Fascinating Math program! Please read!

Lisa C. here. I thought you all might enjoy this little conversation from one of my homeschool egroups:
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Howdy!

So as we are ending the "school year," I am panicking a little, because my daughter Aliya is really behind on her math. She's in first grade and happy to memorize her math facts, but the conceptualization of what she's doing is only now arising. Only now is she able to figure out a problem she doesn't know by using numbers she does know and figuring out from there. It took her a long time. We'll work through the summer to help her get down the addition and subtraction facts to catch her up to first grade.

But I am really worried about second grade math for next year. For borrowing and carrying, she'll need to understand place value, and conceptually, she just doesn't get it. Most first graders have a pretty good understanding of place value, and I've tried so many different ways to teach her, but it's just not getting through. I just gave her a calendar so she can keep track of her busy social life :) and the columns for the days of the week are a stretch. The idea of numbers in columns (place value) is really difficult for her.

I like my kids to be --reasonably-- grade level. I'm not very strict about it, and I think we'll keep on homeschooling, but I know things happen, and for my own peace of mind, I want them to at least approximate their grade level.

So do I wait, perhaps a year if necessary, for that "aha!" moment before moving on, allowing her to get farther and farther behind? Testing the faith that I'm not sure I possess in copious quantities?

Or am I not teaching her in the right way? Do I forge ahead, teaching her the pieces in more clear ways, hoping she'll put it together eventually? Math is not my expertise, so maybe I just need to explore other curriculums and ways of teaching it?

I've heard of the "aha!" moments for late readers, who all of a sudden bloom into reading at 9 or 10, but never for math...

Please let me know your anything at all that comes to you!

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Rena, both of my children are very bad at computation. I must have tried (and bought) six different curricula. Two things really helped:

1. Kumon tutoring. The Kumon worksheets only have about 6 problems to a page and the materials are really non-threatening. I see they have a center on Cedar street--they did help my daughter when she was in 2nd grade.

2. Jump Math, a Canadian program. It's really great, really different, and had I known about it earlier I may have done this with my daughter from the beginning. I'm a real fan of JUMP'S down to earth approach--kids are taught how to count with their fingers, for instance. People have counted on fingers for a million years, I started to realize. Anyway they have a lot of sample material online that you can download and try, at this website:

http://jumpmath.org/about

Here is the page with the files to download:

http://jumpmath.org/publications

Here is the page where you can download second grade samples:

http://jumpmath.org/publications/materials/w/2

And here is an article about the developer of JUMP:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/julia-moulden/math-is-not-hard-a-simple_b_331878.html


Claire

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I followed the links, and the math approach sounds fantastic! In fact, before you look at the websites about JUMP, I highly recommend you start with the article about the founder, which is listed last.

And as a follow-up to that conversation, you might be interested in this article, which was referenced in that last article.

Next Old School Monday-NEXT week!

Hello moms!

Lisa C. here. Normally we have OSM the 4th Monday of every month, but this month because of the awesome free science show that day, we are moving OSM to the third Monday--which means next week on Monday the 17th of May. Sound good?

And it is time for SHOW AND TELL circle time! So ask your child what he/she might like to bring to show us all. (And you can use this as incentive to finally finish some project that has been looming over your head ; )

I will have some fun little lessons, and will also have books from the Author's Fair to give back to Laura and Becky--and you can all have back your book pages from the Big Book of Important People in American History. Which was SO FUN to watch the kids share at the Author's Fair!

So please put the date on your calendars, and come with your Monday Boxes ready for some Old School learning fun!

: )

Grammar links

From the Ocean Grove newsletter:

FREE GRAMMAR WEBSITES
Have you ever wished you could have your child brush up on a grammar rule that he/she may have forgotten, but you don’t want to purchase an
entire grammar program? Then check out these websites:

-Guide to Grammar and Writing, http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/

-Grammar Slammer, http://englishplus.com/grammar/ , provides instruction and examples for practically every aspect of grammar. Over 440 free grammar lessons, covering parts of speech, to prepositional phrases to, noun clauses and verb participles.

-Daily Grammar, http://www.dailygrammar.com/archive.shtml

book clubs for kids--and free stuff!

Lisa C. here. I heard through the grapevine about two book clubs your kids might enjoy being a part of:

1. Kids can read 10 books and get a free book from Borders:

http://www.borders.com/online/store/MediaView_doubledogdare?cmpid=SA_20100505

2. another mom said that kids can also read five books and go to fresh choice restaurant for free. Details at the central branch library.

Sounds great to me!

old, old film of SF

From my inbox/homeschool news group:
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Hi -- My daughter and I just watched this -- it's a fascinating view of pre-quake SF. Those people didn't have any traffic rules! Watch for the woman who has to grab her skirts and run so as not to be mowed down by a Model T!


Suki


This is a real treasure! "You are there" for a cable car ride in San
Francisco . This film was "lost" for many years. It was the first 35 mm film ever. It was taken by camera mounted on the front of a cable car. The number of automobiles is staggering for 1906. Absolutely amazing! The clock tower at the end of Market Street at the Embarcadero wharf is still there. How many "street cleaning" people were employed to pick up after the horses? Who knows! Talk about going green.

Great historical film! Watch the scampering as "Joe Public" races away from autos, horses, cable cars and bicycles and the willy-nilly traffic pattern of visible autos, trucks, horse drawn carriages and bikes on Market Street.

This film, originally thought to be from 1905 until David Kiehn with the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum figured out exactly when it was shot. From New York trade papers announcing the film showing to the wet streets from recent heavy rainfall & shadows indicating time of year & actual weather and conditions on historical record, even when the cars were registered (he even knows who owned them and when the plates were issued!).

It was filmed only four days before the Great California Earthquake of April 18th 1906 and shipped by train to NY for processing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=NINOxRxze9k

Heads up, everyone--start thinking now!

Also from my inbox:
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WRITING CONTEST

We are all about getting young people excited about the U.S. Constitution. We want to bring it to life! Most students and children in America have very little exposure with regard to the Constitution - we want to change that!

This year our focus is a contest called "We The People 9.17" it is centered around Constitution day which is Sept. 17th. We are looking for kids from elementary school to high school to enter into the contest - the sooner the better! (The contest includes art, poem, written essay, or public service message). It is open to very young children on up.

All of the contest details are on the site - down on the right hand side of the home page click on (We The People 9.17 Contest)

We want as many kids to enter as possible. Final entries need to come in by July 4th 2010 and the winners in each category will be announced on Sept. 17th 2010 (Constitution Day)! Kids can enter today by going online and submitting the appropriate entry forms.

The link is:
http://www.constitutingamerica.org/

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Vintage Homeschool Kids are so. going. to do. this.

you have been forewarned.

Lisa C.

FYI: website for FREE field trips

Here is something else that got passed my way, a new site that collects information about free field trips. I am not sure how helpful it will be in our area (there were only 2 activities within 30 miles of Aptos), but it could be a great tool for checking out possible field trips around the state, AND since they are free field trips, it does not hurt to bookmark this site and check every now and then.

I am a sucker for FREE! ; )

FYI: Field Trip to Johnson Farm

This is an all-area field trip, not one specific to Ocean Grove or Vintage Homeschool Days. But it sounds like fun!

(Hope you all don't mind the influx of emails--can you tell I am cleaning out my inbox today? : )

Lisa C.
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FIELD TRIP – JOHNSON FARM

Date: Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Time: 11:45 AM - 12:45 PM. Please arrive by 11:30 AM
Location: Johnson's Farm, 16385 Two Bar Road, Boulder Creek
Cost: $6.00 per each child and also for each adult. Anyone 2 and over attending is $6.00

Join Farmer Rob at Johnson's Farm to help with the Spring Planting on Tuesday, May 25, 2010. Scheduled tour is from 11:45 AM to 12:45 PM. We are welcome to bring lunches and have lunch on the grounds after the tour.

It’s spring planting time at the farm! Farm visitors are put to "work" helping plow the fields and plant the crops. Children will learn the life cycles of plants, dig in newly plowed soil and help plant the corn patch. Kids will get their hands dirty and get to tell their family that they planted "Farmer Rob’s" corn. This is a one-hour tour that includes a hayride, a time to feed the farm animals, a lesson on planting crops and a sunflower seedling for each child to take home

If you are interested in attending or have questions, please email Kathy Newman at k_newman@sbcglobal.net
Payment will be due by Tues., May 18th to Kathy Newman to confirm your space.

FREE history DVDs!

Another great tidbit from a local homeschool group email:

This History Channel is starting a 6 part series tonight based on Joy Hakim’s books, The History of US. The History Channel is giving away a DVD to schools that request a copy and this includes homeschools!

through the grapevine: SC Mountains Homeschoolers park day

Saw this post on one of the homeschool groups to which I belong:

"If you'd simply like to meet a bunch of homeschoolers, some in charters and others independent, come to the Santa Cruz Mountains Homeschoolers park day! It's every Wednesday from 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. at SkyPark in Scotts Valley. (We move it to Felton Covered Bridge Park once the summer heat kicks in.). . . . There are kids of all ages, interests, abilities, and needs."

Maybe some of you knew about this--I didn't. So consider this a FYI in case any of you are interested!

Worms!

One of the blogs I read shared the other day a complete how-to on making a worm wonderland--sounds like such a fun and educational project for kids. The author said it was a good rainy day project, but I get the urge to do such things outside when the weather is as beautiful as it is this week.

I am so going to do this.