I was browsing the blogs the other day and saw this picture of Joel doing his math homework. He reminded me of myself when I was his age. My mom would tell me to run around the house repeatedly and time me, I kept trying to beat my fastest time while she was just draining some of my energy. My mom also put up a chalkboard and had me write standing up so I could be moving, as sitting still wasn’t a viable option.
Excerpts from the Kent Kim & Kids Blog.
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Our bouncy, baby Joel grew up and as his Kindergarten teacher/Mother I’ve recently discovered that Joel seems to be kinesthetic learner. I vaguely remember jokingly calling him ‘my satelite’ because while I stand around talking to people, he literally walked in circles around me.
This kid doesn’t need Math-U-See, he needs Math-U-Do! There are great manipulatives and he is learning his math concepts and adding facts really quickly when he can start off my building them in blocks, but writing 0-100?! No way.
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I spent a few hours creating 0-100 color coded cards (in his HWT number font), and voila! Happy kid.
I’m just beginning to unlock the ‘key’ to happy kid Joel’s learning style, but hey!
Happy (learning) kid.
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This is one of the joys and difficulties of homeschooling. You have the opportunity to adapt your teaching style to your child’s learning style but it takes a lot of work and experimentation. The rewards though are worth it. I’m personally grateful to my parents for figuring out what worked for me and doing it. It wasn’t always perfect but they kept learning right along with me and for that I am very thankful.
{ 22 comments… read them below or add one }
We are very active while we do math as well. We “count” out sets of jumping jacks by skip counting. We review our addition facts with shouting, clapping, and/or jumping (previously off low chairs as we yell the answer together, until the “principal” put a stop to that!) We just finished making the sounds for the “doo-doo-doo-do” as we subtract (Alpha, lesson 18), and now those sounds are often heard randomly.
My young boys are very kinesthetic, and math is the perfect subject to learn that way. Thanks so much for a great curriculum and style of teaching!
Christina
We are very active while we do math as well. We “count” out sets of jumping jacks by skip counting. We review our addition facts with shouting, clapping, and/or jumping (previously off low chairs as we yell the answer together, until the “principal” put a stop to that!) We just finished making the sounds for the “doo-doo-doo-do” as we subtract (Alpha, lesson 18), and now those sounds are often heard randomly.
My young boys are very kinesthetic, and math is the perfect subject to learn that way. Thanks so much for a great curriculum and style of teaching!
Christina
I loved this picture! It made me feel so much better about my 7-year-old son who also does math (and all the rest of his school work) in odd places and positions and with multiple sound affects. I switched to Math-U-See primarily for him. But I am so glad we did. All three of my students are doing great with it!
I loved this picture! It made me feel so much better about my 7-year-old son who also does math (and all the rest of his school work) in odd places and positions and with multiple sound affects. I switched to Math-U-See primarily for him. But I am so glad we did. All three of my students are doing great with it!
My 14 year old son and I were going over corrections on his work for the day. I could tell he was getting antsy. “You need a break?” I asked. The look on his face was a picture for the word ‘relief’. “Thanks, Mom!” He grabbed his shoes and off he went out the back door. When he returned, he told me how glad he was that he got to run to the end of the pasture and back. (We have 2.5 acres…..)
Yes, these boys just have to move!
My 14 year old son and I were going over corrections on his work for the day. I could tell he was getting antsy. “You need a break?” I asked. The look on his face was a picture for the word ‘relief’. “Thanks, Mom!” He grabbed his shoes and off he went out the back door. When he returned, he told me how glad he was that he got to run to the end of the pasture and back. (We have 2.5 acres…..)
Yes, these boys just have to move!
I LOVE this! I am going to be starting Primer with my very active boy next fall and I can tell this will be happening a lot. I like the idea of the number cards versus writting the numbers. Thanks for the hint!
I LOVE this! I am going to be starting Primer with my very active boy next fall and I can tell this will be happening a lot. I like the idea of the number cards versus writting the numbers. Thanks for the hint!
Love the picture! I have a child that is always sitting on her head and sometimes does her math out on the tricycle (she’s NINE!), so I can appreciate bouncy Joel and the Math-U-Do benefits.
Love the picture! I have a child that is always sitting on her head and sometimes does her math out on the tricycle (she’s NINE!), so I can appreciate bouncy Joel and the Math-U-Do benefits.
Haha!! I remember my brother used to read upside-down in the recliner. His head would be in the seat and his feet would be over the back of the chair! This picture really made me think of that.
Haha!! I remember my brother used to read upside-down in the recliner. His head would be in the seat and his feet would be over the back of the chair! This picture really made me think of that.
lol – my 8yr old now does his maths bouncing/rolling around on a large exercise ball. I read out the question – he gives me the answer (which I have to write in as he likes to see a page of ticks!!!) I leave the blocks on the table so any difficult one he comes (and stands!) works it out before going back to rolling around on his ball.
Interestingly getting him to sit/stand at his desk to do maths would result in 1 page being completed (finally), but rolling around on a ball we can easily do double or triple the amount of work.
lol – my 8yr old now does his maths bouncing/rolling around on a large exercise ball. I read out the question – he gives me the answer (which I have to write in as he likes to see a page of ticks!!!) I leave the blocks on the table so any difficult one he comes (and stands!) works it out before going back to rolling around on his ball.
Interestingly getting him to sit/stand at his desk to do maths would result in 1 page being completed (finally), but rolling around on a ball we can easily do double or triple the amount of work.
Phew!! We are normal. My 7 year old boy is like this too. Amazing how they can still do their work whilst bouncing up and down making all sorts of strange noises.
Phew!! We are normal. My 7 year old boy is like this too. Amazing how they can still do their work whilst bouncing up and down making all sorts of strange noises.
Hilarious picture! I also have a “Joel” — Joe (age 5, grade K). His body and mouth are in constant motion!
He loves every aspect of Math-U-See and insists on doing math first. To my great delight (and surprise), he can sort of sit still long enough to write the answers in his Primer workbook!
In addition to using the 0-99 cards, using small (~ 1″ x 1″) number and operation ( – x / =) cards is a great way to supplement Math-U-See, especially for pre or reluctant writers. They are certainly able to understand and do the math but might not be ready (or might be too frustrated) to write the numbers. So, using the number cards along with the manipulatives lets them quickly and easily demonstrate their thinking. Check out any Montessori math site/blog for more supplemental ideas for young learners. The possibilities are endless!
Thanks for the smile! That “running around the house” (outside, I hope!) idea is a great one — we’ll try it tomorrow!
Hilarious picture! I also have a “Joel” — Joe (age 5, grade K). His body and mouth are in constant motion!
He loves every aspect of Math-U-See and insists on doing math first. To my great delight (and surprise), he can sort of sit still long enough to write the answers in his Primer workbook!
In addition to using the 0-99 cards, using small (~ 1″ x 1″) number and operation ( – x / =) cards is a great way to supplement Math-U-See, especially for pre or reluctant writers. They are certainly able to understand and do the math but might not be ready (or might be too frustrated) to write the numbers. So, using the number cards along with the manipulatives lets them quickly and easily demonstrate their thinking. Check out any Montessori math site/blog for more supplemental ideas for young learners. The possibilities are endless!
Thanks for the smile! That “running around the house” (outside, I hope!) idea is a great one — we’ll try it tomorrow!
Great picture! My 7-year-old son is a Math-U-Do boy, too, and I’ve enjoyed “meeting” Kim via your blog and hers. Thanks for sharing!
Great picture! My 7-year-old son is a Math-U-Do boy, too, and I’ve enjoyed “meeting” Kim via your blog and hers. Thanks for sharing!
Ethan, thank you so much for stopping by my blog! I really like your blog too! This picture totally inspires me. I recently was working with a super wiggly 5th grader and we had a total breakthrough when we just stood up and did all the math on the whiteboard. It was SO much easier for him to focus when he was standing up and climbing all over a chair “stepstool”. Who knew that such a simple adjustment could have such great results.
The philosophy in this post–about the joy of finding a particular student’s learning style, and the best way to get math into their brain–is totally my philosophy of tutoring too. It’s the hardest thing about, and the most interesting and challenging thing about it too!!!
Ethan, thank you so much for stopping by my blog! I really like your blog too! This picture totally inspires me. I recently was working with a super wiggly 5th grader and we had a total breakthrough when we just stood up and did all the math on the whiteboard. It was SO much easier for him to focus when he was standing up and climbing all over a chair “stepstool”. Who knew that such a simple adjustment could have such great results.
The philosophy in this post–about the joy of finding a particular student’s learning style, and the best way to get math into their brain–is totally my philosophy of tutoring too. It’s the hardest thing about, and the most interesting and challenging thing about it too!!!