Math

I figured I'd start with one that's fairly straight-forward. :) Here's what we've used for math...

Singapore Math. We've used the Earlybird workbooks and the Primary Standards editions from 1 through 5 so far. I anticipate that we'll continue to use this curriculum. All three of my boys have enjoyed these workbooks, particularly that the exercises are challenging without being repetitive or intimidating. (Each topic is covered in a straight-forward manner without pages and pages of exercises to make the same point. This works well for us, though I can see that it might not be ideal for others.) I like that it encourages mental math, something that I (as an incredibly visual learner) never excelled in. (Right now, each boy has his own workbook and does about six exercises a week.)

Life of Fred. We've just begun using this program. Okay, actually, Noah and I have just finished the first book. So far, I'm pretty happy with it. It presents higher math in a fun and different manner with only a handful of exercises. I'm not sure it would work as a sole curriculum yet, but it definitely provides a framework that I can use and expand on. Noah loves the story...enough that he requests to do a few chapters each week, wanting to know what comes next. ;) I know we won't keep up that pace, but just appreciate this new approach to what can be a stuffy subject.  

Books. We have quite a collection of math-oriented books that we've read with the boys since they were little. In particular, the Math Start books by Stuart J. Murphy and the Sir Cumference books are fabulous. Extra workbooks like Code Breakers also add more problem-solving to our lessons. (Right now, Noah works on a Code Breakers book weekly also.)

Games. Math lends itself superbly to games. We play lots of games. Count Down, Yahtzee, the Prime Card game, Sequence Numbers, Make 7...so very many. Additionally, simply having dice around makes for quick and easy math. Roll two and have your child add/subtract/multiply/divide them. Go a step further and roll two and have your child use graph paper to draw a rectangle using those dimensions. Now find the area. Viola! 

Other. Beyond all of that, we simply talk about math in our lives all the time. And. Money is a huge motivator. Last summer we started giving the boys a weekly allowance and it's made such a big difference. They understand how money works...what taxes are (and, in Noah's case, how to figure them)...the benefits of savings...what things are worth (to them)...how long it takes to save for certain things...and so much more. Seriously, even if you don't want to give your kids a heap of money for an allowance, a small amount regularly is a fantastic math lesson.

So. That's what I can think of right now that we've used for math. Do you have any math products/tricks that you'd be willing to share?