Teaching math

[teachingmykids]

My kids are 2, 4 and 6. I didn’t do EL with my older 2 and my youngest I only recently started with.

I worked with my kids more with reading than math and it is showing. My oldest took a while to learn to read but now she is reading well enough that I am not worried about that anymore. I’m still working on reading with my 4 year old. I have recently started to put in more focused math time every day. At my oldest dd’s school they use Saxon math and she does fine with what they are doing at school. She doesn’t have a natural math ability but she doesn’t seem to struggle either. Since I haven’t worked with her and she isn’t naturally gifted she is not at all advanced in math. She is at her grade level but does find anything they do easy. She can skip count 2s,5s, 25s and 10s, can count coins, knows time and counts to 100 and understands place value up to 1000. She understands and can do addition but she still needs to either count on or use manipulatives to add. She doesn’t just know the answers except with 1s. I am working through Signapore with her and she also does Kumon workbooks. I will do some activities with C-rods from the education Unboxed videos. This year she still goes to half day school so I have more time to work with her these last 2 months of school and I will work with her this summer. Next year in 1st grade I will have less time since she will be in school full time but I plan on working with her on math next year too. I know there have been some long threads lately about math but I haven’t had a chance to read through them. What can I do with her besides working through Signapore. I want her to memorize math facts but I want her to know the concepts well first. When and how do you begin working on memorization with your kids?

I am doing Singapore kindergarten math with 4.5 year old ds right now. Right now he can count to 30 and count objects and is working on counting to 100. He can skip count 10s. He has no problem with patterns or grouping and knows all his shapes. He gets the concept of addition and has come to me recently with random simple addition facts but I don’t think he can add just anything in his head yet but I haven’t really covered it with him yet. Hopefully he will move quickly through essentials A and then we will move onto B. Once he does more addition I might want to work on him with memorization too. I also use c-rods with him. I want to keep working with my older 2 and go at their pace. They are covering a lot in a day so hopefully I will eventually see progress ut I keep wondering if I am missing something I could be doing with them.

My 2 year old doesn’t know much. I am working on counting a small number of objects with her and will use marshmallow math with her. I also use little math but at her age I don’t know if she gets much out of it. I did just switch to working on concepts rather than the random dots and she seemed to like that better. I realize she might take a while especially since I just started math with her and she is only 2.5. Once she seems to have her numerals down and can count really well I will start kindergarten math but it will happen when it happens and I am fine with that.

I always feel like my kids are really behind when I am here but you guys always have good advice.

[Niniedney]

That’s so silly that you feel that your children are behind! Don’t ever think that!!! I started EL with my girls when they were both infants. We did things differently and didn’t always go by a set schedule. We did flash cards, tweedlewink movies, and signing when they were babies and toddlers. We soon added hands on games and videos as well for many different subjects. I did sight reading and phonics together for my girls and they both are very advanced for their age but they are not as far along as some of the other children I read about on here. But I know that everything I do with my children, especially LOVE them, and let them explore all areas, is beneficial to them. That’s a lot more than most parents can say! We do some kind of learning activity every day in our home and my girls love learning. Never pressure them! The love of learning is the most important part, keeping that right brain pathway open helps them to absorb information better. We have a Montessori style set up in our home. With math, language, art, science, ect materials for them to play with at their leisure.

As for teaching math. I don’t think a person can have a superior talent in math as in other subjects. Even the most difficult mathematics can be done by anyone once they understand the processes. Having a strong foundation is key. As a child I thought I was “bad at math”. I was lost by third grade, and I know now that it was because I was moved up a grade when I wasn’t ready for it. I took a summer school class for basic algebra in high school, and with the right teacher I excelled. I couldn’t believe how easy it was once I understood each step. My daughter was the same way. At 3 she was doing phonics and whole words. Once she understood each letter represents a certain sound she blasted off to whole other level! She is 5 now and the progress since then has slowed a bit. I do not mind that she is not where I hoped she would be, I want her to enjoy it!! I felt that if I pushed her that she would not enjoy it anymore, and that was something I was not going to risk. As long as she enjoys it she will be a life-long learner, not just an early learner!!

I think that hands on learning along with tweedlewink, or LM if you have purchased those is a good combination. Children learn differently and I think he/she will let you know what works for them. Try different methods and see which is most enjoyable and brings the most progress for your child. I am always making new games, and buying new materials. LOL. I go back and use things we haven’t touched in a while. Every day learning is being accomplished. As long as the environment is rich your children will amaze you with their knowledge and understanding! Good luck with your journey, you’re a great mother giving your children a bright future!