Playing with Place Value

by Melanie Skelton

Place value is an important math skill for a student to master. They continually use this skill as they learn to add an expanding number of digits and continue to use it as they delve into multiplication.  Like any new concept, it can confuse a child.  But it doesn’t have to be confusing…or boring.  Hands-on activities can help the kinesthetic learner understand place value.  

You will need a set of manipulatives for this activity.  These are fun and easy for children to make themselves.  Or you can use a set of purchased base ten block manipulatives.

Help your child make their own set using craft sticks, dry beans and glue.  Glue ten beans on each craft sticks.  Make at least twenty of these for each child who will be playing the game described in the following paragraphs.  These are the “logs” or “tens”.  Glue ten of the prepared “logs” to two craft sticks (one running up each side in a direction vertical to the “logs”) to create a “raft”.  With at least one “raft”, ten “logs” and ten loose beans you are ready to play.

But first let’s discuss how to teach place value with these manipulatives.  Lay out three sheets of paper.  Label them “ones”, “tens” and “hundreds”.  You may choose to draw nine circles on the ones sheet and nine rectangles (big enough to fit a “log”) on the tens sheet.  

Explain how only nine beans have a place on the ones sheet.  Once there are ten they have to be traded in for a “log” or a “ten”.  Continue this explanation with the “tens”.  Again, there is only room for nine “logs” or “tens” on the sheet.  When they have ten they must trade it in for a “raft” or a “hundred”.

Now the fun begins.  Get out the dice and let them start adding.  They roll the dice and add that many beans to the ones on the paper, carefully following the rules you have taught about place value.  They start with single beans and try to build an entire raft one dice roll at a time.

Make this a game for more than one child to see who can build their raft first.  Soon they won’t need the papers to understand how to set up their place value.  Each player takes a turn rolling the dice and taking the number of beans they rolled.  As they continue to play they trade the beans in for “logs” and then “rafts”.  When everybody has built their raft it is time to turn the game around and start subtracting. Using these manipulatives may also help your hands-on learners as they begin doing written problems with more than one digit.  Allow them to work the manipulatives as they learn to write it out.  This will give them a better understanding of what they are doing and help solidify their math skills.

A Little Boy and His Bird

The front door slammed. "Hey Mom!" Where's a box I could have?" Called seven year old Hyrum as he entered the kitchen.

"What do you need it for?" I responded and continued fixing dinner.

"I want to catch a bird and I need a box to make the trap," he answered.

"I think there is one in the garage that might work," I told him.

"No, there isn't. I looked already,"

"Well try the shed. I'm sure you could find something in the shed that would work---maybe a plastic storage bin."

"Thanks Mom!" he yelled over his shoulder as he ran off in pursuit of the box.

Later that evening, we sat on the porch visiting with Grandma and Grandpa. With his Dad's help, Hyrum had built his bird catching trap. It was a simple, even awkward affair set up right under the trellis where my husband has a dozen bird feeders. The opaque storage bin was propped up with a stick which had a string attached to it. Under the bin was a large dish haphazardly filled to the brim with bird seed. In the bark surrounding the dish was an inch or so of scattered seed. The string stretched 20 feet from the trap to the porch where my son sat expectantly waiting for "his" bird.

By bedtime that night, Hyrum hadn't caught a bird yet and wanted to stay by his trap. His Dad persuaded him to come into bed when he told Hyrum that birds are most active and hungry in the morning. With reluctant obedience he went to bed.

Next morning at 6:30 Hyrum stood by my bedside. I was just waking up myself and there he stood in his pajamas anxious to get outside. "Can I go watch my trap, Mom?" He whispered. I muttered something about it being still so early for him, but sure go right ahead. Hyrum sat by that trap for the next two hours, patiently anticipating success. But the birds just weren't interested in what was under the trap.

On his way out the door to work Dad encouraged, "Keep trying Hyrum. It will take awhile before the birds realize there is seed under there, but they will find it." Just minutes later Dad came back into the kitchen with a hurt robin cupped in his hands. This brought a flurry of excitement as the children, including Hyrum, came running to see. Dad left the bird in the care of Laura (13) and Brian (19) and soon it was nestled in a comfortable house and had worms and grasshoppers at its leisure. But Hyrum had returned to his post on the porch to keep careful watch on his trap.

He was determined. Hour after hour he sat there watching and waiting; hoping and believing that he would catch a bird in that trap. I coaxed him away from his vigilant watch to dress, comb his hair and make his bed. Later I insisted he come away to help with chores and to have lunch. He cheerfully did his chores, and cooked the quesadillas for our lunch, but the instant he had filled my requirements, he was back on the porch tending his trap.

As he sat there hour after hour without catching a bird, Hyrum started thinking. He tried new approaches. He tried laying down on several chairs pushed together so as to be less visible to the birds. He kept shooing Hannah (3) and Caleb (9) away because he said they were too noisy and kept scaring the birds. Next, he tried putting a jacket over his face and body so the birds wouldn't even know he was there. With his face peeking out he had full view of the trap. He was sure this would do the trick, but still no bird.

About mid-afternoon Brian came home with an incredible surprise. Cupped in his hands was a terrified baby kestrel. He had found it hopping around in the road near our home. It had fallen from its nest and was unable to fly. So for the second time in the same day, our family was graced with a bird gift. We cared for and enjoyed this little creature until we could figure out what to do with it. Later, the nest was discovered and the baby kestrel was placed carefully back in the nest with its three squawking siblings.

Hyrum enjoyed the baby kestrel, but it wasn't the bird experience he had set out to have. He was soon back at his post, still determined to catch his bird. In fact, Hyrum was getting specific in his desires. He told me he really liked doves because he said, "That's the bird that was at Jesus' baptism. I want to catch a dove."

I was busy cooking dinner when Hyrum came to me with another idea. He asked if he could bring the string in through the window and sit in the front room where the birds for sure wouldn't even know he was there. I agreed but told him I would need to help him get the screen out and I asked that he wait until I was done in the kitchen. Hyrum went out satisfied and I quickly forgot about the string and the screen and a little boy's dream.

Later as we were eating dinner, Hyrum finished first and quietly slipped away. When all of sudden he came bursting into the kitchen, eyes bright with excitement, yelling at the top of his lungs, "I CAUGHT A BIRD! I CAUGHT A DOVE!" Utter commotion ensued as 7 children and a mother bolted outside to see Hyrum's catch. The poor dove was terrified and kept trying to fly, but of course couldn't get more than six inches off the ground before it would slam into the plastic storage container. There were shrieks of "hurry, let it go before it kills itself!" Brian calmly slid his arm under the box and cupped his hand around the frightened bird. He brought the dove out where all could see. Then he carefully transferred it into Hyrum's little hands. Proudly, exultantly Hyrum held "his" bird as we took in its beauty. We marveled at the iridescent pink, purple and green feathers on its neck and the deep black of its eyes. We opened one of its wings and touched the softness of its breast feathers. Then we took pictures and showed the curious neighbors. Finally, Hyrum let his dove go. He laughed joyously as the dove's wings beat frantically in his face and then took flight.

As the excitement lulled, I noticed the string which Hyrum had carefully threaded through a ¼ inch hole in the window screen. I also saw the newly made 1 inch vertical tear near the hole. He hadn't waited for my help like I had asked. I couldn't be mad though. How could I? Instead, as I looked at that string, I was deeply touched by my son's belief, determination and persistence. He believed he could catch a bird and specifically a dove. He worked patiently to make it happen. His efforts had been blessed by a Power beyond his own and so the dream became his reality. Oh, the clear and pure belief of a child! His belief blessed our whole family with two serendipitous bird experiences that day, but Hyrum didn't stop until what he wanted, what he believed he could have, actually came to him-his dove.

As I sit writing this, I see through the window Hyrum's abandoned bird trap. It is now nothing more than a lonely plastic storage bin turned upside down under the trellis. The bowl of seed is still inside. The string still stretches across the grass to the porch and yes even through the hole in the window screen. I think I will leave them just as they are for a time-reminders of a little boy and his bird and evidence to my crusty heart that pure, simple belief brings miracles.

Ducks and Teens

by Carol Jensen

Raising ducks has been instructive in parenting. When our ducks were babies, we protected them from cold, hunger, thirst, fright and injury. Now that they are teens, we satisfy their needs by giving them their autonomy.

Once we moved them from the indoor brooder to the sunny backyard, we quickly found that they instinctively seek shelter in the provided coop when the sun goes down, and we have only to close the door after dark to keep them safe. But they grow restless in the morning if we are slow to release them. As soon as we unlock the door at sunrise, they flutter their wings, stretch and run about foraging.

I was concerned about them under weather extremes, but they showed me they can take care of themselves. A little rain delights them, but when the heat is strong, they seek a shady hollow, perhaps beneath a bush. Distant thunder doesn’t seem to ruffle them, yet lightning in close proximity sends them scurrying toward their house, as does sudden, strong wind.

One day we watched a cat sneak into the yard and creep toward them as they were swimming blithely in their pond. My inclination was to chase the cat. Restraining myself until the crisis became drastic, my worry became amusement when the cat sized up the situation – four birds in several feet of water – and turned away without bothering them.
We have a grandson, age 3, who loves to be near them. We have taught him that if he will just sit on the grass with arms outstretched, perhaps holding some peas or lettuce, they will come to him. Likewise, when we want to shut them up to mow the yard, we have only to invite them into their coop with a few tender, green morsels. They don’t balk when we understand their nature.

However, when we were out of town recently, some neighbors cared for our ducks and met with quite a bit of resistance in trying to herd them around. The little girls, eager to be near the ducks and to feed them, followed them incessantly trying to get closer. But for every step the girls took, the ducks moved that much away. 

At night, the caretakers thought the birds needed to be in their coop at an earlier time. Our neighbors didn’t want to wait until dark. It was very frustrating for them to try to coral the ducks, which scattered in every direction when any move was made to steer them toward their house. 

One evening there was a heavy hailstorm, and our protective neighbors fretted that the ducks might be injured by the marble-size hail. They spent many wet, cold minutes trying to catch all the birds and get them inside in a timely fashion. Not wanted to be restrained, the ducks struggled every time a grasping hand touched them.

It occurred to me that chasing ducks and teens have some parallels and that our greatest successes are when we reach out and beckon to them without compulsion. Our Savior set the example for us: “Whosever will come may come and partake of the waters of life freely; and whosoever will not come the same is not compelled to come.” (Alma 42:27) “He inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him.” (2 Ne. 26:33)

We can invite our teens to serve others, to be cheerful with their siblings, to excel in their schoolwork, and “to be anxiously engaged in a good cause and do many things of their own free will” (D&C 58:27) without forcing them to do it in our own way and time.
For example, when I got uptight about the mowing that my 13-year-old son was NOT doing – at least on my schedule -  I encouraged him to come up with a solution. He wrote a contract specifying when he would mow, and what would happen if he did not keep his bargain. I have not had to worry about the lawn. He knows his responsibility and he takes care of it.

In a similar fashion, I fretted over the math assignments my daughter was not completing, especially as her summer camps drew closer. But she assured me that she would finish in her available time if I would just stop breathing down her neck. If not, she would pay for the course herself. 

I believe there is great value in letting our youth establish their own parameters under our guidance. The flaw in Satan’s plan was that he wanted to MAKE us do it his way. 
Teens need real choices and the subsequent outcomes. “Men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil.” (2 Ne. 2: 27)

Junior High is a Waste of Time!

by Katrina Fujisaka

When I began homeschooling over 10 years ago many people applauded what they called my “determination and bravery”, but assumed that, naturally I would enroll my children in high school when the time came. 

While I am not one to shrink from a challenge, I’ll admit that at the time the thought of teaching high school—or even jr. high—was daunting. I was teaching one child 1st grade at home during the baby’s naptime. That was pretty easy. I wasn’t exactly sure how I would handle homeschool life when the subjects being taught became more numerous and difficult, and more children were added to our family. Could I handle it without losing my mind?

I decided at the time that I was putting the cart before the horse. After all, I hadn’t signed a lifetime contract! I would take it one year at a time and make that decision about high school when the time came.

As the years passed and I became more comfortable and confident in my ability to homeschool my kids, I was no longer afraid of what I didn’t know about homeschooling high school. One thing I had learned as a homeschool mom is that there are a ton of resources available. All I needed to do was educate myself. I was determined to do it right if we were, indeed, going to do high school on our own.

So, I dove into the internet and spent countless hours combing sites for information. I talked to many veterans who had already walked the high school path. I found loads of really useful information that helped me formulate a plan...and it worked, as my first homeschooled child has now entered college at the age of 15.

So I’m going to share with you the biggest helps I found. The first conclusion I came to as a result of my research is that traditional jr. high work is a waste of time. Most 7th and 8th graders are capable of at least some high school level work. They should do that work and receive high school credit for it!

The next conclusion I came to was HOW we were actually going to do the work.

There are a couple of resources that were pivotal in defining for me how to do homeschool high school. These are excellent, and I highly recommend you look into them if you can.

The first is the Transcript Boot Camp DVD seminar from Education Plus. This is produced by Inge Cannon, a veteran homeschool mom of 35 years. The information presented will help you understand what is high school level work, how to use a notecard system to track all of their work (church, scouts, academic work, volunteer work, hobbies) in a manner that will allow them to be awarded high school credit for it. The program is well worth its $79 price tag. I would highly recommend that every LDS homeschool group have a copy of this in its library for lending as well.

Education Plus also produces Transcript Pro, which provides a fantastic template for a homeschool transcript that is professional enough to be submitted to colleges and universities.

There are several distance learning high schools that, for a tuition fee, will allow students to work at home. Essentially it is accredited online schooling. American School, Calvert, Clonlara, and Brigham Young University all have such programs. Some of them can be quite pricey, and none of them let you choose the curriculum you want to use.

If you are looking for accreditation but want to retain complete curriculum control, I recommend North Atlantic Regional High School. NARHS is an accredited, private school in Maine that will accredit work done by homeschoolers and provide an accredited transcript of that work. This is done for an annual fee that is well below the cost of tuition at other distance learning schools.

If accreditation is not important to you, North Atlantic Regional High School

Publishes several resource books that are available for purchase whether you enroll in their program or not.  Their High School Handbook describes in detail what is necessary to receive credit through their program and is, therefore, an excellent primer on what should count as high school level work and what should not.

The High School Resource Advisor has a detailed list by subject of curriculum ideas and suggested typical courses of study for those subjects. It also provides some guidance in ways to evaluate the work and grade it. Even providing forms that will help you grade research papers and essays, science experiments, and individually designed courses like, say, Hot Rod Building.

And finally, the 1st Great Book of High School Course Descriptions is a comprehensive guide to self-designed (non-textbook) course ideas. It gives you title, course description, objective ideas, activity ideas, resource, and evaluation suggestions.

There is no reason your high school has to be 4 dedicated years. Most kids can do some high school level work by the time they are 12 or 13. Many can ‘test out’ of state required courses just based on their life experience alone. My son received a full year’s credit in Geography with 5 hours of testing that we administered at home. He didn’t need to bang his head against a book….he had already learned extensive world geography in the course of our daily family life! World Geography is a required subject for high school graduation in our state, so we had to do it. But if he can pass the tests, there is no point wasting any additional time on the subject.

You CAN homeschool high school, and you can start it in jr. high! Start your research and begin building your plan now. Decide how you want to keep school records and how you will organize your children’s efforts as proof of their work in every subject.

The streamlined nature of homeschooling makes it easier for students to move at a much faster pace than their public schooled counterparts if they so choose.  The beauty of homeschooling: EVERYTHING counts! Going on a family ski trip? Time spent planning can be logged as time in any number of courses, from geography, science, or history, to personal management, and of course, all that time spent skiing is potential PE credit. Working on scout merit badges can also count toward school credit. All citizenship badges can provide time toward history classes, and even some English time, too. The science based badges provide obvious time as well.  Work done in Personal Progress, Duty to God, and Seminary can also be applied toward high school credit.

Give your kids a jump on their future, and don’t waste time in jr. high. Homeschool high school is not only possible, but it is also a powerful way to prepare your kids for entry into college and adult life. And while it may seem like a lot of work, it really is a load of fun!

Homeschooling Through Challenges

The last couple of years have been especially challenging to our family. We have coped with the usual- -children growing up and moving on in the form of going off to school, missions and/or getting married. We have had major commitments such as having 5 children in a Shakespeare play and then my weak moment; agreeing to help design and make all the costumes. (What was I thinking?) But the biggest challenge has been dealing with my husband’s ill health and subsequent medical retirement. 

As my husband went from being healthy and an active partner in helping me homeschool and raise our children to being bedridden for over a year, our family had to make adjustments and new plans. Responsibilities and roles changed and life took a much different direction than the one we had planned. Here are some of the lessons I learned along the way as we kept our homeschool going.

The first lesson was recognizing that I was no longer in control. I learned to rely on the Lord as we struggled to find out what was wrong with my husband, and then moved through the long recovery process. Once I realized that this was a long term challenge for our family, I knew I needed direction on what, if any changes needed to be made in our homeschool. The Lord helped order my priorities when they sometimes seemed difficult to sort out.

The second lesson I learned was to realize that I needed to curtail my expectations for what we would accomplish, especially that first year. With all the demands on my time, I knew I had to relax and let some things slide. The school blessings my husband gives our children every year helped me to sort out for each child what our main focus would be. If we got to the other things, it was all to the good, but I didn’t beat myself up if it didn’t happen. I also had to stop comparing my homeschool to what other people were doing. Homeschool mom’s come up with some of the best ideas, but to compare what they were doing to what I was dealing with was not helpful. Someday we will get back to those ideas, but not now.

The third lesson, and one of the surprisingly hardest, was to let my kids be more independent in how and when they did their schooling. I enjoy working with my kids and learning is my passion. To let someone else have all the fun was hard, but necessary. And I can say, 2 years later, that it has been good for them. They truly are independent learners, which was my goal in the first place. 

The last thing I learned is that there are blessings, even in the midst of challenges. My husband had a demanding career that often had him away from home for long stretches of time. His illness meant that he was able to spend lots of time with our kids, especially our youngest.  Our youngest would be the one who would go and check on his dad, bring him things he needed and even watch movies with him. They watched the movie “ Cars” about 100 times. A bad thing often has good thing that go with it. This is just one of the many blessings I could name.

The Brethren, in the October Conference, told us that things will never be as they once were, but that we can expect challenges and problems in our future. The Lord is preparing His people. How we handle these challenges in our families and homeschools will teach our children how to handle the turbulent times ahead of them. I pray that we can follow the counsel given; seek the Lord’s answers and he will direct our paths. Even with our homeschools.

Let's Talk Violins

by Kim Kuhn

Let's talk violins, shall we. During the early part of the Baroque era, the 1600's viol instruments were being made which had six or more strings and also included frets. However, by the late 1600's instrument makers were producing violins, violas and cellos. These instruments all had only four strings and no frets. On a violin, you can pluck the strings with your fingers or play a bow across them. It's sound is familiar to most people and much of the music that is played on it is also familiar.

By the way, if you're wondering what the difference between a fiddle and a violin is. The answer is none. The style of playing may be different, but the actual instrument is the same.

Instead of composers, here is a list of contemporary violinists/fiddlers.

You can listen to them on youtube or get their cds at the library.

Vanessa Mae - Her Toccata and Fugue in D Minor by Ludwig van Beethoven is electrifying. Maybe it's because she is on her electric violin. Most of her electric violin music is very upbeat, sometimes jazzy. This music is great for cleaning around the house.

Joshua Bell - His music is very much like the pure classical style, and hey, this violinist is young and good looking.

Regina Carter - Regina is a jazz violinist. Most people don't associate the violin with jazz so in a lot of ways she's a pioneer with her music.

Charlie Daniels - OK, he's not really thought of as a virtuoso on the violin, but he's a great fiddle player. Listen to his fiddle playing and see what you think.

The 1 - 10 Scale...

When we first got married we were introduced to the 1-10 scale. Twenty years later, it is the advice that we are happy to pass on to ALL newlyweds. It has helped ease frustrations and stop arguments before they start!

This is how it works:

VB: “It’s Friday night, what do you want to do?”
KB: “I don’t know, maybe go out to dinner?”
VB: “How about a movie?”
KB: “Ok, which one?”
VB: “Definitely action movie, that new James Bond movie!”
KB: “Oh, how about a romance? There is a Jane Austen Film Fest!”
VB: “On a scale of 1-10, I’m about a 1.”
KB: “Really, I’m a 9!”
VB: “Not my favorite, but ok, I’ll watch ONE movie with you.”

All of a sudden the scale makes the activity objective. I know exactly how he feels about sitting through a “Bonnet Movie Marathon.” And, he knows exactly how much it means to me to see it. It makes me appreciate his willingness to spend time doing something that I want to do. Next time he has something that is a 9 and a 1 to me…I’m much more willing to go along.

Sometimes we are both a 5 on the scale, as were just asking to be polite or for something to do. Neither one of us wants to go to a movie, but would rather go visit friends. We’ve learned to ask before we make big plans, and to really be honest about how we spend our time together. 

We’ve used the 1-10 scale with everything from movies and where to eat, to things like destinations for family vacations, baby names, money management, and parenting techniques. The scale makes it objective and a place where we can start the conversation. 

Often I’ve been surprised at where my husband is on the scale and vice versa. The first time he brought home fresh flowers, he was surprised at my reaction. Flowers are about a 2 on my scale…he assumed that they would by a 10 (don’t all girls like flowers? No, to me they were a waste of money—they just die!). I truly appreciated the thought, but was honest in how I felt. Now he buys me flowers to plant in the front yard-which on the scale is a 9 to me!

I also do not expect him to take me to dinner, which is a 2 on his scale. He eats out with work a lot and prefers home cooked meals. If I really want to go to a restaurant, I’ll go with a friend for lunch. He appreciates family meals and I love to prepare his favorites.

Does this mean that he never takes me to dinner or brings me flowers… no, occasionally he does and I truly appreciate it. The scale has put out a lot of potential fires and saved buckets of tears in our marriage! 

We now use the scale with our kids to find out where they are in family decisions. On a scale of 1-10, it's a 10!

Homeschooling with the Light On

Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve enjoyed wandering the house in the dark, testing myself to see if I can get around without a light, knowing where things are and sensing distances and obstacles. Unfortunately, on occasion, I’ve gotten carried away with the game.  I’ve listened to the philosophies of men, mingled with scripture, and failed to turn the Light on in “real life,” trying to homeschool in the dark.

I remember the first time I really realized that “the light is always shining.” I’d lived in Seattle for a few years and had gotten used to the clouds. One day, after a particularly dark and overcast few weeks, I got on a plane to visit family. As the plane ascended above the clouds, I was shocked to find a brilliantly gleaming sun, and even more shocked to realize (yes, science eventually kicks in) that the sun was always there, always shining, whether I could see it or sense it, or not. I thought a lot then about clouds and likened them to troubles and temptations, drawing an analogy that God is always there, above whatever mortal cloud cover we find ourselves subject to.

Fast forward ten years. It’s been a dark, overcast spring. I’m not in Seattle anymore, but Utah, where it ought to be different. I’m struggling with scheduling, philosophy, discipline, curriculum, and faith. My kids are getting older much faster than I’d like and everything is changing. I’m groping around in what feels like infinite ominous shadows, trying to find the way for me, my family, and our homeschool. Instead of instinctively knowing where things are and giggling over a game well played in the dark, I’m bumping into everything, getting knocked around in the blackness and slipping into a pit of despair.

Frantically driving down the road in a hurry to one of many destinations, my 4-year-old daughter exclaims, “Mommy! Look! Look over there! Jesus is shining down!” I look in the direction she points, where rays of sunlight have burst through the clouds, beautifully illuminating a portion of the mountains in straight and narrow streaks, like slanted pillars of light. Weeks of darkness have made me somewhat cynical, but my daughter’s absolute faith and confidence in a Lord of Light and her innocent, yet emphatic declaration in no uncertain terms that He is both visible and available nearly make me hit the brakes. 

Over the stormy summer, my daughter makes numerous similar observations. I attempt to ponder it all in brief and sporadic intervals, in between bursts of running faster than I have strength. At an extended family camping trip threatened by rain and lightning, I feel overwhelmed, over-stimulated, over-socialized. I seek solace in a float tube in the middle of a lake, pretending to fish. Finally desperate, I begin to pray. Against the mountains, rays of light suddenly penetrate the cloud cover. The words, “pillar of light” enter my mind and I am flooded with warmth and revelation. I think of my daughter, marveling at her ability to see light for what it is at her age. I recall phrases in scripture and references to light in both the sacred and the secular. I remember that things that are “bad” are often referred to as “dark;” the Dark Side, dark magic, etc. I recognize that even the smallest flashlight will dispel the deepest of darkness, making safe the way, if only it’s turned on. Light always disperses dark. I come to truly understand that just as our sun anchors our Solar System, constant regardless of where Earth is in rotation and orbit, The Light of our Lord is unchangeable, perpetually faithful and independent of clouds and darkness—however self-imposed. It merely takes operation of “the switch,” through prayer. I humbly realize the dusky haze of my stormy spring and summer was of my making, the loss of power the result of my own inner natural disaster and failure to turn on the light. And I am ever so thankful for the weather patterns that made it possible for my daughter, and me, to see “Jesus shining down on us.”

How did I, someone who has always partnered with the Lord in homeschooling, get to the point of going it for a while in the dark? That’s a question for another day, but partly answered here. How has He, in His infinite wisdom and generosity, warmed and illuminated our homeschool? That’s a question that would take gigabytes to answer; they’re many and varied, marvelous and miraculous.  Some are too special to share.  This would be a good month for all of us to make a grateful record. How has He lighted your homeschool? Children are fascinated with the consequences of light switches.  On, off, on, off, on, off, on. The availability of electricity and light is so taken for granted, as well as the ability to direct it, that perhaps we sometimes become indifferent with the ultimate Source of Light as well. We’d never think of looking for an outhouse in the woods in the deep of night, or exploring a dark, dank cave without a light source.  But in complacency we might try it in more familiar surroundings. Save yourself the experiment. Get yourself a spiritual generator. Make sure you homeschool with the Light on.

Living Mathematics

Almost as soon as a new baby opens her eyes her parents start talking to her. They sing, tell little nursery rhythms and label the world around them for their precious little one. At first she doesn’t understand anything they say, but soon all that talking leads to understanding and eventually she will start imitating and sharing her own words.

Several years ago I read Patricia Clark Kenschaft’s book Math Power, which discusses how this same process can help children learn math. She stressed the importance of talking about math concepts as we go about our daily lives, even before our children are old enough to understand the terms, trusting that over time understanding will come just as it does when they are learning to speak. Her theory changed the way I thought about teaching math.

As I made a conscious effort to work math language into our routine, I saw opportunities everywhere. I talked with my preschooler and kindergartener about how many plates we needed for the table: “You have 4 plates. We need 6. 4+2 is 6.” We counted steps together, by ones and twos, and we subtracted cookies: “You had 2 cookies. You ate 1. 2-1 is 1.” There are numbers all around us and I simply pointed them out as we went throughout our day. I never quizzed them or worried about whether they “got it.” I just kept talking. Then one day I was reading a counting book to my four-year-old. As we counted the groups of animals on each page I made comments like I had many times before: “Look, 4 cats. 2 groups of 2 cats is 4.” We finished the book and she said, “mom that book was 3 groups of 2 . . . 6.” I didn’t understand what she meant until she held the board book up for me and showed me 6 pages, split into 3 groups of 2. For a moment I thought I had given birth to a child prodigy! Then I realized that she doesn’t know she is doing multiplication; mathematical concepts are simply becoming a natural part of her world.

This same concept holds true for older students. Math is suddenly easy and natural when they aren’t solving problems in a workbook.  Such natural activities as music, cooking, building, managing an allowance and origami use computations, fractions and geometry are easy to do. Last week my boys made puzzle cubes at math club. This activity from the AIMS (Activities in Math and Science) Puzzle Play book involved gluing 2 cm wooden cubes together into 6 different shapes. Then, they had to figure out how to put all those shapes together to make a giant cube. My boys spent over an hour that afternoon figuring out how to make the cube and other configurations listed in the book. Then the next day they started making up their own shape puzzles and sketching them out on graph paper. They were so busy with their project I had trouble getting them to do any other school work that day! Nobody complained about having to do “math”.

Activities such as these give math curriculum meaning. When they see that math has a purpose and is useful in their daily lives they are a lot more likely to retain what they learn and to enjoy it. The AIMS bookshttp://www.aimsedu.org/index.html, and the Living Math website and yahoo group http://www.livingmath.net/are two of my favorite resources. The AIMS foundation has books containing a large variety of hands-on math and science activities. Many of these activities are adaptable for multiple age levels. The living math site has lists of “living” math books by concept, lists of math games and “living” math teaching ideas.

Growing up I was never a “math person”. It was a subject I never excelled at and grew to dread as the years went by. I wanted something better for my children. That was the motivating factor behind my search for living math materials. There are still days when we experience a certain amount of moaning and groaning over the workbooks but there are also moments of mathematical genius and pure awe at the power and splendor of mathematics. That’s the beauty of the “living” world of mathematics!