1. How important is it that the students can verbalize the math strategies they are using? My 6 year old can generally work out the math problems mentally but she can not verbalize how she did it? I'm not sure what questions to ask her to draw it out of her. When I ask her how she figured it out, I typically get, "I thought about it."

2. My 8 year old is having trouble remembering even basics. I'm not even sure how to get her to refresh them without going back to the beginning. I have the complication too that they are both doing the same level so I don't want to totally dishearten her by having to go back too far and let little sis whiz by her in yet another subject. Little sis could benefit from review and practic. Is there a way to incorporate review and refresh the concepts forgotten w/o going back? Are there more games than in the curriculum or math games book we could try?

Thanks.