How to do a simple multisensory subtraction drill

 None of us want our child to struggle with math facts. We hope that skills like subtraction will come easily to them, or plan to drill at home to help give them an advantage in the classroom.

 

If your child doesn’t learn through traditional means, it can be disappointing, and a little scary.  You might scan the app store hoping to find a clever solution, or order some flash cards to drill with. What is really going to help them?

Ultimate Guide to Teaching Multiplication Facts

What’s the best way to help your student learn the multiplication tables? You might be a teacher who is puzzling over those three students who didn’t get it with the rest of the class. Or, you might be a parent who never trained as a teacher and now needs to make sure that your child is taking this critical step in math.

Alex Chambers on Unsplash

Math facts can be boring, but it’s also a little scary if you have one of those children who struggles to memorize what comes so easily to everyone else. When you have a smart student in front of you who is still struggling, it can make you feel inadequate, even if you were successful at multiplication yourself.

Thankfully, there are proven ways that help students make this important math milestone.

Big Box Play Product Review

Big Box Play sent us their castle set in exchange for a review.

Do you ever wish that you could spend thirty minutes doing a great activity with your kids, then get back to your own work, and they’d still be engaged?

Wouldn’t it be great to find a project that’s big enough to take your children’s attention for several hours? Maybe a couple of days? STEM projects are usually winners in the interest department, but it’s frustrating that we parents usually end up being the ones actually doing the project after the kids wander off.

Teach risk taking and resilience to the next generation: "The Girl Who Thought in Pictures", a review

My heart pounded as I waited. I was estatic to start school! Finally, the big yellow bus headed down my street!

 I sprinted for the house. 

Everything you need to know to safely view the Eclipse, even without glasses

A collection of tips on safely viewing the eclipse with young children and students.

My breath came a bit short just thinking of the cosmic events that had to perfectly align. Witnessing the tiny moon block its massive benefactor, the sun was an event I never forgot. Next week, my own kids have the chance to watch their first eclipse. To be honest, I'm a little scared.  Our district chose to send the children home so that we parents could keep a close eye on their viewing. It's a serious responsibility. Retina damage from the sun is an irreversible injury. This amazing collaboration in the heavens could easily turn tragic.

The good news is that you and your kids can watch the eclipse safely. Here's what you need to know.

How you can make a toy boat that really floats

These toy boats really float, and would be perfect for a preschool unit, or high school science experiments in buoyancy.

The other day I wanted a couple of quick, cheap toy boats that would float. We were headed out out to our favorite puddle. Both of my little ones LOVE stomping back and forth through the puddle, and I love that their naps usually happen in a timely manner afterward.  However, our last puddle day had ended with swimming, and it's still a little chilly for that, even here in Alabama. So,to encourage wading in the puddle, I made a quick toy.

When we lived in an apartment and weren't fortunate to own our own puddle, I'd put my children in their bathing suits, and let them play in the bath on rainy days. These boats would work great there too!

Water play STEM activity to go with your toddler's favorite song

This toddler water table activity based on the Itsy Bitsy Spider song is a fun STEM activity to go with one of your child's favorite books.

DIY Flower planters: the perfect project for gardening with your toddler

How to make your own planters with your child. Planting potted flowers is a great sensory project with instant gratification. Your toddler will love this first gardening project.

My toddler is in the middle of anything I do these days, which is wonderful and exhausting. She loves to carry her own plate, although it sometimes spills. She loves hugging her baby sister, even though she sometimes responds with a scream.  I want to include her, but I'm struggling to keep up with the all out of her enthusiasm.

Making these planters together was a great way to reconnect with my toddler. She loved being included, and we had instant gratification of beautiful flowers for our front step.

Fun Multiplication by 8 Spider craft to go with Charlotte's Web

Math spider craft  for multiplication by 8. Co-ordinates with Charlotte's Web, and is perfect for second or third grade. Common Core aligned.

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.3.OA.A.1 Interpret products of whole numbers,

"Your pet spider bit me!" My sister was really upset. Although I didn't officially keep spiders as pets while we were growing up, I was always friendly with them. I figured that anything that killed insects was a friend, and they really fascinated me. 

Cool Minecraft STEM learning project

Learn some math and engineering while playing your favorite video game. This post is not officially sponsored by Minecraft.

"Mom, thank you!" My son threw his long arms around me.

Interfering in my children's plans for playing their favorite video games doesn't always go this well. Like most tech loving families we have really struggle with how to make technology a positive part of our family's routines.