Math Manipulative Merriment

Happy Monday, everyone! We’re back today with our next Summer Stunner guest blogger. If you’re new to our blog, we’d like to take a few seconds to share what these Summer Stunner posts are about. For our summer theme, we wanted to continue last school year’s theme which is Wonder. We want to celebrate how our community sees all the wondrous things around them and the impact it has on their own families. 

Joining us is Stephanie Ridley with a sweet story about her youngest SLOCA student. The Ridley’s have been with SLOCA for several years now and her Wonder story showcases one of the best rewards of homeschooling. 

Let’s read on…

As Ensio and I practiced the kinder math activity of making 10s, I decided to get out the place value chart and disks. With two older sisters, he is very familiar with the chart and with the disks. This day, as I watched him adding ones to make a ten and moving the disks to the next column in the chart, I was struck with such a strong memory. 

I remembered us both sitting in those exact seats at the dining table while I did math with Sibylla on my right. I remembered little 25-month-old Ensio playing with the disks, blowing them across the paper, mimicking the dolphin on the box they are stored in with a wide-open mouth, and working so hard to form his little mouth to say “disks.”  I was lucky enough to have my phone handy that long-ago day to capture him in photos and a short video. 

This day, I grabbed my phone again to take some photos, and then I quickly called the girls over to us and pulled out the old video and photos so we could all appreciate the moment together.  We even sent them to Bryan so he could enjoy it as well.

What a difference those 3 ½ years made-from playing with the disks as a little one to using them and understanding the math concept that goes with them.  What wonder and joy these little things bring us, and who knew that place value disks, of all things, would bring our family so much joy?

Those place value discs, as cumbersome to use as some of our math students think they are, truly work! Also, how ADORABLE is little Ensio?? We hope you enjoyed Stephanie’s post! As you continue to read these entries, we hope you find them encouraging and refreshing. May it inspire you to look around where you are – whatever space or season you’re in, to find your own Wonder! Have a beautiful week, everyone!