Homeschool Highlights 6/8/20 - 6/12/20

We went bowling again last Saturday night after enjoying a couple of large pizzas at the bowling alley. Sunday we went to church and then we ate at a place called Chicken Express, which was surprisingly good despite the name.

It was World Ocean Week this week and I made Zeke a sensory tray with sand, blue rice for the ocean, seashells, and plastic fish and crabs. He loved it and made a huge mess - which is success for a sensory tray!

He also did a sorting activity using pom-poms and colored paper cups. We started out with two colors, then tried a few more color combinations. This activity is included in my Tot School in a Box - Pom Pom Fun Kit.

This was his Tot Tray on Thursday - whiffle balls with pipecleaners and straws to lace through! The straws were much easier than the pipecleaners. This will also be in a future Tot School in a Box.

He also enjoyed this puzzle I picked up from the Dollar Tree.

We made nature bracelets using packing tape wrapped around our wrists, sticky side out. You stick flowers, leaves, small rocks, twigs, bugs, or anything else you can find on the bracelet. Zeke didn't really like sticking things to his bracelet, though! You can read about when we first did this activity here.

He liked feeling the stickiness of the tape.

Mercie, Silas, and Titus worked in their Summer Learning Binders most days. They read a ton! We are participating in the summer reading program here at the library, and they already received their first prize packet. They enjoyed free Subway kid's meals one day and free ice cream cones from Sonic another day.

We've still been binge watching Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, as well as Indiana Jones, Superman, Scooby-Doo, and Aquaman.

We will be heading home on Monday. Mikaela has a doctor's appointment Tuesday, and Mercie goes to the orthodontist on July 1. I'm hoping to get all of us in for dental cleanings as well. We were due for those in April, but of course they were cancelled then. Mikaela is starting to show and is now 19 weeks pregnant!

And I'll leave you with a few shots of Zeke blowing bubbles!

How was your week?

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Tot School! Sensory Tray: World Ocean Week

This week is World Ocean Week, and Zeke's sensory tray theme is "On the Coast". This is a beautiful sensory tray!

I dyed rice blue for the ocean. It turned out very pretty, with dark blue and light blue grains of rice all mixed in.

I made some cloud sand using vegetable oil and flour to be the beach sand. It has such a nice, silky texture and feels like real sand.

I added some natural seashells, blue and green glass beads, and plastic fish and crabs. Zeke loved playing with this tray!

I have started selling Sensory Trays in a Box, and this "On the Coast" tray is the first one available. I will send you everything pictured here, plus a board book and a small surprise for your child. There's even an option to add a tray! Click the page above titled, "Sensory Tray in a Box" to learn more.

How did you celebrate World Ocean Week?

Mastering Logic & Math Problem Solving

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

Most of you know that I have given my kids summer school assignments in the form of Summer Learning Binders. It has really been a great thing for them! When I was given the opportunity to review "Mastering Logic & Math Problem Solving" from The Critical Thinking Co., I knew it would be a fun addition to Mercie's summer learning!

"Mastering Logic & Math Problem Solving" is a 180-page workbook for grades 6-9, full of puzzles, games, brain-teasers, logic and word problems. As your child works through the problems, they will master problem-solving skills and strategies. This book has a variety of problems to solve!

• Chapter 1 - multicultural logic problems, crossing the river problems, and kin problems
• Chapter 2- classical brain teasers
• Chapter 3- number theory problems
• Chapter 4- problem solving with sets
• Chapter 5- ratio, proportion, and percent problems
• Chapter 6- algebra word problems, inequality problems, consecutive integer problems, coin problems, mixture problems
• Chapter 7- geometry word problems, geometry brain teasers, geometry solved with algebra
• Chapter 8- more algebra word problems, age problems, motion problems, going toward or away problems, class and round trip problems
• Chapter 9- probability word problems
• Chapter 10- topology fun word problems
• Math Myths
• Bonus Activities

I'll give you a few examples of some of the problems and the answers that Mercie came up with. This is one is called "A Wolf, a Goat, and a Cabbage" and is part of the "crossing the river" problems.

A wolf, a goat, and a cabbage must be moved across a river in a boat holding only one beside the ferryman. How must he carry them across so that the goat shall not eat the cabbage, nor the wolf the goat? The wolf does not eat cabbage.

Mercie's answer: First you take the goat and come back. Then you get the cabbage and take it but bring the goat back. Drop the goat off and take the wolf. Come back then take the goat.

That problem really required some deep thinking to solve! Here is an example of a number theory problem:

There are 40 houses in a row, numbered consecutively from 1-40. How many times is the digit 1 used?

Mercie's answer: 14! 

Here is an example of a problem from the topology problems:

Mike claims that he needed more than 4 colors to draw this map. Can you draw this map with only 4 colors? No same color can be side by side.

She had a great time with this one! Here is what she colored:

She and I both worked on this one:

The Shongo children from the Congo area in Africa love to copy and retrace figures draw in the sand without lifting their finger or retracing any segment. Which of the following are possible to draw with a continuous line if retracing is not allowed?

This was a bit difficult, but we figured out it was B and E. 

WHAT DID WE THINK?

Mercie enjoyed being challenged by the logic and math problems in this book! It was a great addition to her summer learning and something she will keep working in as a supplement. Her thinking skills grew and I learned she is a much better problem-solver than I am!

"Mastering Logic & Math Problem Solving" is available from The Critical Thinking Co. for $18. Click the banner below to read more reviews on several different workbooks including "Creative Problem Solving, Level 1", "Dare to Compare Math: Beginning", and "Who is This Kid? Colleges Want to Know!"

Tot School Ideas Using Pom-Poms! Plus a Freebie!

Zeke is 18 months old and loves doing Tot School - well, most days he does! Each month I'm going to post five Tot School Ideas using something easily found in your home (or easy to get). I'm also going to post a FREEBIE printable to use with your toddler.

This month we are playing with pom-poms! Pom-poms are perfect for Tot School because they're cheap, colorful, are easy for little hands to manipulate, and have a soft texture. You can use pom-poms for so many activities! I'm going to share Zeke's five favorite Tot School activities using pom-poms.

1.) POM-POM DROP
We did this several months ago and Zeke just loved it! It's definitely something we will repeat. I took an empty Gerber Puffs container and ripped off the plastic label. Then I cut an "X" into the lid. I folded the flap under a bit to make it easier for Zeke to drop the pom-poms into the container. This was great because he had to really push the pom-poms into the container, exercising his fine-motor skills and hand-eye coordination. He would push them all in and then take off the lid, dump them out, and put them back in! He also liked putting them into the container with the lid off. You could use any container you have, but the Puff container was the perfect size. The lid was also pliable which is pretty necessary for this activity.

2.) POM-POM TRANSFER
This is an activity we do often because he really likes it. Simply put about ten pom-poms (or even cotton balls) into a bowl and provide your toddler another bowl and a spoon, tongs, or a clothespin (depending on their ability to manipulate with their fingers and hands). Your child can even use his hands, which Zeke does sometimes. Show your child how to transfer the pom-poms from one bowl into another. Zeke will sit with this for 10-20 minutes at a time, which is an eternity for a toddler!

Zeke was around 14 months old here. He used his hands to transfer large pom-poms and stayed occupied for around 10 minutes!

3.) POM-POM COLOR SORTING
You can use colored paper cut in half, colored bowls or cups, or anything else you have.  We used colored paper cups, and I used a few colors at a time. I set out a blue cup and a red cup and gave him three each of red and blue pom-poms. I showed him how to sort them by color. We kept using different color combinations and finally used all four cups and colors. This was a fun activity for him!

4.) POM-POM SHAPE OUTLINING
You can use this with any shape you are teaching your toddler. Just draw the shape onto a sheet of paper using a marker. Show your child how to place the pom-poms on the outline of the shape. It's okay if they can't get it totally straight! Repeat the shape name as your child places down the pom-poms. "Place that yellow pom-pom on the square! Good job!"

5.) POM-POM COUNTING
This is where the FREEBIE comes in today! Simply print these Pom-Pom Counting Cards, laminate, and cut apart. Your child can place the pom-poms on the circles on the cards. Show your toddler how to count, how to match colors, and even how to recognize the numbers. He doesn't have to match the colors every time; I just wanted it to be colorful and to have the option to color-match.

Also, check out my Tot School in a Box page, where I'll be offering 7-10 activities in a box that you can do with your toddler - seriously open and go!

What are some other ways you've used pom-poms in your Tot School? Leave a comment and I will feature your idea on my next Tot School post!

Ed Shed - Online Math and Spelling Games

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

I love when I find fun ways the kids can review their math facts and spelling words! We received a one-year subscription to Math Shed and Spelling Shed by Ed Shed. This subscription included parent tracking, and I was able to add up to five children. I added Silas and Titus, and they were each given a user name and a fun password. They were able to log in using their own user name and password, which they thought was pretty neat.

SPELLING SHED

Spelling Shed has the several different stages, or levels, of spelling practice. You can choose from Stages 1 and 2, Stage 3, and Stages 4 and 5. There are even more spelling lists you can pick for your child. You also choose from easy, medium, or hard words. For each stage there are games to play.

This first game reads a word to you and you have to unscramble the letters to spell the word correctly.

When you press "Bonus Games", you can play "Bee Keeper", which is very similar to Hang Man. You lose a "bee" each time you press an incorrect letter, and you gain a "honey pot" each time you get a word correct.

On "Missing Word", there is a sentence with a missing word in it. You have two options and must choose the correctly spelled word. This was one of Titus's favorite games.

There is also a "Buzz" game where you have lots of letters and must make as many words as you can out of the letters. They both really enjoyed playing this game!

You can use the "honey pots" you earn to customize your avatar with hairstyles, clothes, accessories, and even fun backgrounds!

Spelling Shed is a really fun way to practice spelling! Both of my boys need extra spelling practice, and the games are fun and effective. There is an option for "Hive Play" with other students and groups, but we didn't receive access to that feature. It seems to more targeted toward schools.

MATH SHED

Math Shed has several topics for you to choose from - Number Bonds, Times Tables, Powers of 10, Addition and Subtraction. You can also choose "More" and can work on multiplication and negative numbers.

Most of the games are the same, with the math problem at the top to solve and several answers to choose from. You have 60 seconds to complete as many problems correctly as you can. The Math Shed games have an outer space theme which is fun.

You can choose which addition, subtraction, and multiplication facts you want to work on, as well as working on two, three, and four digit problems. Further you can choose an easy, medium, or hard (and sometimes extreme) option. This is nice as you can customize it for each child. If your child is only working on certain times tables, you can set it to where only those problems are given.

You can also choose which powers of 10 to work on - 10, 100, 1000, or a mix of all three.

I liked Math Shed because even my 12 year old daughter wanted to play and I could change the settings to make it difficult enough for her. I could also make it simple enough for my 7 year old son so he didn't get frustrated. Math Shed is a fun way to practice facts and math concepts. I do wish they had more game options and more skill sets to work on, because after a while my children got bored with the same game.

TEACHER'S HUB

In the Teacher's Hub, I had access to spelling curriculum in the form of pdfs and Power Point presentations. This is a 36-week curriculum for each stage. There are spelling lists, teaching plans, and worksheets for each weekly list. I didn't use this, but it would be useful to have. It is targeted toward classrooms, but you could very easily adapt it for homeschool.

I could also view each child's data. I can see their login and password information, as well as their progress in Math Shed and Spelling Shed. I can give them rewards or fines in the form of honey pots. I can check out their game history and how often they play, how many correct and incorrect answers they give, and how many points and honey pots they have earned. There are so many features in the Teacher's Hub!

WHAT DID WE THINK?

The boys have had fun playing games and earning honey pots. The honey pots are by far their favorite part of the program! They want to buy new clothes and backgrounds for their avatars. They would much rather play Spelling Shed than Math Shed because the games are more fun and there is more of a variety. I have really enjoyed looking through the Teacher's Hub but honestly, all of the features are a bit overwhelming for me. As I said earlier, it is targeted toward a school or larger group. We will definitely continue to play Spelling Shed throughout the year to help with their spelling. I am going to try to convince them to keep playing Math Shed as well to help with math skills.

You can try Spelling Shed or Math Shed for 30 days free - no credit card required! I love when website offer free trials with no payment information required. This way you will not forget about it and be charged once the free trial ends. Try it out for 30 days and see what you think! If you do want a subscription, it's only $24.95 for an entire year for each program. If you buy them both you get a 15% discount!

See what other reviewers thought of Spelling Shed and Math Shed by clicking the banner below!