Tag: math

Life of Fred Algebra (We still love Life of Fred!)

Our daughter just started Life of Fred Algebra,

and it’s probably her favorite subject.  This is a big deal since the math tears flowed freely when she was young. We are thankful that she continues to love Life of Fred Math. Algebra has been integrated into Life of Fred since the elementary books (introduced in bite-sized amounts and then building from that), which has made the transition to Algebra pretty seamless.

Life of Fred Algebra

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Before we began using Life of Fred,

I had the stance that we’d stick with “Fred” as long as it continued to work for us.  Since my last post on Life of Fred, she’s completed the Pre-Algebra series, which includes three books: Pre-Algebra Physics, Pre-Algebra Biology, and Pre-Algebra Economics.

Life of Fred Algebra She thoroughly enjoyed the combining of pre-algebra with other subjects (well maybe not physics as much, though it did stretch her brain a bit!)

I thought pre-algebra might be a time when we weaned off of Fred, but surprisingly she enjoys it even more now.  She hopes to go all the way to Calculus.  You go, girl!

However, I don’t suspect Life of Fred will be the math curriculum of choice for all three of our kids.

Our 10-year-old son prefers a more structured math curriculum, with repetitive problems laid out in a sequential manner. That is not how Life of Fred is designed. While he still enjoys reading the Life of Fred books for fun, he will likely use something else as he advances in math.  This year he is using MasterBooks math which is working out well.  Our youngest is only 6 so the verdict is still out on him!

My daughter grasps math concepts fairly quickly which is why I think Life of Fred still works well for her.  The quirkiness factor of it also continues to remain an attractive and novel quality.

We are even trying out the Life of Fred Language Arts

books this year which have ALSO been a hit!

Life of Fred Algebra

Fred has pretty much been a BIG WIN for us.

I highly suggest checking any of their books out if you’re needing something outside the box for your kiddo. If your child likes the concept of Life of Fred, but needs extra practice, they also have extra books with practice problems. 🙂


You can also find the books here.

 

 

 

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Our Favorite STEM Toys

What are your favorite STEM toys?  Or, what STEM toys do you recommend?

I get this question quite a bit…

If you’ve heard the term STEM tossed around but aren’t sure what it means, STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)   And if you’ve been to our house, you know that we have quite a few STEM toys.

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STEM toys are my kiddo’s favorites.  And they are MOM’s favorites too!

Why STEM Toys are Great
  • They are a great alternative to electronics, or for when kids say “I’m Bored“
  • Last many years.
  • Can be used differently each time
  • Cover a large span of ages
  • Inspire creativity and imaginative play
  • Encourage problem-solving and using logic-smarts!
  • Encourage cooperative play and teamwork   (See the picture below of my kiddos creation: “Thunderbox” a medium thrill roller coaster made with Magnatiles 🙂
So, what our favorite STEM Toys?

*I included recommended ages, but we all know that our children can’t be put into a box!  Some kids, especially those inclined towards science and math may enjoy these toys way before the recommended age!

Wedgits  (ages 3+)

favorite stem toys

Magnatiles (ages 3+)

favorite stem toys

Zoobs (ages 6+)

Gravity maze Game (ages 8+)

Roller Coaster Challenge (ages 6+)

Snap circuits (ages  5+)

This is just a beginner set.  They are more advanced sets too.

Circuit maze (ages 8+)

Marble Works  (ages 4+)

Keva Planks  (ages 5+)

favorite stem toysfavorite stem toys

 

Legos (of course!)

Duplos for the littlest engineers.

favorite stem toys
Here are my older kids using duplos to build a tower to the ceiling. Yay for teamwork!

Tinker Crate (subscription box) is another great STEM idea for ages 9-16.  These are projects sent to your house each month with detailed instructions on how to assemble.  Tinker Crate projects we’ve completed include catapults, pinball machines, hydraulic claws, and more.  A great gift idea to give a generous grandparent or aunt/uncle.

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Why We Love Life of Fred Math

MATH. For some, it makes their heart go pitter-patter. For others, it can cause a near heart attack. Usually, you either love it or hate it.

Personally I have always loved it. Yup, math nerd here.  🙂

However, in our early years of homeschooling, there were lots of tears surrounding math. Mainly caused by the timed math tests that were part of our curriculum.

It appeared our daughter, and oldest child, did not share the same love for math that both my husband and I have.

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Then, when she was in 2nd grade we were introduced to Life of Fred. It was interesting, different, and felt more like reading a quirky novel with math sprinkled showered in.

Our daughter LOVED it. It was her glass slipper (it fit just right.)

Life of Fred Math

I learned that some parents used it as their sole homeschool math curriculum though most saw it as only supplemental.

Being the former teacher turned homeschool mom I was, we used Fred as a supplemental curriculum for a few years. There was no way something that enjoyable could be enough.

In fact, this is the first year we are using Fred as our sole math curriculum for our daughter. And for her, it is enough.

Our boys also use Life of Fred. For our 9-year-old we use it to supplement lots of math facts practice and Teaching Textbooks (another popular math curriculum among homeschoolers.)

And for our 5-year-old, well, I hadn’t planned on starting Life of Fred yet, but he begs for it. So what’s a mom to do?  A stark contrast from what we experienced when my daughter was in kindergarten.

For our daughter, it’s not always smooth sailing and sometimes we do get stuck. That’s when we find a YouTube video or practice some kind of problem. In fact, this just happened last week when she was learning about discrete variables. We watched a YouTube video together, talked about it, and then she was good to go.

Life of Fred Math
She finished the elementary and intermediate series and is moving on to Pre-Algebra!
So how does Life of Fred work?

The kids read a short chapter or have it read to them (usually just a few pages) and then answer some questions.  Since they are actual books and not workbooks, answers are written in a separate notebook.  So if using for than one child, you can use the same books!  Typically, one chapter is done a day.  Sometimes we skip a day, and sometimes a few chapters are done all at once.  And quite often I will just find a kid reading them for fun. 🙂

In summary, this what we LOVE about Life of Fred:
  • We replaced tears with laughs.
  • No drill and kill (though they do have practice books for kids who might need more practice) so great for kids who don’t need that
  • Fun and quirky storyline (these are books my kids will read under the covers at night!)
  • Integrates other subjects in with math
  • Kids enjoy it and see math as fun
  • Not a budget killer
  • Great for creative kids
Other things to consider:
  • Life of Fred is not for everyone.  Thankfully there are many math curriculums out there to choose from.
  • Some kids might be frustrated by its quirkiness and/or may prefer straight-up math problems.
  • You don’t need to be a homeschooler to enjoy these books.  I’ve recommended them to a few friends who have kids in brick and mortar schools, but their kids just love math, and they’re looking for something extra.
Where to find Life of Fred books:

We’ve bought them on Amazon and Rainbow Resource.  You may also be able to find on homeschool swap sites, or eBay.


 

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Weekly Wrap-Up: November 12-16

The highlights…

Family Drawing Workshop

Through our Read Aloud Revival Membership we get access to a few already recorded workshops.  So on Monday morning, I thought it would be fun to do a Christmas Drawing Workshop.  The instructor was Ralph Masiello, creator of various drawing books such as “Ocean Drawing Book” and “Bug Drawing Book”, that you can find here.  The Kids spent over an hour drawing various Christmas-y type things.  I must say it was a great way to start the week!  And even though my oldest is a natural born artist, she learned some new techniques that she was excited to implement!

Homeschool Online Drawing Class

Farmer Boy

We’ve been listening to Farmer Boy on Audiobook.  This week we heard about how Almanzo and his siblings made candy/taffy from molasses, sugar, and water.  My kids desperately wanted to try this.  So we found a recipe here and attempted to make our own taffy.  It did not turn out so well, and we eventually gave up and formed little candy balls instead.  My daughter nicknamed them “Lassies”.  They taste better than they look!

Farmer Boy Molasses Candy
Mixing the Molasses and Brown Sugar
Bringing it to a boil
Farmer Boy Molasses Candy
Stretching and forming the candy
Field Trip: Musical Zoo

On Tuesday we went with some of our old co-op friends to attend the symphony.  It was only a 45-minute performance (perfect for a 4-year-old!).   It was a very engaging performance that began with a narrator reading a few Aesop’s fables while the orchestra “accompanied”. Then the orchestra played Carnival of the Animals, a 14 movement suite, written by French composer Camille Saint-Saëns in 1886. It was a very entertaining performance.

‘Life of Fred’ Marathon

Every few weeks my kids get the itch to complete a giant amount of their Life of Fred books.  This week was such a week.  Joe completed about 15 chapters which was almost a whole book!  I love Life of Fred for so many reasons, one being how it is quirky and fun.  Many times I have found Life of Fred books laying in Lydia’s bed.  They are a great choice for outside the box learners!  To learn more about Life of Fred, go here.

 

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6 Delightful Math Games to Boost Learning

 

This blog post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through these links will result in a small commission for me (at no cost to you!) 

We love using math games in our homeschool to mix things up and “add” in some fun and fierce friendly competition.  The best part about playing math games is that it’s a DELIGHTFUL way to learn. No pressure. No dread. Just fun!

I’ve picked out our favorite, most played, math games that we use to boost learning in our home.  They are categorized by what math skill they build.

Math facts:

4 Way Countdown
Math Games for Learning
4 Way Countdown

The best part about this game is that it is all contained in one piece.  Rather than roll dice, the dice are contained in a popper, which is super fun!  You “pop” the dice and then use the two numbers to make a math fact – any kind of math fact (addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division.  You take the answer to that fact and get to flip a block.  The object of game is to be the first player to flip all 10 of your own blocks.  Suggested age: 6+     

Shut the Box

This is a great single player game.  My kids have used it on car trips and can play it over and over.  It is similar to 4 Way Countdown in that you roll the dice and then get to flip over blocks.  But shut the box focuses on addition.  It develops good number sense in kiddos and gives them the practice of simple addition facts.   Suggested age: 5+

Sum Swamp
Math Games for Learning
Sum Swamp

This is a colorful and captivating game for those kids who are new to addition and subtraction. We played this a lot when my middle child was just starting to learn basic addition. It was played nearly every day during that time!  Suggested age: 5+ 

 

Money:

PayDay
Math Games for Learning
PayDay

A favorite of my husbands from his own childhood, Payday is a great game to give kids a taste of “real life” and help them learn about loans and bills. Payday is a very engaging game that is always enjoyed! This is the updated version.   Suggested age: 8+

Probability:

Qwixx
Math Games for Learning
Qwixx

Described as a “fast family dice game”, Qwixx is one of those games that’s a little tricky to get the hang of, but once you do, it is quite addicting. It’s a favorite and can easily fit in a purse or backpack!  Suggested age: 8+

Logic:

Mastermind
Math Games for Learning
Mastermind

As a lover of codes and puzzles, Mastermind was a favorite game from my own childhood. It is the ultimate code breaking game. One player makes a code with different colored pegs and the code breaker has to try to figure out the code. This is another game that really stretches your brain!  Suggested age: 8+  *I linked to a different version than the one in the picture above.  The one we have has gone up astronomically in price!

Happy Gaming!
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