What do you do every day, no matter what, with your students? We enjoyed daily habits each day that always included arithmetic in some form.

I have felt blessed that in 2002 we were introduced to MIquon Math. Both of my boys would spend their morning sorting cuisinairre rods to create and solve number puzzles. Math was always a puzzle to be solved.

We chose a spiral math program for a few years, and had the same hiccup in January – the boys would not remember what they practiced for a day or two, on paper, in September.

We switched back to a more singapore mastery style in Jr. High and High School. All of a sudden Algebra was fun again, and Jon was learning place value in an in depth way that helped him with decimals, fractions, and higher concepts. The program we switched to was Math-U-See. I wish we had switched in the 3rd grade, however, I am thankful for what I learned during the years in between.

Now I work at a private outdoor nature based school. I have taught 3rd – 7th grades since being there, the last two years being a combined class of 4th and 5th. We get to go to training for Greg Tang Math – Math in Focus / Primary Mathematics – and learn how to bring games, puzzles, manipulatives, conversations, and spark curiosity back into math. It is easy to get focused on a curriculum, on the end of year testing, on the expectations of other schools – and lose the spark of fun that I remember back when the boys were young.

All of this lead up to say – I am going to start sharing more on here what we are doing with math in a school setting, with 14 children in the 4th and 5th grade range. I have wanted to get outside more with our math, but I don’t have the energy to create the lesson plans and come up with fun ideas that would work with a group. I am setting a goal to do math outside at least 4 days a week through the end of the school year.

How is that suddenly going to happen with the crazy of the end of year?

I found Wild Math Curriculum!!!! I think I was browsing the Forest School / Nature School / Outdoor School tags on Instagram, and then found Wild School. If you’ve been to my class this last month, you know that Wild School seems more appropriate. (Ha) I can’t even express how much I wa-hoo’d and screamed when I saw that someone was making a 4th grade outdoor math curriculum! If you’ve been within a texting or ear distance from me – you’re already tired of hearing about it. – Well, if you are still getting notifications for this blog – then you are going to hear it too.

Wild Math Curriculum

I’ll work on a few posts to walk through last week integrating her curriculum into our schedule. If you have Prek – 4th (or 5th) graders – check her out!

Disclaimer: I am only a volunteer blogger willing to promote this amazing curriculum. I was offered a free 4th grade link, and purchased it ahead of time. Our school purchased the levels and received Kinder for free. I have volunteered to offer to share her curriculum, especially after reading it – because I feel that MANY (ALL – EVEN IF YOU DON’T HOMESCHOOL) families and schools need a copy.