Math: It can be fun, afterall!

here is proof!!

A good math day

So, I can't help but be really excited about math today.  HP is really enjoying Math Mammoth worksheets and it's easy for me to teach (so far).   I actually started HP back at the "beginning" of 1st grade math, just so she can get the basics under her belt.  I believe that was a good decision, simply because HP really needed the reinforcement.

It was another breezy Math day.  We ended school early today so we could hang out with the Grandparents this morning.  They are leaving for a 10 day cruise!  The kids are going to miss them so much.  They see them every day, since they live around the corner.  I'll miss them, too.  :(

School bell ringing earlier

Yes.  That's right.  I have found that instead of starting at 9am, starting a 8am makes for a much more pleasant school time.  Half-Pint seems to be more focused and more willing to do her work.  Her attitude is better and enjoys her school time.

So guess what that means??

I have to wake up consistently by 6:30am and make sure that breakfast is prepped the night before.  YIKES!  I better get on the ball!

I have also made a discovery with her Math.  Half-Pint really does well with word problems.  She can easily add 3-4 numbers and come up with the correct answer, IN HER HEAD.  But, if she sees those same numbers printed out on paper, she can't figure out where to start.  Interesting.

So, math today, was lots of fun for HP.

Farmer Boy did some maze work in his Kumon book.  He really loved it.

Little Brown Braid??  She practiced her whining.  ew

Making the switch

First of all, I am a complete heel for not posting enough on this blog.  Okay.  Next...

We switched math curriculums.  Right Start wasn't working out for us.  The manipulatives are great, but the book and teaching style didn't work for us at all.  I decided to try out Mammoth and it's going splendidly.  We're basically starting over from scratch, which will put Half-Pint behind a bit, but I really do feel that it's what is best for her.

Cursive and a fountain pen

HP loves writing with her fountain pen. It makes her feel like a big girl.

There is a method to the madness of kids using fountain pens. First of all, it keeps the kids from pressing down and gripping so hard. HP has a tight grip and writes very hard. This has helped tremendously in that area. Secondly, because of the way the pen has to be held, the body is almost forced into a different writing position. The arm has to be stretched out in front while the hand is in a natural "flat" position, making the wrist do the motions instead of the fingers that are gripping the pen. Thirdly, this writing position has relaxed HP's shoulders and she can see what she is writing as a whole, rather than letter by letter.

VERY interesting.

Costco SCORE!

I found this at our local Costco just in time for our Weather Unit.

I can't wait to use it!

Book Review: Let's Play by Gyo Fujikawa

Let's Play is an absolutely delightful book. Little Brown Braid received this book for her 2nd birthday a few weeks back. If any of you are familiar with Gyo Fujikawa, you'll know that your little one will be completely engaged by the sweet illustrations.

Sliding down the slide...

Swinging back and forth...

Settling down at the end of a busy day...

That's what playtime is all about!

This is a great book for toddlers and parents alike!