Tag: Math

Learning with cash

We prefer cash to digital money, when it comes to teaching the kids about money. The hand to brain connection is so much easier for children to grasp, that the imaginary world of digital money.

When you hold coins or notes in your hand, it is so much easier to get a realistic idea of how much you own. When you have spend your money physically with cash, they are gone. You cannot see them anymore. Much easier for children to take in.

Using cash instead of digital money will also help your kid (and most adults :)) to save money. It is much harder to give away cash in your pocket, than virtual money on the internet. So you will start saving, when you go back to using cash.

We did this little creative project with our 7 year old, when he was to make a present for his friend. We are so lucky in Denmark to have coins with holes in them. That made this project possible. A cash necklace.

We like posters

We have a habit for sticking everything we can’t remember on the wall. So we decided that we could just as well, do it properly. We try to understand things we find hard, or find hard to remember, or just stuff we in some kind of way, need to organize and put in place in our memory, by making posters.

The kids walk by, or sit by the table and they read the posters over and over again. And if you should still forget something, you can just look at the poster.

We replace them regularly as we learn and grow in age and level.

Geometry.
Danish grammar.
Math rules.

Examining a Pyrex flask

Many of our projects spring out of a flee market purchase. We love flee markets. You never know what you will find and you feel like all is possible at an affordable price. This Pyrex flask was used for a large number of projects. First we calculated the volume inside the flask. Then we filled it with water and measured if the amount of water agreed with our calculations.

Measuring.
Reality check.

Then we examined the magnifying effect.

Magnifying effect.

Then we tested how effective the firestarter was.

The Firestarter is working!

Individual learning together

Many people ask us what it looks like when we do individual learning together at the table. Well, here it is.

In the classical subjects such as Danish, Math, English and German, our kids follow each their own level of learning.

I teach these subjects individually, by laying out the books on our weekly schedule on the table the night before. Each pupil get a stack of books by their seat to complete a certain amount of work in, the next day.

I go through the work to be done, with them, one by one. Then they work independently and can ask for help, when they get stuck.

The music in the background is not background music edited onto the movie later, but was played while we worked. We often chose to listen to music while we work, if everyone agree to the chosen music.

We all help each other and respect when someone finds something difficult.

On our current schedule (it often changes), we spend around 1-3 hours a day on these subjects 3 days of the week. Our goal is to complete the books we use and the additional tests, by 1st of April each year. We have reached our goal every year.

Working with probability theory

We have struggled a bit with probability theory, and made this gadget to select random numbers. We then compared it to manual random numbers using dice. Then we entered it into a spreadsheet and analysed the data up against each other. One of our kids build the number selector with dad.

You can see our recordings and progress here:

Random dice number selector we made.
Ordinary dice used.
Manuel probability chart.
It was very slow!

Learning the Letters and Numbers

Hands on learning of the Letters and Numbers. When our children was 2-6 years old, we made this Memory game. The children measured up til black backgrounds and the white sheets of paper. They then wrote the Letters and Numbers on them in pairs, so we could use them to practice remembering the Alphabet and the Letters, while playing Memory game.

Geometry of Innocence – Ordrupgaard

We visited Ordrupgaard for the first time together as a family 2nd of September 2018. We wanted to see the installation “Geometry of Innocence”, by Mike & Doug Starn in the park.

It was a very impressive experience to see a construction in that size made out of giant bamboo. I have always loved installation art. It feels like you can explore an art piece on so many more levels, than a painting (I love paintings too, though). For children, installation art, can be a playground to explore.

The piece brings out many emotions and thoughts – this looks so fragile, will it fall apart when we enter it? Is it at all sensible to bring my beloved family to the top of it, just for entertainment? Will it fall down? How can it be so strong, when it just looks like one great organic mess?

It brought around many interesting questions. These were the children’s questions. Why have they made it? Is it dangerous? How many meters of rope have they used? How much bamboo? Why bamboo? Did they make a drawing first? Can I go up to the top again?

One thing we agreed on for sure, it was beautiful and fascinating.

Fractions for fun

I caught my oldest trying to explain to our youngest about how fractions work the other day. A moment of intensity and joy. A child happy to share knowledge and a child eager to learn from the older, full of respect. I love these moments that jump out of conversations we have, and turn into very motivated learning.

Counting your money

Making learning come alive, with real life challenges, is high priority in our home school. Learning about numbers and being able to count, makes sense when you get pocket money and want to see if you have saved more than your siblings. High motivation.