Suzuki and IEW

As an Essentials tutor, I get a lot of questions about why we use Institute for Excellence in Writing's (IEW) History Based Writing Lessons.  I can see their point.  After the following techniques are introduced, students are required to have an ly adverb, a quality adjective, a strong verb, a who or which clause, and subordinate clause in each paragraph.  Students are also required to vary their sentence openers.  One sentence should start with a prepositional phrase, another with an adverb, and so on.  Each paragraph also needs an alliteration, a metaphor or a simile.  If the assignment is a five paragraph essay, then each paragraph must contain all these stylistic techniques, dress ups, and decorations.  It can make the writing seem a little awkward and forced.  So why do I choose to have my children in this program?   

To understand the reasons why IEW requires such a strict rubric, it is helpful to understand a little bit more about Andrew Pudewa, IEW’s founder.  Mr. Pudewa is a violin teacher.  He actually studied under Shin’ichi Suzuki.  I am a cellist, and when I heard that Pudewa studied with Suzuki, I could easily see the parallels between IEW and the Suzuki method.

 I am not a certified Suzuki teacher and I am not a certified IEW instructor, but I am very comfortable with both methods of teaching. I learned to play cello with the Suzuki  method.  In high school, I was so inspired by Suzuki’s methods that I wrote a report on his book, Nurtured by Love.  It is on my shelf today and I try to read it each summer as one of my inspirations for teaching.  Today I am a cello teacher for beginning cellists and I tutor seven children with the IEW method.  I also homeschool my ten year old daughter using IEW.

Here are 4 of the components of the Suzuki Method of learning music:

1. Scales, Arpeggios, and drills.  (This is not exclusive to the Suzuki method for learning an instrument. Most musicians spend much of their practice time playing scales, drills, and arpeggios.  A soloist will not play a concert of just scales, but music often consists of these things.  A soloist who has practiced drills will be able to play difficult passages with ease. 

This is why IEW has a checklist that requires students to practice stylistic techniques, sentence openers, dress ups, and decorations. While it may seem like a lot of fluff, practicing these techniques will enable students to use them when they need them in any kind of writing.  I remember studying metaphors and similes in school, but I was never asked to use it in a paper.  IEW students write a metaphor or simile in every paper. This is just good practice.  The assignments from IEW may not produce good writing, but it does help to produce good writers.

2. Parental help.  When Suzuki took a new young student, he first taught the student’s parents.  He asked the parents to hold that tiny violin (sometimes 1/16 the size of a full violin) and learn to play Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.  He gave the parents a few lessons in front of the child, but would not allow the child to participate.  The parents had to complete assignments at home.  Watching and listening to the parent, the child wanted to mimic what they did.  The result of this was two-fold. The young child was motivated to learn to play like his parents, and his parents were able to help him learn. 

Similarly, Pudewa says that parents cannot help their child too much.  In IEW, parents are given so many tools to help their children. From live seminars, to the Teaching With Structure and Style dvds, to webinars, articles, books, and teachers’ manuals, there are so many resources to equip parents.  I have taken advantage of the live webinars that Mr. Pudewa holds each month for Essentials tutors, which walks us through a mock lesson that we will teach later in the semester.  IEW is designed to walk students through all 9 units each year.  In the first few years, the student is somewhat like an apprentice to their parents.  My ten year old sometimes needs help selecting an appropriate –ly adverb, or rearranging a sentence so that it starts with a prepositional phrase.  IEW allows me to model and provide those things for her.  This is not cheating.  This is equipping.  Eventually, she will not need me to help her find the correct word.  Next year, she will be more independent in her writing.  

3. Ear Training. Suzuki students listen to recordings of master musicians who play the pieces they are studying.  These young musicians sometimes listen to the piece hundreds of times.  This trains their ears to play in tune, follow the complicated rhythms, and play with expression. 

In IEW, Pudewa recommends daily reading great literature aloud to children, even older children.  This trains students’ ears to hear what good writing sounds like.  Reading aloud has done wonders for the lyrical writing of my own children.  They write with expression.  They know when something doesn’t sound right.

4. Gradual increase in difficulty.  Suzuki’s music books gradually get more difficult and the student learns a little more with each piece of music.  For example, a student may be asked to play an already familiar piece in a different key, or with a different fingering and a different position on the fingerboard.  Cellists are required to learn 3 different staves.  The Bass Clef is the simplest.  When a cellist has mastered the Bass Clef, she will need to learn the Tenor Clef.  Suzuki gently introduces this by allowing the student to play familiar pieces in a different key and notation.  When the Tenor Clef notes seem more familiar, the student will be asked to play a new piece of music in the Tenor Clef.  The same process is repeated with the Treble Clef.

Writing five paragraphs about Amelia Earhart

Vygotsky called this teaching technique of gradually increasing the difficulty scaffolding.  Mr. Pudewa calls it Easy + 1.  Although there are many components to the paragraph checklist in IEW’s writing assignments, every student starts by adding just one –ly adverb to the paragraph.  When that becomes easy, the child will add an –ly adverb and new skill, like a quality adjective.  When the –ly and quality adjectives become easy, they will have a third requirement for their paragraphs. This continues until all the skills are mastered and practiced in each paragraph.

It is easy to see how Pudewa’s educational journey with Suzuki has helped him to mold the IEW program into what it is today.  Suzuki’s methods made me the cellist I am today, and I know that IEW will continue to sharpen the writing skills of my students.

Defeating a Dyslexic's Nemesis: Reading Aloud

“What’s the best way to defeat an enemy?”- Sensei Wu, Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu

It has been about a year since I intentionally decided to read out loud more.  Honestly, I would go weeks without reading a single book to my children.  We homeschooled.  I taught Math, and Science, and Spelling, and reading mechanics.  They did workbooks.  It was dry.  It was missing something.  I knew what was missing, but I didn’t know what to do about it.  I love reading.  I really do.  To myself.  But out loud… Shew. That’s another ballgame.  When I read out loud, dyslexia rears its ugly head.  I suddenly can’t remember how to pronounce a word I’ve said many times.  I find an unfamiliar word that I just skipped while reading to myself.  The words get jumbled up in my head.  On paper they sometimes magically rearrange themselves into a big hairy mess.

            Reading out loud has been my nemesis for years.  In college, reading aloud sometimes kept me from getting the parts I wanted when I auditioned for plays.  I was the kid in grade school who would count how many paragraphs until my turn to read out loud during reading circle.  Then I would read ahead, practicing the words in my head for the paragraph I knew would soon be mine.  I would be so focused on that paragraph that I would have no idea what was going on in the story, and I would miss my cue.  I missed a lot of recess because of this.  I remember visiting my cousin’s church in maybe sixth grade.  The Sunday school class was reading The Horse and His Boy, one of the Chronicles of Narnia books.  Each student took turns reading a WHOLE CHAPTER.  A whole chapter of British literature?  I asked if I could stop at after one page.  When studying teacher education in college, I sometimes had to read to different classes during my field experiences and internship.  It scared me.  One year a teacher asked me to read The Secret Garden out loud to her class.  Have you read The Secret Garden?  Some of it is written in Yorkshire.  Yorkshire.  I figuratively broke into hives.

            When my children were very little, I found the Five in a Row curriculum. It is a sweet way to introduce picture books to your littles.  I loved it. Each week we read the same book five days in row (hence the name…)  We read Madeline, and The Story about Ping, A Pair of Red Clogs, and so many other sweet stories.  We found the countries where they were located on the map.  It was easy and sweet. We counted and cooked. My children and I have many fun memories from that time.  Picture books are no big deal for me to read. Twenty-four pages with simple words? I can do that.

            Chapter books are a different hairy deal.  As my children got older, I wanted to introduce them to some of my favorites:  The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, Holes, The Tale of Despereaux, The Secret Garden, Ramona and Her Father.  I just didn’t have the stamina or the confidence to do it.  We would start a book and then never finish it. 

            By the end of the day, I’m exhausted.  My dyslexia kicks in and words on a page look like an unscramble the word puzzle.  (I’m actually really good at unscramble the word puzzles, because that is how words look to me all the time.) Reading out loud at bedtime just won’t work for me about 80% of the time.

            I was beginning to feel like this was hopeless.  My children would never experience listening to chapter books with me.  Then I started to listen to Sarah MacKenzie’sRead Aloud Revival Podcast.  Sarah says that you should read out loud even to your older children.  I had never really thought about it, but I was worried that I was losing the window of opportunity to read aloud with my oldest child.

            Here is how I went from reading almost nothing with my children each day to reading for several hours each day.  It was a gradual process. 

            The first thing I did was try to identify why reading aloud was intimidating for me.  The main reason was that I was just too tired at bedtime to read, and for some reason I had it in my head that I had to read chapter books at night to my kids in order to be a good parent and educator.

I decided to implement a Morning Time. Your morning time probably won’t look like mine.  I started just with Bible, a history storybook and some poetry.  Last year, I used Our Island Story about British history.  This year we are reading A Child’s Story of America.  I also love James Baldwin’s anecdotal history stories, and the Story of the World.  Our Morning Time at the beginning was Bible and History, and Poetry.  Already I was reading more.  I’m most alert in midmorning, so we usually started 8:30 or 9:00 am.  Then the kids did their workbooks and math and we went on with our day.  After the children got used to a few subjects for morning time, I gradually added one more.  (I think I added 1 subject each month.)   Here is our Morning Time schedule after 14 months (on a day when we don’t have any appointments or anywhere to go. You can read about how I modify this when we have a busy day here.) Our current schedule includes Bible, Precepts, Storybook of Science, A Child’s History of the United States, The Blue Fairy Book, and a chapter or two of whatever chapter book we are reading.  I finish Morning Time by reading Life of Fred, our math curriculum.  Then we move on to our next part of the day.  When we are home, my oldest two children can listen for up to two hours. They play quietly, or draw, paint, or do something.  I love using “living books” as our source of information.  Our history, science, and Life of Fred are all living books.  Living books draw children into a story to help them remember details.  The term living books was made popular by Charlotte Mason, an educator in the 1800s. Mason believed that history is best learned when you study famous people by looking at their childhood.  George Washington and Cherry Tree is an example of an anecdotal history story.  (I know that is just a tall tale, but it does help children link a relatable story to a famous person). I’m much too eclectic to use Charlotte Mason’s method exclusively, but I do love living books, and her ideas about nature walks, and narration.  I don’t require a lot of writing or worksheets about what we read. But we do discuss.  Yesterday, I read “The White Cat” from The Blue Fairy Book.  My seven year old chimed in that the story reminded him of Repunzel because the white cat, who was really a princess under a spell, was locked up in a tower for years when a prince tried to rescue her by climbing the tower.  I didn’t prompt him to tell me that.  My children are used to making connections because we do this many times each week.  I continue to add things to our Morning Time.  I want to do some music and art appreciation.  I want to read simple biographies.  I want to add a Five in a Row picture book. 

Here are some benefits that I have seen in the 14 months we have made reading aloud the focus of our day.  I am a much more confident reader.  Many of the books I read were written in the 1800s, with a broad vocabulary and complicated sentences. That makes reading chapter books a piece of cake for me, and it strengthens my children’s vocabularies and sentence structures.  Also, not to brag, but my Yorkshire is en pointe now!

My daughter studying the art of writing in her Essentials class using Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW)’s History Based Writing Lessons.  When I read out loud to her, she is able to identify strong verbs, quality adjectives, -ly adverbs, different kinds of sentence openers, alliterations, and much more.  Reading aloud makes her a stronger writer. If you are familiar with the Suzuki method for learning an instrument, you know that a major part of Suzuki is that children listen to the pieces they will eventually play hundreds of times.  This trains their ears to play a piece like a master.  Similarly, reading out loud trains a writer’s ear to write like a master.

Another added perk of reading out loud is that my children have become better readers.  They read out loud for ten to fifteen minutes out loud each day.  They do it because they see me model reading out loud all morning.  My son is a good reader, but he has never really liked reading to himself.  In the past month, I have actually seen him pick up a book to read for pleasure. This is so encouraging to me.  I want my children to be vivacious readers, and I feel like we are starting to take a step in the right direction.  My daughter also has dyslexia, but she now reads above grade level, and her out loud reading is much better than mine was at her age.

Reading with friends on a cozy, rainy day

I have found that at bedtime we do read a little more now.  Like a snowball rolling down a hill, our reading amount is continuing to grow.  Picture books are my choice for bedtime, but my daughter and I recently took turns reading Flora and Ulysses (one of our new favorites) and last night, my youngest requested a chapter from Winnie the Pooh.

“What is the best way to defeat an enemy?”

“It is to make him your friend.”- Sensei Wu

Our family has made a friend out of reading aloud.  (Leave it to me to use a CARTOON to illustrate a blog post about reading.)

Shakespeare Camp: "Though this be madness, yet there is method in it."

I’ve been called a special kind of crazy on more than one occasion.  I’m usually told this after I announce my plan for the summer’s Shakespeare Camp. 

What is it that makes Shakespeare so unapproachable? The Bard of Avon intimidated me in high school.  I had this idea in my head that my dyslexia would keep me from understanding the language. During my freshman year, I completely fell in love with the story of Romeo and Juliet.  It’s the first real tragedy I studied, and I still get that heart wrenching feeling when Romeo doesn’t receive the letter in time.  It is one of the most moving stories I have ever read.  For extra credit, I memorized Juliet’s lines in the balcony scene.  I’m sad to say that they were the only Shakespeare words that I memorized while I was in school.  When I was rereading the play this week, the words of the balcony scene greeted me like a familiar friend.  I wish I had memorized more Shakespeare in my youth.

After I got married, I got a job as a teachers’ aide at a classical school.  I completely fell in love with Classical education, and I was inspired by young students who studied Shakespearian plays.  The next year, I was hired as a fourth grade at a traditional school, and I decided that my students would perform The Fifteen Minute Hamlet, a play my college drama troop had performed, as a big end of the year program.  The Fifteen Minute Hamlet is a one act play by Tom Stoppard.  It is pure Shakespeare, ultra-abridged.  I loved it.  The quick pace makes the tragedy almost comical.  My class of 7 boys and 2 girls loved it. Who wouldn’t love ghosts, and poison, and sword fights, and skulls? In fact, many years later (am I showing my age?!) I got this lovely note from one of the students who had been in that first fourth grade class.

“Dear Mrs. McAdams,  

So a couple of days ago, we started reading Hamlet in my AP English class. My teacher was and still is extremely impressed that I had been exposed to Shakespeare in fourth grade. As I'm reading through it though, all I can think about is our absolutely fantastic performance that we did. It's almost next to impossible to read it because I'll hear Noah and Jacob and Isaac and Kelly and everyone else saying the lines! However, just that little edited version we read has made a world of a difference for me. I cannot thank you enough for making us read through something that people eight years above us were reading and helping us understand it. You've made AP English easier!"

This is the number one reason I teach Shakespeare to children: to build confidence.  When you expose children to something that seems hard and they understand a little bit about it, it makes them believe that they can do even more.  I love teaching hard things to young children.  It’s my philosophy of education in a nutshell.  Some of my other reasons for teaching Shakespeare are the story, the language, the poetry, and the fun.

FAQ about Shakespeare Camp

Where did you get the idea for a Shakespeare Camp?!

 I’m not going to bore you with all the details of how Shakespeare camp came to be.  Here’s my abridged version.  I was very familiar with teaching The Fifteen Minute Hamlet to kids.  I also spent five summers in high school and college as a camp counselor.  My husband moved me out in the country on some land that feels “campy” to me.  Naturally, all this begs the question: Why NOT have a Shakespeare Camp? (“Why not” is also a part of my philosophy of education.  Just call me Vygotsky. )

What Is Shakespeare Camp?

This will be my third summer to host a Shakespeare Camp.  I call it camp because we play campy games like Capture the Flag (Capulets versus Montegues), my version of Giants, Wizards, and Elves (Midsummer Night’s Dream- Fairies, Humans, and Elves), archery, etc. 

Every day we have devotions by the cross.

We make crafts and sing songs. 

It is a day camp, with a Shakespearian theme.  Each year we study and perform a play.  We have performed Hamlet, Midsummer Night’s Dream, and this year we will perform Romeo and Juliet.

We have memory work set to music.  (Side note: Today my lovely daughter said exasperatingly, “This is what my mom does.  She takes perfectly good music and turns it into school!”  She is not wrong.)  The memory work is pure Shakespeare.  We study iambic pentameter.  We study the life of William Shakespeare. I wrote a song about the Bard's life set to the tune of the Beverly Hillbillies. We study tragedies and comedies.  We practice and preform an abridged version of the play.  We have fun with language and poetry.  Shakespeare camp makes Shakespeare memorable and enjoyable.  I do not strive for a perfect performance.  It is not a drama camp.  I’m more focused on learning and enjoying the story.

What about all the heavy themes?

Yes.  That’s a tricky one.  Some children are not ready to hold a skull and lament, “Alas. Poor Yorik.” Honestly, I’m still wrestling with Romeo and Juliet.  It’s such a sad story.  I always go back to the Bible.  What does the Bible say about this? Was the decision to end his life a good one?  Did anything good come out of Romeo and Juliet’s deaths? Can God use tragedy for his good and glory?  I believe He can and He does.  I have had a few students that request to take a role other than the ghost in Hamlet, or to be a character that lives. I always honor those requests.  A few parents have kept their sensitive children home instead of performing in the tragedies.  They join us when we do a comedy.  At the moment, I’m considering Taming of the Shrew for next year.

And the question you are all waiting for:  When is the next Shakespeare Camp?

We will meet at my house on Friday June 1, and the week of June 4-8 from 9am to 12:30 pm.  Our performance will be on Friday, June 8 at 7:00 pm.

The cost is $35 per child and $30 for each additional child in the same family. *As always, if money is an issue, please let me know.  We will work something out! The cost goes toward supplies, memory work CD, copies, and my time.

Students must be ages 5-12.  This is for any child.  Every year I have children who are in traditional school as well as homeschoolers. If your child is part of the Challenge program, they are welcome to apply to be a Counselor in Training (CIT). This is a volunteer position that would count for service hours. 

I prefer to have parents stay.  If you need to drop off your children, please arrange that with me in advance.

Please let me know if you are interested!  We would love to have you!

Cool Tricks to Multiply Numbers 6-9

If you have been reading my blog, you probably noticed that I get way too passionate about educational tricks. (Once I was moved to tears when I found out there was a reason for the Silent E in the word "have.") 

Today is no exception.  You guys... This is LIFE CHANGING.  I was excited to show you the first trick I learned. 

But then last night, I learned an even more nifty multiplication trick that you can do ON YOUR FINGERS.  And I literally jumped up and down for joy.  I need to work on my self-control a little bit.

Today I want to show you a quick trick to help your child memorize multiplication tables.  This only works with numbers 6-9.  The nines and tens facts have their own tricks, so I would focus on multiplying 6-8 which are usually the hardest to remember anyway.)   If your child needs help learning to multiply 3s and 4s, I really love Times Tables the Fun Way.  It has little pictures and stories that help you remember the math facts. (You have to be 16 to drive a 4x4, etc.)

Ok, here we go... I learned this trick from Speed Math for Kids. It is the basis for all kinds of mental math multiplication tricks.  Using the same method, I can multiply numbers like 97 x 98 in my head.  (It's 9506, by the way.) I highly suggest you get this book.  It's fun for kids and challenging enough for adults.  I spent all summer wading through it, and I still have a lot to learn.

I will do one more:

I hope that mostly makes sense.  Are you ready for the coolest part of all? Last night, I learned from Pintrest that you can do this ON YOUR FINGERS!  Life Changing, My Friends.  I am going to put the finger method next to the circle method so that you can see we are doing the same thing.  (Spoiler alert: The finger method is easier.)

Step 1: Assign numbers to your fingers and touch the fingers you want to multiply together.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Step 2: Count the number of fingers that are touching and below.  Multiply that number by 10.

 

 

 

 

 

Step 3: Multiply the number of fingers on each hand that have not yet been counted. Add that product to the step 2 answer.

I'm curious to hear your thoughts.  Do you think this could help a child who is struggling to learn multiplication?

Need more help?

Check out these videos :)

Circle Method for Multiplying numbers 5- 9

Finger Method for Multiplying numbers 6-10

Play Your Way to Higher Math Skills: Simple Games to Develop Number Sense

 

When I tutor children in math, the first thing I do during their assessment is to find out where their number sense falls away.  Can they subitize the number 4?  7?

Subitize means to look at an amount of something (like four blocks, or two forks) and know how much it is without counting.  

I need to distinguish between number and numerals.  Number is an amount.  Numerals are the written representation of that amount.  1, 2, 3, 4 are numerals.  While recognizing and writing numerals is important, it doesn't necessarily mean that a child has a strong number sense.  

 



This cutie is demonstrating the equation
1 - 1 = 0.  Genius little cousin of mine
Peekaboo!

My general rule of thumb for children aged one through five is that the amount a child can subitize directly corresponds to their age.  So, a three year old can usually understand the amount of three, but the number four is a little trickier.   

You may be thinking that a one year old can’t understand the number one.  But they do.  When they play Peekaboo, they see one thing (like your face) and then it goes away (behind a blanket).  The equation 1-1=0 is hysterical to them.  Even though your one year old probably will not recognize the numeral 1, he or she CAN understand the amount of one.  Your baby is a genius!

Playing some simple games with your three to five year old will help them develop a better Number Sense.  This process is also VERY helpful for early elementary students who struggle to understand number concepts.  (I ALWAYS assign these games to my struggling math students.)

 

Many of the games I will present today come from the book Developing Number Concepts Using Unifix Cubes by Cathy Richardson.  Sadly, this book is out of print, but it is worth tracking down a used copy.  Amazon and Ebay usually have several inexpensive copies available.  This book has activities that strengthen skills in addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, patterns, and so much more.  I think it is worth every penny. 

You don’t need fancy schmancy math manipulatives to help children develop a Number Sense. One of the first things I do with my young learners is to find an age appropriate small toy that they like to play with to use as counters. 

Shopkins are popular for girls.  Or you could use Lego Mini figures for boys, or just some plain Legos.  Beans are cheap, but not as motivating.  M&Ms are just a little too tempting for my taste. If you have Unifix cubes, this is a great way to use them.  Get a butter container or a plastic cup- anything that is not see through and that is large enough to fit all the counters inside.

We are going to focus first on the number (amount) as opposed to the written numeral.  We’ll get to numerals eventually.

 

 

Game 1 : How many are in the tub?

 

Secretly put a number of counters under a plastic cup.  Have the child peek under the cup and quickly subitize (know the amount without counting) the answer.  Repeat with another amount.

 

 

 

 

Game 2: Matching Number and Numeral Correspondence

Put one counter under the first cup, two counters under another cup, three under a third cup, four under another cup, and five counters under the last cup.  Mix them up.  Make a numeral card for each of the number amounts used.  Turn them over and mix them up.  Take turns looking under the cup to subitize the amount, and turning over a numeral card.  Try to match the amount with the numeral card.

 

 

 

Game 3: Making Equations

Step 1: Start with one less toy than your child’s age.  My son is 5, so I’m going to start with four Lego Mini figures.  Show your child all of the toys.  Then secretly put one of the counters under the butter tub.  Put the remaining toys on top.  Ask the child how many are under the cup.  Most children should be able to know how many are in the cup. If the child has no idea, start with a smaller amount.  If this seems a little two easy, you can increase the beginning amount by one. 

Step 2: Repeat Step 1, but put two counters under the cup instead of one.  Then three, etc.  Do not go on to a higher beginning amount until you have completed at least steps 1-5.

Step 3: When you feel like your child has an understanding of how many are in the cup, start using some math language.  “There are 3 on top of the cup.  How many are inside the cup?” “One” “Yes.  One counter is inside the cup because one plus three equals four.” And “I have four counters.  I’m going to put some inside and 2 on top. How many are inside?” “Two” “Yes, because four minus two equals two.”

Step 4:   Now each time you play the game, show the child the written equation.  1 + 3 = 4.  2 + 2 = 4.  3 + 1 = 4.  This is also subtraction . 4 – 1 =3.  4 – 2 = 2. 

Step 5: Feeling daring?  Did you know this game is really ALGEBRA?  Your four year old is a smartypants.  Use the term “unknown.”  Say this: “I’m going to start with four counters.  I’m going to put an unknown amount under this cup.  There are 3 on top of the cup.  What is my unknown amount?” After the child answers, show your child this equation.  x + 3 = 4.  (This step is not from Developing Number Concepts.  It's just from me.  I learned the value of exposing Algebra to young children from the Life of Fred Books.  You can read my LoF review here.)

This game can take just five minutes each day.  You could start with the first two steps, then add a step each day. After a week, increase your beginning number of counters by one, and follow the steps. 

Step 6: Eventually you can have your child copy the equations on a marker board or a piece of paper.

Step 7:  See if they can write the equation on a piece of paper without any prompts.  There are three different ways to write any representation.  1+3 = 4.  4-1=3.  x +3 = 4  are all the same thing.  You could also have them practice writing them vertically.

 

These are just a few of the games found in Developing Number Concepts Using Unifix Cubes that I use with so many of my students.  Whether your child is in PreK or Kindergarten or is struggling to retain math facts in elementary school, these games are sure to help your child succeed in math.

Need more help?  I love tutoring elementary children in Math! Let me know how I can help your child.

Confessions of an Extroverted Homeschool Mom

Is it just me, or are there like THOUSANDS of blog posts about introverts who homeschool? 

I’m not complaining. I imagine it is very hard to be an extreme introvert while homeschooling.  The kids are always around.  You have to find groups for them to socialize in.  It can be tough.  I love reading Simple Homeschool’s blog.  The founder of Simple Homeschool is an introvert.  She has written multiple posts about  homeschooling as an introvert.  Last December, she even put together an Introvert’s Mom’s Advent Calendar with little activities for introverts to do each day in order to recharge themselves.  I hear it was very popular. 

First of all, this is not a blog to roast introverts. Introverts are some of my favorite people.  I’m married to an EXTREME Introvert.  My college roommate is an introvert.  My roommate from overseas is an introvert.  I like them.  They let me talk.  Usually.

Also,  homeschooling is difficult.  Whether you have blonde hair or brown, like coffee or tea, roll toilet paper over or under, teach classically or unschool, have an extroverted or introverted personality… homeschooling is difficult.

Since Extroverted-Homeschooling-Blogger-Moms seem to be in the minority, I am going to step up today and be their voice. (This is totally a self-nomination.)

I’m not really that outgoing.  I don’t have a gazillion friends (but you can read here about some of my closest friendships.) I’m not the life of the party.  But I am an extrovert. 

The word extrovert comes from the Latin extro (outside) and vertere (to turn).  Extroverts turn to the outside for motivation and recharging. Introverts turn inside.

Every once in a while someone hears that I'm an extrovert, AND THEY DON'T BELIEVE ME. 

 

Evidence that I am an Extrovert:

Exhibit A

I was 2 years old.  My mom was incredibly sick with the flu.  She put the tv on for me and tried to take a nap on the couch.  What she got was a toddler staring her straight in the face pleading, “Don’t leave me, Mommy!”

Exhibit B

If I was sick in high school, I would sometimes stay home by myself while my parents went to work.  As soon as my mom came home I would follow her around the house for hours, even though I felt bad. I just needed the company.

Exhibit C

In college, every time my roommate left to take a shower, I would leave our dorm room and find someone else to talk to.



I’ve calmed down a little in my old age. Things are quieter here in the country.  I can’t just walk ten feet to the next door neighbor’s house to borrow a cup of sugar.  Now I have to walk through a cornfield or jump on the golf cart for a farm fresh egg.  Did I mention my husband is an EXTREME introvert?  I can’t full on extrovert him when he comes home from work. He needs time to sit in his little cocoon and process the day. The point is… I’m calmer.  Usually.

But there are some reasons why an extremely extroverted personality can make homeschooling challenging.



Mini Me and I are suffering from Cabin Fever

1. Extreme extroverts are easily distracted. 

 I spend too much time scrolling facebook on my phone when I’m waiting for my kids to finish assignments.  I just want to know what's going on in the world.  If you text me during the school day, I will probably answer you.  If you call me, I may just answer the phone.  I sometimes live in a fantasy world- I’m pretty sure I live in Stars Hollow with the Gilmore Girls.  I still have a crush on Calvin O'Keefe, and I can make myself cry thinking about Matthew Cuthbert.  Any time I see an injustice in the world, it reminds me of my loathing for Professor Umbridge.  Anyway, if I’ve been reading before school starts, it is super hard for me to want to get started with our school day.  I also have a difficult time staying on task when there are so many characters living in my head.  Let me be clear, book characters are not a great substitute for real live people spending time with me, but they help.  (It’s kinda like switching from sugar to stevia in my coffee… not quite the same, but it’ll do.)

2. The feeling of loneliness is my nearly constant companion. 

I’m rarely by myself, but I feel like I’m alone.   I love my children, but they do not fulfill my need of people.  I’m sure that other extroverts may feel differently than I do, but I have fairly specific needs that have to be met before I feel like I’m not alone: I need to be with an adult who is genuinely happy spend quality time with me.  I spend my day trudging through school subjects that my children may or may not want to study.  This is not what I would call quality extrovert time. 

3. It is easy for me to be depressed when I feel alone. 

It is hard to be a good teacher when I’m depressed.  Do you see the cycle here?

There are also a lot of great extroverted attributes that make homeschooling easier for me.

1. When I get that feeling of loneliness, it reminds me to draw back to God. 

James 4:8 says, "Come near to God, and He will come near to you."  I have found that to be true in my life.  And when I spend time with my heavenly Father, I am a better teacher.  A better person.  A better friend.  Please don’t get me wrong- Introverts are great at this, too.  It is much easier for them to just “Be still and know He is God.” I’m just explaining how God gets my attention.

2. I live for community days! 

We are part of Classical Conversations, which meets at a church once a week.  I’ve been subbing in the morning for Foundations and tutoring Essentials in the afternoon.  I tell you what… when we get home we are all exhausted.  But I feel more alive than I have all week. 

Our Essentials Class is learning how to write a Bibliography

3.  The need for community also drives me to open my home for tutoring and classes. 

My absolute favorite class I teach is Shakespeare Camp.  I love having people in my home.

Devotions at the Cross during Shakespeare Camp

What To Do If You Are An Extroverted Homeschooling Mom

1. Draw near to God.  He's the only one who can fill the void of loneliness you may feel.

2.   Put your kids in classes.  Stay and have some coffee with the other adults. Go to the library.  Go on Field Trips! Have school at McDonald's or Starbucks one day.  GET OUT OF THE HOUSE.

 

 

3. Join an adult Bible study or a class.  I just joined a dance aerobics class.  It's great fun!

4. Have playdates!

5. Be sensitive to your children’s personalities.  I have two extroverts and one introvert.  They need different things. 

6.  Be sensitive to your Introverted friends. They love you.  Just differently.

Four of my attendants are introverts.  They love me. I tell them so all the time. :)

Any other Extroverted Homeschool Moms in the House?!