Why Should We Let Kids Explore Math Without Risk

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The kids have gotten used to having a computer learning program as a part of their school day. In order to simplify our day we are using iKnowIt.com to review math skills as a morning opening activity for our K-5 students. I love that they are willing to try new math skills they have never been introduced to because it is not our formal Math Curriculum. Low Risk = Improved Interest

A Few Reasons I Like iKnowIt

Schooling multiple students is different than just a couple of kids. Our mornings are a time to check in with all of the kids and give individual instructions, review materials and cover any questions they might have. Imaging doing that in the middle of a pile of ten week old Great Dane puppies and you can imagine what it feel like to do that task at my house.

Mornings are a time when I let the kids log into their computers and “play” with some of the teaching programs we have. This keeps them nearby when I need them. There is nothing worse then spending large amounts of time gather your students back together for Bible time. Let’s just say, by the end I am not feeling ready to read the Bible. Computer learning tools help me stay cool and collected, by keep the kids collected.

Readers and NON Readers Can Use it Equally

One of the challenges I have found in morning activities is finding things that don’t require me. The purpose is to allow me to check in with my older kids, so I can’t stop every few minutes to read instructions on a page or screen. With three little ones it can be very taxing. I like that iKnowIt.com has a Read Question Aloud feature. The kids just click the read-it icon and the question will be presented in an audio format for them.

This is great for struggling readers as well. Math terms are not ALL familiar to the kids. Sometimes they trip over these new words. Being able to click the icon and have the sentence read to them actually increases their comprehension.

Assign AND Explore

Your kids can do both. In the program I can assign Math review pages for the kids to work on every morning. I just pick the lesson I want and can assign it to the whole group of students or I can choose each child individually. When they sign in, the top of their assignment bank will be filled with the things I chose. You can give a deadline or you can choose to have them end as they are completed.

Where I have seen the most progress is in the exploration time. The kids can also choose to Explore Topic in the Level you have assigned them. Each topic is clearly indicated and created to meet their level.

This was a great way for the kids to explore new topics without the pressure of an actual assignment. This is just a supplement for practice and NOT a full math curriculum. There is no teaching lesson, but there is plenty of help. They are free to try, and they are learning new things on their own.

You Can See Your Child’s Progress

This is one of the reasons I like this more than playing a game. When they are done I have measurable results. I can look in their progress page and see how well they did on assignments and items they chose to explore on their own.

As you can see from the picture above, Brindley chose to explore fractions, even though she was unfamiliar. She used the HINTS to help her, but with every wrong answer, she learned more.

We had a great lesson about how we learn and the fact that wrong answers are still learning tools. When most of the school day is graded, I like having a place where there is no risk to get the answer wrong. Trial and error is still a great teacher and my kids are learning to figure out problems for themselves.

The kids can check their progress as well in their own MY PROGRESS tab. There they can see their scores and the time spent. The best part is that they can review the answers they got wrong. When they have done a few lessons they can return to this page and recheck their learning, building confidence.

Is The Price Too High for a Supplement?

The price seemed a little high when I first looked at it, but if you add the two month free trial you are getting fourteen months for $90 for up to four students ($8 per additional student)

I ran the math and that is under $7 a month for a pretty powerful Math Skill Review App that your child can use on any device.

At the dentist and your homeschool day is going to be wrecked? BOOM! Math can be done in the waiting room on your kid’s tablet or your phone. It might not be your full curriculum but it will fill the slot for the day and your child might explore a subject you have not even introduced yet.

One thing I have learned is that kids have no idea they can’t do things. If you let kids explore subjects over their heads, they are very likely to surprise you.

As always check out iKnowIt.com on their social channels and click the box below to see how other families are using iKnowIt.com in their own homeschools.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iknowitcom/
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