Posted in Math

Here is a great math website with some very good games on it.  I haven't checked out near all the links but I like everything I've seen so far.  They have it divided up by grade also.  Check it out!

Virtual Media - Math

Posted in Math

Need extra practice telling time?  Here is a site where you can print out free clock worksheets.

http://www.homeschoolmath.net/worksheets/clock.php

Posted in Math

We have used Math-U-See for years but I generally go to their website just to order the next level.  I just found that they have a great math drill page online that we will be using from now on.  I am so glad I found this! 

Math-U-See Math Drill

Posted in Math

My kids had fun figuring these out so I thought I would share them...

1.  Take your age, multiply by 2, add 5,

     multiply by 50, subtract 365, add the

     loose change in your pocket under a dollar,

     then add 115.

     The first two figures in the answer are your

     age and the last two are the change in your

     pocket.

2.  Multiply your house number by 2,

     Add 5, Multiply by 50, Add your

     age, add number of days in a year,

     Subtract 615.

     First few numbers should be your house number.

     Last number(s) should be your age.

3.  Multiply the number of brothers you have by 2,

     Add 3, multiply by 5.

     Add the number of sisters you have.

     Multiply by 10.

     Add the number of living grandparents you have.

     Subtract the number 150.

     First number = Brothers

     Second number = Sisters

     Last number = Grandparents

Posted in Math

I know that you can "Google" math sites and find more than one person could ever use.  What I have here are just a few that I have used consistently over the years or plan to use this year... 

http://themathworksheetsite.com - I have used this site for years.  It has now been expanded to have a subscriber area.  There are still plenty of worksheets you can generate effortlessly for free.  You just click on the type of worksheet you want, customize it by checking the boxes for the numbers you want included, and click print.  Every worksheet is different and you can choose to print out the answers or not.  I usually let my kids do these for extra practice and they love to get to use the calculator to go through and check their answers.

http://www.amblesideprimary.com/ambleweb/numeracy.htm - I haven't used this site a whole lot yet but every time I get on here, I lose track of time.  There are so many good things available on here!  I plan to use this some with my younger two this year.

http://www.latticeworksw.com/penmath.htm - This is a site where you can purchase educational math games.  Instead of doing this, I downloaded the free trial version of Penny Penguin's Math Bingo and Roxie's Math Fish several years ago.  My kids have always enjoyed playing these when they are in that stage of needing to practice those math facts.  The free version has been enough for us and both of these games make math drill fun!

If you have any math links that would be helpful and that others may not have found by doing a simple internet search, feel free to post them in the comments section.  Thanks!

Posted in Math

I would have to say that Math-U-See is the one curriculum we have used consistently for several years now (after trial and error with several others) and have seen wonderful results!  It is very easy on me and the kids enjoy math!  We watch the video lesson together with their book open to the new lesson and the math blocks right there with us.  We go over anything in the teacher's book to make sure they undertand the new concept and then they go do a lesson page.  It really is that simple!  This isn't a colorful and flashy workbook and it doesn't have 50 problems in a lesson, but it also doesn't take an hour a day to do math!     You also have to be able to get past the fact that for the earlier years it may look like they are behind in math on standardized tests.  By the time they get to algebra, it all evens out.  I have started letting my older two watch their video lesson on their own and go over the lesson in the teacher book.  If they have any questions about the new concept, they ask.  If they don't, they go do their lesson page and we check it together.  If they have any errors, we go over why they missed it and they work that problem again.  I have never been one to "grade papers" -- we just work things out until they are 100% correct and they have learned it.  We have been trying out the new updated version of Math-U-See this year and I am really considering going back to the classic version (which I already have everything for except student books).  Besides being more economical for us, I haven't seen any real benefits of switching.  I would love feedback from anyone about this who uses or used Math-U-See.

My oldest son is getting ready to start Algebra 1 and for that we are actually switching to something different.  I am really, really hoping it's as good as it looks because that's really the only way I can justify spending the higher price for it -- that all four of our kids will be able to use it! It's called Teaching Textbooks Algebra and is written specifically for homeschoolers whose parents aren't necessarily "math-minded."  I'll keep you updated on how we like it once we have time to really get into it for a while.