Want to Improve Your Child's Math Skills? Make Math a Way of Life!

Interesting news about how to get kids more fluent in mathematics.. (fluent works because math is said to be a language). According to the The Scotsman, it is possible to foster math ability with children.

And we here at Sweet Schoolin' say that homeschooling fits this mission beautifully. Schools are doing a lousy job at this... don't compartmentalize math. Talk about math with your kids. Did you know the nautilus image at left is a perfect start for discussing the Golden Spiral. Try it! (with search engines, you have no excuse, learn along with the kids!)

Some things to try:

• teach your children to see themselves as problem solvers. Use math language and make it part of your life


• make sure your children are doing math puzzles, Sudoku, mazes, logic puzzles. You can start mazes early on


• discuss math with your children, how to solve puzzles, word problems.


• encourage a flexible view of numbers... break up the numbers to make operations easier. 2 x 98 is the same as 2 x 100, -4, which is easier for many people.


• point out the logic in even wrong answers when your child is working on a math problem, rather than just saying, "No, that's wrong."


• take a "real life" approach to math. USE it. Talk about it, find the beauty in it.



Read the whole article here.

Living Math
Incredibots
Mathematical Magic
The Golden Mean

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Radio show on homeschooling special needs kids

Today I was on BlogTalk radio, talking about homeschooling special needs kids. We discuss resources, how you homeschool a child with autism and the S Word...socialization. What is it like to homeschool three children with high-functioning autism? How does one maintain sanity in the face of it? Find out!

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Science Projects Are Not Just For Public Schoolers: Resources to get you started on cell models

Here at Sweet Schoolin' we have a fondness for Science. Especially the oldest, who has a penchant for Biology, that has been mentioned before.

She takes a Sophomore Biology class and had to write a paper on a type of cell. She also had to create a model of said cell. The paper, with the help of Google and some books, was a resounding success. The cell model was fun to do, and allowed her to show her creativity.

And you can, too.

Cell model project ideas
Science online cells (great, K-6 ideas!)
Science Faire Projects
Kids Love Kits (for purchase)

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Teach With Your Child's Learning Style

Homeschooling allows the educating of a child in the way that works best for the child. As many kids as there are, that's how many different approaches available for learning.

There are times that my daughter really needs me to be next to her in order to concentrate and work through her school work. I suppose this can be frustrating, but the reason for homeschooling in this house is the freedom to provide what the children need.

Some children cannot sit still at all, some love to sit for long periods of time. Books work for some children and others go into conniptions at the mere thought. Don't be afraid to shake things up, step out of the frame of reference that you think might work, redefine the box and you may find a breakthrough.

One of the best examples of this is when my son was having a horrible time learning addition facts. I am not a drill and kill person, but I knew he needed some help. I took him outside, used sidewalk chalk and wrote numbers on the driveway. Then I called out sums to him and he ran to the right answer. This was such a success he did this for over an hour, and begged for more. We could have sat inside and drilled flashcards or textbooks as he became more and more uncooperative. Instead, I chose to follow his bent. And... he found the joy.

We at Sweet Schoolin' want to encourage you to follow your child's lead, and not worry about where the child learns. Some children want to sit on the floor, some outside, some in the middle of their bed. It doesn't matter. My son likes to read while hanging upside down on the couch. The goal isn't where the child learns, it's that he does, indeed learn.

Multiple Intelligences

Multiple Intelligences TEST

Why Are Learning Styles Important?

Early Years Child's Learning Assets

How Can I Find My Child's Learning Style

Learning Styles and Hemispheric Dominance - Is Your Learning Style at Odds with That of Your Child's?

Left vs. Right: Which Side Are You On?

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Social Skills for Autism CAN Be Taught At Home

For parents of kids with special needs, especially Pervasive Developmental Disorders like Autism or Asperger's Syndrome, part of homeschooling is finding a good way to teach a child social skills.

Many neurotypical children learn social skills as they go along, but children with autism do not have this ability. Most of the time, the hidden social curriculum of life must be spelled out to them.

Homeschooling is a 24/7 activity here at Sweet Schoolin'... as such we use every opportunity to teach. Never assume a child "gets it." Wait for evidence. Many will say you cannot teach a child social skills without the help of a professional, or a school district program. We here at Sweet Schoolin' kindly disagree.

Some good social skills resources:

Social Stories by Carol Gray
Social Skills by Jed Baker
The RDI Book
My Turn, Your Turn
Social Thinking (Michelle Garcia Winners)
Gaining Face, face recognition software (free demo)
photo of children, oh that rachel, used under cc

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Want to Improve Your Teen's Essay Writing Skills?

Probably one of the greatest fears if you polled high school students is taking the SAT. It has made many a blood run cold. And the worst part seems to be the SAT essay portion. One topic, 25 minutes: Go. Write a well-organized, critically-thought-out essay with examples. At 8 a.m. Ack!

Fortunately, there are options. This Saturday, we spent the day at a High School Essay Intensive course, designed specifically for the SAT and college entrance essays. It was lead by Andrew Pudewa, the founder of the program. The experience that we have had with Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW) has been very favorable, so I decided to give the workshop a try.

When my daughter was in the 7th grade, I purchased the DVD program Student Writing Intensive, a complete program for teaching writing. There are three levels, A, B and C, depending upon age and experience with writing. I purchased the B program, figuring I could both gear it to a higher level or bring it down to the lower level for my son when it was his turn. To be honest, my daughter didn't love it. She prefers more freedom when writing. I however, found it a great program, and Andrew Pudewa was entertaining on the discs. And her writing did improve.

my daughter is camera-shy

The High School Essay Intensive program gave my daughter the building blocks she needed for writing an effective essay. The approach was systematic and strong.

By providing a Discussion of Criteria, word lists, writing diagrams and outlines and exercises, the material proved to be invaluable. Though my daughter had some hesitations, she went with me. She found it was excellent seminar, and she has new-found confidence in essay writing. She left prepared and able to write a good all-around essay.

It was inexpensive for the value and I highly recommend the series, which is also available on DVD, in case Andrew doesn't come to your area any time soon. And at the end, my daughter thanked me for taking her to the workshop, though she was reluctant at first to attend. I don't think there could be a higher recommendation than that.

IEW offers many products for writing and improving communication, as well as an email loop, chat and teaching support. Andrew's email is available to anyone who buys the program, a touch that I believe few programs provide. He really does want to know what you think.

*this is an uncompensated and unsolicited review, because I really believe in the product.

IEW FAQs
Download the catalog

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Homeschooling: Allowing Children the Time to Explore

Image by foreversouls via Flickr

The greatest thing in our opinion about homeschooling is tailoring your program to meet your child's needs. And, if they are old enough, letting them tailor their own program. Because the children don't spend hours in instruction, they are able to get work done more quickly. This leaves time for extra-curricular activities.

My oldest daughter spends time teaching herself to play the piano. I have never pushed her; I have never had to. In fact, instead, I often have to remind her to get back to her Logic or Biology instead of spending hours practicing piano. She also has time to be involved in our local homeschool intermediate band. She has an affinity for tech, and can use just about anything out there, or she will teach herself to do so. Again, if she was in high school somewhere, she would come home with hours and hours of homework, with no time for anything else.

My son is learning to play the drums, and is keen on computers. His newest interest is stop-motion animation and we are researching programs to allow him to do this. We need a video camera, which is also on the list. If my son was in school, he wouldn't have time to spend exploring these interests, he would be too busy getting required homework done.

The youngest child is currently enamoured with the Photo Booth program that is on our Mac. She will spend hours posing, taking pictures, adding effects. Why do I let her do this? She is becoming familiar with technology! As she gets older, we will get her a digital camera, and she can transfer those skills. to photography. And her sister today started teaching her to use Photoshop Elements. How many 7 year olds do you know who can use photo-editing software? Mine has time to explore these interests.

Trust your children, and give them time to follow their interests. They are all valuable. You never know where they will lead.

The Teenage Liberation Handbook: How To Quit School and Get an Education
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College Activities for Your Homeschooled Teen

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