Math: Curriculum Or On Your Own

I did this for my oldest through second grade.  I used Ruth Beechick’s math guide in her book, The Three R’s as a reference point.  I used a variety of materials (sometimes worksheets to practice what she’d learned) and sometimes an old math text book for story problems.

I began with MathU See when she was in third grade because at that point I also had a first grader.  I used a lot of the same principles with him for much of first grade.   I worked on a particular math concept each day.  I think it was something like this:

Mon: money or measurement

Tues: time

Wed: word problems (orally)

Thurs: writing numbers or other paper/pencil work

Fri: facts or math games

Hope that helps!

We do as well, Shannon.  We started with Ruth Beechick when they were little and then began using the SCM math handbook which shows how to teach concepts in arithmetic. I have two vintage math books that I keep close at hand when I need oral problems.  My kids are now in 7th and 5th grade. They also have one lesson a week in practical geometry and the 7th grader has pre-algebra.

We’ve been really happy with this.  We go at a slow but consistent pace and don’t move on until their understanding is secured so I don’t give much thought to keeping up with what anyone else is doing.  We have a small business where we run book fairs at public and private schools and usually my kids just come along with their backpacks and sit with me.  Last year, the principal of a private school where I was setting up for a 3-day book fair told me the teachers wanted to invite my children to sit in their classrooms.

Truthfully, the first thoughts that crossed my mind were fear-based. The first was that the school was just trying to see if my kids were up to par and the second was that my kids would not want to come back home with mom as their teacher. Happily, those flaming arrows were extinguished and I realized that we were in a loving and caring environment and — even if either of the two were the case — we would grow from the experience.

My youngest wiggler sat in a classroom about 45-minutes and then decided he was better off in the library with me; while the oldest enjoyed his three days of classes and was still fine with coming home ;).  His “temporary teacher” came to me at the end and gave me a rundown of how he did by subject.  She said that they use Saxon math (I believe it’s spiral) and, although there were concepts he hadn’t yet had, she told me he was able to quickly get the idea.

Traveling home, I remembered how Charlotte Mason says this philosophy of education is one of “self-education,” meaning their education is from within, not without.   Having been raised in an environment of self-education, where my kids have been allowed to make discoveries for themselves, are receiving a firm grounding, and they get a sufficient quantity and quality of mind-stuff makes me not fret over high school math  when they reach it.  We will continue on with each step following the last.

Warmly,

Richele