Math Doesn't Have To Be Your Downfall

When we choose to homeschool we often find that a subject isn't our favorite to teach or it's not our child's favorite subject. That doesn't have to be our downfall.

Math is one of those subjects in our family. I'm going to focus today on what I've done to make sure Math isn't our downfall. 

Speak Positively

I always try to speak positively about Math in front of my children. No child wants to hear how much their parent hates math or how annoying math can be. If we speak positive about it our children will be more positive about it! When my kids speak negative about math like "I hate math." I try to reword it, "You may not like it today, but later down the line math it's going to be so helpful." Showing positivity can be hard at times but its worth it in the long run. 

Make Math Fun

Most kids that don't like math are really just bored with it. Make it fun. Add in math manipulatives, go on math centered field trips, or play math games. Making math as hands on as possible has really helped my children not just with the boredom but also the learning aspect. 

Cooking

We all know that cooking is math. Make it fun. Let your kids dive in and little do they know they are learning how to add fractions when measuring out a recipe. 

Talk It Out

Talk with your kids. Give them your expectations of math. Let them tell you their frustrations. Talk about what you both can do to make math work for your family. Keeping an open conversation about math can really give them relief and they will open up about their troubles or even what they enjoy!

Teaching Textbooks

I have mentioned Teaching Textbooks before and it has really been what makes a difference in Math with my kids. It's a computer based program with a lecture and problems that the kids can easily learn and do. It has fun buddies that they can choose and a wallpaper that they can pick to personalize their experience. My kids absolutely love that it feels like a computer game to them. They're learning and having fun at the same time. 

Some reasons you may like Teaching Textbooks.

• It can all be done online with their new 3.0 subscription. 
• They have a free trial!
• Instant feedback with every problem the child does. 
• You can choose if the child gets to try again if they miss a problem.
• Level 3 to Pre-Calculus is offered. 
• My kids confidence to Math changed completely when we started using Teaching Textbooks.
• A lot less stress when it comes to Math time for both parents and kids! 

Math is no longer a struggle with my children. Most days they complete their lesson and want to do another. It makes me feel good as a parent to know that I am giving them a Math program that really works and makes it fun!

Closing a Chapter?

I have been thinking about what I want to do as far as with my blog. We are still homeschooling but I’m just not sure if I want to continue blogging. I am going to take what I’m calling a break for now.  I may be back, I may not be back. I have started a new adventure with selling Thirty-One and my business has really taken off and I want to put my focus there. 

At this time you can find me over on my Instagram which you can find in the side bar of the blog. I will continue to share our homeschool stuff over there. If you’d like to see what curriculum we use or what we are doing that’s the place to go for now! 

 Thank you all for the great following for all of these years. 

All of my posts and downloads and products on TPT will still stay active. I am not removing anything. 

I may take longer to reply if you comment or email me so keep that in mind if you need help. 

Typesy | Typing Program For Homeschoolers

Typing is one of those things that everyone needs to know with how technology has advanced over the past several years. I knew I wanted my boys to have the opportunity to learn proper typing. So when Typesy contacted me to review their program, I couldn't turn it down. 

Typesy is a Homeschool Typing program. 

It includes a comprehensive curriculum based on the science of muscle memory and structure repetition.  

As the parent, you have complete control in the admin panel of your child's learning, assignments, and assessments. The lessons are customized to their skill level. It slowly progresses through the current skill they are working on giving them time to master each section. 

During the course lessons there are step-by-step video teachings, effective exercises, and fun games.

My boys really enjoyed completing their course for the day and then following it up with the fun games that they offer. The games include typing letters and words to move the characters. 

My boys have always watched as I am able to type without looking at the keyboard and have wanted to be able to do the same. I was taught in high school to type and had always been looking for something similar to how I was taught. Typesy is very similar and I see them already learning how to type without looking. It can only get better as they continue to use it.

Typesy is used by top schools nationwide. 

I found it to be super easy to set up and enjoyed using the lessons myself. 

I highly recommend it for children to use as a homeschool typing curriculum.

Even parents will enjoy it! 

Building Blocks of Science Book 5 Review

I was sent the Building Blocks of Science Book 5 from Timberdoodle to try out and we love it!!

The Building Blocks of Science Book 5 Book set comes with a Textbooks, Lab Book, and Teachers Manual.

The Student Textbooks contains everything the students will be learning as well as color images that go along with the lesson. It is very thorough and I felt like my son was actually learning the contents. 

I feel that the images really helped with keeping the lesson interesting.

The Lab Notebook is what has the experiments and where they fill in the information that they learned about in the experiment. 

The Teachers Manual was really a nice add on to the set. It made me feel confident in teaching the lessons and was very open and go. I feel that is so important!

It provides a list of all the materials needed for the experiments.This makes it so easy to gather everything before hand!

Overall we really enjoy this curriculum and I could see us using it in the future. I like that it was hands on and brings in so much information. My son enjoyed the experiments and getting to use a lab notebook as he did them. I highly recommend this set!!

This set is included in the Non-Religious 5th Grade Curriculum Kit from Timberdoodle.

(I was given the Building Blocks of Science Book 5 Set in this review by Timberdoodle, but all opinions are my own)

Cooking with Kids

Baking and cooking with kids can be a lot of fun, especially if you have the right recipes which are both fun and easy to make. Younger kids love helping mom or dad in the kitchen, and older kids will feel a great sense of responsibility if they make a dish all by themselves. And, kids are more likely to try new foods if they have helped to prepare them! Here, we take a look at some fun recipes for kids to cook at home.

Chocolate Mug Cake

This is one of the easiest and quickest ways to bake a cake, and they are cooked in the microwave meaning kids can bake them by themselves without having to worry about using the oven. Typically, all the ingredients are mixed together, before the batter is poured into a mug and zapped in the microwave for a minute – it doesn’t get any easier! Kids will love how quickly they will be able to eat the cake too, no more waiting half an hour for it to bake!

No Bake Cheesecake

Cheesecake is one of the easiest cakes to make, and kids love it! To make it even easier, you can buy ready-made pie crusts so you just need to mix together the filling and leave it to chill for a few hours. No bake cheesecake is a great dish to make with little kids too – it's safe (and yummy!) to lick the spoon after mixing and you don’t have to worry about them consuming raw egg.

Pancakes Baked in a Muffin Tin

Pancake batter is a breeze to make, but cooking and flipping them can be a challenge, even for adults who have had some practice! Thankfully, you can make pancakes in mini muffin pans which takes the hassle out of trying to cook them perfectly! Kids can easily mix together the batter, and mom or dad can supervise their use of the oven.

Slow Cooker Casserole

Crock pot recipes are great for making with kids – these recipes can show kids how easy it is to make a delicious home cooked meal, which will hopefully set them in good habits for when they go to college. Kids can help with simple veg prep (younger kids can wash them whilst older kids can chop) as well as opening cans of beans or tomatoes and adding water. Crock pot soups and casseroles are generally healthy too, so the whole family can enjoy a delicious and nutritious meal with less hassle.

Quesadillas

This yummy dish is popular with kids and adults alike and is so easy to make. Kids can top their tortillas with their favorite fillings, whilst mom or dad can help with the grilling. This is a great dish to make with children of all ages – it's perfect for when friends come over too, as everyone can choose their own fillings so even fussy eaters can find something they will enjoy!

About the Author

Emily is a mom to three-year-old Daisy, as well as an ever-growing family of cats. Daisy is the inspiration behind Emily’s new venture into the world of blogging, parenting review site WhooopsADaisy.com. Here, you will find great gift ideas for kids of all ages, as well as reviews of some essential baby and kids products and toys.