Singapore Primary Mathematics is a method developed in Singapore that has been adapted and made available in the United States. We use this method with both Luna and Josephine and it's wildly popular around here. We often use manipulatives, such as Skittles, Legos or fraction blocks to supplement our learning. I knew we were on the right track with Singapore math, but something really cool happened yesterday that completed validated that feeling and made us super excited. Luna competed in a "trimathalon" against some local public school 3rd graders (she is 7) and won 1st place! We are so proud of her and I feel amazing knowing that she is learning so much and having a great time doing it. I was never confident in math as a child and there's nothing more wonderful to me than knowing that all of my kids have that confidence and some of them even enjoy math!
Here is a video review of Singapore Primary Math I recorded for Amazon. I rarely buy books or magazines for the kids that I can't look inside first, so I wanted to share this with you guys in case you're interested in peeking inside. Hope it's helpful!
Skittles math rocks! There isn't much to explain as the pictures basically speak for themselves. We used some projects I found to correlate with what Annie and Josie are doing in math on teacherspayteachers.com and just made Luna a couple of sheets to go with the multiplication she's working on. This was very popular!
Luna had the good fortune to find this perfectly desiccated mantis while playing in the garden. What a great opportunity to really get to examine one up close. This was a serious job for her! She found it in the field guide, confirming that it was a Carolina Mantis based on geography and its measurements. Then she drew it, wrote about it, checked out every marking on its body and searched for YouTube videos of mantids devouring other insects. That's my girl.
Why? Why on earth would we do this? Aren't homeschoolers weird, religious freaks who don't have any friends? I mean, don't kids need to be socialized? Don't they need a trained teacher? How can a professional justify leaving behind a steady paycheck and a fat benefits package to stay home? I'm so glad you asked! I love sharing the why! There's a lot that I could write about this. I could tell you that the fire for knowledge, present in my children at infancy, was being snuffed out by a school system that wasn't meeting their needs. I could say that maybe we are a little weird because, aren't we all? I might even tell you that my girls are blossoming into meaningful friendships that last outside the walls of a classroom and aren't balanced on popularity. As much as I could say, I'll let you hear it from Logan LaPlante, a spectacular young man who is able to tell you why in words more eloquent than my own. Enjoy!
Backpack... backpack... okay, I'll admit, talking about our "adventure backpack" makes me feel a little like Dora the Explorer. Still, this is my favorite piece of homeschooling equipment and it's fun to share! We have this pack ready to grab whenever we leave the house. Sometimes we know we're headed on an adventure, but other times, we'll randomly end up at a park or spontaneously have the urge to go geocaching. So what's in this adventure pack anyway? All pictures on this post are courtesy of the lovely Analiyse.
Ooooh, mysterious...
What is all this stuff?! Well, let's see... each girl has a notebook for drawing and writing about the world around her as she explores, along with colored pencils and markers. In order to accurately record all the cool stuff they find, they have to know what they've found, which is where the field guides come in (Golden Guides are AWESOME!). Good journaling also requires examination. We have a hand-chargeable lantern, headlamp, magnifying glass, measuring tape, two pairs of binoculars and two pocket knifes for that. A girl has to take care of herself when she explores, so we have granola bars, mosquito deterrent wristbands (I'm going to have to replace these with a DEET product because Texas mosquitoes laugh at citronella), a survival multi-tool and a signal mirror. Last but not least, we have a bag full of trinkets that can be traded while geocaching. These are things the girls gathered from around the house and decided could be sacrificed. That's it! I hope maybe this has inspired you to create an adventure pack of your own! Happy exploring!
I recorded for Amazon. I rarely buy books or magazines for the kids that I can't look inside first, so I wanted to share this with you guys in case you're interested in peeking inside. Hope it's helpful!
are AWESOME!). Good journaling also requires examination. We have a 
, 
, magnifying glass, measuring tape, two pairs of 
and two 
for that.
wristbands (I'm going to have to replace these with a DEET product because Texas mosquitoes laugh at citronella), a 
and a signal mirror.