The Fear Of The Lonely Homeschooler

Reading Time: 4 min 58 sec

I pushed my cart up to the checkout counter at my local grocery store. My cashier was an early twenty-something who just oozed personality. I swear, part of the job description for working at this grocery store is the ability to make small talk. She immediately launched into how my day was going, which inevitably led to asking questions to my kids.

There is a running joke (and a thousand memes) regarding the comment’s homeschoolers receive at the grocery store. Let me warn you, inquiries don’t all come from people over the age of sixty.

After discovering that my kids were homeschooled (it was 10am on ordinary Wednesday after all) her first comment was to say that she would love to homeschool her future kids but her boyfriend would never agree. She then went on to disclose his fear (and her own) about how would her kids be socialized when they were at home ALL THE TIME.

I wanted to point out that my kids were in fact out of the house and Socializing right now, but that didn’t seem very helpful. 🙂

The fear of the lonely (or socially inept) homeschooler is one of the top concern’s parents have when deciding whether or not to homeschool. We worry about whether or not our kids will be able to function in the various situations that life presents them. Will they be able to make friends? Will they be able to interact with others? We all sincerely want to do what’s best for the future of our kids. So how do we raise children outside of the school walls who can function well within society?

1.What Is Socialization?

2. The Fear of Being Different

3. The Real-Life Truth

1. What Is Socialization?

The heavy emphasis on the importance of socialization is not limited to homeschooling. Before our kids are born we are inundated with the significance of socialization.

This is aptly described in the popular tv show The Office, where Pam the lead character, mentions that it’s good her child is going to the nursery because then it could have some time to socialize with the other babies.

Do we ever stop and ask ourselves what exactly is socialization? What are we working so hard to accomplish FOR our children?

We all assume socialization means interacting with others but that is only one facet. The Merriam-Webster dictionary states that socialization is defined as, “the process beginning during childhood by which individuals acquire the values, habits, and attitudes of a society”.

Just think about that for a second.

“ ..by which individuals acquire the values, habits, and attitudes of a society.”

We need to know what we are striving so hard to accomplish in our child’s life. We need to come to terms with the goal of socialization and decide for ourselves how much influence we want society to have in the life of our child.

2. The Fear of Being Different

Why do we all imagine homeschoolers as nerds who live under a rock only come out for food and chess tournaments? In my opinion, I believe that part of the real reason we are stressing the importance of socialization is due to fear.

We are deathly afraid that our child will be seen as different. We worry about what our friends will think if our child does behave the same as his or her peers. We wonder if we are setting our child up for future bullying or that they will grow up naive and unable to function in society. We are deathly afraid that our kids will grow up to be the oddball out.

When we experience fear, a good exercise is to list out the worst-case scenarios. When you take the time to name the fears they suddenly get smaller. You are able to figure out what fears are valid and need to explore further (through further research, discussion with your spouse, or prayer).

And you are able to decide what fears are irrational and need to be seen for what they are. Sometimes fear can become so overwhelming that it keeps us from taking a look at the big picture.

Now, the general point of education is so that we can raise functioning members of society. If that is our goal, why do we think it is crucial to have our child’s physiological, moral, and social development shaped eight hours a day by twenty-five peers who come from families whose values are far different than our own?

Do we really want our children to be influenced by kids who the only reason they are together is that they were born in the same calendar year? Or do we want to surround our kids with the best and the brightest? Encouraging them to interact with people of all ages and nationalities?

There is really no other time in my child’s life where they will be surrounded for eight hours a day with a group of people all the same age. Really from the moment we graduate high school, we are expected to be able to interact in groups with people of all different ages. I want to prepare my child for life, not school.

3. The Real Life Truth

So, let’s talk homeschool reality. The basis of homeschooling is living life together in community. Even if I would like to buy a tiny home and live out in the middle of the woods, I still have milk to buy, dentists to visit, and that’s just the boring stuff.

What I am trying to say is that by homeschooling your children are learning how to interact with different types of people in different settings EVERY DAY. They don’t need a specific class on it. 🙂

In addition to real life situations, there are also a plethora of activities that are available to your child. These are great places for your children to form friendships and interact with children and adults of all ages.

There are co-ops where homeschooling moms get together and teach their favorite subjects (so you don’t have to teach the ones you hate). There are field trips, sports, neighborhood, and church activities, and specialized programs and internships. The list literally goes on and on and on.

To finish the tale of my grocery store experience. I settled for a quick response to the cashiers’ questions by listing all of the opportunities my children have to socialize. I am going to assume that she was in a state of shock when she said, “Wow. I guess they really do have time with other kids. I guess you don’t have to be afraid your kids will be weird.”

No, cashier lady, I am not afraid my children will be weird. I am excited that they get to experience the world as their playground.

Mamas, let’s say no to fear and embrace the possibilities.

Are you wondering HOW do you actually get started homeschooling? Join our community of moms who want to invest in the lives of their children through homeschooling. I also created a 10 Tips to Finding Excellent Curriculum form to help you on your journey.

What about you? What are your top concerns when it comes to socialization? Leave a comment, and don’t forget to follow Most Important Work on Pinterest!

A Homeschool Day In the Life

Reading Time: 4 min 48 sec

When we first decided to homeschool, we had a vision to create a certain type of atmosphere for our children. We wanted to foster deep family relationships, build life long memories, dive down rabbit holes, and allow our children to bask in the magic of childhood. We wanted our children to have the freedom to play, to explore and to create. We wanted to foster independent thinkers, lifelong learners, and courageous children.

And above all else, we wanted to encourage a deep, lifelong relationship with Jesus. We wanted to raise men and women of faith who live out of their identity as beloved children of God.

Every time we listen to Anne of Green Gables, giggle over board games, get down on our knees to pray, dance to the blues, and pour over logic, we are making small choices that move us toward our big vision.

When you look at our typical homeschool day,you need to understand that this is what works for our family in this season. I know it can be easy to get caught up in what you are or are NOT doing, we all want to do it RIGHT, but that misses the point of this article. You need to do what’s right for you, what fits your personality, and the needs of your family.

Mama’s, we are in this together! We are stepping out on faith, working hard, and imaging a different type of future for our children. So, don’t get too caught up in the details (we do not all have to use the same schedule) and let’s give ourselves A LOT of grace, and make choices today that move us toward our vision for the future.

Daily and Weekly Rhythm:

We found that it helps our day flow smoothly when we follow a rhythm instead of a schedule.

Years ago, I created a schedule, and it totally stressed me out. I always felt like the clock was the master of our day, and we are always struggling to keep up.

Now, we take our time, and after completing a task, we just move to the next thing on the list.

Every day we work on core subjects but each day has a different emphasis.

Borrowing from Brave Writer our weekly schedule looks something like this:

Monday– Poetry Tea Time and Free Write

Tuesday– Nature Study

Wednesday– Art and Music

Thursday– Extra Curricular Activities, Games, and Languages

Friday– Field Trips

Morning

I stumble out of bed and head downstairs to make coffee in the wee hours of the morning after my alarm goes off for the second time. I realized quickly that I am more productive in the morning than waiting to work until the afternoon. I have found that these early mornings of silence set my day up for success and I actually miss it when I sleep in.

I check my e-mail, work on my blog, and other projects until about 7am. My children stumble down the stairs ready for snuggles. After helping my husband get out the door for work, we finish up breakfast and start working on our chores for the day.

We then move to some type of exercise, in the warmer months we go for a walk, run or bike ride, in the bitter cold of winter, we will use an exercise video to burn off that excess energy. On certain days of the week, the kids are involved in extracurricular sports.

While they finish up chores and play quietly, I go to my room (the quietest place in the house) for devotions.

We officially start the day by lighting our candle to remind us that God is in us and with us. We then spend some time in prayer inviting him into our day. We move to read our Bible (we ABSOLUTELY LOVE this one) and memorize scripture. Depending on the day, we will either sing some worship songs or work on interactive projects, to help the kids move from head knowledge to heart experience of God.

We then snuggle under a huge blanket and start reading through a huge stack of picture books from the library. Books are the foundation for our daily curriculum. We choose books based off of our monthly unit study, the kids’ interest, core subjects, and just for fun books.

We then move to work on math, reading lessons, logic, and handwriting. We discovered a great French handwriting book this year that has dramatically improved their handwriting skills.

We intermix lessons with reading aloud to give them a break. A large amount of our learning can be done together but I do work with my six-year-old on reading separately, while I have my eight-year-old work their handwriting.

Here are our daily goals that we try to make happen FIRST each day. If nothing else gets done, at least I know that these things were accomplished.

Time with Jesus

Outside Time

Read Aloud (Books, Books, and more Books)

Games & Music

We will finish out the morning with either free play, listening to an audiobook, art, games and stem activities.

Afternoon

At around noon, I start making lunch while the kids play. After eating, we begin afternoon quiet time. Where the kids either nap, read books or play quietly in their rooms. I have found that this is a necessary part of our day, as tempers can flare without some time to themselves. I spend this time working on the blog and completing work projects.

At about three-thirty, everyone comes back together to play outside, go for a walk, or depending on the weather, to watch their favorite tv show.

Before I know it, it’s time to start preparing dinner and cleaning up the endless art projects, massive forts, and the sticky messes of the day.

Evening

After dinner, we spend the rest of the night playing a variety of board games together as a family. We are HUGE fans of board games. We include them wherever we can all throughout our day. They not only are FUN, create lifelong family memories, but they allow us to improve core skills (math, logic etc).

After putting kids down to bed. I finish preparing for the next morning, working on some projects, and reading. Before I know it, its time I am in bed. And yes, I am asleep in about two minutes (morning comes FAST). 🙂

That’s our day! What about you? What does your homeschool day look like? Leave a comment, and don’t forget to follow Most Important Work on Pinterest

You Got this Mom!

How to Homeschool in a Small Space

Reading Time: 4 min 58 sec

Have you ever wondered if it’s possible to homeschool in a small space? I don’t know about you but sometimes while homeschooling our homes can eerily resemble an episode from Hoarders. Cramped living spaces filled with old curriculum, books, paperwork, supplies, and projects seem to spread like a virus to every nook and cranny.

You sit down to homeschool your child, only to feel frustrated with your inability (and your child’s) to focus due to so many distractions. You organize all of your supplies only to find after a couple of weeks that the clutter has returned.

Your home is supposed to be a retreat but all you see is an endless to-list and an organizing nightmare. You feel overwhelmed, discouraged, and hopeless. You wonder if it is possible to homeschool in a small space without clutter spilling out of every drawer and cabinet!

Every homeschooling parent dreams of perfectly organized spaces where you have plenty of room to spread out and everything you need is always right at your fingertips. I am here to tell you that it doesn’t matter if you have a small or large space. It’s about the practical steps you take to control the clutter.

We are going to be talking about eight practical steps you can take to create a stress-free learning environment:

Stop Saving for a Rainy Day

2. Go Digital

3. Something Borrowed

4. In Plain View

5. Establish a Daily Habit

6. Avoid Sales

7. Utilize Media

8. Only Amazing Resources

1. Stop Saving for a Rainy Day

Do you ever keep resources just in case? You bought a math book, tried one or two lessons, you weren’t thrilled, so you put it back on the shelf, in the hope that it might miraculously be a good fit later down the road.

“If you’re not using the stuff in your home, get rid of it. You’re not going to start using it more by shoving it in a closet somewhere.” Joshua Becker

Let me be honest, if you haven’t used it in the last six months most likely you will never use it. Take a good look at all of your curriculum, whether its books, textbooks, handouts, projects and remove everything you haven’t used in six months. * You might be surprised at how many just in case, books and resources take up precious space on your shelves.

Good intentions do not create an organized stress-free home.

*This does not include staples (such as reading or math books) that you will use to teach your next child.

2. Go Digital

Do you have folders crammed full of handwriting samples, artistic masterpieces, math tests, and brochures from every field trip you have visited in the last six months?

I stumbled on this hack out of necessity when my second (of two) homeschool drawer was crammed to overwhelming with past paperwork. My good intentions of putting my paperwork into sheet protectors never ever happened (can anyone relate?).

Maximize your limited space by utilizing a scanning app to save every document (no drawer required). I have loved the flexibility and the price tag (its FREE) of the Genius Scan App. I scan every document and then upload them directly to the computer. It makes creating a portfolio a breeze (almost) every year. Say Hello to Empty Drawers!

If you find a better app, please let me know!

3. Something Borrowed

One of the ways we can run out of space so quickly is storing that reading or math book for two years until your next kid is ready for it. Did you know that the library is a gold mine of FREE Resources that… wait for it… YOU DON’T HAVE TO STORE!

I am talking about more than the lone textbook you found on your last library search, but a vast amount of material that will save you hundreds if not thousands of dollars. Check out this post 10 Library Hacks to the Hidden World of Free Curriculumfor step by step instructions.

4. In Plain View

An important aspect of homeschooling in a small space is being able to see everything at a glance. When organizing DO NOT stuff drawers or place items behind each other hoping to maximize space.

Take time and evaluate your materials. Here is a good rule of thumb when evaluating your materials

Keep the Best (Is it portfolio worthy?)
Remove Duplicates (Do you really need 8 pairs of scissors?)
Get Rid of all of those Scraps of Paper and Trash
Keep Only what you Love and use Regularly
Store the Same things Together (ex. Keep all pencils or library books in one spot)

5. Establish a Daily Habit

It is imperative when homeschooling in a small space to establish a daily practice of purging and placing everything back where it belongs. It might seem like an obvious suggestion until it comes to putting it into practice.

We choose to declutter at the end of every afternoon. I set a timer for ten minutes and we run about the house putting projects, books, and supplies away in preparation for dinner. Find a rhythm that works for you whether its right after school, late afternoon or during the evening, the point is to do it every day.

6. Avoid Sales

I don’t know about you but I can get a little carried away at those curriculum and library sales and start treating it like I am in the snack aisle of my local grocery store. I come out cash poor, regretful, and wondering where I am going to put all this stuff.

“It’s not a good deal if you don’t need it” -Unknown

Impulse buying can keep our homes, finances, and mental spaces in a place of chaos and clutter. Avoiding window shopping will go a long way in keeping your home free of mess.

7. Utilize Media

Get rid of some of those big heavy textbooks and utilize your digital resources. Not only can you purchase amazing apps and programs but I was shocked to find Rosetta stone language programs, math tutoring, and streaming documentaries (and that was just the tip of the iceberg) for FREE on my local library’s website. You can check out this article for step by step instructions.

8. Only Amazing Resources

Think of yourself as a curator of the best homeschooling resources. Only allow learning tools that you truly LOVE to enter your home.

“Your home is a living space, not a storage space.” Francine Jay

You do this by borrowing, researching, and committing to return items that do not fit your family’s needs. This step takes intentionality and commitment as there is always the pressure to find that perfect resource FAST. This step will play a huge role in allowing you to homeschool in a small space with peace.

So how do you find those AMAZING resources? Grab your free 10 Tips to Finding Excellent Curriculum checklist (get it below) to help YOU on your homeschooling journey!

What about you? What is your #1 concern when it comes to figuring out this homeschooling adventure?

Please feel free to leave me a comment and don’t forget to follow Most Important Work on Pinterest!

How to Avoid these Five Homeschooling Mistakes

Reading Time: 5 min 22 sec

Are you a new to homeschooling or in the thick of figuring out how to start? Are you dreaming of newly sharpened pencils, child prodigies, and Von Trapp family adventures? We are going to come alongside you on your journey and talk about the five common mistakes first-time homeschoolers make and how YOU can avoid them (and save hundreds of dollars).

I have spoken with a lot of new homeschool parents over the years who are overwhelmed, frustrated, burned out and about five minutes away from shipping their kids off to boarding school in Switzerland. They start to wonder about their ability, sanity, and if homeschooling is really doable for the average mom.

Homeschooling is very possible but sometimes we can unintentionally shoot ourselves in the foot by making decisions out of a lack of experience. We need people to come alongside us and help us through the minefields of those early days so that we can go back to enjoying those amazing family moments.

We are going to be addressing these 5 common homeschooling mistakes today:

1.Homeschooling without Direction

2. Duplicating School at Home

3. Bowing to a Teaching Philosophy

4.Requiring Too Much Too Soon

5.A Boxed Curriculum is the Answer

1. Homeschooling without Direction

We have an endless supply of amazing resources for homeschooling mamas and their students. It can get very easy to get caught up running to the latest teaching philosophy, schedule, curriculum, or activity hoping that it will solve all of your learning woes. Now I am all for exploring new teaching resources (We love you, Life of Fred) but it can get very exhausting and can give your kids whiplash if you don’t have a roadmap in place to help you figure out if that latest thing fits your family.

You need to know what your vision and values are because they influence the goals and atmosphere of your homeschool. You can’t set or accomplish your goals if you have no idea what you are aiming at.

For instance, does your vision for the future include children who grow up to be lifelong learners, self-starters, out of the box thinkers and mighty followers of Jesus? Does one of your values include forming quality family relationships?

If so, the decisions you make, your teaching style, activities, schedule, curriculum choices, and atmosphere all should flow out of your vision and values. They are a roadmap to a successful homeschool and when used properly, can help prevent burnout. Do not move forward without taking the time to talk over your vision, values, and goals with your spouse or a friend.

When things get challenging, instead of completely changing direction, and giving into fear and self-doubt, you can rest in the knowledge that you have an overall plan in place. By establishing your vision, values, goals, and atmosphere ahead of time it allows you to not have to make big decisions in a time of crisis.

2. Duplicating School at Home

You have just decided that you are going to homeschool and you are scared but also super excited. You rearrange your home, choose a homeschooling room, and rush out and buy (borrow or steal) desks, chalkboards, and inspirational posters for the walls. Three days into your homeschool adventure you realize that no one wants to sit at cold, hard desks when they can be snuggling on the couch reading books with mom.

Homeschooling is not public school at home. Homeschooling is a way of life. If your only exposure to education has been in a corporate setting, it might be helpful for you to think of homeschooling as private tutoring (with a lot of snuggles, family adventures and laughter thrown in).

Homeschooling is not just when you open your “school books” but all throughout the day, at the grocery store, gardening, listening to audiobooks in the car, while doing the budget, and fixing the sink, you are giving your children the benefit of real-world experience.

Save yourself tons of money, homeschool regrets (and your children a lot of frustration) by taking advantage of the benefits of teaching your children at home; one on one time together, comfy couches, and real-life learning to find out and own what works for you and your family.

3. Bowing to a Teaching Philosophy

As you start to research homeschooling it can feel like there are HUNDREDS of teaching methodologies out there. You are told that time in nature, memorizing information, giving them time to play, structure, no structure, textbooks, only living books, experience, and facts are crucial to your child’s success in life.

The options can not only feel overwhelming but restricting to a new homeschool parent. You get sold on a teaching philosophy and jump in 100% only to find out that it doesn’t quite fit your family. I have seen moms ignore the downsides (every philosophy can have negatives) and keep pressing on only to feel miserable because it is not a perfect fit.

You can save yourself time, energy, frustration, and money by realizing that you will need to adapt any philosophy to your family not your family to the philosophy. This is where knowing your vision, values, goals is crucial to setting the tone of your homeschool. Listen to your mom instincts, and don’t feel pressured to teach in a certain way if it doesn’t fit the needs of your family.

4. Requiring Too Much Too Soon

You are excited to get started on your homeschooling adventure. You sit down with your five-year-old and dive into your new stack of curriculum. The first couple of days are wonderful, and things are moving along brilliantly until suddenly they aren’t.

Your child whines when you get out the books, you find yourself constantly encouraging him to do one last problem or activity. You just find yourself working harder than they are to complete your list of studies for the day. You feel frustrated, demoralized, and you wonder if this homeschooling really works in real life.

Save yourself (and your child) frustration, by focusing on your values (strong family relationships, fostering a love for learning, character development etc.) instead of focusing on checking “educational” boxes.

When you have a ten-thousand-foot view of the future, you won’t get hung up on whether or not you completed the allotted math problems for the day.

Enjoy these early years, they won’t last forever. Encourage your child’s curiosity and rest in the knowledge that they are constantly learning by living life with you at the perfect pace for them.

6. A Boxed Curriculum is the Answer

You spend hours researching a comprehensive curriculum, you want to make sure that every base is covered, and that your kid won’t end up going to college, not knowing how to do long division. You find a curriculum that you think will be a good fit, shell out a couple hundred dollars, only to find to out that you love the math, are “ehh” about the social studies, and absolutely hate the language arts program.

It is rare (and I mean RARE) that a boxed curriculum will meet all of your needs. You know your child, you know their strengths and weaknesses, you know the vision and values of your homeschool, and you are the best person to hand select curriculum. Save yourself hundreds of dollars (do you see a theme here) by choosing the best resources for your child.

When you handpick curriculum, not only is it a smaller monetary investment but if it doesn’t work, you aren’t stuck with it (trying to get your money’s worth) or desperately scrambling to replace an entire curriculum midway through the school year.

Are you wondering HOW do you actually find a great curriculum for each subject? I created a How to Find Excellent Curriculum checklist (grab it below) to help you on your journey.

You Got this Mom!

What about you? What is your number one frustration when it comes to figuring out this homeschooling adventure? Leave a comment, and don’t forget to follow Most Important Work on Pinterest!

$How to Stop the Tears with 50 Out of the Box Math Resources$

How to Stop the Tears with 50 Out of the Box Math Resources

Reading Time: 4 min 40 sec

I hated math after second grade. Math in K through 2nd-grade was full of fun pictures, simple problems, and little challenges that grabbed my interest. 3rd-grade hit and so did purely text-based learning, and my joy of problem-solving DIED!

If your child is anything like me, math can feel overwhelming, and it can be a struggle to draw connections between solving difficult math problems and how that info will be used in real life. It’s frustrating to teach a child who obviously would rather be doing anything else (even visiting the dentist) than spend time learning math.

My overriding goal is for my kids to fall in love with learning. No matter their strengths and weaknesses I want to encourage them to wrestle with all aspects of education. I do that by not sticking to one way (a math textbook) of communicating concepts but by taking a multi-tool approach. Imagine teaching your child math concepts through playing a game, reading a story, listening to music, beating levels on an app, mastering brain teasers, or by solving a problem in a real life application?

There is a self-motivation that arises when kids make direct connections between what I am learning today, and if it can be applied directly to my life. Who doesn’t want to practice logical thinking, if they know it can be used to win at a game or to make purchases with their money?

Creating an atmosphere of fun, family relationships and multi-tool approaches allow you, as the parent to foster a love of learning at home.

In this article, we will be talking about:

How to Make Math Fun
How to Make Math Practical
How to Make Math a Treat
How to Make Math Unforgettable
How to Make Math an Adventure

Make Math Fun

Forget math drills and grab a board game. As your child practices their math skills, your family builds lifelong memories, and connections are drawn between math and FUN! I have seen a significant improvement in my children’s math skills and abilities to think logically after playing these board games!Here are a couple of math board game suggestions to get you started:

Quoridor(pronounced like Corridor) blew me away, with its modern, well made, wooden set. You want to leave this game out as a decorative piece, it’s that impressive. This game is a little on the higher end of the price tag, but WELL WORTH IT (I have already bought it to give away as gifts)! It takes anywhere from ten-twenty minutes to play the game so it is easy to use when you only have a short window of available time. I have seen a significant improvement in my children’s ability to think logically after playing this game!

Quoridor Logic
Math Dice Jr. Math
Rush Hour Logic
Brain Builders Logic
Sum Swamp Addition
Money Bags Money
Sequence Logic
Clumsy Thief Addition-Money

Make Math Practical

What seems to be the biggest hang-up with Math curriculum is the question, “How does this apply in real life?” This issue seems to grow throughout upper elementary years and beyond. Here are some amazing alternatives to traditional textbooks. What I appreciate is that children get to see immediately a direct correlation between math concepts and real-life application.

9. Life of Fred Series

Is an amazing alternative to a traditional math book. Written in story form, it follows the adventures of a 5-year-old prodigy named Fred who shows children how math applies to real life. At the end of every chapter, there are several math questions that pertain to the lesson for your child to answer. My children love this series and beg for more “Fred, please”! There is an elementary, middle school, high school series, and college.

10. Bedtime Math Series

Bedtime math is a three-part book series aimed at Pre-K- 2nd-grade students. This book is full of funny questions designed to make math fun for kids. I love that each question only takes about 5 minutes to answer so it’s easy to add to any part of your day. The genius of this series is that it offers three difficulty levels for each problem so the whole family can participate together.

11. Logic Lollipop Series

I started Logic Lollipop in 1st grade and Pre-K for my kids, and they fell in love with the books. What makes Logic Lollipop unique is that it is picture based book instead of text-based. This makes this series perfect for pre/beginning readers. I appreciated the program because it helped my children develop their critical thinking skills at young ages. There are three books in the series and are targeted to K-2 grade students. Love it!

12. Logic Safari Series

Is the next series following Logic Lollipop. It is text-based and builds upon the skills in the Logic Lollipop series. I would read aloud the problem aloud and have my children give a verbal response. There are three books in the series and they are targeted to 2-6 grade students. It is definitely challenging but my children have enjoyed working their way through the problems. These books teach kids to look at life logically and have helped my children understand math in a whole new way.

13. Math Skills Workbooks

If you worry that your child isn’t getting enough “real” practice, grab a workbook. These workbooks are affordable and they offer a great overview of the math skills per grade without a lot of unnecessary busy work.

Make Math A Treat

Math Seeds is by far our favorite math app. It is so engaging and fun that my kids beg to play “just one more game”. Math Seeds has really transformed my children’s math aptitude. Using challenges, games, songs, and tests, it teaches core math skills to kids ages 3-9.

We bought the program for my oldest, but my youngest who was in Pre-K at the time, got a hold of it, and after playing for several months ended up skipping K and most of 1st-grade math due to using this program.

Love it! What’s also great is that you can use it for two weeks for free and find out if it’s a good fit for your family! Win!

14. Math Seeds

Make Math Unforgettable

You know when a song gets stuck in your head and you just CAN’T GET IT OUT?! We have found these CDs to be a great way to memorize the multiplication tables. They are so much so that our kindergartener couldn’t help memorize them without even realizing it (she will thank me later). Each cd has a fun beat and perfect for taking advantage of time spent running errands in the car (we all have had those last-minute milk runs).

15. Multiplication “rock”

16. Multiplication Songs

Make Math an Adventure

Who knew math could be so fun? What I love about the power of picture books is that kids connect the warm feelings of snuggling on the couch, experiencing the magic of adventure with math! These are some of our favorite math picture books. Bon Voyage!