JABarney
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Posts posted by JABarney
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Are you planning to move through WWE4 entirely before starting WWS? Can you share how you would evaluate whether the move would be advantageous? I am also debating whether to move my dd9 quickly through WWE4 or not. I've heard here that the jump from WWE4 to WWS is rather large. Can anyone address the difference between levels?
My current plan is to move to WWS when he can independently write a short (3-5 sentence) summary of a brief passage. So if it takes the whole book, that is ok with me. I do believe in getting the foundations strong before moving on like in other subjects such as math; otherwise we will be setting ourselves up for a tougher road later on. I need to read through WWS a bit more, (looks fantastic though!!) but I want to make sure that frustration is kept to a minimum while still challenging him to grow in his writing.
My problem is that I feel like I have nothing to compare my dc's writing to, (what 'should' their writing look like at this age/stage; or what is 'within normal limits' LOL!) Regarding the examples provided for in WWE, it seems we hardly ever come close to those! If other peoples dc are able to narrate like those examples, without asking/answering the prompting questions, then we are certainly behind or missing something.
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I am looking for feedback on this; in particular regarding if he appears to be on track for a homeschooler following WTM style education. (NOT public school standards)
We are on week 8 of WWE 4 after realizing that we needed extra work on narrations prior to starting WWS 1. So we are doing the narrations only and with the prompting questions, making some light 'notes' together, then finally having him write down the sentences that he has narrated to me orally; lot's of 'chunking' it down right now!
Here is today's exercise as exactly written by him: The last sentence he added on his own as a surprise for me.
Mars and Earth are similar because they have seasons, and have water. They are different because on Mars all the water is frozen, and Mars is farther away from the sun. Scientists thought there is (or was) life on Mars because it has traces of water, carbon dioxide, and oxegin. Now we know there is no life on Mars because of the pictures sent back by Mars rovers. However, scientists are doing tests to see if even bacteria can be liveing on Mars.
Note: We are also lightly using Killgallon and if I were to continue to edit this with him one thing I would consider asking is if there were a ways to combine any sentences into one. However, I do not want to push too hard as we finally seem to be at a pace/level where there is very little complaining!
So, how does this compare? Behind, on track, ahead? Thanks!
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Hi;
I see nobody has answered you yet, so I will just share our experience. I bought this over a year ago now (they were only 8) and it was slow going at first. I did not assign anything but rather set the time they needed to work on it for 15 min a session. That turned out to be too much so I lowered it to 10 min and they had to do it every day for a while. I did supervise at first to make sure they had the correct finger placement though. We then stopped using it for several months and have recently started back up with it. Now that they are older, they seem have more patience and it seems to be going much easier. I also think there is more motivation because I have told them that when they are typing really well (set objectives to be determined -20 wpm maybe?) They can start to type their narrations vs write them out by hand.
I know you probably wanted a set plan with days of the week and times and then to know when they would finish right? I think it is really individual; that is totally determined by how quickly the student works, their fine motor skills, motivation and level of fatigue.
Good luck; I thought it was the best prog avail at the time and I am still happy with it.
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Hi;
I have spent countless hours researching math curriculum to the point where I am now experiencing the joys and agony of solving algebraic problems in my sleep! You see, I am attempting to plan out our homeschooling math progression after grade 6 (yes we are only in grade 4) and like many other 'good' homeschooling moms, I found myself researching as veraciously as I did when researching car seats and toddler safety! It's exhausting yes, but also quite fun in a geeky sort of way I could have never predicted only a few short years ago. Finally, after much resistance due to my "I can 'out-educate' my dc compared to any public school any day" attitude, I got curious about state 'standards' and the new Common Core especially as it pertains to math. One question I found myself repeatedly asking was "is the Common Core good enough?" I came across this online and thought I would share. Interesting is all I will say for now. Have fun in the discussion!
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Hi,
I have been off the boards for a while, but holding my breath here..... is there some form of ALL that is available?! I would LOVE it!
Thanks.
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I can see where jumping in to the program when you have not used it from the beginning could get quite frustrating! Singapore Primary Math is a program that builds upon itself with its mathematical thinking and I know my dc would have likely struggled had we not started from the beginning-because I would have struggled. Have you considered backing up at all? I think you were wanting more pick up and go though, so perhaps it is not the program for you. What are your math goals for your dc? Do you want basic competency? Excellence? I know getting clear about my goals has helped me tremendously with curriculum decisions.
For us, I truly believe it is a phenomenal program. Is it easy to teach? Not for me; who learned math in a completely different way. But now well into 4A, I wish I had been taught in this way as a child. Only during the last few years is math starting to make sense to me in ways it never had before! So many more doors would have been opened for me later in life had I been stronger in math. (not that there is anything wrong with a career in social services!) Yes, I have to use the teachers manual, and yes, I have to spend time truly understanding the material myself before I teach it. So is it a pick up and go subject? Nope. But now that my dc have a strong foundation - and yes we use the intensive practice books as well as CWP - and do the mental math exercises religiously - maths is actually getting easier! (we also go year round in math to stay on top of it; I do the IP books over the summer - so we work very hard at it all)
I would strongly discourage people from just using parts and pieces of the program or expecting the program to be a great program when they do not have the desire or commitment to use it as it is meant to be used. You only end up with unhappy parents/dc and bad reviews of a program that when used correctly, is otherwise excellent with dc scoring very well on advanced math tests.
Please let me be clear that I do not believe there is anything wrong with wanting a 'pick up and go' program, or simply having other priorities than maths. But let's not blame a math program for not working for our dc when really it is us, the teachers, who may not want to put in the time and effort it takes to do it correctly.
Good luck; lots of decisions to be made along this wonderful journey!
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Hi;
While I do not know of any phonics programs that actually help with visual tracking, I can quickly offer our experience.
My DD at age 4 and 5 (9.5 now and reading 8th and 9th grade level) had difficulty with visual tracking and it was only because she was so dramatically 'behind' her twin brother with reading that I took her to a developmental eye specialist. (pediatrician thought I was being over zealous) She did indeed have a VT problem! I cannot remember the name of the program he gave us, but it had TONS of visual tracking exercises and after several months of hard work, things improved tremendously.
I also at the time did some research about dyslexia and learned that with phonics instruction, (vs whole language) many cases of dyslexia would 'resolve' or be simply prevented. From our experiences, I have to agree. I am sorry I do not have any links, or lit to quote. I just saw your post and wanted to reply. Good luck, stay patient and positive. It is simple repetition over and over and over again!
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OK, so I have humbly hit a wall! Yikes!
Singapore Primary Math Challenging word problems book 3 page 8 # 13 and then again page 10 #19.
The sum of A and B is 5215 greater than C. C is 1833 less than A. What is B?
How do I teach this NON algebraically?
Also:
Jason and Bob have 193 marbles altogether. Bob has 47 fewer marbles fewer than Jason. If Jason gives 15 marbles to Bob, how many more marbles will Jason have than Bob?
Again, how do I teach a solution that is non-algebra? Hopefully this is much simpler than I am realizing.... or else I am in trouble the rest of this book.... we are doing this for fun as we have completed all our other math for the year!
Thanks!
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:lurk5:
just purchased Sentence Composing for Elementary School and Story Grammar for Elementary School.
After a quick preview, I think this will be an AMAZING help for my dc. Also looking to see how folks use them - scheduling, pace, what should be expected etc.
We are finished with WWE 3 and FLL3 and plan to start level 4 next fall. I will use Killgallon until then!
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Playing with water was fun, but has gotten old as we did the metric measurements first.
'gallon man' PERFECT. They will easily remember that. It even made me smile!! I can have them create their own creature too.
Thanks a million!
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We are using Singapore Math - LOVE it - and mostly think with the metric system even though we reside in the US. Length, weight/mass have gone smoothly when teaching the imperial/English method, but now that we are on volume, it really is a pain. Seeing our country will not likely switch to metric anytime soon, does anyone have any fun ideas for teaching oz., c., pt., qt., gal? (games, small workbooks, web sites) Thanks. I know we will get it if we just keep plugging away at it, but this teacher does not have the patience and my dislike of our system shows! :)
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Hi;
We do not pretest here either. We do every list and every workbook activity - except the writing at the end of the lesson. They test on the entire list every week and some times the lists are easier than others. It is a good break and I find the easy lists or easy words on some lists give them feelings of success to keep them motivated. We just started SWO E and have loved the program here.
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:lurk5:
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I am curious about CPO science for the middle grades and so I emailed my rep. He said if I gave him my address he would send a preview copy. I received what appears to an amazing set of CPO science materials - teachers guide, student text and investigations, a bunch of cd's and several catalogs. I have not had a chance to really look at it yet, but wow! Does that mean I send it all back when I am done considering the program? Or do I keep it (if I love it) and then he knows I will likely buy the other levels or parts to the program? Having never done this before 1. I am impressed and 2. wondering what to do next after I look things over. If it is as great as I am hoping it is, I certainly want to find the best price, but acknowledge his potential generosity without appearing completely ignorant of the process, which at the moment I am! LOL
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Just adding my feelings of disappointment in RSO. I have been waiting four years now for the physics..... If I had known that they were not going to get their act together, or that they would just be stringing us along with 'in the works' I would not have ever started this program. I encourage folks to not trust the 'in the works' statement on their web site. Something is not 'right' about the company; which is unfortunate because we have enjoyed the format and we are unsure exactly what we will do for physics next year.
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May I jump in and ask which Hake book did you start with after FLL4? Looking at level 5's toc it looks like mostly review?
TIA!
ETA: also, what materials did you buy for the program; text, workbook, teachers guide? All three? Thanks.
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Thanks, I guess I just needed to know that there are other dc that just do not get it after only 3 readings.
They will be psyched when we get to the preamble to the constitution... they already know that!!:party:
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We are just starting WWE 4 and have always struggled to remember the entire dictation with only three readings.
Do you have your DC wait until you have read the sentences three times before they start writing, or can they start writing at any point? It just dawned on me that if they start writing right away, they could probably easily do the dictation with my reading it only three times!
Thanks!
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Just found out about ALL today.....not ashamed to beg here.... will happily pay more for the program in any shape or form you have!
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We are now on 3B and have just started to fly with the program! I HIGHLY recommend doing all the memorization work as it is suggested BEFORE moving on. I thought.. we'll just get to it eventually, and over two years math slowly became more and more frustrating. Now that we have done all, and I mean all the memorization of all the facts, SM is so much easier. It takes dc far less time and mental energy and they can focus solely on the new concepts.
Everyone has to do what is best for them and their dc, but to do over again, I would slow down and not budge forward one page until we have mastery.
Good luck!
ETA: we use all the mental math sheets from the HIG, CWP, and during the summer we do the intensive practice book before moving on to the next level.
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Hi;
I just thought others might want to be aware before they purchase, that the homeschooling version can only be installed on two computers. While each computer can have up to five users allowing a total of 10 users, it really stinks for families where each person has his or her own computer. For us, it defeats the whole purpose of being able to assign dc parts of the program from my computer and they do the work on their computer.
I tried to talking to their customer care department as well as tech support and they were completely unhelpful. Their only suggestion was that I purchase a business version. :001_huh:
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Are your dc REALLY able to write them down after hearing them only three times?
Sigh... I wonder if we will ever get there... we are on lesson 28 and it is still 'painful'! LOL
If they are, I'd love tips, and if they aren't I'd love company.
Thoughts?
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I agree with the pp. I first used Hooked on Phonics for my then 4 years olds, but it too, was missing things. We then did Explode the Code online and they LOVED, it and so did I. They are both 8 now and reading at 7th grade plus. I belive Explode the Code is only 65.00 a year and maybe cheaper through the homeschool buyers coop. (that membership is free and has saved us tons here)
Best of luck!
9 y.o. 4th grade boy on track?
in K-8 Writing Workshop
Posted
I am homeschooling twins and I find that even though they are working on the same curriculum, they each develop the cognitive skills to allow them to do the work (any work) at their own unique pace. I have learned to trust that like the curve on the pediatricians growth chart, they will each continue on their personal curve with regards to academics. When something was amiss, or they are off their curve, we investigate and get the extra support if needed.
Similar to learning about child development, I would like to learn what the norm is, developmentally, for children learning to write. Ie; expecting a first grader to always remember to capitalize the first letter of a sentence and end with a punctuation mark is not developmentally appropriate.