fruitofthewomb Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 DD is doing really well with CLE. I started her in 100 even though she is 3rd grade. It was hard for me to do but it was a smart move I think. She is gaining confidence & moving quickly through the material. I love the whole program. I wish I had used it with her from the beginning. she is still not quite automatic with even the simple facts but it is better than it was. I am using Xtramath first thing in the morning (after chores) and she likes it. I also did free trial for dreambox and she loves it. It's almost up & I think I will pay for it. I borrowed my moms iPad & was able to make notes on RBs dots book. I get it now. It is so much easier to follow than toolkit! No contest! Haha! I haven't started with her on it yet but I plan to in the next day or so. I have had sick baby & stomach flu myself. I watched a lot of education unboxed videos & looked on Pinterest & TPT for hands on math ideas. All of this combined helped me get a deeper understanding for how to teach math. I didn't realize how little I knew about how to teach math! I am trying not to beat myself up about it but I could kick myself for not doing this-oh I don't know-2 years ago?! I can't shake the feeling that it is my fault. Wishin' I had a time machine! 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 I'm so excited for you to finally have access to Dots!!!!! :party: If I could make a suggestion, don't do other things with it at first. Just do the RB Dots steps and let them work. They *seem* really simple, but honest to G*d* the simplest things needed practice and repetition to click for my ds. Just do it as she says. Each of those 2-page spreads took my ds a day and often we repeated that step. Now he can usually do a 2-page spread in a day. So we'd just one little step and then play an old game. That took the full amount of time he had to give to the lesson. I'm just saying the RB Dots lessons flow really, really well and it might be just as effective to focus on them and let them build. THEN, when you get through Dots and have some foundation, then bring in other cool things you find elsewhere. Simple is good. I get really squirrelly with slow, so I spent all of Dots telling myself the mantra somebody else on the boards gave me: Embrace the pace. That's my advice. Embrace the pace. Get some cool manipulatives if you get bored. Lakeshore Learning sells these really cute tubs of mini math counters. They come in farm critters, frogs & turtles, etc. We used the frogs & turtles. So cute! :thumbup: So we'd just shake it up some days with the dots of mini marshmallows, some with beads, some with frogs, etc. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 :hurray: :hurray: :hurray: Don't worry about the basic math facts. Doing the RB stuff should help some, plus there will be plenty of review in CLE. There is still review of basic addition, subtraction, and then also multiplication daily in level 2, 3 and level 4 and maybe level 5 (can't remember). Lots of time to learn the facts. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbutton Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 Good news! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kanin Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 Awesome! I'll second what OhElizabeth said about the smallest things needing lots of practice. My guy also has trouble generalizing one skill to another... like he's totally automatic with the 4-dot pattern and the 1-dot pattern making 5, but hand him 4 cubes and ask how many more to get to 5, and... blank stare. I have to keep reminding myself to HELP him make these connections. It's all so much more complex than I imagined! Now I see why elementary school math teachers are just not equipped. They just aren't taught these things! Way to go, fruitofthewomb! You'll probably end up loving math more than any subject! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 Awesome! I'll second what OhElizabeth said about the smallest things needing lots of practice. My guy also has trouble generalizing one skill to another... like he's totally automatic with the 4-dot pattern and the 1-dot pattern making 5, but hand him 4 cubes and ask how many more to get to 5, and... blank stare. I have to keep reminding myself to HELP him make these connections. It's all so much more complex than I imagined! Now I see why elementary school math teachers are just not equipped. They just aren't taught these things! Way to go, fruitofthewomb! You'll probably end up loving math more than any subject! Yup, this! That's why I was saying we didn't do *just* dots. We used mancala beads for our dots, but then the next day I might use frogs or candy or something and repeat the lesson. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fruitofthewomb Posted March 5, 2015 Author Share Posted March 5, 2015 I'm so excited for you to finally have access to Dots!!!!! :party: If I could make a suggestion, don't do other things with it at first. Just do the RB Dots steps and let them work. They *seem* really simple, but honest to G*d* the simplest things needed practice and repetition to click for my ds. Just do it as she says. Each of those 2-page spreads took my ds a day and often we repeated that step. Now he can usually do a 2-page spread in a day. So we'd just one little step and then play an old game. That took the full amount of time he had to give to the lesson. I'm just saying the RB Dots lessons flow really, really well and it might be just as effective to focus on them and let them build. THEN, when you get through Dots and have some foundation, then bring in other cool things you find elsewhere. Simple is good. I get really squirrelly with slow, so I spent all of Dots telling myself the mantra somebody else on the boards gave me: Embrace the pace. That's my advice. Embrace the pace. Get some cool manipulatives if you get bored. Lakeshore Learning sells these really cute tubs of mini math counters. They come in farm critters, frogs & turtles, etc. We used the frogs & turtles. So cute! :thumbup: So we'd just shake it up some days with the dots of mini marshmallows, some with beads, some with frogs, etc. Well I had started collecting the other ideas before I was finally able to read through Dots. I am glad though that you are reinforcing what I was already feeling-just Dots. I feel a little like I am in a race but I know that's not true. She is where she is. I cant force her to be on grade level. I will heed your advice & put all that other stuff to the side. Those embedded videos make such a difference in my level of understanding with RBs stuff. I think that is what caused it to click with me. It was helpful to see her use different counters. I had already started collecting some things but I will check out Lakeshore. Cute manipulatives will matter to her! Thanks for your help!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 Frog & Turtle Counters They come in several types, and right now Lakeshore is doing 30% off coupons! My letter magnets that I adore are from there, and I yearn to get their numbers next. I just haven't gotten it done. I keep wondering if he'll outgrow them before I get them, so I delay, sigh... :lol: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fruitofthewomb Posted March 5, 2015 Author Share Posted March 5, 2015 :hurray: :hurray: :hurray: Don't worry about the basic math facts. Doing the RB stuff should help some, plus there will be plenty of review in CLE. There is still review of basic addition, subtraction, and then also multiplication daily in level 2, 3 and level 4 and maybe level 5 (can't remember). Lots of time to learn the facts. Thanks-that's reassuring! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fruitofthewomb Posted March 5, 2015 Author Share Posted March 5, 2015 Awesome! I'll second what OhElizabeth said about the smallest things needing lots of practice. My guy also has trouble generalizing one skill to another... like he's totally automatic with the 4-dot pattern and the 1-dot pattern making 5, but hand him 4 cubes and ask how many more to get to 5, and... blank stare. I have to keep reminding myself to HELP him make these connections. It's all so much more complex than I imagined! Now I see why elementary school math teachers are just not equipped. They just aren't taught these things! Way to go, fruitofthewomb! You'll probably end up loving math more than any subject! Yes on the making connections! I think I am finally figuring out how she learns-she has to have very explicit instruction. She doesn't just pick things up. So I need to show her how to make those connections like you said Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fruitofthewomb Posted March 5, 2015 Author Share Posted March 5, 2015 Frog & Turtle Counters They come in several types, and right now Lakeshore is doing 30% off coupons! My letter magnets that I adore are from there, and I yearn to get their numbers next. I just haven't gotten it done. I keep wondering if he'll outgrow them before I get them, so I delay, sigh... :lol: Thanks for the link! She would love those so much! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fruitofthewomb Posted March 5, 2015 Author Share Posted March 5, 2015 Frog & Turtle Counters They come in several types, and right now Lakeshore is doing 30% off coupons! My letter magnets that I adore are from there, and I yearn to get their numbers next. I just haven't gotten it done. I keep wondering if he'll outgrow them before I get them, so I delay, sigh... :lol: Oh-and just buy the number tiles 😉 I bet you would get plenty of use out of them!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbgrace Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 Yay! Sounds like you're on the right track. I'm so glad. Don't beat yourself up. You know more now than you did then. :hurray: :hurray: :hurray: Don't worry about the basic math facts. Doing the RB stuff should help some, plus there will be plenty of review in CLE. There is still review of basic addition, subtraction, and then also multiplication daily in level 2, 3 and level 4 and maybe level 5 (can't remember). Lots of time to learn the facts. Yes, there are facts reviews throughout level 5 as well. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minerva Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 Thanks for this post. It is so encouraging! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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