Kindergarten students love to play games.  Math games are a great way to help them practice basic skills such as the names of numbers, counting, colors, spatial relations, matching, and sorting.  There are all kinds of math games kindergarten students enjoy that you can use in your classroom, whether at home or in a school.

For starters, pencil and paper math games kindergarten students like are dot-to-dots and color-by-number.  These will have children practicing counting as well as number recognition and the names of colors.  Students love seeing the complete image emerge from funny looking combinations of lines as they connect the numbered dots in the right order or color the right sections. There are all kinds of these available … Read the rest of this post…

Somewhat similar in the earliest Kindergarten level, Singapore Math and Go Math! again share some similarity of content, with Singapore students advancing just a bit faster than Go students especially in the area of mental math.  The basic philosophies and styles of each of the two curricula become more pronounced.

As to a bit of background on the two curricula, Go Math! is a new curriculum intended for kindergarten through 6^th grade.  Singapore Math on the other hand, has been around for a bit longer and is a kindergarten through 12^th grade curriculum.  They are similar in that each was published in response to government mandates in their respective countries.  New federal and state standards prompted … Read the rest of this post…

Strengths:
The Alpha Omega Lifepac curriculum is a great option for 7th grade math.  The students love it.  The workbooks are colorful and the lessons are designed to be easy to understand to encourage independent learning.  I would say it is very easy for parents to teach from.  Most families love the way the teacher guide is very simple and straightforward, and the student books are very organized, just open them up and away you go.

It’s unusual for a 7th grade math program to still use workbooks at that age level.  But that’s how Alpha Omega Lifepac works.  The unit workbook format is integral to their program and I’ve definitely seen the benefits.  It doesn’t seem to matter … Read the rest of this post…

There are some nifty little manipulatives out there for teaching geometry shapes.  Children grasp mathematics so much better when the program has a hands-on element.  By viewing helpful charts, handling foam “flash cards”, or putting together 3-D models of geometry shapes, children can learn important concepts with ease.

A chart of geometric shapes should of course include the common ones: triangle, square, circle, rectangle, trapezoid, and rhombus.  It can also show other more unusual shapes such as the irregular quadrilateral, the trapezium, the curvilinear triangle, the quatrefoil, or the decagon.  Adding these unusual and interesting shape names makes the exercise more enjoyable for students.

A set of foam geometry shapes can be made extra helpful when each side is printed … Read the rest of this post…

After years of integrating high school geometry with their algebra and advanced math programs, Saxon Math has recently published a brand new Saxon Geometry textbook. Should homeschoolers continue using the traditional sequence, supplement with another geometry curriculum such as Alpha Omega Lifepac, or use the new Saxon Geometry?

The pluses to continuing with the traditional Saxon sequence – Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Advanced Math, and Calculus – are twofold. For one thing, integrating geometry with algebra is the way curriculums are written in Asia and Europe, and students there consistently outperform US students on international math examinations. For another, students who complete calculus prior to college statistically tend to have higher grades overall in college. While one might … Read the rest of this post…

Strengths:
For me, the Alpha Omega Lifepac curriculum looks like a great choice for 3rd grade math.  For one thing, my family has a very busy schedule and so the curriculum must be very well organized.  The Alpha Omega Lifepac organizes the school year into ten easily completed units. For another thing, any curriculum that encourages independent learning is always a plus.  The Alpha Omega Lifepac teacher guide is simple and straightforward and the lessons in each unit are also very clear, which is great for independent learners. The daily lessons are colorful and fun. It’s very, very motivating.  Some students beg to work ahead totally of their own accord.

I find that 3rd grade students are still at … Read the rest of this post…

MCP Math from Modern Curriculum Press works great for any students but is specially designed to help struggling math students as an alternative to core math curriculum textbooks. MCP Math uses a format of practice drills combined with lessons that are easy to use. MCP math works great as a core curriculum for grades kindergarten to 6th grade. It can also be used to gain supplemental math practice in after school programs, summer school programs, or whenever any extra math practice is needed.

MCP Math provides targeted intervention for struggling math students. It offers extensive practice exercises to help students learn and retain new concepts and new skills. It helps prepare all students for standardized math tests regardless of whether … Read the rest of this post…

Strengths:
Teaching high school math is not as daunting as it may seem, especially if you can find a good program like Alpha Omega Lifepac.  I really like the unit workbook approach.  It’s very helpful for all ages of students, and seems especially valuable in high school.   At that age, it’s so important for students to be developing a good work ethic and independent learning skills, along with preparing for college.  Alpha Omega Lifepac 11th grade Algebra 2 is an easy to follow format that is also college preparatory and really seems to help with developing independence and a good work ethic.

The unit workbook format provides ten separate workbooks, one for each unit the student will study.  The … Read the rest of this post…

The concept of fractions is one that children are able to grasp fairly early, especially with manipulatives.  It is possible to begin teaching fractions to students as young as first grade  Teaching fractions with the help of manipulatives is very straightforward and the youngsters will be able to easily grasp the concepts of fractions parts, fractions notation, and even fractional parts of numbers.

Begin teaching fractions with halves and wholes.  Children most likely already have an idea of the meaning of half, since it is a common part of everyday vocabulary they are exposed to.  They may be given half a glass of juice for breakfast, eat half a sandwich for lunch, or walk halfway upstairs.  Explain that to make … Read the rest of this post…

The Alpha Omega Lifepac approach can be described as a somewhat unusual but effective way to teach 10th grade mathematics.  Rather than study from just one thick textbook, students study from ten single unit workbooks.  This method seems to help maintain motivation and drive, with the sense of accomplishment that comes from successful completion of each book.  The curriculum is fully Christian based, so good values are present in all the word problems and other sections.

Topics and Methodology:
Some of the topics that the high school student will master in his 10th grade geometry from Alpha Omega Lifepac are postulates and proofs, coordinate proofs; theorems and geometric terms; congruency; parallels and angles; constructions; triangles and circles; area and volume, … Read the rest of this post…