Such a Time As This

Faith, Hope, & Love

How to Easily Make Math with Your Littles So Much Fun

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Not too long ago I was overwhelmed. Think a sink full of dirty dishes overwhelmed. A large jar full of dried out markers overwhelmed. Brand new yet suddenly unusable baby wipes and kids’ books tossed across the floor like a hurricane rolled into my living room kind of overwhelmed.

kindergarten math

The Unorganized Chaos of Pre-K & Kindergarten

Life happened and here I was trying to juggle having a 5th grader, a 1st grader, one Kindergartener, a tiny pre-schooler, a baby in addition to my middle & high schoolers. Days were busy. The little ones were (for me) the most difficult. Our littles (1st grade and under) seem to have short attention spans, need more one-on-one, and they make lots and lots of messes. (The last part is mostly my pre-schooler, though).

 

And then this happened.

I came across a nifty solution. Trays.

Trays? You might ask.

Yea – my husband didn’t think this would work, either. However, the level of organization I now live with has proven the trays work for first grade, pre-school and kindergarten math.

 

How do the trays work?

  1. First, you need to invest in a few manipulatives and small packs of toys that could be used for math.
  2. Use them only during our math time.
  3. Place said objects on the trays.
  4. If you have more sets of the object than trays, just store the rest until the next day.
  5. Set a timer (I use my iPhone timer because it is easily accessible) for 10 minutes to start.
  6. Have the children clean up their spot, put the toys back on their tray once the timer beeps.
  7. Rotate the tray to the right.
  8. Set your timer again for 10 minutes.
  9. Keep rotating until your children have used all the trays.
  10. If you have only one child, this would still work, just rotate through 3 -4 trays for that child.
  11. Once the final timer beeps, have your kids stop and clean up what belongs on their tray.
  12. Make sure to check under the table & chairs for small parts
  13. Collect the trays (you can leave the objects on the trays or put them back into individual containers).
  14. Put stacked trays back into the cabinet (I use a high surface in my china cabinet).

 

What types of toys do we put on the trays?

Here is what I bought and so far they’ve been working beautifully for our ages.  We use some of these more for kindergarten math then we do for pre-k.

Pattern Blocks or Tangrams (We like these because they are plastic)

Workbook for Tangrams

Sorting Bears with Cups –  We have two sets of these.

Lacing Beads (These are the ones we bought)

Unifix Cubes

Lacing Cards

 

You might also be interested in downloading our free Kindergarten Math worksheets.  They include skip counting and pages to use with your counting bears. Download them here:
Click Here to Download Math Printables

 

 

 

Now you know my secret to making pre-school and kindergarten math so much fun.  It has simplified my homeschooling day.  And thankfully, I’m saving money on baby wipes, too.

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What do you use for Pre-K and Kindergarten math?

 

How to Make a Beneficial Evening Routine in 6 Simple Steps

If you wish to live a productive life, routines are one of the most important parts of your day. Once you develop a habit of completing things every day, you’ll notice that you do these tasks without thinking.

 

An evening routine that helps you wind down as well as prepare for the following day is beneficial for those that have lots to get done, with little time to do them. Read on to discover how you can create a beneficial evening routine for yourself!

6 Tips to a Beneficial Evening Routine

1. Start your routine early.

Allow yourself enough time to finish the tasks of your evening routine. You don’t want to feel rushed or cut into the time you allow for sleep. In the beginning, you’ll likely need more time as you get used to your evening routine – but will soon decrease the time, as your tasks become habits.

 

2. Make a list of tasks for your routine.

List making is vital for those that want to establish a helpful evening routine. It doesn’t hurt to have a short list of your tasks, placed in a location where you can see it each night. It won’t be long before you’ll be able to complete your evening routine without needing to look at the list!

 

3. Only focus on what’s important.

Sure, you could fold a load of laundry or clean out the litter box as part of your evening routine. But, wouldn’t these tasks be better done at other times of your day? The evening routine is designed to help you prepare for bed and the next day, not tackle all the little things you may have been putting off.

 

4. Include relaxing tasks.

Because half of your evening routine should focus on calming down before bed, you want to be sure you are helping yourself relax. Draw a warm bubble bath, listen to soothing music before you lay down, or read for a bit before turning off the light. Whatever you need to be comfortable and ready for sleep, incorporate it into your evening routine.

 

5. Get it all off your mind.

One of the worst things you can do for your sleep is getting into bed with a racing mind. There are so many things you need to take care of, it can be hard for your brain to shut down for eight hours every night. However, it’s important that you get enough rest to be productive and ready for the following day.

 

Combat this by making an effort to calm your mind before bed. Keep a notepad and pen handy on your bedside table. Write down any pressing thoughts before you try to sleep. Getting it all out will allow you to fall asleep knowing you have the list to tackle at a later time.

 

6. Make a to-do list for tomorrow.

While you have your notepad in hand, it’s a good idea to think about what needs to be done the following day. A beneficial evening routine helps set you up for a productive day, every day.

Prioritize the tasks you need to do the next day, finding the three most important ones you want to complete first. Your to-do list can list other alternative chores you can work on once the priorities are finished.

 

As you can see, a beneficial evening routine should do two things: set you up for a restful night’s sleep, and help you prepare for a productivity the following day. Make sure you create the right evening routine for yourself and your lifestyle, so you enjoy running through the tasks each night before crawling into bed!

 

Please Pin to Pinterest!

 

 

What do you make part of your evening routine?

20 Things To Do if Your Child Has Dyslexia

It’s been almost five years since my son was diagnosed with dyslexia. In Kindergarten and First grade I assumed he would catch up. By second grade, I was desperate for help. Once we received his diagnosis we scrambled to find what worked.

 

Through many years it seemed that we inched forward with progress.

 

As his mom, I longed for him to read.

 

I thought of him one day enjoying Charles Dickens.

 

Maybe he would be able to study his biology vocab words on his own.

 

Perhaps even we could discuss how symbolism from Alice in Wonderland is woven into the TV Show Lost. A mom can dream, right?

 

20 Things To Do if Your Child Has Dyslexia

As our dyslexia journey began we did each and every one of these 20 steps:

  1. Take a Good look at Your Homeschool Curriculum – is it working?
  2. Discover Their Gifts & Talents (music? art? sports? coding?)
  3. Play up their academic strengths (science? math? history?)
  4. Use Those Talents to Help Them Learn
  5. Consider Occupational Therapy
  6. Try Speech Therapy
  7. Scribe for them
  8. Read to them
  9. Teach Spelling
  10. Consider Using an E-Reader
  11. Consider Using Audible (or similar service)
  12. Don’t push grammar – instead, focus on copywork
  13. Teach Cursive
  14. Possibly Try Hand Lettering
  15. Let them Read Books below their reading level for practice & fluency
  16. Teach Typing
  17. Let your child choose books & subjects that interest them
  18. Give plenty of breaks during the school day
  19. Teach oral narration instead of written (like this)
  20. Have a poetry tea time and encourage memorization

 

Then in a blink, this slow and steady marathon became a sprint.

 

While we are still working, my son who just last year (in 6th grade) was reading at a fourth grade level, jumped up to a 9th grade reading level.  It felt like overnight that not only his vocabulary and decoding skills took a ginormous leap, but his reading comprehension followed.  Once this happened his grammar and spelling took off, as well.

 

For the first time in his life, he is reading above grade level.  I stand here in awe of his progress.  This maze of dyslexia proved difficult but not defeating.  As I watch in wonder, my eyes full of tears I see.  Soon – very soon – we will begin discussing theories and symbolism. Maybe we’ll even venture into Wonderland.

 

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dyslexia

 

The 5 Things You Need to Get Creative with Hand Lettering

Maybe it was the dysgraphia.  Perhaps the poor fine motor skills.  Whatever the case my son had given up on his handwriting somewhere along the line.

 

Until recently he wanted nothing to do with it.  Art, was where his heart was.  Somehow it was through his love for art that we connected with his handwriting issues.  Suddenly, his love for hand lettering was born. [Read more…] about The 5 Things You Need to Get Creative with Hand Lettering

Why You Need to Find a Baby Friendly Hospital

During my first three deliveries, I had never heard the term baby friendly hospital.  In fact, my births went something like this: 1. Baby crowns. 2. Quick glimpse at baby.  3. Baby is whisked away to be measured, weighed, checked and anything else the medical staff deemed necessary.

 

Once the placenta is delivered, I’m stitched and eventually allowed to hold my tiny, squishy, newborn.

 

Imagine my surprise when I was about to push out baby number four and my nurse asks to remove the top of my gown.  After he was born, my midwife swiftly placed him on my chest so I could see little guy up close.  He looked around as he lay on my chest.  His whimper turned into a full-fledged wail and without a second thought, I placed him on my breast to feed him.

baby friendly hospital

What is a Baby Friendly Hospital and Why You Need to Find One

That experience helped me to fully comprehended what Baby Friendly Hospitals truly are.  Baby Friendly Hospitals might be a relatively new name but the idea is something that homebirth mamas have known about for some time.  To me, baby friendly means some very specific things:

 

skin to skin

encouragement of breastfeeding

rooming in

 

 

Baby Friendly Hospitals: Support Breastfeeding from the Start. 

Each person on staff learns the benefits of breastfeeding.  They encourage breastfeeding on demand.  They also help determine issues by providing knowledgeable nurses and lactation consultants.  Hospitals that are baby friendly also agree to not give baby anything to drink (not even water) unless medically necessary.

 

While formula is allowed, if it’s moms wish, it is not promoted or offered typically by the hospital staff.  They discourage the use of pacifiers or bottles.

 

Baby Friendly Hospitals:  Promote Skin to Skin Contact. 

What is skin to skin? It usually refers to the time period directly following birth where the attendant places the baby directly on the mother’s chest.  They cover the baby’s back with a light blanket.  Baby lies on their mama’s chest.

 

This is a time of bonding, resting, and hopefully nursing.  Exams are either done on the chest of the mom or the staff waits for a better moment.  This usually lasts for at least an hour and after the first feeding.

 

The last baby friendly hospital I delivered in encouraged skin to skin for several hours after birth and even over the first several weeks (once home).  We did a method called Kangaroo Care.  Although used for preemies, it is a wonderful tool for full-term infants.

 

According to The Cleveland Clinic, Some of the benefits of kangaroo care to the baby include: improving breathing and stabilizing heart rate, oxygen saturation, improving bonding, and milk supply, among many other factors.

 

Click here to find out the all the benefits for skin-to-skin.

 

Baby Friendly Hospitals: Encourage Rooming In.

This also means that many Baby Friendly Hospitals don’t usually provide a nursery for healthy newborns to sleep in.  During my last several births, the baby had to room-in the entire stay in the hospital.  The promotion of 24 hours a day with mom means that babies are able to quickly establish their breastfeeding relationship.

 

In my honest opinion, Baby Friendly Hospitals can help babies and mamas get off to a very good start.  If you would like to see which hospitals in your state are baby friendly, click here to see a list of Baby Friendly Hospitals.

 

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baby friendly hospital

 

 

 

Have you delivered in a baby friendly hospital?  Leave a comment below!