A Small Tool For Teachers

There are lots of resources and products for teachers and parents who are home-schooling.  Some are cheap and deliver few rewards.  Some are very expensive and deliver few to many rewards.  Meaning some are worth what you pay for it and others not so much.

Most of the time I believe you get what you pay for, but there is one small, cheap tool or resource that very versatile and worth far more than you pay for it.  It is small enough to put in your pocket, doesn't require batteries or special training, and can be applied for behavioral or academic learning.  What is it?

A deck of cards from the dollar store.  What?  I said, a deck of cards from the dollar store.  Well how do you use it?  Here are some ways I have used the cards:

• For behaviorally challenged students--allow the children to draw a card from the deck every time they are on task, polite, quiet, or whatever the desired behavior.  When the cards in their hand total 200, they will receive a reward such as free time, permission to refuse one assignment, or whatever works for that child.  Now this is not 200 cards.  It is 200 points.  How does he know it is 200?  He has to add the points himself.  (OMG, that means he will be practicing his math skills.)  Yes, and how many times do you think he will add his points?  Most of the students will add every time he draws a card.
• Stop bickering about who is first by allowing students to draw cards.  The highest card is first working down to the lowest.
• Teach math facts by allowing student to draw two cards and then using an application to discover the answer.  What is the difference in this and using a paper with the math facts on it?  Nothing, but don't tell the students.  They think they are playing a game and having fun. 
• Teach writing by allowing students to draw cards then creating a story from the cards.  Say the student draws a queen, a two, a seven, and a three.  You might give the prompt:  The queen was riding along in her carriage pulled by two magnificent horses.  Suddenly three ________ jumped out from behind a tree.  Then seven....

Please add to the list for other educators or parents pulling their hair out attempting to teach.

Fractions

One of the scariest things you can hit a kid with--as well as a large number of adults--is fractions.  Almost nobody likes fractions.  I once knew a carpenter who hated fractions, so when he told his helper a measurement, he said, "22 inches and 2 marks."  I have a friend who is an LVN and refused to try for her RN because she would have to use fractions in dispensing medication.

Take the fear out of fractions for your child by using objects familiar to him or her.  First teach your child the definition of 'fraction'. A fraction represents a part of a whole or, more generally, any number of equal parts.  

Order a pizza, allowing your child to determine the number of pieces.  When you open the pizza, insist that your child count the pieces before any are removed from the box.  Then teach that each piece is one of eight (or however many) pieces. Two pieces are two of eight pieces.  Separate the pieces as you teach.  After your child is comfortable with this concept, you can move into the concept of 4/8 is the same as 1/2.  Tread carefully here.  This is likely to start the tears flowing.  Be sure that your child can literally see that 4/8 looks just like 1/2.

A chocolate bar is a wonderful way to teach fractions.  Remember the first rule is 'no eating until the lesson is learned.'  Use the same methods as with the pizza.

 

An orange is a  useful teaching tool.  Peel the orange and separate into sections.  Have the child count the sections.  Again use the same methods as the pizza.  With an orange have the child 'put it back together' in his hand to see that each fraction is needed to make a whole.