Memory Math

We have struggled with Math at the Landing. Froggy has fought against it and declared a dislike for it. I am so not ok with that and made it my objective to change that. At our local homeschool conference, I checked out lots and lots of different curricula for Math. We did not fall in love with any of them. We did make one purchase, a collection of card games designed to teach Math from the most basic number skills through division.

While on vacation, we took a break from our regular rhythm of learning. In its place, I brought our brand new card deck and abacus. During some down time, I asked Froggy if she wanted to play again and was met with absolute glee. We played a Memory variation where the objective is to find two numbers that make 10. As I laid out the game, Froggy recognized the concept and eagerly jumped in. Unlike many games, Froggy stayed interested through out. Even when I was sneaky and added extra math practice into the game, she still was interested in playing and enjoying the game.

After the game, Froggy took the cards and abacus into her own play. She and her puppy played "Monopoly" and "cards". Puppy got the abacus and cards as his special birthday present. For Froggy to be that interested in a Math Manipulative thrilled me beyond belief. That she was not only willing to drill but eager was amazing.

One of the main elements of the Charlotte Mason philosophy which I am trying to incorporate is short lessons in which the student attends fully to the lesson. We have achieved that fully in both Geography and Literature. Until this lesson, it has been sorely lacking in Math. I am hoping that games may provide the key for us.

Now we just need it to hold.

Comments

  1. Natalie PlanetSmartyAugust 3, 2010 at 12:57 PM

    I am all about teaching math through games, but I am also investigating online math games as well. I am not thrilled with Time4Learning.com design, but Anna took to its math program rather well, and that's what we've been doing for math lately, plus, of course, games and books. I am glad to see that Anna's attitude to math changed dramatically after we added computer to the mix.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Joyful LearnerAugust 6, 2010 at 1:54 AM

    Have you looked at Family Math for Young Children? It has great activities for encouraging math in daily environment. I'm hoping to cover most of the math curriculum through games and hands-on activities. I want math to be relevant and meaningful, not something to check off on a list of to-do's. I think when it makes sense and is fun, it is not all too hard to learn. Too often, math is taken out of context and has no meaning to the children.

    Thanks for linking up! It's always interesting to see what others are doing in math!

    I also love Charlotte Mason's style!

    ReplyDelete
  3. FairionAugust 8, 2010 at 5:05 PM

    Thanks for the recommendation. Family Math looks like lots of fun. I had not heard about it before. I will certainly look into it.

    ReplyDelete

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