Is your child struggling with multiplication facts?  Are you tired of boring flashcards?  Try the unique resources and hands-on activities included in today’s featured Pathway!

Learn the multiplication facts up to nine in this unit. Of course, you can practice the facts with flashcards, but you can also create an interactive multiplication table, practice with a cootie catcher, find patterns on a “hundreds” chart or play a card game. Children will also write tips and tricks for multiplication in their math journals and will put a multiplication table into the journal. Online games and worksheets are provided to reinforce the concepts. This unit is designed to last one week, depending on how often you teach math.

This week’s Featured Pathway is a goodie from our treasure box of Math units.  Loaded with hands-on activities, this unit on Scale Drawing will help your child learn about ratio and scale.

Learn how to draw to scale in this unit. Hands-on activities include demonstrating ratio and scale and making Chocolate Crispies. Then have fun drawing a garden, an archeological dig, and a dinosaur. Online activities, worksheets, and video are included to reinforce the activities. This unit is designed to last one week, depending on how often you teach math.

Giveaway Winner

Thanks to everyone that entered to win The Solar System Book & Mobile Kit.  We wish everyone could receive a prize.  But, there’s only one book kit, so only one winner. Stay tuned for more giveaways and contests, though!

How did we choose the winner?  It’s simple – all of the comments were numbered.  The numbers were entered at random.org, which generated a random number for us.  That number was the winning comment:

The winner is Christy!

Congratulations!  Drop us a line at blog@LessonPathways.com to claim your prize!

We talked about incorporating math into everyday life before. It’s important for your child to take the concepts he has learned and apply them to real-life situations.  Thanksgiving presents the perfect opportunity to do just that.

Take a look at this free unit on Estimating, including fun games and hands-on activities.  Later, have your child use what she has learned to help determine how much food to prepare for Thanksgiving.

In this unit, your child will use estimation to solve basic math problems and compare objects and quantities. Hands-on activities include using many different types of manipulatives and playing games. Interactive online activities and worksheets are also included to reinforce the concepts. This unit is designed to last one week, depending on how often you teach math.

A second post in our “Making Math Meaningful” series, Lyn L. shares some insight on how to make math hands-on through yard sales.

Do you and the kids have stuff piling up everywhere? Need some extra cash for a family project or just for fun? Collect all that junk and have a yard sale. The kids can earn some extra money and practice hands-on math at the same time.

Hands-On Math Through Sorting

Building math skills isn’t always about the figures. Sorting items into categories can help build important skills the kids will need in solving complicated math problems. It also helps to keep the brain active. Items can be categorized by type, shapes, and even sizes. Differentiation is extremely important for solving all types of math problems.

Learn Math Through Pricing Sale Items

Kids can determine how much items should cost by their age, item type, wear and tear, and more. Comparison skills will help in all aspects of life, including math computation. Determining the value of something is essential to understanding how numbers and other math concepts work. It also will help in many career options – not just those related to the field of math.

Estimate How Much Would be Made

Not all yard sales will be successful enough to sell everything. But let the kids figure out what the potential profit from the sale would be if all items were sold. They should add up the prices of everything. Then, explain about how some people might bargain and allow for a certain percentage to be subtracted to reflect that. Then, explain about the items used in having the yard sale, such as markers and poster board to create signs, labels to create price tags, cost of food and beverages that might be sold, etc. These items need to be subtracted to come to the final estimate of profit. Keep this total for later use.

Let the Kids Cashier

Older kids can handle this without your help (just be sure to supervise for safety). With younger kids, you can explain it to them as they go, allowing them to be involved in the transaction as much as possible. Addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and decimals/money-counting are common skills that will be used in cashiering. Kids also may get experience with fractions and percentages.

Final Hands-On Math Lessons Through the Yard Sale

At the end of the day, let your children add up all the money. Like in the profit estimate, supplies will need to be accounted for. Be sure your kids subtract those. Then, here’s where the estimate comes in handy. Let the kids compare the estimated figure to the actual profit to see how well the sale went. Explain how businesses do not always make what they think they will. Was there a profit after all the supplies?

Kids can learn math easily through hands-on lessons, such as this one. All you have to do is create the opportunity. Sometimes they present themselves. We just have to pay attention and grab those moments when possible. By allowing the kids to practice math in a hands-on situation, you are giving them necessary skills will last a lifetime.

Lyn Lomasi is a home school mom, expert parenting writer, former nanny, author of “Positive Parenting Tips for Every Week of the Year“, & owner of several websites, including ParentSuccessfully.com.

To compliment our blog series, “Making Math Meaningful”, this week’s featured Pathway is from our Math Year 2 Guided Journey.  Designed to be engaging and interactive, this unit on Place Value could be just the thing to make math meaningful for your child.

While you are visiting LessonPathways.com, please be sure to support our sponsors by clicking their advertisements to see what they have to offer. Every time you do, you help to keep LessonPathways free.

In this unit, your child will review place value up to the hundreds and learn to write numbers in expanded form to 199. Hands-on activities, such as using manipulatives and playing games, will enhance this unit and provide your child with a more thorough understanding of place value. Online activities and worksheets are also provided to reinforce the concepts. This unit is designed to last one week, depending on how often you teach math.

Most homeschool parents want to do more than just teach math so that their children can pass tests. They want to make math meaningful! Instead of memorization alone, many parents want to help their children develop critical reasoning and problem-solving skills and find ways to apply the study of mathematics to real life. Perhaps most of all, however, many parents want math lessons to form a firm foundation on which later instruction can build. This is the first in our blog series Making Math Meaningful. Please take some time to read what long-time homeschooler Nikki Madison has to say about choosing a math curriculum, and then share your opinions in the comments section:

Choosing a math curriculum may be one of the most difficult parts of planning home education. You may hear about a wonderful curriculum that served your best friend’s family well and find that it only frustrates your child. Sometimes the great curriculum your homeschool support group recommends may even become a source of frustration for you–the homeschool teacher (or supervisor, if you prefer). This is because there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to math curriculum choices. Instead, the best math curriculum is the one that fits your child’s learning style as well as your unique teaching style as a homeschool parent. If you make this choice a personal one, you are less likely to go wrong.

One very basic thing to consider when you are comparing math curricula is whether the pages will be in black and white or in color. This may not seem to be such a big deal, but it can be a factor in how well your child pays attention to his math lessons. Some children become very distracted by colorful pages that have photographs or cartoon-like illustrations on them. Others may become bored with simple black-and-white pages. You know your child best and can use this knowledge to select curriculum materials that will keep his attention on his math.

You may also consider how new concepts are taught and already-learned concepts are practiced when you are trying to choose the right math curriculum. Some math programs include lessons or chapters that are separated by concept. With such a choice, your child may practice a particular concept or small group of related concepts for the entire lesson or chapter, mastering the new material fully before moving on to the next concept. In such a case, review work may be provided, but the new concept is the focus. With others, most of a lesson, unit, or chapter may be review, and a small amount of instruction and practice may focus on a new concept. The best choice for your child may depend on the amount of repetition she needs (and can stand without becoming bored or frustrated). Some children need a good deal of repetition so that they do not forget key concepts and methods of problem solving. Others find it easier to master a set of concepts fully before moving on to focus on something else.

As the teacher or homeschool supervisor, your satisfaction with the math curriculum you choose is important as well. Before choosing, you may assess whether you prefer a curriculum you can just jump into and start teaching or want one that requires you to review the concepts and lessons before teaching each day. You may also consider whether you want a curriculum that is scripted or not. Some parents prefer scripted lessons because they feel less worried about what to say and making a mistake. Others feel that the scripts sound too, well, “scripted” and prefer to add their own creativity into teaching math lessons. The best curriculum is the one with which you are most comfortable.

There are all sorts of math programs you can choose, so it’s not just about comparing textbook to textbook or workbook to workbook. You may choose an entirely online curriculum, a textbook/workbook option or a textbook-based curriculum that has an online component. Some materials are centered around math games and activities while others are video based. There are even some curricula that include an audio component for those who learn well by listening.

Sometimes it takes a bit of trial and error to learn what works best for your child, but there’s one way to ensure that the materials you choose are never a total flop: taking a combination approach. Often, attacking math from a number of various angles is the way to go. Doing this may not only help your child to retain the information he’s learning, but may also help to prevent him from becoming bored (a sure killer for true learning). Choosing a curriculum that combines regular bookwork with online or video instruction may prove beneficial. Opting for one that includes math games and hands-on activities, especially those that involve the use of manipulatives, may help as well. Remember, you don’t have to search far and wide for the perfect curriculum. You can supplement a basic math curriculum with other resources to create a math program that is perfect for you and your child.

Ending this blog post without a word about cost just wouldn’t be right. It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking the most expensive math curriculum is the best, but this is far from the truth. You could find a math curriculum treasure at a second-hand sale, at a bargain price, or even for free in some cases. Sometimes, however, the curriculum you really want is out of your budget range. If this happens, consider buying it used from another homeschooler or bartering for it (if the curriculum company is willing). Otherwise, you may evaluate the components that make this curriculum the best option and use lower-priced math materials to create a similar program.

Nikki Madison is the mother of four homeschooled children and a freelance writer. After an initial year of trying to mold her oldest to fit an award-winning math curriculum, she learned to choose and adjust curriculum materials to suit the needs of her children.

It’s day two of our Birthday Celebration and we’re pleased to bring the the first of TWO giveaways today!

Today’s prize is sponsored by Critical Thinking.  If you haven’t seen their products, you might be missing out!  They offer core curriculum and supplements for  a large variety of subjects and grade levels.

Critical Thinking Mission Statement:

The Critical Thinking Co.™ is committed to developing children’s critical thinking skills for better grades, higher test scores, and success in life. We do not teach through drill and memorization or teach to the tests—we empower the mind!

We’re sure you’ll find something you will love over at their site!

The winner of this giveaway will receive her (or his) CHOICE of math software from Critical Thinking.

There are six fantastic titles to choose from: (click through the titles to read the complete description)

• Math Detective Beginning(Grades 3 – 4)
• Math Detective A1 (Grades 5 – 6)
• Math Detective B1 (Grades 7 – 8 )
• Revenge of the Math Spiders A1 (Grade 4 – 6)
• Revenge of the Math Spiders B1 (Grades 7 – 8 )
• Math Blackout! Elementary Algebra (Grades 7 – 12)

Even though I am good in math and it comes easy to me, I often find it difficult to teach.  The most difficult part for me, is trying to answer the “When am I ever going to use this” question.  (we’re in Algebra now)  One of these great titles is sure to be a huge help in our homeschool!

What about you?  What is the most difficult part of teaching math?

Contest Details:

There are two ways to enter:

• Tell us your biggest teaching-math-challenge in the comments section below.
• Tweet this on Twitter: Enter to win free software from @CriticalThinks & LessonPathways! http://bit.ly/dotICj

You will be entered once for each method of entry (limit one blog comment and one Tweet per person)

Entry will be open from 10:00am today through 5:00pm EST today and the winner will be announced tomorrow (maybe even sooner!)

Good Luck!

“FREE Flashcards”

If you like using flashcards, you know all too well how easy it is to quickly run up a tab when purchasing them! They can easily run anywhere from a $1 a pack to over $5 a pack, and one pack is never enough. You “need” a pack for this and for that and for the other thing. You’re quickly swimming in a sea of flashcard frenzy!

Having seen the price for a pack of flashcards, I quickly decided there was no way I was going to pay the price they were asking when I could easily create flashcards for my daughter with little to no cost at home. What could cost me up to $5 (or more) to buy, I can easily do in as little as ten minutes at home.

How do you make flashcards for FREE? Grab the following supplies and do these quick and easy steps to create your very own free flashcards!

Supplies needed:

• Empty cereal box (or other cardboard)

• Marker

• Scissors

• Bag or rubber band (for storage when you’re done)

(The example in the pictures is for matching numbers to their names.)

The Process:

#1 – Open the cereal box and use the inside “blank” part to write on.

#2 – Use the marker to write/draw out the text/picture you want on the flashcards.

#3 – Use the scissors to cut apart the flashcards.

You’re DONE! See how easy that was? And free, too!

The best part is that when your child loses them (and we all know that flashcards seem to disappear into thin air), you aren’t out any money and you can easily replace them for free!

I’ve used this idea to create puzzles, flashcards, matching games, and more. The sky’s the limit!

This post was written by Ashley P., homeschool mom and Lesson Pathways team member.

I have recently fallen in love with some new-to-me websites. Before I took up this homeschooling gig in full force, I used to love browsing sites about digital scrap booking, perusing all the wonderful layouts and new scrapbook kits, and reading blogs with anecdotal stories about moms and their toddlers. I have also been known to spend hours upon hours surfing blogs about large families. (I’d love to have a gazillion children one day but for now I happily manage my three while living vicariously through others). My latest on-line obsession, however, is MATH. I’m so thrilled to have found so many resources for teaching math to children. I am also encouraged to learn that there are resources available for all age groups so as my children grow, I know that I will be able to find methods to help them at any age.

Currently, I have a kindergartner, a 3 year old and an 18 month old. Although this is my first “official” year of homeschooling, I have been teaching my children since they arrived. (Haven’t you? I mean, how did they learn to walk? Talk? Dress themselves? Say their ABC’s? Say grace before their meals? Pour themselves a glass of juice and clear the dinner dishes? Oh yeah – YOU taught them those things!) I will say, I do feel very confident about our choice to homeschool but like many moms who have started down this path of educating their own, I also have moments of breath-taking fear seize upon me. “What if I MISS something? What if I neglect to teach them something they need? What if I don’t teach them “correctly” and I mess their little brains up?” In the moments when I do start to let those doubts creep in, the things that I worry about are the things that I feel I am not strong in, and Math is at the top of that list.

Now, and I hope I’m not sounding too cocky here, I must say that I do believe that I possess the skills necessary to impart basic Math facts to my kindergartner. Ask me in a few years how I feel about it and I may be singing a different tune, but for now I’m fairly certain that we can grasp the basics of kindergarten math without having to outsource the teaching. I do, however, do lots of thinking (and fretting) over HOW to transmit those facts in an effective way. I must pause here to say that one of the beauties of homeschooling is that as your child’s personal learning coach and private tutor, you can more effectively figure out what methods best speak to them and tailor their education program to fit those needs. Math resources are all over the internet and that has done much to help me overcome my fears of not being able to “get it right.”

In the event that you share in some of my irrational fear, I’d love to share a list of on-line math resources that have been helpful to me. Some are sites that give instruction as to how to teach math, some are sites that have on-line Math games that your child can play, and some are links to sites that allow you to make your own math worksheets. I’ll start out with the instructional sites:

• LET’S PLAY MATH – This site has resources for all ages. It is written by a homeschooling mom who has taught or tutored mathematics at every level from pre-K to undergraduate physics. She encourages teaching Math in a variety of ways and making it FUN. Thanks to her “Game that is worth 1,000 worksheets” post, we’re playing lots of WAR around here. (Even my 3 year old is learning from it. When we play the card game, he is the “judge” and decides who wins or loses each round by telling whose card was worth more.) I also love her “20 Things to do with a 100 chart” post and as a result, we have incorporated the number grid in lots of creative ways. There are also links on Let’s Play Math for middle and high school students. Finally, she has a humongous list of links for other on-line resources.

• MATHWIRE – Wow. You could spend a very long time here. (Be sure you don’t have anything boiling on the stove while you’re surfing this site. Not that I would know anything about that.) They have a huge A-Z list of topics, tons of ideas for Math Games and so much more.

• YOU TUBE – That’s right, You Tube. I have found great instructional videos about how to use 10 frames, making your own notebook worksheets, and there are even videos that boast that they can teach you calculus in 20 minutes! We also like to use You Tube for short clips for the kids to watch about telling time, trapezoids, and (being Native Nashvillians) we love Sesame Street’s Number Ten from Tennessee! My daughter’s favorite Math Video on You Tube is the Polygon Song. I dare you to listen to it and not sing it for the rest of the day!

• HOMESCHOOL MATH – This blog hosts a “Math Teachers At Play” Carnival that has some great ideas for teaching Math. Different contributors can submit their math teaching methods and ideas and they are compiled into great posts that lead you to marvelous posts like this one on Using Math Journals.

Next, here are some links to MATH WORKSHEET WEBSITES that have pre-made worksheets to drill certain skills. Many sites also have worksheet generators so that you can make your own worksheets for whatever your child is into or struggling with at the moment.

The Math Worksheet Site
Worksheets at DonnaYoung.com
LizardPoint
MathCafe
LessonCorner

Finally, there are tons of fabulous sites with games that your children can play on-line while actually learning something other than how to dress up Polly Pocket or steer a hot wheels car to the finish line. Here are our Top 10 Favorites:

10 Frame Game
Interactive 100 Chart
Subtraction Harvest
Clock Game
Concentration
Dot To Dot Constellations
Crazy Pattern Machine
Counting Coins
Number Line and last but not least…
TETRIS! (OK, I admit it, I play this one

So there you have it. You’ve no excuse to be fearful now! With all of these on-line Math Resources, you will be equipped and ready to teach those pesky fractions and integers to your children with ease… and you can make it fun!

This post was written by Julie C., homeschool mom, Lesson Pathways contributor and author of the Clark Chronicles Blog.