Using a BIG calendar for math: NeuYear Calendar review

This year we’ve started using Saxon math and a big component of their math program is calendar work, and we’ve found a great big calendar that is helping the kids solve their math problems.

{I received a free copy of NeuYar Calendar to review and compensation for my time, I’m going to buy another one next year, so that gives you an idea of my general opinion.  This post contains affiliate links.  See my full Disclosure statement for more information}

Prior to this year, my kids haven’t done too much with calendars, and they’ve been struggling.  Then we got a NeuYear big calendar, it follows the traditional academic model (July to June, to give time to plan during summer).

{Side note, I have bought many a calendar, and have flipped from month to month until, oh…. say March, and then it sits there on March for the next 6 months, until someone complains.  That is not a problem with this calendar. end side note}

 

What is the big calendar from NeuYear like?

• It is double-sided so you can have the months vertically or horizontally.  I like vertically.
• The months run into each other, so there are no random extra days showing (when I get to how we’re using this, you’ll see why this is so helpful).
• The months are written in abbreviation (which is a feature I wasn’t sure about but now love).
• It comes in both paper (my favorite) and dry erase (I”m not using it to its full extent).

 

How are we using this to help our math?

As I mentioned Saxon math has at least 1-2 calendar problems every day for 3rd-grade math.  They ask about things happening several months ago, a week in the future, or 2 months ago.  Before we got this big calendar the kids were struggling to get the answers because I don’t have a monthly calendar hanging to use.

First I taught them how to use this big calendar.  We talked about how the months are in a different order, and why they are in that order (because it’s an academic year calendar).

We talked about finding the current date and looking for other dates on the calendar.  We talked about how the months run together, there are not a gap in between days.  One month ends, and the next begins.  You can see this visually on the calendar very well.

THEN, I figured out I’d put it in the wrong place, so I moved the calendar because no one was making good use of it in the corner.  It was right behind Superman’s desk, and the kids couldn’t reach it, too high.

First lesson learned, placement of the big calendar is important if you want the kids to use it.

In the new location, the kids have to get up and walk over to it, and it’s at a height they can touch the calendar and use it.

Using the big calendar to teach math skills (more specifics)

Here’s how I modified the big calendar (it needs to be big because my handwriting is HUGE):

• I added numbers so the kids could learn the number of the month (What month of the year is 7th?)
• I added the full name.  The calendar came with the names written in abbreviation.  At first, I was annoyed, but then I realized it gave the kids an opportunity to learn the abbreviations in a natural way without realizing it.  They frequently now write the abbreviation without even thinking about it.
• We write what has happened the day before so we have a visual record of where we are in the year.  It also helps to remember what we have done before. {In full honesty, I’m working to remember this daily, I like the idea, but am not always keeping up with it.}

Since I’ve started using this big calendar from NeuYear {affiliate link}, the kids’ calendar skills have improved significantly.  It’s really helped with my goals of independent learning because instead of constantly asking me for help, they now get up and study the calendar.

 

Getting a big calendar from NeuYear

You can get the big calendar on the NeuYear site, they range in price from $19 (for paper academic calendar) to $30 (on sale for $15) for the dry erase standard calendar.