For the first couple of months, the kids exclusively used Khan Academy. Khan is an awesome website that has videos and practice problems. They provide the kids with a map, and they can work at their own pace, unlocking new levels as they master concepts. They really liked it, but we decided to give some other things a try before we settle strictly on Khan.
This month, the kids both started new curricula. Avery is using Jacob's Algebra, which I adore. She isn't quite as enthusiastic as I am, but she definitely likes it better than Saxon. Jacob's feels like it's designed for verbal kids like Avery. It does a really good job of explaining the why, rather than just the how. It's great for problem solving and critical thinking. Rhys started Singapore, which I'm also very happy with. It has less drill than Saxon, but that's ok for Rhys, who catches on to math concepts quickly. I think it also does a pretty good job of encouraging mental math and problem solving. Overall, I'm very happy with both!
But, however good the new curricula may be, we wanted to encourage the kids to discover the fun of math. So, in addition to playing math games (Set, Quirkle, Rummicub, Izzy, 24, Blokus, Colorku) and working the problems on Alcumus, we've started getting together with a few other families for math nights. We get together for a potluck, then one family presents math-related activities. We've had a ton of fun with these nights, and the kids really look forward to them! (My apologies for the terrible cell phone pictures.)
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| Bill helping the kids figure out how to draw Borromean rings, ouroboros, and binary trees after watching Vi Hart's videos. |
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| Playing a string trick game. |
Bill and Avery also really enjoyed going to a Sunday Morning Math Circle lecture at UT. They learned something about infinity, but they can't quite tell you what. But I'm pretty sure the exposure was beneficial!
2 comments:
Wow! Math potlucks! What a great idea! I'd love to know which games the kids like the most.
We're using Singapore - only because it was the cheapest and thought it was worth a try. So far, so good. I worry that there isn't enough repetition - not so much because Izzy isn't getting it, but because that's just what I'm used to with math. But Izzy seems to like it. So far (crossing fingers) I haven't gotten any grumbling about math. I'm super interested in the Khan Academy as I just read a really great article about it.
They really like all the games! Avery (and the grown ups) prefer Colorku, Izzy, and Set, and it's fun to play Quirkle, Rummicub, or Blokus with Rhys. Grown ups like 24, but Avery is less enthusiastic.
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