When I first heard about Montessori floor beds, I was skeptical. Convinced my son would fall out all the time, and that he would not be getting enough sleep because he would rather be exploring his…
ALERT THE PRESS! I’m sharing all my bullet journal ideas today in an effort to simplify my life and switch into a planner that stops my manic overworking tendencies. NOTE: This post contains affiliate links. Affiliate links provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to products. Y’all. I’m tired. So […]
ALERT THE PRESS! I’m sharing all my bullet journal ideas today in an effort to simplify my life and switch into a planner that stops my manic overworking tendencies. NOTE: This post contains affiliate links. Affiliate links provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to products. Y’all. I’m tired. So […]
Wordpress versus Showit and why I switched from Wordpress to Showit. Discover the benefits, features, and who the website platform, Showit5, is right for.
Here's a rundown of why I switched my website to Showit.
ALERT THE PRESS! I’m sharing all my bullet journal ideas today in an effort to simplify my life and switch into a planner that stops my manic overworking tendencies. NOTE: This post contains affiliate links. Affiliate links provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to products. Y’all. I’m tired. So […]
ALERT THE PRESS! I’m sharing all my bullet journal ideas today in an effort to simplify my life and switch into a planner that stops my manic overworking tendencies. NOTE: This post contains affiliate links. Affiliate links provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to products. Y’all. I’m tired. So […]
Wanting to improve your family's health? A whole foods diet can help. It's not so much a diet as a lifestyle and just going back to eating real food.
Wordpress versus Showit and why I switched from Wordpress to Showit. Discover the benefits, features, and who the website platform, Showit5, is right for.
This year, I made the switch to Affinity Publisher for making my printables. Before I explain why I switched I thought it would also help to show you some of the things I’ve made in Affinity …
Consumer Reports explains how a transfer switch or interlock device works, so your portable generator is ready for the next storm.
Since listing my 2013-2014 curriculum choices, I have received dozens of emails from mommas all asking the same question... Why did you switch from A Beka math to Teaching Textbooks? Followed by the next logical questions... How do you like Teaching Textbooks? And why are your younger kids still using A Beka? (This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for full details.) Naturally, I wanted to give Teaching Textbooks a full year before giving my "official" review. So... Today's the day. Here's the skinny... I switched because I'm a busy momma trying to juggle four grade levels and a toddler and quite frankly, something had to give! I needed an easier workload. There, I've said it. In an attempt to lighten my load and maintain a certain level of school day sanity, I knew I needed to delegate one or two subjects to someone or something else. Although I was an "A" student in most of my math classes, it was never my favorite subject. Since, for the first four years of her education, it tended to be the subject that my daughter disliked the most also, it was the clear choice for CHANGE. The computer-based lessons of Teaching Textbooks would require little time from me freeing me up to teach something else to another child, I reasoned. I also thought that the animated lessons would be a welcome change for my daughter who obviously craved something a little more "jazzy" than the A Beka math that she had been doing up until that point. So, I plunked down the hefty amount and prayed that I wasn't making a huge mistake by potentially damaging my daughter for life! (Because isn't that what we, homeschool mommas, always think before we try something new?!) So...That's the short answer of why I made the switch. The one I tell in passing to the lady with the raised eyebrows. But, you don't want the short answer, do you? Nope. You came here hopin' for the dirt. The nitty-gritty. Well, here it is.. Why I start with A Beka Math Truthfully, if it wasn't A Beka, I would have to start with something else, because Teaching Textbooks only offers materials for third graders and beyond. But, I start with A Beka on purpose. I believe in spiral learning I know that most homeschool math curriculums advocate for a mastery approach to learning. I, on the other hand, wholeheartedly disagree with that method. I prefer the spiral approach. Although A Beka is not the only math curriculum that presents math with spiral learning in mind, it is, in my opinion, one of the best curriculums for this style. (In full disclosure, I worked for A Beka for four years in the homeschool division AND I taught A Beka Arithmetic for several more years in a traditional setting. I'm comfortable with it.) I believe in building a solid math foundation I'm a firm believer that a child should learn all four math processes (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division) inside and out...forward and backward. No counting on fingers. No memory tricks. Just memorization of the facts. In my opinion, if a child has to rely on anything other than quick memory to solve a process problem, he does not really know the answer...even if he can EVENTUALLY come up with the correct answer after using "tricks." Using finger counting or memory tricks really only affirm that a child knows what "addition" (subtractions, multiplication, and division) is. It doesn't necessarily show that he actually knows the individual facts. While a child can coast through life continuing to count on his fingers, I think that puts him at a great disadvantage in higher-level math. A long division problem, which should only take a few moments to solve, ends up being a thirty-minute nightmare. A weak foundation of math processes cripples a child down the road. Having taught A Beka in both a traditional school setting and in homeschool, I have always found it to be an exceptional curriculum for building core knowledge of facts from kindergarten through third grade. By fourth grade, those foundational facts are combined to create complex, multi-step problems. I like flair Perhaps it is because math has never been my fave, I really desire to add as much flair and color to it as possible. I'm not here to name names or anything, but most spiral-learning based math programs on the homeschool market today look like an absolute snooze-fest. No color. No pictures. Just pages and pages of black numbers on stark white pages. That's enough to make a clown cry, in my opinion. A Beka, on the other hand, is a workbook based-program that offers an aesthetically pleasing page...at least in the younger grades. Yes, it is workbook based. Yes, it often over-emphasizes review. But, since I have very distinct opinions about workbooks in my homeschool, I have no problem embracing the parts about A Beka Arithmetic that I like and ignoring the rest. That being said, I have never really loved the fourth grade and beyond A Beka Math. After third grade, the work tends to be rather dry and has an over-emphasis of long division. Why I was drawn to Teaching Textbooks Once I made the decision to "farm out" math, I knew I needed to find a curriculum that would ALSO approach math from a spiral method, offer a great foundation in basic facts, and offer some flare! Teaching Textbooks immediately caught my eye. With a year of TT under my belt, here's what I've come to really appreciate about the program. The lessons are clear and easy to understand. All lessons can be repeated or played back should my kids not understand any of them the first time. The "worksheet" problems are self-grading. My child immediately knows whether he/she got an answer correct and can retry the problem or opt for a "hint" if need be. I was very impressed with the "real life" math scenarios emphasized in Math 7. Every single new concept was explained with a "how and when will you use this in everyday life" approach. (I have read through the entire Math 4 curriculum that my son will be completing this year and I have NOT found it to have a "real life" element. But, I'm assuming that is because the foundational facts need to be completely covered first before the "application" is emphasized.) The first few problems of each lesson are practice problems and do not affect the daily grade. This definitely helps with a child who demands perfection from herself. My daughter was able to have a few tries at the new concept before being graded. It is CURRENTLY not aligned with common core standards. Here's a sample of Math 7, lesson 10. Some things you should know about Teaching Textbooks The review is sometimes lacking Although it is a spiral-approach to math, there is not as much review of old concepts as other spiral-method curriculums. When looking over Math 4 for the upcoming school year, I can clearly see that I will have to do some additional drilling of multiplication facts. They are taught. And it looks like they are taught well. But, I think most kids need more daily practice of the foundational facts than TT offers. Order a la carte The full package comes with both the CD program AND a traditional textbook/workbook. While I have friends who loooooove having the workbook because their children prefer to handwrite the answers, my daughter NEVER wanted to write in the workbook. For us, it was a waste of money. So, this year, I only purchased the CD package. It is not as hands-off as you might think Because Teaching Textbooks requires very little parent involvement on a daily basis, it can sometimes be tricky to help a child when he/she becomes confused or needs additional explanation. While I know math, I'm admittedly a little rusty on some math concepts that I just don't use very often in everyday life...like finding percentages and lowest common denominators. For this reason, I tried to listen in to my daughter's lessons every now and again in order to stay current with what she was learning. If I did not take the time to keep abreast of the units, it was difficult to help her. I'd have to go back and skim a few lessons in order to get the gist and be able to explain the concept more clearly to her. The methods can vary from the norm Every now and again, TT would teach a concept in a completely different way than I ever learned it...sometimes in a more clear, much easier way...sometimes not. The grading scale is misleading I really don't like the way TT gives daily grades. A child is given two tries to get the right answer. So, even if my daughter got every single problem wrong the first time but was able to get them all correct on the second attempt, she received a 100%. That's not a clear representation of her ability, in my opinion. If she got it wrong the first time, I think she should be given a chance to re-do the problem in order to correct her mistake. But, I also think the problem should be marked as incorrect. The final grade should reflect the original error...sadly, it doesn't. The grade screen does, however, tell you how many times she attempted each problem. So, I just take that into consideration when assessing her work. (Since I don't give grades in my homeschool, this is not a huge "con" in my eyes. But, I thought it was worth mentioning for those homeschool mommas who DO give daily grades.) Here's what I mean. You can see in this picture that my daughter clearly missed problem 21, and yet, she received a score of 100. The lessons can be lengthy The audio lessons can be quite long. For this reason, many kids opt to just read the lessons out of the textbook. They can skip the sections that they have mastered and focus their attention on the unfamiliar portions. The placement tests are a MUST I STRONGLY recommend taking the free, online placement tests before ordering...especially if you are switching from a different math curriculum. In my opinion, TT tends to be a bit inaccurately leveled. What most curriculums teach in third grade, TT doesn't cover until fourth. The placement test will give you a better idea of which grade level to order. (This year my 6th grader will be doing pre-algebra which is the TT 8th grade materials.) The replacement costs are reasonable Should you lose or scratch a CD, TT will replace individual CDs in a pack for around $15. I'm sure I don't need to tell you how thrilled I was to learn this when I was faced with the thought of potentially replacing an ENTIRE $130 set when one of four CDs mysteriously vanished. (Found it weeks later...but only after I had ordered a replacement. Sigh!) In addition, TT is one of the rare CD-based curriculums that allows you to legally resell the program to someone else...and in turn, buy it used. (A word of advice...some of the older versions are not self-checking. If you decide to buy the program used, PASS on the older versions. Just my two cents!) A final word As with all curriculums, both A Beka and Teaching Textbooks receive mixed reviews. People either love them or they hate them. I hope this lengthy look at why I choose to use BOTH has given you a better understanding of whether either one of these programs will work for YOU. In case you're curious, I also switch English midstream. Here's why>>>
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Math was a disaster until we found teaching textbooks. Here are 4 reasons why we switched to teaching textbooks and why you may love it too!
In this post, I’ll explain why I don't switch out literacy centers at the beginning of each week - and what I do instead!
It is April 2023, and I have decided to switch from hiking the PCT to the AT. Read my 'why' here.
I tried something new and drastic his year. I got rid of all of the zeroes in my grade book, and I don’t think I am ever going back. Whether you are
What is AMRAP, EMOM, and Tabata training? This article explains three reasons why you should switch up your cardio with one of these fun workout styles.
There’s a lot more to task switching and transitions than meets the eye. ADHD-related issues with focus and executive dysfunction complicate the process of moving from one task to the next. Here, take a deep dive into transitions and learn how to help your teen get over the hump.
Do you differentiate, level, or tier your math tests? Today I'm sharing 7 reasons why I made the switch to using leveled, differentiated math tests in my classroom. This post is part of a 3 part series on math assessments that are differentiated and leveled. My first post focused on what a differen
If you have to switch to a corn-free diet, this post is a must-read! Here's why you might want to switch to corn-free, plus tips for eliminating corn.
What is AMRAP, EMOM, and Tabata training? This article explains three reasons why you should switch up your cardio with one of these fun workout styles.
This year, I made the switch to Affinity Publisher for making my printables. Before I explain why I switched I thought it would also help to show you some of the things I’ve made in Affinity …
So you're now working with an older PMLD student, perhaps a teenager and want to work on developing understanding of cause and effect. There is a lot of discussion around the idea of 'age appropriate' toys and resources. What is meant by that is not using toys developed for babies and toddlers with teenagers and young adults. Personally, I think there's no such thing as a toy that's not 'age appropriate' and if it is motivating and enjoyed then there's no reason not to use the toy. I mean, I am a 35 year old woman and I love playing with Lego and my son's toy trains so who says older people can't use toys developed for children? However, you may well have a student who is no longer motivated by those toys, or maybe you've exhausted the use of those toys and want to try something else to support your students to develop their understanding of cause and effect. So what could you use? Well below I have laid out examples of some things that you should have around the house or in school or college which could be used. You may need to attach a switch to them if the young person you work with needs switch access. Items you might find in the kitchen Electric Whisk - plug this in and model to your students how to press the buttons to turn on the whisk. You can have great fun using it with items to whisk up - if it's a cooking lesson then whisking up cream or eggs to do some baking is great. If not then some dish soap and water will create a nice bowl of bubbles in which to then have some sensory play. Salad spinner - this one doesn't even need to be plugged in. Just press the big plunger down in the middle to watch it spin. If you're doing some food preparation lessons then of course you can put salad into the middle and wash it. However, if you want to try a using it differently, why not try using it with paint and spray onto paper for a fun art activity? Blender - plug it in, put the fruit or other items into the top and press the button! Don't forget to put the lid on though or everyone will be covered in fruit! Although, I suppose if you wanted to make it a funny experience you could just leave the lid off but the clean up may not be so fun. Perhaps better to use this as a cooking experience and make some nice fruit smoothies to taste afterwards. Toaster - pop the bread in, pull the switch down and wait for some delicious toast. While waiting you can talk about the delicious smell coming from the freshly toasted bread. This is a nice one for then tasting afterwards but it does take several minutes to go from the cause (pulling the lever down) to the effect (the toast popping up) so perhaps one for students who have already begun to develop their understanding of cause and effect. Egg timer - if you choose an egg timer which has a ring or bell when finished then this makes a good cause and effect resource. Model how to set the timer for about 10 seconds and then count down and anticipate the ringing sound when it has finished. Pans and wooden spoons - using pans, their lids and a wooden spoon to bang them is always a fun and loud cause and effect activity. It's always fun to make a drum out of a pan! Items you might find in a living room Television - most people have a television and using the remote control to turn it on and off this could be used to demonstrate the idea of cause and effect. Lamps - if you manage to get one of those lamps which come on through being touched then they would be a particularly great cause and effect item. However, even a standard one with a switch would be useful! CD player (or other music player) - some of these will use a remote and some will just have buttons to press to turn the music on and off. Recliner chairs and sofas - Okay so this isn't one you're likely to be using in a classroom but if parents ask for a suggestion for home and they happen to have one then they are great fun. If they are electric or have a remote then of course they are easier to use. If not then the button can be more difficult to pull, but it's still pretty good fun to sit on while it moves or to watch move. Items you might find in a bedroom or bathroom An electric fan - plug in and use the buttons to turn it on to different speeds. If you want to make it more visual you could tie some lightweight ribbons to the fan cage so that when it blows it blows the ribbons out too. This is a particularly nice cause and effect resource if working with someone with a visual impairment as they will be able to feel the breeze if sat in front of the fan. Hand held fans - with these there is usually a button you press to turn the fan on and they tend to be battery operated. These are more portable and if you have a few then you can have several students using them at the same time. Hairdryer - another item that is useful if your student has a visual impairment. Just be a bit careful with this as they can be hot, choose the cooler setting if possible. Electric toothbrush - these are great if used as a sensory experience too. You can hold the toothbrush gently on someone's cheek, or arm and they will be able to feel the effect when it is turned on and off. Taps - bath, sink or even the shower. This is another one that isn't portable but many classrooms do have a sink which could be used. Otherwise, this is another one to suggest when at home. Other items you might find and use Torches - if you have a torch then these are also great cause and effect items as you can turn them on and off with the buttons. Great if you want to do some work on this skill in a dark space such as a sensory room or just if a parent wants to do this on one of the dark evenings we have in the Winter. Doorbells - these are great as you just need to push the button for the chime to go off. If you have one with different tunes to play then that can be good fun for doing some work on making choices too. Water spray bottles - I have one of these at home for spraying on tops and shirts ready to iron them. If you have one then these are great as both a cause and effect toy and also as a sensory resource for retelling stories which have water in them. I find it's best to spray them just above so that the water sprinkles down a bit like rain. I do let students spray them at me though as they find that pretty funny and motivating once they realise that pressing the bottle handle actually sprays the water at me! Garden hose - if this has a spray nozzle on the end then it's particularly useful. Have students work on their grip skills to press the handle of the nozzle to activate the hose and allow the water to flow. Oranaments - such as music boxes or carousels - these are great for students to turn and then listen to the music while the carousel or the little dancer turns. Christmas ornaments / decorations - one great thing about Christmas is all the great ornaments and decorations which can be used. Items such as Christmas tree lights with a switch, or sound activated dancing reindeer or Santa clauses. Every year I go around all the Christmas decoration shops and stalls that pop up and look for anything that could be useful in this way. When choosing which items to use you might want to consider things such as your students fine and gross motor skills, how will they access the item, can they press the switch or do you need to look at using Big Mac switch access somehow? You might also want to consider which senses the item is most useful for, can it be accessed by someone with a visual impairment, a hearing impairment? Will the sound be too loud for a student who is over sensitive to noise. As you get to know your students you will learn more about what they find motivating and any likes and dislikes they have as well as their individual needs. Are there any other items you would add to my list? Post in the comments to let me know what items I am missing and to share your ideas!
Stay informed with the latest news, features, and updates from Discord. Read our blog to discover what's happening in the Discord community.
You've heard that Spanish teachers and French teachers should be using CI, but why is it important to master comprehensible input strategies? I switched to...
This year, I switched our family to using the The CMEC for the base of our homeschool curriculum. I’m sharing a brief review about it.
How and Why to Switch Homeschool Curriculum Mid-Year? Sometimes a homeschool parent wishes they could ditch the homeschool textbooks.
Here's why you should use mint instead of (or in addition to) basil when you make pesto. Plus, learn how to make pesto with fresh mint.
After 3 years of having an open wardrobe, it was finally time to upgrade to a closed wardrobe. Why I didn’t make this switch sooner – who knows. Drom dustmite paradise to a clean, sleek and grown up wardrobe. The only thing that really bothered me about an IKEA wardrobe was the lack of color […]
How to make task switching easier as an adult with ADHD. Learn about different types of transitions and get task switching examples.
Find out why we switched to Teaching Textbooks 3.0 homeschool math curriculum. We are using Teaching Textbooks Math 3 and it is the best math curriculum!
Today I share my thoughts on traditional art vs digital art, and why I switched my daily illustrations from colour pencil to digital in Photoshop.
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Beast Academy Review: Why we switched to this math curriculum (for grades 3-6) that focuses on critical thinking and problem solving.
We stopped eating a Weston A. Price diet (WAPF) and switched to whole foods plant-based. Here's my review of the WAPF diet and why we started eating WFPB instead! In
