Didn't want you to feel lonely, Miss Moe! I commented on your blog, and here's mine: http://teachafish.blogspot.com/2011/04/memory-monday-april-18-2011.html I'll get better at this some other week:) This is a bad week for me.

We've used BJU Math for several years now. I've tried Horizons in the past, but (at the time) just couldn't get used to the "spinning out of control" feel of the multiple topics and weird way that it introduced a topic and then dropped it. I also desired a conceptual introduction, rather than a "just do it" algorithm approach (ex: BJU uses tens/ones to introduce adding with carrying/renaming, whereas Horizons just has you carry the one). I have a much better understanding of math now, and I also bought the Math Mammoth Blue series to help deepen our study of math. I've noticed, though, that Horizons covers a lot more topics than BJU and has a higher expectation for the student. Some topics BJU barely covers or doesn't introduce at all. I'm also noticing that Time4Learning is also introducing some topics in 4th gr math that BJU doesn't teach yet. We're already behind in math & trying to catch up. I'm concerned that BJU covers so much less topically than Horizons and T4L. I'm thinking Horizons is really preparing the student for preAlg in 7th gr, whereas BJU is probably gearing that toward 8th gr. I'm thinking about switching to Horizons (& using MM to help deepen our understanding). But OTOH, I'm concerned that maybe having sooo many topics is not a good idea, either. Horizons vs BJU - what do you think? Is it better to have a simple, conceptual understanding of math (BJU) or to have the spiral, multi-topics, pre-Alg work of Horizons? Esp for a child that is already behind & trying to catch up (BTW, she's behind because of *my* poor teaching, but I've learned my lesson and she is working with me to catch up).

disclaimer: I haven't read all the replies:) My dd was 3 when she quit sucking her thumb. It was less of an age thing, and more that she had a simultaneous thumb-hair attachment (her thumb - my hair). I didn't realize it at the time, but when I cut my hair short and said "no more hair" that meant the thumb would go, too. I didn't realize the two habits were connected.

I'm working on a series of articles for my blog that compares Unschooling with traditional types of learning (anything that sets the agenda for the child and assess what they should learn and when they should learn it). I'll have more questions on this, but to get me started - When does Unschooling NOT work? (Outside of abusive situations, where parents are completely negligent or just plain horrible). What about loving families that provide what they can for children? When does unschooling fail? What are the reasons that unschooling does not work for a family? Thanks!

I fell into the "homeschoolers don't have to do every problem" trap. I also fell into the "just knowing how to do the math conceptually is good enough" trap:) Now my kids are behind! I read the Math chapter from The Core (Leigh Bortins), and that's what changed my mind. I also heard the word "Overlearning" quite a bit, and it sounds like a good idea. It doesn't hurt to get really good at something, to the point that it is easy and automatic. Ultimately, I'd like math to be easy for my kids (not painfully difficult, slow, and confusing like it is now). The only way to get there is practice. I still think conceptual learning is really important. But add practice and automaticity, and then you'll have a student that understands his math, and can work problems without difficulty. We are doing math radically different now.

Downloads are great for people like me that don't necessarily want to go through a workbook page by page, chapter by chapter (you know, in order). LOL. That's the beauty of the download. I can print what I want, when I want, and I can even re-print that same lesson over and over again (extra practice!). We can also skip chapters if we want to. I'm excited about having so much power!

Sigh, now I'm going to have to order that book again from the library. I skimmed over the writing chapter. I downloaded that 200+ page sampler (thanks for that suggestion) and so far what I've seen of it, it talks a lot about IEW assignments. So, yeah, my guess is that the actual Classical Conversations writing is IEW. But I get a different flavor when I read The Core, because I get the feeling that The Core was more about how she did school with her kids, and I don't think she used IEW with her bunch (as far as I know). I could be making this up. Yeah, its time to borrow that book again...

Both my astrological sign and my chinese zodiac animal have changed. (I'm confused!) I was Capricorn, now I'm Sag Chinese restaurant menus place me as a Hare (Rabbit), but because of the lunar calendar, I should be a Tiger. January birthdays are like that, I guess. I love chocolate and cappuccinos. I worry about whether I'm doing a good job homeschooling. I'm a Christian that doesn't care how long it took God to create the earth, I'm just glad He did:) And I rather like delving into controversial Bible studies that ask the hard questions and make me wrestle with my faith. I don't think AiG would like that!

We're quite a bit behind in math, but I sort of have a plan for catching up! We're doing math drill daily, and I think this is going good. I have Math Mammoth Blue download on order, which we'll go through topically to help catch up. I'm also thinking that bringing in spiral review would be helpful too, and have been looking at Horizons. Do you think this would be a good fit, for this purpose? Also, I've heard that Horizons 5th grade book 1 has a ton of review. Is this true? If so, do you recommend going thru the 4th gr book for a 5th grader that is behind, or is there so much review in 5th grade that we could just jump right into 5th gr?

Just wondering if there is a Grammar equivalent of Math Mammoth? This year, I've ditched the idea of grade level workbooks and just started printing things off for the kids. "You're really struggling with this, here's a worksheet for that!" I'm eagerly awaiting the end of the HSBC Math Mammoth so I can start printing off sheets at will. I think printable grammar worksheets would be sublime. Any good ones out there?

Thanks so much, Sands! That's perfect and exactly what we needed. Thank you for sharing your life's work with us - we'll copy/paste/print it out and my 8yo can share it with her leader at awana. God bless!

BUMP! Even if you don't think of yourself as a "missionary", do you or your family, or your teen go on mission's trips? If so, then you can answer the questions:) We need this by Wednesday. If I don't hear from anyone, I may just have dd write a report about her great-grandma. Hopefully the awana leader will accept it.

Hello: looking for a Christian missionary to answer some questions. My 8yo is in the AWANA program and needs to ask a missionary some questions in order to finish her book. Usually we ask Great-Grandma, who was a missionary in Africa and South America, but she has alzheimers and doesn't know who she is anymore. So, need to find another resource. Here are my dd's questions (feel free to pm me if you don't want to post it here): 1. Where do you work? 2. What is your job? 3. What's your favorite thing to do? 4. What do you like best about being a missionary? Thanks so much for helping us with this homework assignment!

230 orders so far...woohoo! Just 20 more and we'll hit the big 50% discount. :party:

Call your library and ask if they ever get rid of a set of encyclopedias:) My library system seems to get a new set every 2-3 years (?) and then will give the older sets away for a small $10 donation. I just got a set of 2005 encyclopedias and we can tell that some of the books have never even been opened! The sets probably go fast, so you want to get that word out to your librarian to keep you in mind if they get rid of a set.

Does the Blue series have the same Internet links and games for extra practice as the Light Blue series? (I'm leaning toward getting the Blue series on HSBC, but want to double check before I commit to Blue vs. Light Blue). Is there anything in particular that Blue is lacking that Light Blue has? (i.e., more practice, better instruction, internet links/games, etc?) Also, does anyone use the Gold/Green series without having Blue or Lt Blue? Is there any benefit to those worksheets? I have a friend that is thinking about ordering Gold/Green, and could probably teach the actual concepts just fine; however, she is not familiar with MM's particular teaching methods. Can someone use the Gold/Green series without knowing the MM method and still benefit from using these worksheets? (Yes, I know Gold/Green is worksheets only and does not contain instruction). TIA!

Here's mine. I finally feel like we're getting somewhere with school this year (although very slllooowwwly).

I just re-read your message, and what you're thinking reminds me of what a friend did. She had her son write out the xs facts 3xs daily, starting with the easy facts and working up. My kids balked at that (writing? gasp!) so we didn't last long at that:) But it worked brilliantly for my friend's son. I like your idea of keeping a notebook and having your child write facts & skip counting daily. If your child learns well by writing, then this method would work well!

I am NOT a math drill mommy. At all. But dd 10 hit a brickwall around 3rd gr when we hit multiplication/division. I thought she'd outgrow it:) Now, at age 10, we're still stuck. She's great with concepts, but is really hindered by those facts. So, it was time for me to change my tune. So far, this method is working great for us - 1. I print out 100 problems from MathFactCafe.com using a small segment of facts we need to learn (right now we're doing 3's, 4's, and 5's. Next we'll add 6's) 2. I set the timer for 10 mins and give dd a multiplication chart. 3. When the timer beeps, she's done. Our goal is to get those 100 problems done in about 5mins. 4. Once she hits 5mins and can do it without the chart, we'll add in 6's (and then 7's, and then 8s, and then 9s. And then we'll start on division. And then we'll do a mix:) You can see her current times on my blog (under Weekly Review). We've been doing this for 2 weeks, and she's already stopped using the chart for 3s 4s and 5s AND has dropped completion time from 10 mins to 7-8 mins. When we began, she couldn't get them all done in 10mins (had about 12 leftover). So that's really good progress! I'm encouraged that this CAN be done! Dd is a "thinker" personality that tends to go rather slowly with things. One more thing: I hear over and over again that the kids that have their facts mastered and can work their facts quickly usually get farther ahead in math concepts, too! I was hesitant to focus so much on facts when we are so far behind overall. I'm also having her go quickly through a 3rd gr workbook (again, I set a timer) just to keep us moving ahead and reviewing what we've already learned. The work is easy for her, but by the time we hit multiplication in the workbook, she'll already have a good number of facts memorized and can zoom through it easily. Note: dd 8 was frustrated by the above method, so I have her doing Math Trainer for 5 mins. The timer is set for you and stops you when time is up.

Awesome! Thanks!

When you order the MM download package through HomeSchool Buyer's Co-op and the month has ended, do they send you a link to download from the Kagi store? Or, do they send the whole zip file through email? I want to place my order with MM Blue Series (approx 44MB according to the site). If they just send you a link through email and then you download it yourself, then I can do this. However, if they try to email the whole 44+MB zip file through email, I am not going to be able to receive it. I have several email addresses, and yet I don't think I have a single one that allows such a large attachment.

I loved the Core; it really challenged my ideas on how I was teaching. The Math chapter especially influenced me. I also liked the Science & History chapters. I don't think I'd enjoy a CC group, though.

I'll mention a few haphazard thoughts. RE: BJU / Teacher Intensive Yes...although some of it is workable. I had a baby 22 mths ago and I've been a lousy teacher ever since:tongue_smilie: I've also found that some BJU 4th gr lessons actually have LESS instruction on them than previous grade levels (eek!) But I did find that there were some how-to sheets that I could print off of the CD that comes with the TM. When dd (10) hit polygons and I just didn't have time/patience to teach it, I found some simple sheets on the CD that I printed off and stuck in a folder for her to use. Some things just have to be taught or reinforced by mom (long division - blah) no matter what you use. I don't know if this makes BJU more doable for you, but it is an option. RE: Right orally, wrong on paper Do you have an inkling of why that is? Do you think that the number gets forgotten by the time it reaches paper? Or do you think she confuses numbers? Sometimes you can kind of tell exactly what the problem is. Would more paper work/drill help, do you think? Does she daydream in between getting the answer and then writing it? RE: Too many lessons & moving too fast I'm really tweaking what we do this year because I've discovered exactly that - I've allowed us to move too quickly in my quest to stay on "Grade Level". Dd (10) never properly memorized mult/div and it's biting us big time in 4th gr math. BJU has so much overlap in certain areas. Every year, BJU goes through Telling Time, Geometry, Measurement, Place Value, Fractions, etc. I think we may have done better if I simply tore out all those chapters and saved them for a later time. And then pull them out to do along with another addition chapter OR pooled two grade levels of Geometry together and worked on them after we'd mastered a certain level (after we've mastered add/sub, for example - maybe as a reward, because those are the easy chapters). Even skipping some of those chapters won't kill you. You'll get it all again at the next grade level. Fractions don't get serious until 4th or 5th. The last 3 chapters really seem to be gearing the child up for the next grade level. I think this can work depending on the kid (1. will kid do well getting a sneak peak at long division at end of 3rd gr? if yes, then great, do that chapter. If no, tear that chapter out and pool it with 4th gr long division. This makes your 4th gr long division chapter longer and gentler.) So those are some of my thoughts. I'm starting to see that just getting through Chapters 1, 2, and 3 doesn't really equip my child. Sometimes we might need to do Ch 1 and then print off extra worksheets from the CD or the Reviews book and stay on it awhile longer. To remediate my mistake, I dropped our grade level math this year. Dd 10 is going through BJU Reviews 3rd gr and doing 10 mins of Multiplication drill per day. My hope is that those math facts are solid by the time we reach the Multiplication chapter in Reviews. Then she can just whip right through it. I can't really offer any help with MUS or ACe, but that is my experience thus far with BJU (yeah, we like the color and the stories too!)

I just recently figured this out. Not sure how it will affect curric choices yet. 10yo dd is Concrete Sequential. This means "just give me the facts, just tell me what I need to know". This means that deep meaningful homeschool conversations are OUT (waaaah!) As soon as I try to have one, she butts in with "ok, I get it. stop." I have always suspected auditory, ever since she was a preschooler, but don't 100% know. She is extremely sensitive to sound and gets headaches easily. Out of all the maths, BJU seemed to work the best for her. She really wants to be independent, so I'm thinking of trying Math Mammoth again (tried it once, but I think we were missing something at the gr level I picked, so I quickly abandoned it). Her CS side seems to need something to build (hands-on), so with science, she does well with follow-the-directions experiments, and does not want to read science or fill in worksheets for science. Everything else, she just wants to get it done as quick as possible, so prefers workbooks because it seems the quickest way to get it all done. Loves checklists. Love of learning is a challenge, so is getting her motivation. She is not motivated by outward factors (no rewards!) She has to be internally motivated, and that doesn't come easily. If she can build something, she will dive into it (i.e, writing = a to-do list for mom, a blog, a newspaper - but only as long as she is interested in doing it). She is ssslllloooowww about everything, so our big task lately is working on quickly working math problems:) 8yo dd is very visual, Abstract-Random. This means she loves it if I delve in to long, emotionally driven stories:) She'll read a book about evolutionary creatures and she just *feeeeels* the love for the poor creatures, lol. She really connects to information in an emotional way - anything that is cute, poor, or pretty is something she connects to. She is speedy about everything (races through!) and randomly skips problems, pages. She says her work is done and she did extra - when I look, I see that she skipped 5 pages here, and 2 pages there, or a handful of problems. She cannot follow a to-do list to save her life. I have always used BJU for her math, but now am wondering if something like Horizons or CLP (spiral) might work better with her random little brain:) And I think the pages need to be torn out, lol. History and science are better read in books (not hands-on! do not give her a sci experiment, she'll cry). And if she can connect on some level to that historical figure, story, or sparkly rock, or cave creature with the big soulful eyes then all the better! SOTW works well for her history. Science - anything with great, lovely, colorful pictures and short words to grab her interest (she skims books and skips around, only reading the interesting bits, lol) Teaching both kids together is an utter nightmare.