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skueppers

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Everything posted by skueppers

  1. No, neither of my children had any trouble with long division.
  2. Take a look at Beast Academy 5. It might suit your needs. If you think it’s too basic, move directly to AoPS pre-algebra.
  3. If I had only one child, and it was clear the new environment would be much better for them, then yes, I would absolutely do it. It is only for a few years, in the grand scheme of things. If the location didn't work for me and my husband, we could leave when our child graduated and moved on. The way I view marriage and raising children is that the years in which we are raising our children are short, compared with the many years of marriage. (My husband and I have been together for nearly 30 years, but have only had children for the last 12, so that's some of where this perspective comes from.) Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
  4. I let my daughter read the entire Harry Potter series in Kindergarten. I called it school and didn't bother to do much else for language arts that semester. I'd have to think about what we did in first grade. I think she learned cursive in the summer after K, and typing during first grade. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
  5. I open up the textbook, go over what seems like a sensible amount with my child, and then have her do the relevant workbook problems. I don't use the HIG, CWP, or IP. I tried the CWP at one point, but it wasn't all that fruitful for us. I should also say that my philosophy is not to bore my daughter with endless repetition. If she gets it, we move on. I don't bother to prepare ahead of time for the lesson; if it turns out that my explanation was inadequate, we can always come back to it over dinner. I don't find it useful to try to figure out ahead of time which weeks I'll be using which chapters of the books. Some parts are much easier for my child than others, so our pace varies considerably throughout the year. This year, for example, my fifth grader took a diversion into algebra for at least a month, because she was getting so hung up on the bar method for solving word problems. Once I spent a month teaching her basic algebra, she was suddenly much more able to grasp Singapore-style bar diagrams, which she had been refusing to learn how to use for years (preferring to solve the problems in her head). We still finished on time. I have my kids use Khan Academy in the summer for review. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
  6. It is entirely possible that I'm misunderstanding the format of these classes, so if you have insight about how they work, particularly in terms of instructor feedback, that would help us figure out if they were a good choice for her. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
  7. My daughter (age 11) has expressed interest in the various CTY independently-paced online courses for computer programming and related things. I'm not convinced these are likely to be the best courses she could take on these subjects, particularly for the money. I'd be especially interested in courses where a real relationship with a teacher was fostered. Oh, and my husband and I are perfectly qualified to teach these particular topics, but she is looking for independence and outside accountability. Thoughts? Alternatives? Thank you for any insight you have! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
  8. Oh! Now I understand what you were saying. Yes, you can *optionally request* from BJU a version of the Form C results that shows the results in terms of the Common Core. The standard score report you get from BJU for the ITBS is the traditional/original version, with no reference to the Common Core. The test wasn't written based on the common core standards -- after the fact, they created a score report that shows how the existing ITBS test maps onto the common core standards. That's like when a textbook publisher prepares a chart showing how their existing textbook does and does not meet the common core standards -- without changing the textbook. "The Iowa Tests" is the new name for the tests published by the University of Iowa in the last few years, once they started writing tests that were explicitly aligned with the common core. Those are no longer called the Iowa Test of Basic Skills. I am personally unhappy with the common core tests, and prefer a more traditional standardized test. I don't want to know if my child is "meeting standards," some of which I don't agree with; I want to know how they compare to other children nationwide who took the same test. It's a major philosophical difference.
  9. I'm confused by this. My kids have taken BJU's form C of the ITBS for the last several years. Looking at last year's score report, it says the test was scored using the Spring 2005 norms -- meaning that the test cannot have been written after 2005. Since the Common Core initiative wasn't founded until 2009, how can this version of the test have anything to do with the Common Core standards? What am I missing?
  10. Have you taken a look at History Odyssey lately? It's very routine-oriented, and gives explicit instructions about what the student is supposed to do when. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
  11. Wow, that's a tough situation. How does she envision this working? She does the work by herself, you correct it, and then she figures out for herself how to fix it? Honestly, that *could* work, depending on the kid. All I do in "teaching" Singapore with my kids is go through the textbook with them. Every now and again, I have to offer some additional explanations or demonstrations. Oh, and we use the U.S. Edition. If I were in this situation, I would probably say something like, "you are absolutely welcome to try it this way. I'm going to make some notes in your textbook about which Khan Academy videos and exercises match up with each section of your book, in case you need to look at it from another perspective in order for it to make sense. Once you finish the Singapore curriculum for the year, I'm going to expect you to review the material on Khan Academy until the start of the next school year, so you'll be sure to be in a good place to start the next year's math." Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
  12. sportsmom -- If you have iPads, you might investigate whether the cost is lower for you with the iBooks edition. There's only one TM for the entire Town level that way, except for the literature component. I'm going to be trying MCT Town level this academic year, and have purchased just the TM and Grammar Town to get started. I figure I will buy the other books as needed -- with digital, there's instant gratification! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
  13. I have no idea whether this experience from decades ago is relevant to you, but my mother did make sure I had a basic grasp of the main topics that would be covered on the math portion of the SAT when I took it in 7th grade in the early 80's. This amounted to her explaining these concepts to me for a couple of hours, not any kind of major test prep. If I had a child who was motivated to do well on the test, I would definitely make sure they had an opportunity to be prepared for the material they would encounter. I'd probably buy an actual test prep book, because the math covered on the SAT is so specific.
  14. For what it's worth, the way I teach Singapore here is to sit down with the kid and the textbook, go through the new concept in the textbook together, and then assign whatever workbook pages I think that particular kid needs based on how well they understood the sample problems we did together. I usually only "teach" in this way once a week -- for the rest of the week, I just answer questions as needed about the workbook exercises. This method requires zero preparation. I just teach until it feels like enough new material has been introduced, assign some amount of work in the workbook, and give the kid a deadline ("do these five pages by Thursday.") I doubt this would work with kids who needed more instruction, but if your child is ahead in math, such a method might be right for him. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
  15. It gets better. My kids just finished fourth and second grades, and I don't have trouble telling them to fend for themselves for a while so I can get stuff done. I have a "hideout" I can go to away from the main kid zones, and they know when I'm there they should avoid interrupting me unless it is urgent. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
  16. I limit the number of cards my kids see each day to a number they can handle without becoming overwhelmed and frustrated. That way, if there are times when reviews don't happen, any one day's review is never too arduous. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
  17. Huh. That hasn't been my experience with the "Language" section -- once the initial assessment is done, there are little mini lessons explaining each topic.
  18. We aren't using the math portion, so I can't really comment on that, but my kids have learned a lot of grammar and usage in the month they've been using the "Language" part of MobyMax, and they have been able to apply it outside of the software and discuss it intelligently. One of my kids is also using the math fact drills there, which I'm finding more effective than what we were doing before because there's a time limit on each fact. Anyway, since I'm just using MobyMax in a few limited areas, I'm not the right person to give a full review. I responded here mainly to give this tip: the default passing score in MobyMax is 70% -- I bumped it much higher, because I expect my kids to get every or nearly every question right before they move past a topic. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
  19. I think it's possible that this could be resolved by finding the right discipline strategy, but I think it's worth focusing on one particular aspect of the problem: the impact it has on the rest of the family. I would focus first on mitigating the impact on others, by not allowing working with him to take up the whole day. Ideas like: * Setting a specific time to work with each kid. If that's not enough time for him, he can have more of your time later -- at some time when it is convenient for you. * Putting History or Science first most days, to make sure they get done. * Switching some of his lessons to independent formats, e.g. online, so they take less of your time. Then I might try to figure out why he is acting like this. Is his assigned work wrong for him in some way? Does he have learning disabilities that make things extra hard? Is there a way to work on these issues? Maybe he needs help developing self-discipline, but maybe what he needs is a curriculum/methodology change.
  20. You might take a look at MobyMax, which we've been using recently in a couple of areas. While I don't think it's possible to assign specific tasks, it's pretty easy to say to the kids, "I want you to set a timer and do 20 minutes of X and 20 minutes of Y." There are reports you can look at to make sure they actually spent the time you wanted them to spend. You can even specify writing assignments you want them to do and submit to you within the system, though I have not tried that. We also use Khan Academy in the same way -- both of my kids finished their math books early this year and then switched to using Khan academy for review and independent learning.
  21. I got mine when I asked at the local library when they planned to replace their World Book, and they realized it was overdue. A couple of months later, the old one was in my house for $20. :) I agree with others that the browsing value of the printed copy is worth the shelf space.
  22. You might try having him use Khan Academy a bit. It's totally unforgiving and won't let you go on if you are wrong. I have found it an excellent antidote to sloppiness.
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