O Lord, have mercy on us and save us from fractions! I have never seen a bigger stumbling block in teaching math than those poor God-forsaken fractions. Kids absolutely recoil at them. I have even had a parent say to
How to Stop Hating Fractions
Science Activity: Oil, Water, and Color Mixing
Here’s a quick and simple way to add a color-mixing element to a classic oil and water activity.
Vintage Christmas List
It’s the first week of November. The stores are already pulling out the Christmas gear, and like most parents, you’re getting serious about the kids’ wish lists. While you’re perusing Toys’R’Us’s list of must-have battery-operated junk, it may occur to
Hands-On History: Snakes and Ladders
If you enjoyed senet, you’ll love the ancient board game we play during our India unit: Snakes and Ladders!! Actually, if you loved senet, which is a game of skill and strategy, you might HATE snakes and ladders. Cold, capricious,
Hands On History: Egyptian Senet
Kids just love studying ancient Egypt. I never have a hard time getting them fired up about studying pyramids and mummies, as you can see from the KWL chart my 8th graders started below: (As a side note, I always
Preschool Math: Compare Whole Numbers
What the hand does, the mind remembers. — Maria Montessori Our son is really into card games lately. He loves “Go Fish” and “War” especially, but while playing “War, he was having a tough time looking at the cards and
Math Storybooks: Sir Cumference
I am always on the lookout for resources that make math more fun and exciting for kids. Several years ago, a colleague of mine loaned me a copy of Sir Cumference and the Great Knight of Angleland to read to
Literacy Games: Bananagrams
We love the game Bananagrams, which is essentially Scrabble without a board. We come up with lots of little activities to use the letters and work on our early literacy skills. The other day, we tried something new. As we
Puzzles for Baby
We loooooove puzzles at our house, but how do you know when baby is ready for puzzles and where do you start? First of all, puzzles require fine motor control. If your baby can put together MegaBlocks or something similar,
Montessori: Honor the Work of Childhood
Several months ago, I began doing some research on Maria Montessori’s methods. Her writing is rich with insights, not simply about teaching, but about the ways we think about and interact with our children. I have made a few deliberate