Reprinted with permission from the author
ShillerLearning
Reviewed by Jane R. Boswell
Now you know I am very careful about endorsing anything that looks like
formal curriculum for the very young child. However, ShillerLearning caught
my attention and I think it's a worthwhile program for parents of young
children (ages 4 - 8) to seriously consider. Creator, Larry Shiller,
MIT math major, and self-confessed numbers-nerd has provided everything
a parent needs - free of charge - to sample before they purchase. You can
call a toll-free number (888-556-MATH) and ask for samples or go directly
to their web site: http://www.shillerlearning.com to investigate this
Montessori-influenced program. (Look for ShillerLearning at your local
homeschool conference.)
ShillerLearning is designed for the parent who wants to provide a fun and
CORRECT start in arithmetic while imparting a genuine comfort level with
math experiences to the young child. The goal is that this will
translate into future math success (and ideally, success in many areas).
ShillerLearning caught my attention because:
1. It works WITH and RESPECTS the natural curiosity and learning
inclinations of young children.
2. It recognizes the developmental needs of children and the kinesthetic
approach which is the natural way children learn. (Shiller warns against
computer programs and the popular push toward abstract concepts before
the all-important concrete understanding is cemented - and I agree.)
3. It emphasizes the importance of the tutorial, one-on-one teaching
method that is ideally suited to parent and child
4. The materials are very well designed, durable, and aesthetically
pleasing.
5. The ShillerLearning folks provide more than adequate support and
educationally sound help for parents: step-by-step, clear instructions,
guidance on working with young children (including dos and don'ts), five
hours of toll-free telephone support, and online access to supplements,
activities and more.
As far as I can tell, Mr. Shiller and the Montessori-minded developers
of this program have left nothing to chance. Everything is provided in
the full kit, which is the purchase I do recommend. Although the initial
investment might seem hefty at around $399.95 - REMEMBER - it covers 4 to 5
full years of arithmetic instruction (from the pre-kindergarten level to
at least 3rd grade) and is ideal for the budget-conscious family with
more than one child [check http://www.shillerlearning.com for current speicals; you
can often save as much $100 on a kit]. Additionally, parents can feel secure in the
knowledge that they are presenting the topics and concepts correctly,
with no 'holes, gaps or surprises'. Individual sets and materials can
be ordered separately if needed or preferred and free samples are
available to try out. (Note: even if you are delaying formal instruction,
this program can be easily adapted for the older 'beginner'.)
The full kit includes: Three durable (you'll see this word often)
spiral-bound work-texts (over 450 activities including craft projects),
an audio CD with 25 math concept and movement songs, 12 diagnostic tests,
hundreds of worksheets (in handy letter-size pads), storage binder, and
the complete set of manipulatives:
o Dice
o Complete Base 10 Block Set ( durable plastic)
o Measuring cups (proper sizes for dry and liquid)
o Paper 1000 cubes (16)
o Clock
o Cloth bag (for hiding items)
o Plastic coins
o Set of dominoes (54 in a handy wooden box)
o Mirror
o Various colorful wooden shapes (100)
o Balance (for weights, volume, measures and comparisons)
o Ruler
o Durable plastic number tiles
o Durable plastic number card sets
o Durable plastic operators (+, -, >, etc.)
o Foam ball
o Wooden trays to store/ sort number sets
o Large mat for child's work/activity space
In the full kit, everything needed for using the program is provided -
right down to the crayons, pencils, pen and the essential Montessori mat.
This provides a center for the child's activity area, helping him to
focus and have a non-slip area to work with dice, blocks, shapes and
dominoes. The child soon learns that this is his own work area,
returning items to their proper places after finishing with them, and
before starting something new.
While writing this review, I popped the audio CD (written by Ron and
Nancy Brown) into the computer for a listen and was very pleased with the
quality and catchy (non-abrasive) tunes, easy-to-remember lyrics, and
lively creativity. The audio CD includes songs and movement activities
used in the program but I know it will become a favorite to listen to in
the car or to pick-up-toys by!
One of the selling points for me was the parent-friendly approach. A
sure thing I've learned from my experience working with homeschooling
parents for over 20 years, is that they are not easily impressed by
"scopes and sequences" and "educationese". They want to be able to look
at a program, understand it, and know in short order how to use this with
their child. And ShillerLearning scores high in my book in this area. After
opening the kit and familiarizing yourself with all of its goodies, it
will take you less than half an hour to browse the spiral bound texts,
(Bonus: these are high quality, spiral-bound which will lay flat for ease
of use), assemble the activity worksheets into the binder, find a
convenient place to create your child's work/activity center (your child
should help) and feel confident that you know what you're doing!
Shiller uses a Montessori philosophy as well as the highly successful
incremental approach (learning in bite-sized chunks with consistent
review and reinforcement.) The famous Montessori, multisensory, step-
by-step, success-ensuring method if used consistently, works exceedingly
well in early learning. As I mentioned, the whole approach works WITH
the child while giving him clear, simple direction and helping him
discover the correct answers. As the Parent Guide states, "We believe
that an answer is the final result to a problem... There may be many ways
to get there, but there is still only one right answer. A solution
presents the answer and also the strategy by which it was found.
ShillerLearning uses real life objects, large and small motor skills, catchy
songs whose words cement important math principles, and activities that
are small and bite-sized. Children learn both process and accuracy in an
enjoyable way that keeps them motivated."
The parent guide is concise but gives friendly, wise guidance about
working with young children. Each activity in the work-texts includes
ample instruction to the parent and a fail-safe way of presenting
concepts and topics to the child. Emphasis is placed on the "processes",
"keeping a sense of humor", "praise", "maintaining an atmosphere of
enthusiasm", and limiting the activity time to brief periods or in
keeping with the maturity level of the child.
I was very impressed with the help available to the parent which
includes an online Parent Resource Center full of tips, updates, more
crafts and activities to download (in PDF) and print out. The program
comes with a 30 day money back guarantee. These
people are really serious about making sure you and your child succeed.
Larry Shiller is passionate about math and believes that children can
learn to love numbers and arithmetic in an easy, fun, successful way and
if that happens that their future math successes will be guaranteed.