Monday, November 30, 2009

Great! Illustrated Classics

I discovered these a couple of years ago and started stocking up slowly. We have maybe ten of them, but not all of them have been read yet. That's because there is so much GREAT stuff out there to read! These books are perfect on many levels because they retain the essence of the story being told, but the print is larger, the story is shorter, and the text is broken up with illustrations every now and then. If you read these aloud, you'll get the benefit of going back to revisit some stories from your childhood, or maybe introducing yourself to a classic story for the first time.


If you spy a copy by this publisher at your library, pick it up and see what you think. Click on the links under the books to grab more information - these are just a few examples. You can see the entire collection at http://www.greatillustratedclassics.com/. Oh - and it looks like you can read the first chapter of most, if not all, of the books as a .pdf by clicking on the link next to each book on their site. The books on this site are running around $7-$8 each, can also be found used on Amazon or you've got a good chance of finding them at the library.



This will be used as part of our upcoming unit study on whales and dolphins.




I loved this book while growing up and lost myself in her story. I could practically taste the cheese and bread Heidi's grandfather made for her.


Read it. Captain Nemo was a tormented man.........

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Math Games

Let the games begin! Here are several math games and math game sources you might wish to take a look at. Just click on the links for more information! Not sure if these will appeal to you, because sometimes computer or video games merely serve as a substitute for YOUR attention, which isn't necessarily a good thing. Board games, however, are interactive and let you participate in the learning process. I'll include a smattering of computer games and board games/card games:


A game for the PC or Mac and compliments the book by the same title.
Captivating story sheds new light on middle-school math concepts
Discover prime numbers; explore Fibonacci numbers
Learn about powers and square roots
Glossary with mathematicians, terms, and concepts
11 challenging games for extra fun
For grades 3-6.
A game of timing and basic math facts (strategy, memory and addition); this is a super fun family game!



This would have been a great game to add to our unit study on Ancient Egypt! Parent's Choice and Dr. Toy Award recipient. Combining basic math operations skills (addition, subtraction,
multiplication, and division) with order of operations practice,
players trek their way across the rows of the pyramid by using
numeral and operation triangles to correctly create and solve
math problems. But beware, your opponent can steal or swap
your number triangle and complete his pyramid first!
This would be very easy to make - no need to purchase it. Extra fun for families who are schooling more than one child, too.
Love this game. Hate the loud noise the die make when they hit the center of the box, but that can be remedied by throwing them onto the carpet.



This might entice some kids to sit with their math facts. However, I think it's a bit pricey at $40 to $45??


Catch Zeus if you can! The great Greek god has bolted and it's up to you to nab this dashing deity. Play cards strategically, adding numbers as you climb Mt. Olympus. Grab Zeus when the total reaches a multiple of 10. Better yet, summon the strength of Apollo, Poseidon, or all-powerful Hera to bring Zeus within your grasp. Reach the top of Mt. Olympus with Zeus in hand and you're a mortal among the gods. To play is human. To win, divine!


For those who haven't spent summers at chess camp! Finally, a simple, guided way to learn to play chess - The world's greatest game - quickly and without stress! The secret? An innovative deck of action cards. Each card depicts a chess piece and how it moves. You move only this piece on your turn. This eliminates the need to memorize all the chess pieces and their moves in advance. And the great news is that after a few turns, you'll instinctively know how to move and capture with your knights and bishops, rooks and pawns, king and queen!
The object of the game is to get your marbles into a row before the other players do the same. Roll 3 dice and add, subtract, multiply, or divide the dice numbers. Then pop your marble into the hole that corresponds with your answer. Many answers are possible for each roll of the dice. Young children will like using the standard dice. A 12-sided die makes it even more challenging for older players. Because chance enters in with the roll of the dice, even the youngest player, not just the smartest, can be the winner. Recommended for ages 9-adult.
Not really an 'arithmetic' game, per say, but a game of spatial reasoning. It encourages you to look at things differently and train your brain to recognize what you didn't see before. This is a much-loved game by many, many families!


Tangrams can be fun. Thinkfun makes many fun little games like this.


Family Math. A lot of families have it! It's a homeschool standby with much useful variety. There are other editions available for older children.

Logic and math facts. Starts out easy, gets harder. Max likes these. If you'd like to try out a puzzle, go to http://www.kenken.com/

Recommended on http://www.livingmath.net/ For ages 9-12.

Another version. We're working on fractions now, so this will probably end up in our library.






A game of sequencing. You could up the ante by trying to arrange all even or odd numbers or multiples of a number.


Grade Levels: 2-6
Sports Math is a collection of games designed to let students practice their math skills under the enthusiastic direction of sports desk anchor Les Dynam and roving reporter Sam Mathews who introduce each game and comment on the action and progress. Kick a "fractioned” soccer ball through a goal post or measure your skill at the long jump in meters; it's all about using math skills in everyday life until taught concepts are fully learned!

Also available for decimals, percentages and fractions, depending on what you might be working on.



Practice makes perfect in the world of math, but practice is more fun when it's a game instead of homework. The rules of this board game resemble those in Scrabble, but Smath is played by creating math equations instead of words. The game includes a playing board and lots of tiny tiles with numbers, signs for math operations, and brackets to create more complex equations, which players can place on the board horizontally or vertically. The game can be played at different levels of difficulty, from simple addition problems to equations combining operations (for example, (2)(2 + 3) = 5 x 2). The game is for two to four players at different levels of math proficiency, making this an educational (but still entertaining) game for the entire family, the classroom, or for home schoolers.


Same concept, but may have some design flaws. Read the first review on Amazon and decide if this game is worth your time or money.







This multiple award-winning exciting multiplication game assists younger players in basic multiplication skills and challenges players proficient in multiplication. Roll 'n Multiply teaches multiplication, encourages cooperative learning, and enhance strategic thinking. Simply roll the dice, multiply the numbers, check the answer against the multiplication table and plan your strategy. Sounds easy but what happens when your opponent blocks your space? You don't want to be captured. Includes 2 10-sided dice, 44 playing pieces, multiplication table, playing board, game tray and instruction manual. Plan on 5 minutes to learn the game and 5 to 15 minutes to play the game. Two players. Ages 8 and up.



We've played this, but outgrew it very quickly. Kids learn budgeting and making change.

Okay, that's enough for now.  Whew!
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