Dr. Marie-Claire Moreau

Educator, Coach, Life Strategist

Every school needs a globe

 

Sometimes, the simplest things can make the most impact.   An ordinary globe, no matter how mundane or insignificant it may seem at first, is one of those things.

Globes are amazing.

They’re beautiful to look at.

They’re magical to touch and watch and spin.

They’re old and sturdy and proud.

They silently speak the timeless wisdom of the ages.  But at the same time, they instill a giddy new sense of curiousity and a spirit of exploration to anyone who spends time with them.

What can you do with a globe? If you don’t have one in your home, it may be hard to understand the value and power of this simple, revolving orb. 

Get one.  Then, come back and leave a comment about the impact it has had in your home and school.  I predict it will be some of the best money you have ever spent on school supplies.

Visual math

Homeschoolers will find a variety of products on the market that can be used to teach math.  Sometimes, however, these aren’t the right fit for a particular child. 

Especially with mathematics, but other topics too (science, for instance), students need to see or be able to visualize concepts before the idea really sinks in.

Fortunately, there are ways to do this for mathematical concepts.

The first is to purchase a curriculum product that includes a visual, or interactive (hands-on) component.  Lower level Saxon mathematics products, for example, come with a set of “manipulatives” (plastic pieces) that children use to better understand abstract math concepts.  The Math U See company also uses plastic and vinyl manipulative blocks and other pieces in its curriculum sequence, again, to promote better understanding of the ideas rather than learning through rote memorization or blindly applying formulas.

A second way is to use common household objects.  This takes a little bit more ingenuity on the part of the parent, but is a free and easy way to demonstrate math.  For example, a small set of 1″ wooden blocks is perfect for showing everything from adding and subtracting to multiplication and division, and even exponents.  A set of toy cars or action figures (or pennies, beans, or anything else) can be used to talk about ordinal numbers, grouping, divison with remainders, and more.  Paper cut-outs can also be created to demonstrate fractions, percentages, angles and ideas that can be harder to grasp by reading about them in a book alone.

A final way is to use stories to tell math.  Many years ago, one of my own children had trouble understanding the difference between area and perimeter.  I came up with a simple story involving two dogs, one that ran around a fence, and the other that dug up the entire yard.  The child learned the idea quickly, and still remembers the story, too!

There is no reason to persist in using a teaching approach that isn’t reaching a student the way you’d like. This only creates frustration, decelerates learning, and can even end in a student hating that subject.  Trying a visual approach to math could be just the ticket for some kinds of students, and can be lots of fun for the teacher, too!

[Photo: stock.xchng]

Magnetic poetry

 

You can find many neat products on the market to use for playing and learning at home.   Sometimes the simplest ones are the best.

“Magnetic Poetry” falls into this category.  It’s nothing more than a cute little metal tin full of magnetic words that users may piece together to form sayings, phrases, sentences, funny compound words, or anything they want.

Magnetic poetry comes in a “Genius” edition:

 and the “Original” set:

You can also find sets with larger words for younger children as well as some other cool variations, as well.

They’re available online and also sometimes from your local bookseller.

Use them on the tin itself, on the fridge, on a metal file cabinet or anywhere magnets will stick.  [Tip: I recommend a metal cookie sheet.] They stick well on magnetic wall paint, too.

[I am in no way affiliated with the creators of this product and haven’t received any reward for featuring it here.  I just wanted to share another great find with you.]

What’s in my busy bin?

Actually, I don’t really call it a busy bin any more. It was a busy bin when the children were very young. Now, it’s just a box of stuff that I keep in the car for keeping people busy whenever we go anywhere.

[If you want to read more about busy bins, click HERE.]

Our bin was getting messy and the family was growing tired of what was inside.  That’s the signal that it’s time to restock the bin for the next outing.

I thought I’d share with you what was in my bin, before I fill it with a whole bunch of new goodies again.

This time it had a science and math theme.

Here is what was inside:

  • math wrap-ups and science wrap-ups
  • Twist N Shout math electronic toy
  • two large U-shaped magnets
  • a bunch of smaller magnets and other metal objects
  • a rock and mineral kit
  • a set of glow-in-the-dark planets and stars
  • one large and one small magnifying glass
  • a set of color paddles
  • a book of science experiments
  • a set of “fraction circles” (too many pieces for the car, big mistake)
  • a couple of magic tricks
  • a bag of rubber bands
  • 2 pairs of safety goggles (hey, how’d they get in there?)
  • flash cards, both store-bought and home-made
  • a variety of other little things like paper clips, eye droppers, arrow heads and more

Here it is, spilled all over the floor:  

I have done all kinds of themes over the years, like the seashore, not-messy art supplies, and Mad-Libs, brain-teasers and puzzles.  And sometimes I just gather up a bunch of little toys and throw them in there, too.  I plan to fill it with a variety of books this time. Anything goes, as long as it keeps hands busy and minds working.