Can we use Notebooking for Math?

I had my annual eye doctor appointment last week.

I wear glasses with special lenses to address a minor astigmatism, double-vision, and the ever-persistent presbyopia (aka I’m over 40 and can’t see the fine print anymore). The lenses don’t come cheap, so I baby them to avoid any scratches.

For that reason, I was shocked a couple of months ago to find a tiny crack on one lens. It was summer. We were busy. So, I put off going to the eye doctor knowing my annual visit was coming up soon.

When the time came for the visit, that small crack had grown into a significant one, with several more growing around the edges.

The culprit? A poorly fitted lens in the frame.

Thankfully, it was covered under warranty!🤓

In our homeschooling journey, there have been times when I’ve ignored small cracks that turned into larger cracks or even full-blown fractures.

More often than not, these cracks stemmed from ME trying to fit something (or someone) into a mold that wasn’t the right shape for a particular child or our family.

Our Math Meltdown

After last week’s eye appointment, I came to realize I was doing this to my dyslexic son with his math lessons. I’ve been doing all I can to avoid meltdowns just like I avoided the scratches in my glasses. I patiently explained, re-explained, taught, and re-taught lessons and concepts, as many times as needed, but they just weren’t sticking.

He was growing more and more discouraged. I was trying to force him to learn in a way that just wasn’t working for him. The crack was starting. On some days, there were tears.

Long story short…
This week, we tried something different. I stopped explaining and instead drew some simple pictures to illustrate the math concepts.

And it worked! The very next day, he went back to his math and didn’t need me to explain or re-explain these concepts. He was quite proud of himself… and so was I!

Math Notebooking - Multiples — Multiples

Math Notebooking - GCF — GCF (Greatest Common Factor)

Math Notebooking - Perimeter and Area — Perimeter & Area

Over the years, many moms have asked me if we do notebooking for math and I’ve always replied, “Not really.” Most of our notebooking for the past 17 years has been for content subjects like Bible, history, science, etc. Guess that’s going to change. 🙂

This is my 24th year of homeschooling and if I’ve learned anything valuable to pass along, it’s this… homeschooling is a dynamic and evolving experience. We HAVE to be flexible.

When you see a crack, don’t ignore it. You might need to flex the shape of the frame to better FIT your child or family.