I had a dad come into the store and ask me about mental maths books for his young daughter. For homework they were largely using mathletics online and he wanted to know if this was adequate or whether there were any alternatives. Here is a tricky question as it comes down to personal beliefs, time and the individual child. Yes, I was sitting on the fence.
I do think kids are having too much screen time and I don’t think we are going to understand the full implications of this until much further down the track. I can feel my own eyes getting sore and tired after I have been at the computer for too long so I can only imagine how this is affecting little developing eyes. On the other hand, kids can become really engaged with the content and levels can be adjusted to meet individual requirements and skill levels.
Balance is the key as writing develops fine motor skills and as students progress, pencil and paper are required for working problems. Real world problems and activities structured to meet the child’s developmental level are really great. Help with the shopping, find things in a catalogue, measure ingredients while cooking dinner, write a list of chores, work out the pocket money…….. My view is, if this young family have mum and dad both engaged with the school/ homework process, that can only be a recipe for success.
If you need any help selecting texts for extra practice at home, I am more than happy to show you what we have and offer advice.
Remember every great day starts with a coffee,
xxx
Peta
I have featured the range of Nelson Student Books below. These would be great to do with parent supervision and touch on all key concepts.
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