Homeschooling: May 2012

Why am I aligning Math Mammoth to Common Core Standards

Someone recently was wondering if perhaps aligning Math Mammoth curriculum to Common Core standards wasn't a good idea, or at least wasn't going to help them any, because they have found value in curricula outside of American ones.

So why am I doing that?

I have known of Common Core standards for a few years, but in December 2011 I noticed that nearly all states were or are going to implement them. So, they are in essence providing a framework for a national curriculum in mathematics.

So, I decided to consider them, and to take a closer look at the standards. And I realized that Common Core standards aren't that "bad." They are NOT like most state standards have been, "inch deep and mile wide," with tons of topics per grade.

These are "core" standards, meaning there aren't a huge amount of them per grade. So it's a BIG improvement over many of the states' standards.

I also noticed that some of the "core" standards were already in place in Math Mammoth, such as a focus on single-digit multiplication in third grade, or multi-digit multiplication in 4th, or fractions in 5th.

I liked the fact that the standards explicitly mentioned some mental math!

Also, I am not fundamentally changing the teaching approach or style in Math Mammoth. Aligning to the Common core is more a question of reorganizing topics, moving some topics to a different grade, than anything else.

Yes, I've added a few little things they require such as measuring how much longer one thing is than another, or problems with unknowns shown with shapes, or asking children to divide a shape into quarters. But it is not affecting the development of major concepts.

At the same time, I have also revised many of the lessons and made them better -- this is happening regardless of the standards. It's just when I see my earlier work, I find ways to improve it.

I hope this helps!

Math Mammoth May sale!

A traditional sale for the end of the school year... From May 20, 2012, till June 3, get 20% off of all Math Mammoth downloads and CDs at Kagi store.

Use the coupon code MAYSALE.

You can go to MathMammoth.com first, then find the links to Kagi's order pages. OR, use these direct links:

Enjoy!
Maria Miller

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Math word (story) problems

Have you ever used this neat way of teaching math word problems to elementary grade students? Let them be like stories, and let the child create some too!

Denise explores this idea in her recent post: Tell Me a (Math) Story

Worth checking out!

Following the Call

I'm going to take a cue from my reading. It's time to be done indoors. The outside is calling me. I'm not able to read them all at once, but these are the reads that are vying for my attention.

God in the Yard

Pilgrim at Tinker Creek

God in the Yard: spiritual practice for the rest of us begins today as my summer practice. I'm going to combine the spiritual practice with blogging practice posting my reflections here. If you're working through this book too (I've invited several friends), leave me a link to your own blog posts and we'll have a nice little virtual group.

I normally lead a book group at the park in the summer. This summer I knew I needed to say, "no," to that. I'm long enough into life to know that I need to pay attention to my hesitations. However, I realize that the 'being outside' element of that was probably very nourishing. This book will get me out, on the grass, in the Columbines, fingers to earth.

Pilgrim at Tinker Creek has been on my nightstand for several months, a gift from my aunt who buys me books to chew on. I was waiting for enough room to read it. As we move into summer, I'm finding that space. In the first few pages the author describes her home by a creek and says, "I like where I live; there is much to think about." Isn't that what nature truly causes? What we call enjoyment is more accurately the act of taking notes on beauty, design, dependence, flexibility, perseverance. Taking a walk along a creek may be our way of clearing our head, but really we are working with thoughts, resorting them based on our primary connection to the loamy paths and rippling water.

The Art of the Commonplace

The Art of the Commonplace: the agrarian essays of Wendell Berry. This is the first I've read him and I've barely begun. Regarding Walden, I doubt I'll actually crack it this summer. But it's a nice thought. We'll see.

Walden

As the outdoors continue to call, I am making final plans for the family getaway. I'm looking forward to changing spaces for a while, trading brick houses and creaking hardwood floors for expansive vistas and zippered breathable nylon tents. Exchanging what I engage in from school books to sand dunes, from piles of dishes to tent rocks, from cold dark bedrooms to the amazing enclosure of caves. The outdoors are calling. It's time to heed the call. It's time to think about something different.

The Grass Is In

We've been working in our backyard since we moved in three years ago. Little by little, as the tax return allowed, we added the garage (and then had to wait a year to add the driveway and electricity), the brick walkway, the grape arbor and perennials, the basketball hoop and the irrigation system. This year we added a little garden, a little staircase and a whole lot of grass. It takes a lot of water, sure. But it's amazing for a house full of boys to be able to run and wrestle and play. And for me to walk in bare feet as I nurture the perennials and note how they are opening and blooming and breathing again. It all just goes together.