Summer 2013: Prepare - Soar with Singapore - SLO Classical Academy
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Welcome to Down Home, San Luis Obispo Classical Academy’s blog! We are a classical school offering several options to make our education work for families with infants through high schoolers. Our signature hybrid program, which is part-time classroom and part-time home instruction, provides an engaging education for preschool through middle school (with full time options available). We also have a university model high school. This blog is meant to support and encourage on the home front because, in so many ways, the heart of what happens at SLO Classical Academy happens down home.

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Summer 2013: Prepare – Soar with Singapore

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Last Monday we mentioned several ways to keep the kids’ brains sharp over summer, and one of those was to keep practicing math facts. Because we believe so strongly in the Singapore Math program and want all of our students to thrive in it, today’s Prepare tip will help your kids soar with Singapore. Lisa Ann Dillon, our Track A Intermediate teacher and Singapore Math Curriculum Coordinator, shares some tips for both new and returning families:

Dear Families,

Welcome to SLOCA and Singapore Math. This amazing and effective program is rigorous but if students work it correctly and daily they will come to master math skills in a powerful way. This will help your child not only be able to do math problems at the appropriate level, but to understand the work as well.

Help prepare students over the summer by getting some solid practice in. That way your student will be off and running in the fall rather than wanting to run off! This program moves quickly, building one skill on top of another. I often compare it to a staircase. Without each step in place, there are some holes that can make it challenging to get to the top! The Singapore approach comes with its own language and trying to dive in to that approach when the basic skills are weak can overwhelm students. If your student is weak in math, or even if your student loves math – these recommendations will help tremendously.   

  • Practice multi digit problems for all four operations.
  • Get solid on units of measure and their conversions such as 12 in. = 1 ft, 3 = 1 yard, 100 cm = 1m, 1000 m = 1 km, 2 cups = 1 pt., 2 pts. = 1 qt., 4 qt. = 1 gallon, etc.
  • Practice telling time and calculating lapsed time.
  • Practice extending math facts: 8 + 5 = 13, 80 + 50 = 130, 800 + 500 = 1300, 38 + 5 = 43 (Several good practice books are available online, like this series).
  • Grades 4 & up: work long division problems and multi – digit multiplication. It will be assumed that students know these algorithms and can work problems quickly and correctly.
  • Refresh with fractions.

For our returning families looking to brush up on those skills, these tips will help you as well. The more students are primed to think about math on day one, the more they will understand and retain. Everyone needs down time, so keep that in mind. Try to keep it fun. Some ideas for that are:

  • Younger children can skip count while scootering or bike riding.
  • Count everything in the house. Compare sizes, amounts, colors and other attributes.
  • Try simple word problems – even with your youngest. Lyla likes when we say something like: “Grant has 3 blueberries and Lyla has 4. Who has more? How many more?” Or, “Lyla has 2 mini Lego figures and Grant has 3. How many do they have all together?” When Lyla says “5” we reinforce the fact by saying, “That’s right! 2 and 3 make 5.”
  • Do math facts while jumping on the trampoline or shooting hoops. Grant likes to do multiplication facts (up to x 12) while playing catch with his dad.
  • Do you have multiple kids? Have them create math problems for each other. The one who assigns the problem has to solve it too. This gives everyone a chance for extra practice.
  • Have kids help you cook. Using measurement is the best way to practice. Kids can also help with the shopping at Farmer’s for extra practice counting money.
  • On trips, have kids keep track of time or distance. Use a log – estimate how much time it will take to get from one rest stop to the next. Check your watches and go!
  • Do math facts and extend them while on long drives or airplane trips.
  • I always love using food for working on fractions. Eat 2/6 of your pizza. How many thirds does that equal?
  • Last year, Mrs. Milligan’s kids began creating monster long division problems. If your student is up for it, challenge him or her to work on such a problem and bring it in on the first math day!

This is just the tip of the iceberg and is only meant as a spring board for you at home. Get creative with your kids and work math into your daily routines as much as possible. Our hope for our parent community is that we can set the example for our students to see that math is a part of our lives. If we can embrace it, we can all be good at math! We all learn to read, we delve deeply into literature and history. Let’s become the kind of community that can say the same for our mathematics skills!

If you come up with a great way to explore math this summer, please leave a comment below or send an email to [email protected].  We would love to hear your ideas!

Reminder: This Wednesday, July 10th, there will be a Curriculum Preview in the Lewis Library from 9-11AM. Please stop by and see what's in store for next school year!

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