X-post: help planning math sequence

[La Condessa]

Yesterday I was reading 1053's post, feeling both sympathetic and grateful that my own kid, while bright and probably elementary-school-Gate-program-variety gifted, isn't really, really gifted like that.

 

Then last night before bed I was updating dh on what we've been doing for school lately, and realized I need to budget for another level of math, soon. I had expected dd to slow down this book at least a little, but instead she's sped up. I considered where her current trajectory will take us in the next few years if she doesn't slow down and had my own private little freak out that kept me up half the night. It's likely we will eventually reach her right level and slow down, right?

 

My husband and I are language people. I feel like I know what to do with an advanced language kid. I did well in math classes, could always apply those algorithms and get the right number, but that's it. I quit pre-calc a week in because I decided the pre-calc/calc teacher was a jerk and I wasn't going to spend the next two years in his class. I took 'Advanced Functions Analysis' instead, which could have more accurately been titled 'Beginning Graphing Calculator Use' or perhaps 'Mathy-Sounding Class Name to Place on Transcripts'. So the last actual math I learned was Algebra 3/4 my sophomore year of high school.

 

Honestly, I'm not sure what the point of this post is. Maybe just to hash out my feelings of trepidation and inadequacy somewhere where it won't be taken as a veiled excuse to brag. I know about going deeper and wider, and I'm sure if I have to, I can teach myself upper level math ahead of/ along side my daughter. I just am feeling rather daunted right now.

[Arcadia]

My boys did Maths in spurts. I just order new books about a month before I need them. I am also guilty of getting the AoPS books on interlibrary loan/Link+ before my kids books arrive. AoPS is in SoCal so takes less than a week to reach me. Previously my kids used Singapore primary math which was ship from Oregon so less than a week too by media mail.

 

On a totally non-academic note, my older has his "12 year old" molars before he turns 10. It's a different kind of stress, he has been lucky so far in terms of not getting cavities.

 

Read Quark's posts on her son's math journey. She is a language person :)

[MamaSprout]

Just roll with things, but don't push. My dd has gone through multiple levels of math in a year. She would easily subject-binge, not just in math. Dd slowed down a little this year, partially because we're into Pre-a level stuff, but partially because she's added a second language and some computer programming. I discourage too much asynchrony-which is easy with her, because she's curious about lots of things.

 

We do history and science as "delight driven" with a spine. I'd like to go there with math again, but need to find the right resources- she's exhausted most of what I know of, although I'm sure there's more.

[Mike in SA]

Just roll with things, but don't push.

 

Well put.

[La Condessa]

On a totally non-academic note, my older has his "12 year old" molars before he turns 10. It's a different kind of stress, he has been lucky so far in terms of not getting cavities.

Read Quark's posts on her son's math journey. She is a language person :)

  

Thank you. I suppose there's always going to be something to stress over, and I just need to chill out. Easier said than done, but I need to learn.

 

Just roll with things, but don't push. My dd has gone through multiple levels of math in a year. She would easily subject-binge, not just in math. Dd slowed down a little this year, partially because we're into Pre-a level stuff, but partially because she's added a second language and some computer programming. I discourage too much asynchrony-which is easy with her, because she's curious about lots of things.

We do history and science as "delight driven" with a spine. I'd like to go there with math again, but need to find the right resources- she's exhausted most of what I know of, although I'm sure there's more.

I'm curious how you would do this with math. Would you do a chapter from your spine, then draw from lots of different living math books on the same topic before moving on in your spine? Or have a variety of materials available and let her choose what to use? I'm intrigued.

[MamaSprout]

I'm curious how you would do this with math. Would you do a chapter from your spine, then draw from lots of different living math books on the same topic before moving on in your spine? Or have a variety of materials available and let her choose what to use? I'm intrigued.

 

I am far from organized enough to have topic- matched books lined up. I barely schedule math- her assignment sheet is usually "do next 2-3 pages of Math Mammoth, have Mom check" or whatever spine we are doing- (I circle the ones I want her to do ahead of time). She usually works in the same room with me in case she gets stuck.

 

I do build two 1/2 hour chunks into our math time each week to do something different, like logic, math puzzles, problems solving, etc. and she can pick and choose from what I have on the shelf and we sit together on the couch to do it.

 

Otherwise, I keep a pile of interesting math books on the couch from the library. If I find a cool math website, I just leave it up on the computer on in her browser. She usually finds it.

 

Even though we pack a lot into our day, I try to be done with book work before lunch (music practice and reading Lit excluded.) On the 2-3 days a week we are home after lunch, I ask she find something academic to do until 3pm or so. Ted Ed, reading, iPad apps, ViHart videos, art projects, self-directed research, computer programing,  etc, usually fills that time. If it's a beautiful day, I send her outside. Sometimes with a book, sometimes just out. The only real rule is she needs to clean up her messes and her choices can't be "squishy brained."

 

I'm trying to switch her over to Derek Owens, but she wants to stay with Math Mammoth for now. Until she was almost 8, trying to impart a curriculum on her for math was a waste of time. Reading through a stack of living math books and using a white board was enough at the time, although I wasted enough money trying to find a curriculum.

 

I'm open to suggestions for more self-directed math sites and books for PreA and above if anyone knows of any. I'm kinda tired of ViHart....

[texasmama]

I'm a language person with a math deficit.  I have relearned and unlearned and learned differently as my kids have done math.  I'm still not a math genius and never will be, but I have a better conceptual understanding of math now.  I went through pre-calculus in high school and college, but that was a long time ago.  ;)

 

My two boys are both strong in math. They are both currently in Algebra 1, and I am adequate through the end of Algebra 1.  I am unwilling to relearn Geometry at this stage of my life, so I will be outsourcing math or asking my student to be independent from here on.  My older son will be outsourced, and I've already chosen his online class.  My younger son will likely be independent, as he is a gifted and advanced student.  But I will not do or teach Geometry.  Once I made this decision, I felt a weight lift off of me.  :)

 

Re: acceleration, my younger son is 11 and doing AoPS Algebra.  When he was younger, we did Singapore, and he was a year ahead, then skipped straight from 5B to AoPS pre-A with no problems.  (We did some other resources during the summer prior to the Pre-A to prepare for it, but he was ready to do pre-A at 10.

 

I fretted some about the acceleration of my younger son, particular given that my older son is not gifted but more of an average-ish student.  When I gave in to letting the kids be where they were, advance at the pace they needed to, and just generally be individuals, I felt less stress.

 

I don't know exactly where this path leads since we take it one year at a time and have had some false starts with curricula more than once.  The end goal is college. The older my kids get, the more responsibility I hand them for their own success or failure.  Also, the more I am here to help and facilitate and foot the bill for courses/curricula rather than truly teach everything.  It is kind of a relief, to tell you the truth.  Elementary is fun and easy and hard to mess up.  Middle school is work.  I don't want to "own" all subjects in high school.  Outsourcing is our answer.