in one of the little black drawers.

 

And I have a great reminder from

Jehovah Jireh, My Provider,

who provided something more important

than a place to keep my crayons.

 

He provided salvation for my soul

through His Son, the Lord Jesus.

Unblocking Roadblocks

In Beka's second grade math curriculum,

she was learning measurement.

Along with memorizing the facts of measurement,

she was introduced to the standard 12 inch ruler

and a yardstick.

There were a few questions asking if  she should

use a ruler or a yardstick to measure an item.

She was confused,

then got a little frustrated.

Over the years I have learned,

when a kid is frustrated,

repeating the instructions LOUDER

or with more FRUSTRATION

doesn't help.

I won't tell you how many years it took to learn that,

it is a span that just can't be measured.

When there is a roadblock to learning,

we need to remove it, not pile on top of the roadblock

with our frustration or impatience.

Sometimes, I just put the worksheet aside

and work on something else for awhile.

Other times, I like to find a new way to approach the matter.

I like to SEE things,

Beka likes to TOUCH things,

so we created a new way to learn the concept.

A ruler and a yardstick were found,

a chart was made,

and fun ensued.

After less than five minutes of measuring with a ruler and a yardstick,

the concept was mastered.

Best of all,

we unblocked the roadblock,

and the joy of learning raced on.

Quick File Folder Game

File folder games are a quick and easy way
to reinforce a concept.
If an answer key is provided for self-correcting,
the student  can use the games alone
for quiet learning time.

Yes, I said quiet.
It happens once in awhile.

Sometimes a simple workbook page

can easily become a file folder game.

Watch for concepts that your child may need extra work to master,
or concepts your other kids will need to reinforce, as well.

This day we were learning which consonants are doubled at the end of word.

This is a page from a very old Bob Jones Spelling Grade 2 workbook,
first used by my married daughter, Jana.

We copied the pages for years,
or had the kids write their answers on paper.

Beka is the only child who gets to write in the book.

 For some reason, writing in a workbook
 is a big, big deal to my homeschooled children,
whose mother is very stingy thrifty.

My alpha and omega,

my first and my last child,

enjoying the moment

of a book that is older than half my children.

To make the file folder game,
I started by making two copies of the worksheet,

one on regular paper, one on cardstock.

I always print on fast draft to save ink.

I cut out the images from the paper copy and glued them down.

I used self adhesive laminating sheets to cover the pictures. 

 It makes the game last longer and makes it washable.

Yea, you know it,

even file folder games might get kid snarf on them.

A little bit of peanut butter or jelly,

a dribble of milk,

or a booger.

OK, there might be momma goobies on them, too,

like coffee dribbles or a crumble of chocolate that dropped while

you were frantically shoving candy into your mouth before the kids caught you.

Sometimes, mommies don't like to share.

Sometimes, mommies don't have to share.

Chocolate, that is.

Back to the game that we are making washable -

The apples on the cardstock were laminated on both sides

and carefully cut out.

Little pieces of velcro were glued...

...onto the game board

...and onto the little apple pieces.

A simple game to reinforce a concept.

The smaller pieces are kept in a small resealable bag or an envelope

and stored inside the file folder.

The game is stored in my file folder box of games

 and will be played a few more times a year.

Games break the monotony of book/workbook learning,

and they can be used interactively between student and teacher,

or individually by the student.

Years ago, my husband and I noticed that almost ALL kids are excited to start school.

Somehow, that joy of learning is lost, and kids, in all learning environments,

begin to dislike school and learning.

After homeschooling 17 years,

I learned that sometimes Mommies lose their joy of teaching.

What do you do in your home to stimulate that joy of learning and teaching?

Even if you public or private school,

I know you are putting in a lot of teaching hours with homework.

I'd love to hear your thoughts.