Category: About Curriculum

  • What do controversial AI chatbots, the manual for your latest “big kid toy” and your child’s maths homework all have in common? The answer is the humble algorithm. The word is becoming fairly commonplace today but most people have a very sketchy idea of what it actually means. In fact, if you’re over thirty, I’m… keep reading

    Algorithms, AI, and Homeschool Maths: Why “Just Do It” Works… Except When It Doesn’t
  • I’m just going to drop the bomb right at the head of this article. There’s actually NO SUCH THING as a pure mastery curriculum. There I said it. But can I defend it? Absolutely. You see, every single year of any maths curriculum will have an outline that looks something like this: Every year the… keep reading

    The Shocking Truth About Mastery Maths Curriculum
  • When my big boys were newborns my husband and I couldn’t get over the designs printed on newborn nappies. At the time beautiful watercolour images of Winne the Pooh or Snugglepot and Cuddlepie were the thing and they were just that, beautiful. But what purpose did they serve? Did they do anything for the newborn?… keep reading

    Is your maths curriculum too PRETTY to be USEFUL?
  • Photo by Okra Amps on Unsplash If you’re new to homeschooling you’re probably getting dizzy learning about homeschool styles. There’s Charlotte Mason, Classical, Steiner, Montessori, unschooling and traditional just to name a few. You’re probably also wondering which one will be “right” for you and your child. Well, I’m here to tell you that it’s… keep reading

    What style of homeschooler are you?
  • The only way to learn mathematics is to do mathematics. Paul R. Halmos In our post The Surprising Truth Behind Math Phobia we learned that mathematics is a language. Today we are going to begin exploring how this realisation should impact our teaching (and learning) of maths. Our First Language If maths is the universal… keep reading

    Are Your Kids Learning to DO Maths or Just ABOUT Maths?
  • If one hundred homeschooling parents were asked what subject they most dreaded, feared, or felt least qualified to teach, the vast majority would probably reply, “maths.” It’s a sad truth that one of the most fundamentally important skill-based subjects is also often the most feared, least understood, and poorly taught of all school subjects. But… keep reading

    The Surprising Truth Behind Math Phobia
  • It’s winter and one of my favourite winter desserts is warm apple pie with custard. Most pies are circles and the number pi has a lot to do with circles. We’re going to see exactly how the number pi is related to circles but first I’d like you to do an experiment. keep reading

    The Secret Names of Numbers Part 2: pi
  • What Every Homeschool Parent Should Ask. As homeschooling parents, we pour our hearts into giving our children the best education possible. We carefully choose curriculum, plan lessons, and cheer them on through every “Aha!” moment. But when it comes to maths, it’s easy to wonder: Are we just checking boxes, or are we truly building… keep reading

    Are Your Kids Really Building a Strong Maths Foundation?
  • Kids and parents often ask, “Why is this question in here twice?” It happens often in Milestone Maths and it is totally intentional. There are two reasons why I repeat the “same question,” and, no, it has nothing to do with me working too late! Reason 1: Some kids need it that way The first… keep reading