The most important concept my boys learned about math was the fact families. Go here to get a template for making fact family cards - with lots of activity ideas. At some point, our kids have to graduate from the rote memorization of math facts to understanding what the numbers and facts represent. A cool book to foster this understanding is The Grapes of Math. (I love the title!) In it, the author asks riddles that make kids use what they know in new ways. One of my absolute favorite resources is called Fun With Figures. This fascinating book will teach your child - and you - to do mental … [Read more...]

If your child has trouble reading, there are many, many strategies to give a boost. Trying to find out which strategy works is not easy, so it helps to hear ideas that have worked for other kids. Here are some ways to help your child master the all important skill of reading, and hopefully help him develop a love for a good book! Whisper Phone - It often helps a child to hear what she is reading as she reads it. But reading aloud is not always possible. Some enterprising teacher came up with this 'whisper phone'. It's two PVC elbow joints and one small straight piece. The child whispers … [Read more...]