Is Homeschool Math Bringing You Down?

Is it overwhelming to consider how to cover "all the things" per grade level in math when you would prefer to skip it and follow the child's interests through unit studies, unschooling, wildschooling or other more relaxed homeschool methods?

Do you believe that you can relax all the other subjects but you MUST cover math through a curriculum?

Relaxing homeschool math is a very touchy subject for many homeschool parents. I get it. I've been there too. It can be very hard to conceive of the idea of relaxing math, but, it's really about shifting the mindset around it.

Over the years I went from a rigid classroom educator to a relaxed homeschool and school educator. I totally believed that I was responsible to help stuff 12 years of math education into my students heads lest I fail them and they not succeed in college and therefore the real world and not be able to get a good paying job. Isn't that the line of thinking behind the insanity of K - 12 math education? Uh huh!

Changing Our Math Mindset

Wow, has my educational math mindset come a LONG way since being a grades 3 - 5 private school educator in 1999! I now completely uphold radical unschooling and child self-directed learning centers thus allowing the child to find and follow their inner voice and interests with adults switching roles from educational dictators to mentors and guides.

Our current mainstream education system almost completely robs children's voices for the what and how of their own education. My goal here is to help equip you to be the best mentor you can be for your child, especially in math. Unschooling or unit study math is a lot more hands-on for the parents than a curriculum based education.

I consider unit studies akin to unschooling. It's like the next step down if you're not ready for radical unschooling. Unit studies still give you the educational reins, but, they can give children much more of a voice in the what and how they want to learn.

I've created math and science unit study resources that support all homeschool styles, especially the more relaxed styles such as unschooling, unit study, and wildschooling.

Math is Found Everywhere Not Only in Textbooks

Math is found everywhere around us, including in each and every child's learning interests. It's found even in your child's video games, science experiments, art, hopscotch and more.

I've concluded that the best way to learn math is first through children's interests followed by strewing math, gameschooling math, unschooling math and wildschooling math.

Here at NatureGlo's eScience, I offer you some free tools to get you started relaxing your homeschool or school math.

Introducing NatureGlo's Fibonacci Numbers in Nature Lapbook

One of my favorite tried and true FREE math printables is my NatureGlo's Fibonacci Numbers in Nature Lapbook. Yes, I'm the writer and creator of this resource for homeschool and school educators. It's a great resource for any homeschool style. However, the mindset behind it is to invite children to look at the wonder and beauty of math all around them within math's practical application.

Here's how to get NatureGlo's Fibonacci Numbers in Nature Lapbook:

1. Add your first name and email into the given fields.
2. Check your inbox or Spam box (you might need to wait up to 15 - 30 minutes to receive the email depending on server times
3. Confirm your subscription
4. You'll immediately receive your freebie after confirming your subscription!

What is the Fibonacci Numbers in Nature Lapbook?

The Fibonacci Numbers in Nature Lapbook was born out of my yearlong MathArt online course for homeschool children ideally ages 8 and up. Through the years, I've received great feedback from homeschool parents telling me that their younger kiddos like to join in the MathArt learning fun beside their older siblings. This tickled my heart pink to hear this feedback!

What are the Fibonacci Numbers?

During MathArt's first course module, Math Connections in the Real World, I cover the Fibonacci numbers in nature extensively. If you're not sure yet what Fibonacci numbers are, they are a number sequence that is found often in nature. The Fibonacci number sequence is 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55...etc. Each subsequent number, starting with the first two numbers, 0 and 1, are added together to give you the next number. It is in this first MathArt module where learners use the Fibonacci Numbers in Nature Lapbook. Therefore, you can get free access to one of the MathArt resources to test out a taste of the program and see if it's a good match for your family or not.

One of my MathArt students, Teresa, sent me photographs of her Fibonacci Numbers in Nature Lapbook. Her results are quite charming and what better way to present the lapbook then through a child's example. I love how she simply used 3-hole punched tagboard for her lapbook to affix in a 3-ring binder. You can do the same. Alternatively, the lapbook templates can be cut out and glued into a notebook or journal, but, whatever works best for your family, do that!

Here you can see what each template looks like on the first page of the lapbook with the flaps closed.

Here are what the templates look like once the flaps are open.

Here's another page showing Leonardo of Pisa's Liber Abaci (Book of Calculation), Fibonacci Numbers Relationship to Phi, or the Golden ratio, and Fibonacci numbers found in plants, or, phyllotaxis.

Of course, you can do the lapbook any way you want. You can affix 1 template per page on a 3-ring binder tagboard like Teresa or affix them directly into a composition notebook or journal.

Ideas for Introducing NatureGlo's Fibonacci Numbers in Nature Lapbook to Kids

1). Explain to the children that there's an infinite set of numbers called Fibonacci numbers that are found all over nature. NatureGlo's Fibonacci Numbers in Nature Lapbook has some fun foldables helping them understand the history of these numbers and where they can be found in nature. Present the template pack to them. Read the instructions aloud with the children and do the lapbook together. Older learners, like my learner, Teresa, may be able to just read the instructions and complete the templates themselves without assistance.

2). Play any or all of the videos below for your children. Follow up the video(s) with any questions they may have. Explain there's a lapbook template pack they try. Read aloud the instructions and have the learners complete the lapbook.

Conclusion

As you can see completing NatureGlo's Fibonacci Numbers in Nature Lapbook templates are a fun and exciting way to introduce these beautiful numbers to children. Children as young as 8 (perhaps younger depending on the interest and ability level) can really get into learning these numbers by creating this lapbook. I believe that you and your learners will find this lapbook an easy learning tool to create and keep it to look back on for years to come.

Be sure to grab a free copy of the Fibonacci Numbers in Nature Lapbook templates below

1. Add your first name and email into the given fields.
2. Check your inbox or Spam box (you might need to wait up to 15 - 30 minutes to receive the email depending on server times
3. Confirm your subscription
4. You'll immediately receive your freebie after confirming your subscription!

Talk soon,

NatureGlo