Homeschool Math Blog

You have till February 28, 2014 to take part in my MATH PUZZLES CONTEST. Please read the details at http:// homeschoolmath.blogspot.com/ 2014/02/ contest-looking-for-math-puzzle s.html Every participant will be entered into a random drawing of Math Mammoth Blue Series books! 3 people will receive $25 worth  of Blue Series books of their choosing 3 people will receive $15 worth  of Blue Series books of their choosing Have fun!

Some people have asked me what science curricula and resources I use and recommend.  I made a page about them, with a short review of each: Homeschool science resources Basically, I have used regular textbooks as a "spine" since they are so affordable, and supplemented that with videos and activities from various sources.

This is one of the stories sent to my recent Math Moment(s) contest. I was one of those people who feared math their entire lives and I was afraid that somehow I would pass it on to my daughter. It was always the same with our math sessions. We would be both excited at first but then somewhere along the way things would start to go downhill and we both end up in frustration. There was this day when my daughter was in tears at the end of our session. We didn't do math for a while after that incident as I was sure that I finally killed math for her for good. When we started again, it was met without enthusiasm and was treated to be just another task in our to do list. Until I came to learn about this math curriculum I heard so much about. We tried it for a couple of weeks and didn't care to pay attention to any improvements that could be happening as my mind was set for it to be just another curriculum we are trying and that I shouldn't expect anything "life c...

I'm running a little giveaway on my Facebook page right now, for two 24K Gold DVDs. Come on over!

I decided to update a page on Mathmammoth.com that lists the various free resources I offer, including free worksheets, books, videos, tests, and lessons. Have you seen all the free stuff you can get? http://www.mathmammoth.com/worksheets/free.php Enjoy!

  Actually... These three books from Math Mammoth Blue Series aren't technically freebies, but they have been set to "Pay What You Want" at Currclick, which means you choose how much you pay. You CAN get them for free if you cannot afford to pay :) Math Mammoth Place Value 2 (for grade 2) Math Mammoth Add & Subtract 4 (for grades 4-5) Math Mammoth Percent (for grades 6-7) They allow you to get a good overview of my products -- for free!

I have another contest for you! This one has to do with MATH PUZZLES. I want you to send in your favorite math puzzle (suitable for grades K-12)! If you found it on a website or in a book, please mention the source. Or, if you have a math puzzle you have made yourself, send that to me - that is another way to take part. (Include the solution, too, please!) Simply email me and include the puzzle (and source).  I want to collect puzzles and then create a webpage of the BEST MATH PUZZLES for all of us to enjoy. I'm not looking for super difficult puzzles, though - just ones for grades K - 12. You don't need to send me Goldbach's conjecture or the Riemann hypothesis To get you started, here's one from CoolMath4Kids: Connect the Dots I've known of that puzzle for a long time and I'm glad I stumbled upon it this morning. It illustrates beautifully the idea of "thinking outside the box" ! Here's one more... it was new to me. Again, you...

Hot off the presses! I wanted to share this 7th grade lesson on the distance of two integers that I recently wrote for the upcoming Math Mammoth grade 7. I'd be interested in feedback, as well! It is written specifically to match the Common Core Standard 7.NS.1 (c) Show that the distance between two rational numbers on the number line is the absolute value of their difference, and apply this principle in real-world contexts. In easier terms... the lesson deals mostly with integers, and teaches that the distance of two integers m and n can be found by taking the absolute value of their difference: | m − n |. Download the lesson here (a PDF file). There is no answer key at the moment -- sorry about that!

I don't want to leave out one of the best manipulatives there is for first and second graders: a simple "school" abacus that has 10 wires and 10 beads on each wire. I don't mean a Chinese or Japanese abacus with a special counting system. I am talking about using a simple 100-bead abacus for counting, and treating each bead as 1. You don't have to learn any of these sophisticated systems that have been in use with various abacuses. Just consider each bead being 1, period. Then you have 10 tens, or a hundred, in your abacus, and that goes a long way explaining tens and ones or 2-digit place value to first graders. It is best if the abacus has the first five beads colored differently from the next five, in each row, like on the right. Then the child will easily recognize 6, 7, and 8 beads without counting. Also, let's say you choose 6 beads on one wire and 8 on the next one. You can show how the five and five on those two wires makes ten, ...

Here is the story of one of the Math Moments contest winners. I am sure you will enjoy it as much as I did -- an inspiring story of GROWTH in the face of difficulties! It is amazing how much IS possible! There is nothing more rewarding as a parent to see your child accomplish something that they have been working really hard on. For my husband and I that was doubly rewarding as we really felt our daughter would never really be able to do much in terms of math or reading. We knew that she was on the autistic spectrum from a very young age. For YEARS we would try to teach her to count. For most kids counting to 5 is easy, and something they can at least do by 4 if not younger, and abc's as well. But our precious dd just could not. I would cry at night wondering how she was going to make it in the world without even being able to count to 5 or spell her name or well... anything. My husband told me that as we were home educating it was really ok for me just to let it go. Stop wor...