Jump to content

Menu

hollyhock2

Members
  • Posts

    515
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by hollyhock2

  1. I switched to it when three of my boys were in 3rd, 5th and 7th grade. We've used every level except Geometry and Pre-Calc. However, I don't use the online/computer portion. I just use the books (until high school). They read the lesson (or I go over it with them) and they do all the work on paper. I can be as involved as they need me to be. I love TT and it is my favourite of all the math programs I've tried. My kids really need to constantly review things, otherwise they forget them all, so it's been perfect. I don't mind that it is a little behind. IMO, it catches up at the pre-algebra level. I use it all the way through Algebra 1 and 2 (we use something else for geometry) and if anyone ever needs pre-calc, we'll do that with TT as well. I understand being torn about it, because there are very mixed reviews, especially on this board, but for my family it has been a great fit.
  2. Syllieann is right - Math Mammoth and Writing With Ease. Yes, my kids also love Pathway Readers.
  3. Yes, Ellie, I know you disagree with me. 😄 However, many people have used R&S successfully by doing it orally, and many children that young are not capable of writing that much at a time (mine included).
  4. Also, FLL is totally scripted so it tells you exactly what to say. There's a lot of repetition and memorization. R&S English has less of that. There's a lesson to read, a section of oral questions to answer, and a section of written exercises. If you do the oral stuff, you can skip the written stuff, or you can also purchase a little workbook of worksheets to do instead. R&S also includes writing lessons and I'm not sure FLL does (there might be some copywork, can't remember).
  5. I would keep it simple. Combine them for science and history - do something like SOTW or a beginning American history book, for science maybe an Apologia book like astronomy that you can read to them both. R&S English and TT are great for the third grader, you'll want some type of math and phonics for the first grader. I use MM 1 and Spectrum phonics with mine and she reads to me for practice from Pathway readers. If the first grader is still learning to read, you'll want a reading program. I would do WWE with both since it's nice and simple. Do you need spelling for the third grader? R&S is easy to use.
  6. I doubt mine takes more than 3 hours, but he never does it all at once so that I can tell how long he takes. He likes to do his math in the evenings, and often he gets up really early and does a bunch of his work before I'm up. So sometimes he's done by 10 a.m. He does what's listed in my signature, if that helps. ETA: He does all his reading on his own time, and I wouldn't count instrument practice in that 3 hours, if he played one.
  7. My son did very well with Teaching Textbooks Algebra 2 last year and it was totally independent. A subscription is $67 and then she could start halfway through or wherever you think is appropriate. Khan would be nicer since it's free, but I don't know anything about it. Hopefully someone will answer those questions for you. I just wanted to suggest TT as an independent option.
  8. I have two lefties. I never did anything differently with them than with my right-handed kids. They used the same handwriting workbooks and I didn't tweak things at all. So maybe you are overthinking it. Maybe you could just let her try, and keep in mind the things to look for that are no-no's. I think the only thing I looked for was to make sure they didn't hook their hand while writing.
  9. I've only ever used FD so I can't compare the two. I pair it with The Thinking Toolbox in 8th grade. I've tried it younger, but it doesn't work. I follow it up with The Rulebook for Arguments in 9th or so, but for learning logical fallacies, it's the only thing I use. Not sure how helpful that is.
  10. Am I misunderstanding your definition of middle school? If you are talking 7th and up, then I completely agree, but if we're talking about 5th graders, I think it's normal for them to still be working on single paragraphs.
  11. As far as length goes, I just looked at my SWB literary analysis lecture notes, and I've got "half page / 5 sentences" written down. So I don't think she actually meant for kids this age to write a full, real essay.
  12. Here are a few examples from when my boys were in 6th grade: In The Secret of the Old Mill, Frank and Joe Hardy want to catch Markel and his gang of counterfeiters. The gang operates around an old mill, and the Hardy boys start to get suspicious of the place, for nobody is allowed inside and it only operates at night. The Hardys and some federal authorities break in and round up the gang. I did not like the book Baby Island because I do not like books about girls and babies and that the book was unrealistic in many ways. Two girls could not possibly take care of four babies on a desert island. The way they get the man to be friendly is also unrealistic and the last thing I didn't like was that the girls were too good at things. The House of Sixty Fathers is about Tien Pao. He lost his family because the sampan that he was in drifted down the river. Then he saved an American airman from getting caught by the Japanese. Some other airmen find him and take him to their barracks. Then Tien Pao finds his mother and father working at a new airfield for the Americans. The most interesting thing about Mover of Men and Mountains was that he made so many mistakes. I did not know you could make so many mistakes and still be successful. He did not give up when he made mistakes.
  13. I have some, but they are definitely not essays. The most I could ever get out of my boys was a paragraph or two. Let me know if you still want to see them.
  14. For my boys (all four), using Math Mammoth 1 and 2 solidified their addition and subtraction facts so well that we didn't need to do any extra practice. For multiplication, I used flash cards for all four and that worked well. Sometimes I had to do them more than once, though. They would forget some by the beginning of 4th grade, and sometimes even in 5th, they needed to review a few.
  15. Here's a success story for you (link below). I know there are others, like Evanthe's above, but I usually see them on other forums, not this one. I only use the geometry, so I can't speak to using it all the way through. However, I think it is more important to use a math that works for your student than to worry about rigor or future success. You could change to a harder program, but will that mean your son is more successful? Not if he doesn't understand it. If MUS works for him, I personally would stick with it. https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/594252-did-using-math-u-see-cause-this/?tab=comments#comment-6897138
  16. Colleges' requirements here are entirely dependent on what course you want to take. In the case of this particular kid, if he went to college at all, he would go into trades such as carpentry or something like that, where geometry is entirely sufficient. So he definitely will not need Algebra 2 for anything. There are no SAT's to write, etc. He would probably have to pass an entrance test for math, but I've looked at it, and anyone with a good knowledge of pre-algebra would do well on it. So he really doesn't NEED any more math, but I need to do something with him. My oldest son did TT Algebra 2 last year and did very well with it. I'm pretty sure if this son attempted it, he would do fine as well, with a little more help. But he doesn't want to, and seeing as how it's completely useless for him, I don't want to force it. But it's tough finding other options! Would Key To be below his level? I should look into it more. He did well with TT Algebra 1 last year and is currently doing MUS Geometry. I was also thinking of having him do various units from MEP (the GCSE level) including the trig and stats. I think that would be much more useful for him.
  17. What is the easiest, most basic Algebra 2? This is for a child who would find TT challenging. I also own Math U See but although it may be basic, I find its explanations very unclear. My older son and I were not able to navigate our way through it. I know those two are considered the "easiest" high school math. Is there something else I could look at? I have Learn Math Fast Volume 6: Applications of Algebra. Cathy Duffy's review says it's largely Algebra 1, and it does look like a repeat of what he did in TT Algebra 1. There may be value in repeating, since he probably doesn't remember all of Algebra 1, but it also wouldn't last a full year. Or should I be considering other math options completely? He will do consumer math at some point but I need something for 11th grade. I have Mathematics: A Human Endeavor as well, but I can't figure out how I would use it without an answer key. Used answer keys are terribly expensive. Suggestions? Thank you.
  18. 😄 ETA: I laugh, but I pretty much did the same thing today.
  19. For grades 1, 6 and 8: Hits: LLATL Gray - kid requested it after liking LLATL the last few years and he is enjoying it. R&S English - other kid requested this one. He's been using it a few years now, too. The Children's Atlas of God's World - as part of a simple world geography course Climbing to Good English 1 - I'm a little surprised because my boys hated CTGE, but this girl loves writing and colouring Pathway reading - always a hit at our house and my 5th new reader loves them just like everyone did Keeping a journal for the girl who loves writing and drawing and colouring Let's Read and Find Out for 1st grade science Misses: My First History of Canada - I have always loved this book and used it many times, but this year, for the ages of my younger boys, it was definitely too juvenile and didn't have enough detail, so we switched to The Story of Canada, which I've never really been a fan of, but this time it is the right thing. MUS Epsilon - perhaps I didn't give it much of a chance, but after one worksheet, we went back to TT WWE 1 - we're still doing copywork and narration but my girl wants to do more than WWE requires at this level, so we're loosely following the concept and modifying to fit her Science in the Beginning - I love this book but my 11yo did not like so many experiments and having to notebook after every lesson
  20. Everything is going well so far, but one thing that stands out as a hit is the Physics 101 DVD. My son is really enjoying it. He really liked the chem one last year and he requested the physics this year. He never requests curriculum, so that says something.
  21. After teaching grammar-phobic boys for the last 9 years, I would say, no, it's not that important. If they can use the grammar correctly, then they are good. The point of learning grammar is so that you can write well, so if they can do that, they'll be fine. I'm not sure public schools even teach grammar at all anymore, do they? I use LLATL for 7th-8th grade and it's quite enough grammar for me and mine. I think Easy Grammar might also be less intense, if you want to look at that.
  22. Tell me about it! I just had boys before she came along, and none of them ever wanted to do this. 😄
  23. I did a search last night and found a whole bunch of archived topics here that answered my question. A number of people called it Math for Liberal Arts, and I also found some who called it Applications of Mathematics. I think I would go with something like that. Thanks!
×
×
  • Create New...