How I Use Singapore Math

I have a love/hate relationship history with Singapore Math.  It has really been awesome for my kids (and for me) to learn math the Singapore way.  I was always really good at math, but it has been shocking to see my mental math improvements over the last few years as I have taught my kids through this math program.  But it isn’t as easy to use as some other programs would have been, and there have been quite a few crisis moments when I thought I would throw the books out the window and grab something easier to use.  

Vacation–to school or not to school

Whenever we go on vacation it is hard to know how much school to bring.  Should we bring any at all?  In my experience, it is a lot harder to get back into the groove of schooling after a vacation if we didn’t do anything while we were gone.  It usually takes the first week back to get into the routine of chores, instruments, and then school work again.  We get a little better each day, but a vacation of two weeks can turn into a three week loss if I don’t put in a little effort while we are gone.