cjbeach Posted December 19, 2011 Share Posted December 19, 2011 Cleaning out my bookmarks today I found a link to its' site. http://jonesgeniuses.com/ I have never heard of it, and obviously I just bookmarked it without looking at it in length. Any experience with it here? Just curious.... TIA! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2smartones Posted December 19, 2011 Share Posted December 19, 2011 It's junk. Not a fan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2bee Posted December 19, 2011 Share Posted December 19, 2011 It's junk. Not a fan. Wow, can you expound? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjbeach Posted December 19, 2011 Author Share Posted December 19, 2011 I figured as much, since I hadn't heard of it here. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted December 19, 2011 Share Posted December 19, 2011 The placement tests aren't exactly impressive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2bee Posted December 19, 2011 Share Posted December 19, 2011 The placement tests aren't exactly impressive. What constitutes an impressive placement test? Is it fair to judge a curriculum by its placement test? AoPS Placement tests are pretty basic, but a great deal of people feel that they texts are phenomenal, even if they don't fit their particular students learning style... I have heard of this company and I have heard some people complain that the quality of the materials is too basic/cheap for the price, but that the content of the material is good... I was considering ordering some of their math products, but have held off due to funds, I would like to know what is so bad about them if anyone can share... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted December 19, 2011 Share Posted December 19, 2011 (edited) If that placement test is indicative of the material in the program, they're covering only 1 digit addition, subtraction w/o regrouping, and multiplication and division up to about 10x10, and that goes up to placement in math 7, depending on age. I also have real problems with any program that uses age as a determining factor for placing supposedly gifted children such that a younger child with the same score would be placed lower than an older child. Edited December 19, 2011 by dmmetler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KAR120C Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 http://www.dallasobserver.com/1997-09-04/news/too-smart-for-their-own-good/3/ The part that most concerns me is: After being given a six-digit number like 474,552, the kids would draw a line separating the 474 from the 552. Then, they'd find the cube closest to 474. Since they'd memorized the cubes of the single-digit numbers, they knew 474 fell between the cube of 7 and the cube of 8. Therefore, the first digit of the cube root had to be 7. A look at the last three digits of 474,552 quickly yields the rest of the answer. The only single-digit cube that ends in a 2 is 8 cubed. So the cube root of 474,552 has to be 78. This isn't an understanding of how cube roots work - it's just a memorized algorithm. If they gave them 474,557 instead, would they guess 73 just because that too would end in a 7? (It would be 389017 - not really all that close!) This is a parlor trick - not math. This too give me pause: ...Jones' kids were the first to skip a grade at Sam Houston in more than 20 years. And by now, Sam Houston had a new principal-- Ricardo Weir. Ultimately, Weir sent back six of the original 13 to second-grade classrooms for the 1996-'97 school year. The district had decided the children couldn't handle third-grade work. My impression from all this is that the kids were taught impressive tricks but not the foundational skills that support them. I could be wrong, but I haven't seen anything yet that convinces me otherwise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2smartones Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Yes, it's just tricks. There's nothing "genius" about it. It lacks a firm foundation of basic skills. I got my hands on it last year at a homeschool conference and was not at all impressed. To me, it's like trying to teach your baby to read with those silly flash cards. They're not really reading. If you have the money to spend, and you have a kid with a pretty good grasp of math, it might be a fun side track, but I wouldn't use it as curriculum, no. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenbrdsly Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Yes, it's just tricks. There's nothing "genius" about it. It lacks a firm foundation of basic skills. I got my hands on it last year at a homeschool conference and was not at all impressed. To me, it's like trying to teach your baby to read with those silly flash cards. They're not really reading. If you have the money to spend, and you have a kid with a pretty good grasp of math, it might be a fun side track, but I wouldn't use it as curriculum, no. Don't even get me started on Glen Doman and his stupid flashcards!!!! That's what inspired me to start my blog. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 It's junk. :iagree: You can tell by the placement test. It's based on fact fluency and nothing else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 What constitutes an impressive placement test? The Singapore placement test is impressive. (I agree that the AoPS placement test is not indicative of what's to come.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iucounu Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 I didn't even get as far as the placement test. This was enough to turn me off: http://jonesgeniuses.com/about-jg/programintro Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missouri Okie Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 It's junk. Parlor tricks. Take it from me, who spent hard-earned money buying it. :glare: I still suffer from guilt for reselling it to another unsuspecting victim for $20. If you want the EXACT same information buy this book for a lot less. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2bee Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 It's junk. Parlor tricks. Take it from me, who spent hard-earned money buying it. :glare: I still suffer from guilt for reselling it to another unsuspecting victim for $20. If you want the EXACT same information buy this book for a lot less. Wow, which level did you buy...I was thinking that the first level was neat, but now I'm seriously rethinking this whole publisher...hmm... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missouri Okie Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Wow, which level did you buy...I was thinking that the first level was neat, but now I'm seriously rethinking this whole publisher...hmm... I bought the first level (not sure what it's called) for the youngest age. It's the level that has the early reading and the math in one package. The 'early reading' is teaching the child learning letter sounds and vowel-team sounds by associating them with animal names (p, /p/, pig) using flash cards. That's all. I don't even recall there being any actual reading involved. So, you're better off with OGPTR or 100EZ Lessons for a lot less $$$. The math consists of 1) learning to count backward and forward to 20, 2) learning to count to 100, and 3) learning to form numbers by associating the number with dots representing the number (i.e., you form a three by teaching the child that there are 3 dots on the 3). This becomes the basis for addition. The child, for example, learns what 2 plus 3 is by starting with the 2 and adding the 3 dots on the three to get 5. AACK! It's awful. I had a friend who stuck with the program, and she said after over a year, her son could not add 2 plus 3 without mentally adding those dots! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THen Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 Ahh, I see a lot of negative reviews ... especially from people who haven't used the curriculum. I agree that the curriculum is overpriced for the quality of material you get, although they seem to be trying to remedy that by making digital copies available. I also agree that it teaches fact fluency, as calculadder and other curriculum that use timed test do. And yes, if given a square or a cube, the child learns to find the root. That part is a bit parlor trick-ish, but a fun and easy one to learn (once you've memorized the square of numbers 1 to 19 and the cube of numbers 1 to 9). But the kids do learn to memorize and have fun with them. They are also taught how to use negative numbers, exponents, have fluency with simple fractions, multiply four digit numbers in their head, and such. That isn't just parlor tricking. I also like that they are taught mnemonic devices that they've used to memorize things like the prime numbers up to 1000 (which of course is not a prime). Unless you go into computers or other sciences, knowing the primes might not be that helpful. But along with learning the primes, they do learn the factors for numbers, which helped me the other day as I was working on a knitting project. "Son, what are the factors of 264?" :laugh: But later they'll use the method to memorize the periodic table. I understand, that is only helpful if you're going into chemistry or something, but they can also have fun showing off for grandma. :p I think it does have a few holes. It doesn't cover geometric figures, time, measurements, graphs and such. But it wasn't so bad as to call it "Junk." My 12 and 9 year old boys can add, subtract, multiply and divide whole numbers, positive & negative numbers, and fractions. And the know how to manipulate exponents. Not too junky, I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2smartones Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 2012 I think it does have a few holes. It doesn't cover geometric figures, time, measurements, graphs and such. But it wasn't so bad as to call it "Junk." My 12 and 9 year old boys can add, subtract, multiply and divide whole numbers, positive & negative numbers, and fractions. And the know how to manipulate exponents. Not too junky, I think. (Odd to see such an old post bumped back up again...) The "junk" part is that it's not a solid curriculum at all, and there's absolutely nothing "genius" about it. I would expect 9 & 12 year olds to do that using any old curriculum out there (or perhaps no curriculum at all). If it were for geniuses, they wouldn't sell enough to stay in business, and if it could create geniuses (as if that were possible), government-run schools would be buying it so they could compete with the world's nations who are kicking U.S. butt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennynd Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 2012 Don't even get me started on Glen Doman and his stupid flashcards!!!! That's what inspired me to start my blog. :tongue_smilie: :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THen Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 I would expect 9 & 12 year olds to do that using any old curriculum out there (or perhaps no curriculum at all). Funny... I haven't seen many. And I have seen high school students that are still working on it. If it were for geniuses' date=' they wouldn't sell enough to stay in business, and if it could [b']create[/b] geniuses . True, "genius" might be much. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quark Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 (edited) Don't even get me started on Glen Doman and his stupid flashcards!!!! That's what inspired me to start my blog. :tongue_smilie: I won't get you started on Doman's flashcards and I don't read your blog a lot but FWIW, I found it to be a good tool in our tool-belt for a short period of time. I wanted to say this just in case someone else who liked Doman's methods thinks they made a mistake. I sometimes see certain methods and tools strongly put down on these boards. Just wanted to add that I don't think it's the tool that matters so much...it's how you use it for your specific kid. I now humbly withdraw...:001_smile: Edited August 15, 2012 by quark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Stephyblue Posted August 3, 2013 Share Posted August 3, 2013 I know this is an older post but I must comment on the opinions here. I noticed so much negative. However, not a single response from someone that has used the program. I have used the program for several years. I have an educated opinion. Parlor tricks--- it is definitely not. The program is very intense. It does approach things in a different order then traditionally taught . Also, it moves very quickly. The program has various levels of mastery of concepts. My student has used the memory component of the math program with AMAZING results. This wasn't just to impress others but to aid in solving complex math. This program in my educated opinion isn't for everyone. The teacher and student must put in the extra effort to reap the full potential of JG. We are currently working on identifying prime numbers to 1000. Knowing factors is critical to higher levels of math. My daughter wants to share her opinion " I like that they teach me how to do it and then show me the short cuts to get my answer." She also said " It moves really fast but it's fun!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted August 4, 2013 Share Posted August 4, 2013 I know this is an older post but I must comment on the opinions here. I noticed so much negative. However, not a single response from someone that has used the program. You obviously didn't read the whole thread. And please, just let an old thread like this one stay dead. Otherwise, it looks like you're just someone from that company posing as a happy user to spam the board with a good testimonial. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest IMBubbly Posted August 27, 2013 Share Posted August 27, 2013 I have never before responded to a thread anywhere but I have to respond here. I don't care how old the thread is, when people are looking for curriculum old posts will show up during a search. I just graduated my daughter this past May (2013). We used Jones' Genius math throughout her schooling. We have nothing but praise for this curriculum. She loves math and understands the concepts because of Dr. Jones' program. We were fortunate to attend a live class that Dr. Jones conducted during her first year when she was only 8 years old. We used this curriculum until she was a sophomore in high school, and will soon be 18 years old. Our only regret about the program is that it only covers through Algebra. We had to switch curriculums in order for her to take more advanced math. Her major in college will rely heavily on the math skills that she gained through her homeschooling with this program. This is a parent intensive curriculum which scares many away, but for us, we learned a lot right alongside her. We used this curriculum for years and are still experiecing solid results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiana Posted August 27, 2013 Share Posted August 27, 2013 I find it really interesting how people are apparently creating accounts just to post on this thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted August 27, 2013 Share Posted August 27, 2013 I know, right? Weird. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grover Posted August 27, 2013 Share Posted August 27, 2013 hello people with no posting history at all piling in to defend a programme with not a lot of redeeming features (yes I have looked at it). I don't find your brand new shiny account and no other posts anywehre, ever suspicious at all. :w00t: :w00t: :thumbup1: :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2smartones Posted August 27, 2013 Share Posted August 27, 2013 :iagree: Video: Lorax - Let It Die Seriously. Please? :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Korrale Posted September 3, 2013 Share Posted September 3, 2013 I don't think I have ever posted here because my son is still young. He is only 3. WTM is a forum I look to for his future. Google directs me here quite often as I review curriculum. I HAVE used JG with my son. However it was only the first part of the math program and I like it a lot. I have been searching for reviews and considering if i will continue to use the program. That is how a thread like this gets rejuvinated. As for the program, Yes it is pricy, yes the quality of the materials are sub par. But the customer service is amazing. And though the first part of the program may not be a complete math curriculum it is very simple and soild. I think the program is amazing for covering fact mastery. It is ideal for remedial students (I tutor a 5th grader) and young students just starting to learn number facts. I wish that I had the program and had used it with my son before we started with Right Start math. The name is misleading, and certainly a marketing tool, like "baby genius" or "baby Einstein", but I think the genius part of the name is derived from the fact that children as young as 2 can easily learn addition, subtraction, multiplication and division from this program. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest EasyE Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 I'm just going to play the trump card and say this: I used Jones math and loved it. I'm now 23 and used math 4-8 as a preteen. The ciricculum is not stand alone. I used a problem work book (and, unfortunately math u see which started my distaste for math.) I was a reluctant math student using only math u see. I cried and felt horrible about myself. Switching to Jones math not only made sense, but was memorable and helped me into college calculus. (Big factors were the time skills the tests help with, factoring, and high level memorization) because of Jones math, I tested out of college algebra AND trig (as a liberal arts major) into college pre calculus. I'm ever grateful, because I could have easily hated math. I'm now pregnant and looking for the program to start my child on someday. Would also strongly recommend the speed reading and geography (if you can find it - that doesn't seem to be on the website.) Hope this was helpful! In summary- for frustrated/highly capable math students I would highly recommend this as a primary resource to be supplemented with other workbooks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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