Hands On Math

Math throughout a Steiner inspired education is incredibly hands on.

When my children were in the younger grades, I had a math box full of supplies to help us make math fun, meaningful and hands on. Some of what was in the box was:

• skipping ropes
• bean bags
• deck of playing cards,
• lego pieces
• number tiles
• pebbles and gem stones
• beads on pipe cleaners and loose beads (for carrying and borrowing)
• dice
• pencils, paper and pencil crayons
• Chalk and sidewalk chalk

They were well loved, created a deep connection with and understanding of numbers, and we had so much fun! Add in some chalk for outside and it’s really all we used!

The above picture shows my favourite resources for hands on math activities. Peggy Kaye’s book is a total gem, games that need nothing more than a set of dice, pencil, paper and sometimes paper clips and you are set to play games for every math concept in the lower grades.

For those kids who need to FEEL math, Active Arithmetic will have them stomping and jumping their way to math happiness.

This post has me missing the ease of math back then. We are not lovers of upper math, but keeping it hands on and practical even in these high school years has helped us through. But these games gave them the foundation they needed to be able to work through the middle and high school years.

For fractions and algebra, I was introduced to the Hands On system by a close friend of mine and it has proven invaluable for my hands on, concrete learners. Pictured here is the Hands On Algebra set. I highly recommend these two math options.

Math can feel daunting to the homeschooler. One of the many benefits of Steiner inspired education is that it is bound in concrete examples and hands on experiences, which can help both our children AND ourselves along the way!

Until next time,
Marina