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Hands On Equations Verbal problems book


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Hello Hive,

 

For those using Hands on Equations. Do you find the Verbal problems a book a worthwhile purchase? Can you give me an idea of the types of problems in the book? Or is there is a peak inside at the website? I didn't see one nor did I see one at Rainbow Resources.

 

Thanks,

Capt_Uhura

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I bought it and never used it.

 

The book starts going into fractions in equations (1/3x + 4 = something or other), and the way he has kids deal with the pawns for that particular kind of problem really confused the heck out of me and my dd. We did far better moving away from the pawns and working on paper in our own way at that point.

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Before I bought the program, I heard from a lot of people here that the Verbal Equations book was *the* best part of the program, so I bought it.

 

I have to say, it takes things to a whole new level. The main program tells you how to set up the equations and you just have to solve them, which is fairly straighforward. With the Verbal Equations, you have to figure it out yourself and apply what you've learned.

 

It's divided into seven sections:

 

Getting Started with Verbal Problems

Number Problems

Consecutive Number Problems

Age Problems

Coin Problems

Distance Problems

Story and Miscellaneous Problems

 

Each Section is further divided into problems best done after Level 1, 2 or 3.

 

Here's a sample Number Problem, Level 1:

 

When two-thirds of a number is increased by 20, and the sum is then halved, the result obtained is the same as two-thirds of the number, increased by 3. Find the number.

 

Here's a sample Coin problem, Level 2:

 

Sean collects nickels and dimes. Every time he places a nickel into his collection, he places two dimes. After a week, he notices that the number of dimes, increased by twice the number of nickels, gives the same number of coins as three times the number of nickels, increased by 10. How many coins does he have by the end of the week?

 

Here's a sample Distance Problem, Level 3:

 

At 10 am, two canoes are 16 miles apart on a river. They pass each other at noon headed in opposite directions. If the upstream canoe's rate of speed is 2 miles per hour slower than two-thirds of the rate of the canoe going downstream, find the distance the downstream canoe travels when the two canoes meet.

 

 

There are many, many problems in the book as well as complete solutions with pictoral example of how to lay them out with the scale and pawn manipulatives.

 

Last summer my 9yo worked through Level 2 in the course and did samples of Level 1 Word Problems (and I think some Level 2, but not till the end). The 12yos worked through all 3 Levels of the course, and did a representative sampling of Word Problems from each section of the book through Level 3.

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FWIW, I personally do not think the HOE program is worth doing unless you use the VPB. That's where the "meat" is of the program.

 

The problems are similar to the word problems in Singapore's (original) CWP and IP series but the student solves them using algebra rather than the SM bar model method. And unlike CWP/IP, the HOE book includes complete solutions right in the manual.

 

Here are some randomly chosen Level I examples from the VPB:

 

#28 on pg. 10: Bill had two water jugs that each held 7 gallons. Tom had one jug that held 2 gallons and three others that held equal amounts. If all the jugs together held 28 gallons, how much did each of the three equal jugs hold?

 

#13 on pg. 26: When two-thirds of a number is increased by 20, and the sum is then halved, the result obtained is the same as two-thirds of the number, increased by3. Find the number.

 

#4 on pg. 42: The last of three consecutive numbers, increased by 10, is equal to the sum of the first two consecutive numbers. Find the numbers.

 

#12 on pg. 57: Charlie is twice as old as James. Three times Charlie's age, diminished by twice James' age, will give James' age 3 years from now. How old is each?

 

#6 on pg. 75: In a drawer in her desk, Mary keeps quarters and nickels. If the number of nickels she has is 4 more than twice the number of quarters, and her total number of coins is 10 more than the number of quarters, how many of each does she have?

 

#8 on pg. 100: Peter has two toy trains, one colored red and one colored blue. The speed of the red train is 3 inches per second. The speed of the blue train is 4 inches per second faster than twice the speed of the red train. The trains start at the same point and travel in the same directions. How far apart are the trains after four seconds?

 

#20 on pg. 137: Thelma promised to bake some cookies for the PTA Ice Cream Social. She decided she would also bake some for her friend Mary at the same time. She baked five equal batches, plus two more cookies from the extra dough. The she delivered three of the batches to the PTA, and the rest she gave to Mary. Mary spread out all the cookies that Thelma gave her, and noticed she had a total of 16 cookies. How many cookies were in each batch that Thelma prepared?

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Here's a sample Number Problem, Level 1:

 

When two-thirds of a number is increased by 20, and the sum is then halved, the result obtained is the same as two-thirds of the number, increased by 3. Find the number.

 

How funny out of all the examples in that section, you and I both chose the exact same one! :lol:

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Are we talking about the same verbal problems book, the one that you use after you have already gone through the main program complete with its verbal problems? Confused here. The book I am talking about was not originally part of the Hands-On Equations set; it came a few years later.

 

Once dd had gone through the main program, she was doing more complicated problems on paper without needing the pawns or symbols of pawns any longer. I think she'd transferred mentally into work in her head or on paper so thoroughly that going back to the pawn setup was not useful. But she was also perhaps older than some kids who use the program; she was ten or eleven by then.

 

Capt Uhura, I'm so sorry -- I would have given it to you for nothing, but I actually threw it out several years back.

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Before I bought the program, I heard from a lot of people here that the Verbal Equations book was *the* best part of the program, so I bought it.

 

I have to say, it takes things to a whole new level. The main program tells you how to set up the equations and you just have to solve them, which is fairly straighforward. With the Verbal Equations, you have to figure it out yourself and apply what you've learned.

 

 

Agreed. The base program just gives you the tools to be able to do the real work, which are the story problems. These are where the child learns to apply algebraic thinking. It is invaluable to concrete thinkers.

 

My dd can do simple algebra in her head from Right Start, like: 2k+5=3 (answer is -1). She also can blaze through the base problem without thinking. The story problems brought her up short and made her really think. Often she needs to do them with me. In fact we went to doing one a day together because she was struggling with the set up on the 3-4 step problems. Meanwhile she is also doing Kinetic Pre-Algebra daily.

 

I would put it this way. The base program is the formula. The problems book is the application. Some kids can get enough from just learning the formula, but the real understanding comes with application.

 

Heather

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Thanks everyone for your time! I like those word problems. I'm putting together my order for Rainbow Resources free shipping lol and found Verbal problems in my wish list. :001_smile: I can't recall how far we got. I think my oldest did all of level 1 and 2. I will put this out this weekend and review and make a decision.

 

Thanks again,

Capt Uhura

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The problems I quoted are from Hands-On Equations Verbal Problems Book 3rd edition. It has a gray cover and 203 pages. I had ordered the basic HOE kit without the DVD's and then had to purchase this book separately. If there's some other "verbal problems book" then I apologize for the confusion.

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The problems I quoted are from Hands-On Equations Verbal Problems Book 3rd edition. It has a gray cover and 203 pages. I had ordered the basic HOE kit without the DVD's and then had to purchase this book separately. If there's some other "verbal problems book" then I apologize for the confusion.

 

I bought off of Amazon, but it said the seller was the author, so I figured I was fine. :D

 

It came as a 3 hole punched text on white paper with no binder. The first and last page are on glossy card stock. There are 203 pages and it is a 3rd edition.

 

Heather

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Bill- FYI the level 1 of HOE is accessible to a child who can do basic addition, subtraction, single-digit multiplication, & short division. My DD started the HOE book towards the end of RS C. If your son knows his times tables, he's probably ready to start HOE.

 

Really? So soon.

 

I was kind of thinking Third Grade. Could I wait until then and still have it be intriguing?

 

Bill

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