Dear Friends,

Happy new school year! I know some of you started in August, but for those who have been eking out the last bit of summer, welcome to the start of a whole new year of learning!!

And, to get us started out right, we tackle a topic that can sink our boat before we get out of the harbor. Math is, for many of us, the subject most dreadful. It causes tears, fears, and weary hours at the table. Some make deals: "Do math, get meals." Others just cringe and hope it goes away. Though some kids are incredibly gifted in this one-of-eight intelligences (math/logical), many are not.

So . . . what is the best way to teach the stinker (referring, of course, to the subject, NOT the student!)?

It turns out that the best way to teach math is the same as the best way to teach every other subject! Build a bridge between it and your student.

You may be asking yourself, "How on earth do I build a bridge?"

Great question! Though the answer depends on discovering the uniqueness of your child, here are a few time-tested tips to get you started on finding the best bridge-builder for YOUR student.

Touch it.

2+2=4 is abstract.

Counting Mommy's two feet plus your two feet equals four feet!! (Toes and fingers can add up in a hurry, so this is not just for 4 year olds!)

Play it.

8+7=15 can be boring.

Playing a math-based card game is fun. (15-2, 15-4, that's all, there ain't no more . . .)

Sing it.

4x4=16 can be mindless.

Singing Skip Count Kids multiplication songs is memorable. (If you don't mind corny.)

Eat it.

1/4 + 1/2 = 3/4 can be confusing.

Cutting a lemon meringue pie into two halves, and then dividing one half equally again, will allow students to not only recognize that 2/4 = 1/2, but they can EAT their fraction. (You may want to practice 1/8 + 1/16 = 3/16!)

Color it.

25% of the area of a rectangle can be intimidating.

Coloring that same area is creative . . . (And enlightening!)

Teach it.

Long division can be challenging.

Teaching your friend, your sibling, your mother how do it can be thrilling. (Be sure your child adequately understands the concept before showing someone else.)

All of these are bridges. They span the space between the subject and the student, and they use the student's interest to anchor it in place.

It not only works, it adds lots of laughter and fun to your days!

Remember, stay relational.

Diana

Chess is Child's Play

Chess is Child's Play, is a 26 chapter, 302 page book written by Laura Sherman and Bill Kirkpatrick. It helps you to teach your children chess by breaking it down into small and simple steps. It can be used to teach children beginning at age 2 all the way up. It even taught me how to play chess. Each lesson has a mini game to go along with it to help cement in the learning of the game, which also makes learning chess fun!

The preface is full of the many benefits of playing chess. They range from sportsmanship to problem solving, self-confidence, greater patience and focus and so much more. The lessons are a chapter, a few pages long, that you the parent read and then teach your child through games how to play chess. The games start off very simple to help you learn each piece's name and how they can move. Chess manners are discussed as well. As you work your way further through the book the lessons build on each other and get more complex. Before you realize it, you know how to play chess, as does your child. You both will have a great time along the way as well.

While we do own a few chess boards our family had no prior chess experience. This book has made teaching chess easy. We were able to work on it 3 nights a week learning chess. Each lesson and game took about 15 minutes to master. I like that I am able to teach them together and then they can play the simple games together until the next lesson. We are all learning together, even me. My 3 children who range in ages 7-13 have all been able to learn together. (. . .)

(To read the rest of the review, click HERE.)