This week, the big kids are working on their geometric constructions, mathematical drawings achieved with the use of only a compass and an unmarked straight edge. This is one of my favorite units to teach. Â Mathematics in general is an
I’ve seen this activity suggested on Pinterest, but this was our first time trying it. We used 18 mm plastic beads, regular spaghetti stuck in a little blob of Play-Doh, and an enthusiastic three-year-old. On top of building those fine
Our baby has hit that glorious stage: Putting Things in Things! He wants to take every object he can get his paws on and put it into any kind of container he can procure. It may be tempting to start
If you’re teaching your kids about finances and not talking about inflation, debasement, and fiat currencies, you’re really missing out on a golden opportunity. See what I did there? For a hands-on exploration, get two quarters: one dated before 1965
… or something similar. These simple blocks are perfect for an endless variety of activities, particularly for math. Kids love the bright colors, and they stack together and come apart easily enough for little fingers. Left to his own
When teaching your littles about money, you can buy plastic coins and paper dollars, but why waste your real money buying fake money? Any time you can use real-world objects for manipulatives, go for it! Today Daddy and our three-year-old
We recently observed that sacred school holiday: the 100th day of school. My three-year-old is working on counting to 100, and he has been using a 10 x 10 matrix. Ours is just a print-out in a dry erase sheet, but
Need to teach your big kid slope-intercept form but don’t really feel like explaining it? Â Break out the ol’ TI 86 — or use the amazing free Desmos graphing calculator — and let her figure it out herself. Given the
Today the “extra duties as assigned” part of my contract obliged me to visit our 1st grade classroom to deal with some technology drama. I love going out there to see what the littles are up to. Today they were
Looking for a new game for your middle kids? Â Make a dice tower. Â They are allowed to walk around it but not to touch it. Â The goal: Find the sum of all the faces that cannot be seen. This begins