OK, it has been a loooong time since I was taught basic math.  So yesterday I printed out a 1st grade "placement" test from Singapore Math to see if my guys were on target for their age.  Then, like any good teacher, I started prepping them for the test LOL.  But first I had to prep myself by looking up "number bonds."   I recall the "<" symbol as standing for "less than" but apparently now it means "equals" in the number bond world.  OK.  I'm not entirely thrilled with using the concept, but went over it today so they'd be familiar with it.  Yes, we school on Saturdays, most times, with DH working it's a weekday for us.  They picked it up pretty quickly but my attempt at using chocolate chips as manipulatives did not go well, they obsessed over the chips like Pavlov's dogs over bells and had trouble focusing on the task.  So I abandoned it, to the tune of much whining and disappointment.

Next up I'll explain word problems.  We've done lots of verbal ones but not many in writing yet.