Why Consistency Matters
For the first 18 years of my life I spent at approximately 5-10 hours per year in a swimming pool. Most of that time was during school swimming lessons and swimming carnivals. Needless to say, I was not much of…
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An Interesting Way to Divide
One thing I love about teaching is the learning. You never truly know something until you can teach it, and while you’re teaching you often learn more than your student! At least I find it that way. Recently I came…
Taming the Times Table
This post was originally published as part of a series called Reimagining Maths Teaching. We’ve updated it and added a freebie! I’ve stated many times in the past that memorising the multiplication table is key to understanding virtually all of…
A Game to Practice Times Tables
I was looking for a way to practice the five times tables with my boy recently and came up with this simple but effective (and apparently fun) game. I used the now discontinued Milestone Maths game cards but you can…
The Hidden Danger Behind Decodable Readers
As a literacy tutor, this is a hill I am prepared to die on. Walk into any local library these days and ask the librarian how to help your young child learn to read and they will guide you to…
Todo Lists and Gantt Charts or Why Homeschool Curriculum is Different to Made-for-School Workbooks.
Have you ever wondered what makes a homeschool-specific maths curriculum like Milestone Maths different to a made-for-school workbook that you can buy at a newsagents or office supply shop? There are many differences even on the surface: school workbooks are…
Help! My Child is Behind in Maths. But Are They Really?
One of the most common customer queries I get is from parents concerned that their child is “behind” in maths. The query usually looks something like this: My child is 8 years old and should be in Year 3. We’ve…
Forget Learning Style, Does Your Homeschool Curriculum Fit Your Family’s Lifestyle?
In the search for the “perfect” homeschool resources, families are faced with a dizzying array of new terms and options. It seems you suddenly have to become an expert in: But here’s an interesting thought: What if none of those…
You Really Only Need to Teach Two Things as a Homeschool Parent
Even if you’ve only just begun contemplating homeschooling you have probably noticed that there are a LOT of competing philosophies in the homeschool movement. From “child-led, wonder-based” unschoolers to the diligent workbook approach of the “school-at-home” movement, they all seem…
How Primary Maths Teaching Can Make Algebra Hard
In our last post, we looked at why algebra deserves a place in the homeschool curriculum. This time, we’re going to explore how the way maths is taught in primary school can set children up to either succeed or struggle…