Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers

Honest. Quirky. Real. Practical tips, candid reviews, and stereotype-smashing humor for homeschooling families.

Honest. Quirky. Real. Practical tips, candid reviews, and stereotype-smashing humor for homeschooling families.

3 Inexpensive Screen-Free Games That Make Math Fun

By Kris Bales

If you’re looking for inexpensive, screen-free games that make math fun, check out the games from Absolute Zero. From practicing sums of ten to adding positive and negative integers, kids can practice vital math skills, all while having a blast!

I have a confession. When I’m playing games with friends and family, I make every effort not to be the scorekeeper. It stresses me to have people watching and waiting for me to tally their score.

What if I make an addition error? What if I draw a complete blank trying to add two numbers? Yes, I’m a grown adult, and I do possess basic math skills, but that math phobia from my school days is deeply embedded in my brain.

Absolute Zero Games Review

I know others share those math-phobic feelings. That’s why I love products like the games from Absolute Zero! They help kids overcome math anxiety by developing number sense in a fun, stress-free way.

Three Games that Make Math Fun from Absolute Zero

When I was actively homeschooling young learners, I relied heavily on games as a teaching tool. If we could make it a game, we did. And, I strongly preferred board and card games over online or computer-based games because once we turned that screen on, it was always hard to turn it off and get back on track.

That’s why I was so excited to discover the games from Absolute Zero. Created by a mom and math teacher, these games meet four of my main criteria:

  • They are educational card games that are fun to play
  • There are games for both older and younger students
  • There are tips for adapting each game for a broader range of skill level
  • Each game focuses on skills that kids need to improve number sense

[Read more…]

Tips for Taking a Summer Break from Math Workbooks

By Kris Bales

Whether it’s summer break or you’re just burned out, sometimes you and your kids need a break from math workbooks, but that doesn’t mean you have to let math slide. Try these ideas for keeping math skills sharp while you take a break from math worksheets.

It’s summertime. You’re ready for a break from teaching math as much as your kids are ready for a break from learning it. But you worry that if you put the workbooks aside until August or September, those hard-earned skills will get rusty.

Or maybe you school year round, but you’re looking for a more relaxed approach to math during the summer months. Is it worth it to take a break from math workbooks this summer?

Tips for Taking a Summer Break from Math Workbooks

Benefits of Taking a Break from Math Workbooks

Early in our homeschooling experience, someone introduced me to the idea of allowing time for lessons to percolate in a child’s mind. The idea is that even while a child is taking a break from actively learning or practicing a new concept, their brain is still thinking about and processing that information.

I’ve seen that proven time and again in our homeschool. Instead of pushing a difficult concept, I often saw more significant results in letting the kids take a break from it for a while. {I’m looking at you, long division.}

Other benefits of taking a break from textbooks and worksheets include:

  • Stress reduction
  • Improved focus after a break
  • Time and opportunity for real-world practice and connections

With all the benefits of taking breaks from formal learning, summer slide – or forgetting previously learned facts and skills during long breaks– is a genuine concern for teachers and homeschooling parents.

So, how do you capitalize on the benefits of taking a break without losing ground academically? [Read more…]

When Your Reader Struggles: What May Be Missing

By Guest Author

Between the tears and the slipping progress in schoolwork, you know he’s struggling. But why? The first step in helping your child overcome his struggles is figuring out what’s causing them.

lindamood-bell academy help for reading challenges

Perhaps he is struggling with a more challenging curriculum this year. Do you notice patterns of difficulty?

You may see:

  • struggle with reading words in context (trouble sounding out unfamiliar words)
  • problems remembering what the student read or heard
  • new or increased difficulty spelling with longer, multi-syllable words
  • declining math skills when presented with more complex concepts

Possible Causes of Learning and Reading Challenges

Reading and spelling challenges could result from weak symbol imagery. This weakness affects a student’s ability to visualize letters and sounds within words. It also causes difficulty mastering sight words, reading fluently, and spelling.

Weak concept imagery causes students to get only part of the information they read or hear. This weakness can result in reading, language comprehension, or math struggles. It also interferes with reading and listening comprehension, memory, oral vocabulary, critical thinking, and writing. Sometimes it affects affect math skills because students fail to grasp basic concepts.

Without a solid foundation of symbol and concept imagery, students may develop coping mechanisms. Kids often memorize facts instead of building their reasoning and problem-solving skills. Developing strong symbol and concept imagery are vital to reading, comprehension, and math skills.

Solutions for Learning and Reading Challenges

One solution for learning struggles is getting your child evaluated to find the cause of the difficulties. Evaluation can provide valuable insight. Once they identify the area of weakness, parents and students can work on solutions. Lindamood-Bell’s programs develop the foundational skills that support reading, comprehension, and math. By strengthening these areas, you provide your child with the tools she needs to overcome her academic troubles.

lindamood-bell academy help for reading challenges

At Lindamood-Bell Academy, we offer in-person or online instruction. We work with students to develop the imagery-language foundation for success in language processing. This foundation is essential for success in all curriculum.

We combine instructional expertise with a full curriculum to develop the sensory-cognitive foundation and apply it to academic content. Parents and students can expect the same quality online. Our students do not work alone. Our Academy is successful when traditional approaches are not, even with students with a diagnosis such as dyslexia, autism spectrum disorder, or general learning challenges.

Lindamood-Bell Academy operates in 60+ permanent Learning Centers located throughout the United States, the United Kingdom, and Singapore.

Make sure you are giving your child a strong foundation for language processing and academic success. Find out if Lindamood-Bell Academy is the right fit for your student!

For more information on Lindamood-Bell Academy, call 800-300-1818 or visit us at www.LindamoodBellAcademy.com.

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Using Mini-offices in Your Homeschool

By Kris Bales

When my kids were little, mini-offices were all the rage in homeschools and classrooms. A while back, I referred to them in a blog post and was surprised to learn that there are people who have never heard of a mini-office.

I’m not going to lie. It made me feel a little old.

So, I decided that I needed to fix that. I mean, people not knowing about mini-offices. I don’t think there’s much I can do about getting old.

Using Mini-offices in Your Homeschool

What Are Mini-Offices?

Mini-offices are really similar to anchor charts that are all the rage now (with the hip young parents – I didn’t know what they were until last week). A mini-office is two or more file folders glued or stapled together and filled with helpful tips, reference charts, and resources for students.

A mini-office helps a student focus on the task at hand, and the resources inside allow him to work more independently than he might otherwise be able to on his own. He’s got a quick reference for things like the spelling of common words or place value.

Old-school mini-offices are also beneficial to homeschooled kids who often school at the dining room table with several siblings. Because the file folders stand up, they give students some personal space and limit the distraction siblings may cause.

How to Create a Mini-Office

I based the original mini-offices that I created for Josh and Megan on the writing center Brianna used. All you need to create a mini-office is:

  • two or more file folders (I like using the brightly colored ones)
  • Scissors
  • Glue
  • Printables
homeschool mini-offices

First, lay the two folders flat so that the right side of the first folder overlaps the left side of the second, creating three sections. Glue the overlapped sections together. (You can also staple them or use packing tape.)

The two overlapped parts form the middle of the mini-office. You may need to trim the file folder tabs so that the office will close flat.

homeschool mini-offices

Next, cut out a variety of charts, tables, and resources for whatever your kids are working on. My kids had a writing mini-office and a math mini-office.

Types of Mini-Offices

When the kids were younger, one of my big goals was to avoid invented spelling in their writing. No, there’s nothing inherently wrong with invented spelling, but because Josh has dyslexia, when he was little it was easy to get a misspelling stuck in his head.

So, their writing mini-office had a word wall and other spelling resources, along with writing resources such as a 5W’s hand so that they could remember to include who, what, where, when, and why.

writing mini-office

A math mini-office might consist of:

  • a 100 number chart
  • a multiplication or addition table
  • ordinal numbers
  • colors
  • months and days
  • coin values
  • shapes
math mini-office

It might also include a map of the United States just because I thought it was nifty.

Mini-offices aren’t necessarily just for young children either. An older student might appreciate a file folder with reference tools such as:

  • mathematical order of operations
  • formulas for finding an area, perimeter, or slope
  • Periodic Table of Elements
  • Classification chart
  • Strong verbs

Math Mini-Office Resources

Look for resources for your mini-offices wherever you find your favorite printables, such as Teachers Pay Teachers or Mama’s Learning Corner.

writing mini-office

Two great sites for mini-office printables are Teaching Heart (warning: the site is old school – it’s my original spot for printables) and Jessica Meacham’s Mini Offices (also an original, but the site has been updated).

math mini-office

For specific printables that I used, other than Teaching Heart and Jessica Meacham, check out these resources:

Using Mini-offices in Your Homeschool

Come on, y’all. Bring back mini-offices! I hope your kids love them as much as mine did. The mini-offices are something that Josh and Megan both remember.

Have you ever used mini-offices before? If so, are you old like me? {grin}

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Math Activities For Kids Who Hate Math: 7 Sneaky Ways to Cover Math!

By Adrienne Bolton

Written by Adrienne Bolton of The Mommy Mess.

As I type, my 13-year-old son is working on his math lesson. He’s been at it for hours today, taking several breaks just to get through one lesson. It’s Monday, so there’s that, but math has always been a struggle in our homeschool.  It’s the one subject I’m “banging my head against the wall” over the most.

Are you looking for math activities for kids who hate math?

I am!

On days when I don’t have the energy to push a lesson or I just want to sleep knowing my kid multiplied something that day, I can always turn to one of these activities and breathe easy.

Math Activities For Kids Who Hate Math

Go grocery shopping.

Help your child create a grocery list for the week. Estimate the cost of each item and the expected total. Depending on your child’s age, you can take the project as far as you want.

Now that I’m thinking about it, I have an adult child who could benefit from this activity. Ha!

Try these ideas for your shopping trip:

  • Check your grocer’s weekly advertisement and compare prices with another grocer.
  • Figure the cost of items priced by weight like produce and meats. (Hello, multiplication!)
  • Clip coupons (addition, subtraction, and savings, oh my!)
  • Estimate the cost your weekly grocery bill.
  • Meal plan and estimate the cost of each meal.
  • Compare prices between brands.

Sell old toys and games on eBay.

eBay is a fantastic place for your kids to practice math skills! Not only does selling stuff online help you clean out all the toys and games nobody plays with anymore, but it also allows for your child to earn a little extra cash.

Money talks! Nothing motivates my kid more than knowing he might make a few bucks. Selling old toys, figures, and video games has been a great way for my son to practice math and he doesn’t even realize he’s doing it.

The following are concepts covered in an eBay transaction from start to finish:

  • percentages and decimals
  • weight
  • calculating shipping costs
  • profit
  • loss
  • fees (PayPal and eBay)
  • pricing
  • time
  • addition/subtraction
  • multiplication/division

Selling on eBay isn’t just a great project for math either! It covers skills like photography and keyboarding. Communicating with potential buyers helps hone those email and interpersonal skills. Depending on your child’s age, they could even get their own toy store up and running!

Apps, apps, apps.

There are so many great free math apps. When I don’t think we’re going to get to the lesson or I can see my son is shutting down, I can turn to an app and at least know he’s getting some multiplication practice in.

Something is ALWAYS better than nothing!

Get in the kitchen.

Cooking and baking have saved me on more than one occasion. Getting your kids in the kitchen is a fun way to incorporate math concepts without even trying. It’s 100% hands-on and depending on what you’re making, you can even incorporate some other subjects like history, geography, and culinary skills.

The kitchen helps cover math concepts like:

  • measurements
  • conversions
  • temperature
  • following instructions/word problems
  • fractions
  • adding/subtracting
  • multiplication/division (split a recipe or double it for a large family)
  • time

Plan a fantasy vacation.

If you could go anywhere in the world where would you go? This is a super fun project that sparks the attention for sure. Estimate the cost of a family vacation to your child’s dream destination. It goes without saying this could be turned into an entire unit study! Geography, history, travel, cultures…the list goes on, but the math? There’s SO much.

  • hotel and flight costs
  • gas and food costs
  • mileage
  • route
  • time
  • estimate expenses like shopping and entertainment

This is your kid’s vacation. Let their imagination be the tour guide! What activities or excursions does he want to try while your visiting? Add up the cost! The more you “do” on your trip, the more math is covered. Safe travels, friends!

Take a personal finance or stewardship course.

My son responds well to real-world math. Figuring out a sale price or calculating his potential eBay earnings seems to spark way more interest for him than a textbook.

A course like personal finance or stewardship offers an everyday perspective that might interest your reluctant mathematician.

It can be hard to let go of what we think math should look like. Textbook open, pencils out, add stress, the clock ticking, and my child’s frustration, and you’ve got a fairly accurate picture of what math looks like at our house. But there’s always a way for me to switch things up for sanity.

Embrace change.

This year, I’ve made some changes to the curriculum we’ve been using from the start and I’m seeing some positive changes! It’s still a tough subject for us to cover, but it’s better than it was in years past.

Hallelujah!

More than anything, remember: taking a day to do something different helps break up the monotony of math. Don’t be afraid to embrace change.

Is math a battle in your homeschool? What math activities would you add to the list?

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