Homeschooling Mondays

One of the toughest subjects to get kiddos into is usually Math.  I've found that it's a subject where they need visuals to help them grasp the concept or sometimes the visuals just make math more fun.  I'm always on the lookout for new items to use.  We've used crayons, Squinkies, buttons, M&M's (which can be fun in subtraction when they eat the amount taken away), and just about anything else small that we can find.  I usually start by showing them the math problem then they count out each number and do the math.

One of the cutest ideas I've seen yet is from a fellow Blogger, The Kent Chronicles.  She has created addition and subtractions sheets using pictures of leggos.  There are a few available on her page for use. Personally I didn't print off her sheets  simply broke out the actual leggos.  Using Leggos works really well to lay out the problem in the actual Leggos and then have your child write out how that would look written out in actual numbers.  Once I showed my daughter how to do it I thought she was never doing to stop.  She sat and made up endless amounts of her own problems and the excitement in her voice while working with them made it all worth it to me.  Even after her school day was done she continued making up math problems in her head and then created her own Math Book. 

The best thing about this idea is that you don't have to be homeschooling your kids for this to benefit you.  No matter what your schooling situation is, if your child is struggling in math, you can use this same idea to help them grasp math.  It creates a fun and exciting environment for learning and grabs their attention.


I hope everyone is have a SUPER Monday and that you get a chance to check out The Kent Chronicles.