11 Ways to Make Spelling Practice More Fun
By Kathy Kuhl When spelling doesn’t come easily, practicing can be repetitive and boring. Here are some things you can do to keep your child happily working to build their spelling skills: Finger Paint Put finger paint or any colored, gel-like shampoo (such as Prell), in a Ziploc bag. Seal it […]
4 Reasons to Homeschool this Summer
By Kathy Kuhl Summer: time for sun, vacation, lazing about—and homeschool? Yes! Even if you aren’t already homeschooling your child, I recommend summertime homeschooling. But the homeschooling I recommend over the summer may not be what you think. I firmly believe that kids and teens need unstructured time. So by […]
Help Writing Numbers & Other Math Freebies from Math Experts
By Kathy Kuhl In today’s post, I share math resources from experts in teaching math to kids with challenges. Most of these resources are free. Writing numbers is tough for some kids Does your child write numbers backwards? Or does his or her hand move the wrong direction, pushing the pencil up to draw a […]
More algebra with manipulatives
by Kathy Kuhl Last time, I began explaining bean algebra—a way to solve linear equations using beans. Manipulatives are simply objects you handle to help you understand a concept. The containers represent the variable x. I labeled mine with post-its. Last week, I showed you how to use beans to model equations like 14 =2x. Click here if […]
Teaching algebra with manipulatives
by Kathy Kuhl Teaching parents in Fort Worth last month, I promised to explain bean algebra—a way to solve linear equations using beans. (I learned this when I was a new public school math teacher in 1979, and I cannot remember or find the source. If you know, tell me.) What manipulatives you’ll need Manipulatives are […]
Adding negative numbers using manipulatives
by Kathy Kuhl When we teach math, we must show why things are so, or better yet, help our children to discover them for themselves. But how can we show negative numbers with manipulatives—counters or some other tokens that help our kids discover what’s true? It’s easy to show addition and subtraction with positive numbers. […]