For some people and classrooms, it just isn’t feasible to purchase high-quality number bond flash cards like you can obtain through Crystal Springs Books. I came across a site where you can download your own, print them and cut them out. These are addition and subtraction cards appropriate for grades K-3. You can download them […]
This homeschooling website has an article about Singapore Math that is short but informative. It tells a brief history of Singapore Math in the US, then goes into why it may or may not be the best choice for a homeschooling curriculum. Here is an extract from the article: The curriculum uses a true spiral […]
I’ve been reading blog posts about math like this one, in which a common theme is that we need to return to “basic” or “regular” math skills and dispense with the constructivist programs that were so popular in the last decade or two. I’ve read about people who are frustrated with the idea that children […]
There is an interesting website devoted to reforming math education in Utah; it is utahsmathfuture.com. On it, among other text and video content, there are links to reports about a longitudinal study in a Massachusetts school district showing the improvement in test scores over the long term when the district adopted Singapore Math. The evidence […]
If you are a parent who is interested in how Singapore Math works, but you don’t have time to attend a training session or do a lot of reading about it, here is a resource for you. This school recorded a session in which their parents were taught how this program works and how to […]
A New York Times Magazine article titled Building a Better Teacher appeared last March. It’s an excellent contribution to the debate about what makes a good teacher. As the article describes, it’s not enough to care a lot; there are many caring teachers who can’t get their students’ attention to teach them anything. Being a […]
It’s a measure of what a difficult situation our US schools are in when the math program a school adopts makes the news. But that is exactly what is happening often now that our nation is recognizing how far behind we have fallen in math and science. This article outlines the reasons this Chester, PA […]
This is the first year since 2003 that I will not be teaching NaNoWriMo in the classroom. What’s good about this is it frees me up to do it with a whole bunch of area students. I have posted a new program description for our fun, exciting adventure to come. Here are a few details […]
Imagine trying to pay for a doughnut and not knowing if a $10 bill is enough. Imagine not knowing which is more, 5 or 4. Imagine never having a sense of time, so you are always early or late for things. Or someone gives you an hour to complete a task, and you have no […]
The Urban Word of the Day today was “cerebral bulimia,” defined as “binging and purging of the brain.” Doesn’t that sound familiar? It calls to mind all the useless studying in which facts are crammed into temporary storage in the brain, dumped out on paper (or computer) for a test, and promptly forgotten. This can, […]