July-September'07 Newsletter
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Summer Activities for Kids
Book Review: A Wrinkle in Time
Puzzle of the Month
Latest Products in the store
New Elementary Mathematics Series from Singapore
Math:
New Elementary Mathematics is ideal for both classroom and home use for 7th - 10th grades. This is the most popular secondary
math series used by schools and homeschoolers in the U.S. and Canada.
Recommended for those who want a challenging math series with a proven international track record that will carry them part way
into advanced math. This series integrates pre-algebra, algebra, and geometry and includes some advanced math topics. Many
questions require students to apply knowledge to new situations rather than following a procedure. Includes challenging questions
for enrichment and discussion as well as math investigations.
The optional "workbook" for each level (there is no space to work out the problems) have many end-of-chapter questions for more
practice, and includes tests covering two chapters, semester tests, and year-end tests.
General guideline for the New Elementary Mathematics Series:
NEM 1 - Introductory algebra and geometry
NEM 2 - Intermediate algebra and geometry
NEM 3 - Advanced algebra and geometry
NEM 4 - Introductory advanced math and review
Singapore math placement tests:
Singapore Math placement tests for primary math series are now posted on our website and are available to check what your child's
grade level is. To decide which Singapore math level is appropriate, first let your child take the test at the level you think he
or she is. If the child scores 80% or above, let him or her take the next level test. If the score is below 80%, let him or her
take the test at one level lower. Start the textbooks and workbooks at the lowest level the child is unable to score 80% or above.
An overall score of 80% and above on a test is a good indicator that the student has the skills to go on to the next level.
Checkout some other new additions to our Singapore math and science workbooks.
Summer Activities for Kids
Summer Vacations are just around the corner. While this is the fun and relaxing time for your kids, most of us hear constant
complaints of boredom. Some kids love to entertain themselves but others need to be constantly entertained. Kids are spending more
and more time watching television or playing video games.
Here are some ideas for fun summer activities that will keep the kids occupied.
In the backyard: The backyard is a safe place to explore and play. Inexpensive inflatable swimming pools or sprinklers are
a great way to cool off and splash around and have fun. Collecting bugs in small jars is also fun for small kids, as long as you
punch some holes in the tops of the jars. Don't keep the creatures captive for too long though – just enough time to study the
insects and then set them free. Picking up a few balls and throwing or kicking them around together, or playing games like tag or
hide and seek are also great summer activities.
Play Dates: Play dates are a good opportunity for kids to spend some time socializing outside of school. Not only that, but
parents can also get together and share some adult conversation for a few hours. Schedule play dates around meal times. But if
you're hosting the play date make sure you have lots of snacks and drinks on hand. Let the kids play indoors or outside – as long
as they're supervised, it's fine to let them choose.
Libraries: While the thought of going to the library may not be very exciting for many kids, libraries offer summer
activities and programs for kids of all ages. Younger kids can play and listen to stories, while older kids can join book clubs,
learn about everything from astronomy to making crafts, and even pick up some movies or computer games to play on a rainy day.
Check out your local library for their schedule of summer programs for kids, or see if their schedule is online.
Crafts: You don't need to buy expensive kits or craft supplies for your kids to make something really fun. Start saving old
paper towel rolls, small boxes, and other scraps and recyclables just for this purpose. Things like string, glue, scissors, tape,
markers, and paints can all be purchased at the dollar store. You'll also find foam shapes, pipe cleaners, and stamps there. Put
together a "craft box" just for this purpose. Play dough, clay, and finger paints are also terrific for creative hands.
Fun in the Kitchen: The kitchen can be a source of great fun for kids, and you don't have to train them to be little
gourmet chefs by any means! Try making juice Popsicles or slush drinks, pudding pops, or frozen yogurt. Let kids create their own
fun sandwiches by cutting shapes in their bread with cookie cutters. Get out some tortillas and roll up ham, cheese, and lettuce
for tasty wrap-style sandwiches. Spooning yogurt, ice cream, milk, and chunks of fresh fruit into the blender to make milkshakes
or smoothies is a lot of fun too. If you're feeling more ambitious, kids can help make cookies or decorate cupcakes etc.
Summer Camps: There are many summer camps available that offer different themes. The first question should be what kind of
camp your child is interested in. If your child is into sports and would prefer to learn more about a particular sport, such as
baseball, football, soccer, hockey and basketball, there are many of these summer camps available. There are academic summer camps
available also if your child is more apt to computers, math, English and would enjoy more of the academics than physical; this is
the kind of camp you may want to look for. It is advised to start looking at camps the summer before you wish your child to
attend. When you and your child have chosen the camp he or she wishes to attend, this is the time to start researching. If you
have friends or families that have attended get their opinions: how did their children like it; was the camp fun and safe?
Remember when choosing a summer camp that the real reason for going to summer camp is to have fun and do something different and
to make new friends. Make sure that most of the activities are done as groups instead of most of the activities being done alone.
Book Review: A Wrinkle in Time
Madeleine L’Engle’s “A Wrinkle in Time” (Newbery Honors Book) is a children's fantasy novel. The book won a Newbery
Medal, Sequoyah Book Award, and Lewis Carroll Shelf Award. It is the first in L'Engle's series of books about the Murry and
O'Keefe families.
The main character is fourteen-year-old Meg Murry, who is regarded by her peers and teachers as a bad-tempered underachiever.
Her family recognizes her problem as a lack of emotional maturity but also regards her as being capable of great things. The
family includes her beautiful scientist mother, her mysteriously missing scientist father, her five-year-old brother Charles
Wallace Murry —a nascent super-genius— and ten-year-old twin athlete brothers Sandy and Dennys Murry.
Accompanied by friend Calvin O'Keefe, and aided by the unearthly trio of Mr. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which, Meg and Charles
Wallace travel to another dimension is search of their missing father--a scientist who has been experimenting with time travel.
However, in order to rescue Mr. Murry, Meg, Charles Wallace, and Calvin must first do battle with the evil, and all controlling,
IT.
The winner of the 1963 Newbery Medal, A WRINKLE IN TIME combines fantasy, theology, and the mysteries of science to tell a
fascinating story of time travel.
Last month's newsletter
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Kids Corner
Math Tricks and Fun:
Joke
Some engineers are trying to measure the height of a flag pole. They only have a measuring tape and are quite frustrated trying to
keep the tape along the pole: It falls down all the time.
A mathematician comes along and asks what they are doing. They explain it to him.
"Well, that's easy..."
He pulls the pole out of the ground, lays it down, and measures it easily.
After he has left, one of the engineers says: "That's so typical of these mathematicians! What we need is the height - and he
gives us the length!".
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This month's puzzle
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Whose Pet Is It?
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Anita, Ben, Chuck, Debbie, Eliza, and Fred owned a parakeet, cat, dog, fish, parrot, and own, although not
necessarily in that order.
1) Eliza's neighbor, who was not Ben, owned the parrot.
2) Fred did not own a flying creature.
3) The parakeet owner lived next to Debbie.
4) Ben did not own a four-legged pet.
5) Both the owl and cat owners lived across the street from Eliza who lived next to the parakeet owner.
6) The owl and the parakeet owners lived at the opposite end of the street to Anita and Ben. |
Can you find the correct pet for each owner?
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Solution in next month's newsletter.
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| This puzzle is from
Challenging Logic Puzzles (Official MENSA Puzzle Book) by Barry R. Clarke. |
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Solution for the last month's puzzle "Order in Class": Peter was sitting in the center row of the first column.
If we number the positions 1 to 9 from left to right along the rows starting with the back row then the second sentence means
that either Ursula is at position 5 and George 9 or Ursula is at 4 and George 8. Since Ivan and George share the same row, Colin
and Maggie cannot be at 7 and 9. If Ursula is at 4, Colin must be at 1 which does not allow Oliver to be above Ursula. So Ursula
is at 5 with George at 9 and Oliver at 2. Norman and Tina can only be now at 8 and 6, respectively, giving Colin at 1 and Maggie
at 3. Ivan is then at 7 so Peter is at 4. |
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