Tuesday Tips and Tricks

Swirling around in my brain are ways to help young kids learn and retain information.  Since I am currently repeating much of our curriculum for the fourth time, I think I've finally learned a few things about how to make learning the necessities a little bit smoother and easier, so I thought I'd share a few of those things this school year in case they would help someone.  If anyone has any tips and tricks for teens, then I'm all ears.  Maybe I'll have some by the time Chloe hits the teen years, but in the meantime, I'll have to rely on others for those.

Using Math U See for twelve years has brought me to the conclusion that the program, while fantastic for learning concepts, does not have enough practice for my kids.  Satisfied that they have mastered a concept, I allow them to move on, only to find out that when enough time elapses, they are still forgetting key concepts.

So here is my first, simple tip concerning math.  Drill is important.  If it isn't a part of your math program, kids will forget.  I will forget!  Drill helps me, so why not the kids too?  Who remembers how to find the area of a trapezoid?  Me neither.  The kids might get one review problem on finding the area of a trapezoid every once in a blue moon, and they say in a dull, uninterested, monotone voice, "Mom, what's a trapezoid, and how do I find the area?" (The dull, uninterested voice hits in the teen years.  Before that, it is a voice of panic, "Mom!  How do I find the area of a trapezoid?!  I don't even know what that is!!  Sometimes tears come with the panic.)  Of course, I don't remember either, and once I tell them what it is (after looking it up in the handy teacher manual), they do the problem and promptly forget again until the next time the word "trapezoid" comes up in their assignment.

Ah, but Math U See has a handy sheet in the back of the teacher manual called "Symbols and Tables".  It is basically a list of everything your child will learn in that book.  For the older kids, copy it and make them use and learn it.  For younger kids, drill them on select information contained on the sheet every day.  It only takes a few minutes, and the benefit is worth it.

Chloe and I can tell you what the area of a trapezoid is, and usually we can describe to you what one looks like.  If anyone knows why in the world we need to be able to find the area of a trapezoid, please leave us a comment.