Regentrude asked NilaGroveSchool: Just curious: are you using higher math in your daily life? Mergath asked NilaGroveSchool: :huh: Have you ever used a computer? Or done any kind of computer programming? Answers: I am a mechanical engineer and have written computer programs (both neat and organized). My husband is an electrical engineer, who completely agrees with me on this topic, has also written many computer programs (he is legendary for his neatness and organization skills). I have a 24 yr old public schooled son who has taken many upper level math courses and computer programing courses. My 8 year old daughter is a programmer on Scratch. Neatness and Organization should always be required/demanded in Math and is something I could fully support. But, this paragraph business.... One of our college professors visits us regularly (about once a year). He was formerly the Head of the Electrical Engineering Dept. He said for about the last 25 years the Engineering College's curriculum has had to be continuously "dumbed down" so that they can retain and graduate students. I continuously read that highly technical companies are having to go outside of this country to find qualified candidates for their jobs... Writing a 5 sentence paragraph explaining why one number is larger than another is going to STEAL time away from these students that is needed to learn actual MATH!

You are never going to improve students Math scores by wasting students Math time on writing sentences about their Math problems. It is a faulty idea to begin with. Math, and Computers for that matter, are learned by performing them, not simply memorizing and regurgitating big words to make it "sound" like you know what you are doing. Math is the one area where the correct answer is crucial, and in the adult world when math is used, valuable human lives are depending and that extremely correct answer. When Math and Computer learning goes on, it is not simply repeating the exact same operation over and over again, it is repeating and possibly changing it for another similar but different event that may come along, so that you can safely get a plane up in the air; or after a 60 MPH car crash, the backseat passengers leave the scene unscathed, where in another time they would have been completely crushed...

Math = Language Class ????????????????? Horrible idea! This idea is a stupid and dangerous use of time. Teach the kids / future adults number skills, PLEASE! It is sorrily needed! Why would we waste number skills "time" on language skills????????? I do have an alternate idea... the schools accept a Math essay INSTEAD of a writing or literature essay... Literature / Writing Class = Essays on Math instead, ...awesome idea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"Drill Set A" cards, are concept cards, NOT Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, or Division cards. They are flash cards which drill the basic facts about linear measurement, time measurement, place value, metric prefixes, Roman numerals, money and so on. Memorization of these facts is essential in my opinion. This is our first year using A beka for Arithmetic. My daughter is in the 3rd grade and we purchased the "Arithmetic 3-4 Concept Cards" which is the 3rd grade equivalent to your 1st grade "Drill Set A" Cards We did not buy our Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, and Division card collections from A beka. Math is a priority in our home and A beka Arithmetic is certainly measuring up!

We are still working on "The 3rd Grade Year" for dd8. However, we decided to drop MEP (Mathematics Enhancement Programme) math after completing year 3(2nd grade, UK). We are going to replace it with Abeka Arithmetic 3, and supplement it with Beast Academy 3. MEP 3 toward the end was unchallenging and repetitive; there was not enough progression to new materials. We sneaked a peek at MEP 4 and were disappointed that it contained nothing new and that it had even more repetition (place value, estimation, ...). We never considered Abeka before, but, from the examples we can see Abeka Arithmetic 3 has the most potential... it even covers long division, yay! Beast Academy might be a fun supplement, as my daughter likes comic book/ cartoon characters (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Pokémon, Peanuts, Garfield, etc). MEP was a fun informative program (until the over-repetition). My dd learned a great deal from it, including an excellent foundation in the metric system.

I can fit an unbelieveable quantity of dishes in the dishwasher (and still have them all come out clean!). My family is both proud and amazed; they often call me in to rescue them with my superior talent.

:iagree: the fun part of math is not the memorization (with conceptual knowledge) of math facts or arithmetic or what ever you want to call it.

In my opinion How to Tutor does approach math / arithmetic conceptually: pg. 188 bottom paragraph "What is arithmetic? Arithmetic is simply the art of counting. All arithmetic functions (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division) are merely different ways of counting. In addition we count forward. In subtraction we count backward. In multiplication we count in multiples, which is merely a faster way of counting forward when dealing with great quantities. In division the same principle is applied in the reverse direction." ...the then proceeds to discuss how we historically advanced math with the Hindu place-value system, etc.

Hunter, I have the How to Tutor book. It was initially published in 1973 and in my opinion is a real classic. What a practical book! One of the subtitles is The Art of Tutoring. He discusses the one-to-one relationship involved in tutoring and gives many considerably helpful tips. The math section is refreshingly logical! I used some of the "charts" from How to Tutor to aid my child in memorization and found that it helped her to cement the math facts. My dd, age 7, "strongly dislikes" games (the kind you win or lose, or if they are timed :001_smile:) to teach math facts, especially those on the computer. The charts and tips from the How to Tutor math section assist in getting the repetitive and therefore boring part of math memorized. My ds who is now 23, on the other hand happily learned all his math facts when he was in Kindergarten to 3rd grade on Math Blaster, a computer game which may no longer be around. I used to treat our main curriculum, MEP maths, as the most important part of math, however this year my intuition is saying that the memorization of facts is the most important part, so she does exercises in "arithmetic" before we do the MEP lesson. When the math facts are etched in the brain, in black and white, then we have a "fun" MEP math lesson. We are in year 3 of MEP and I would classify my dd as average to above average in math? My husband and I have degrees in engineering and we understand and enjoy math... My ds, 23 graduated from an exemplary (or whatever they call it), public school, I was rarely impressed with the math he was being taught and "trusted" the system, even though my intuition said something was missing (his schooling was easier than my own and more confusing all at the same time, plus it lacked any "meat") I think it is important for all to learn "arithmetic".

If you are interested in a cloudy, disjointed, illogical, dull, passive, unindustrious, dumbed down science... this is not the program for you! We are enrolled in Supercharged Science and really enjoy it. My dd is 7 years old. We conduct science class 4 days a week. We take weekly trips to the library where we pick up books on science and scientists to enhance the subjects we are studying in the various units. We love this science! DD loves this science! This science is cool! It is straightforward, clear, fact-based; and it is presented in a logical clear manner that can't miss.

BFSU - ...reminded me of extreme PS ...question the books ability to tie the sciences together... really tried to like it.

JC Penney has some girl's quilts similar to PB. I think they have frequent sales. Good luck!

We pop popcorn in coconut oil, drizzle melted butter (real) over the top, add a little salt, and then stir (at least a few times a week). We also take "healthy" sprouted grain toast (toasted English muffins, too) and layer it with butter, coconut oil and then nutella, it sort of tastes like a chewy, satisfying, yet scrumptious chocolate donut. ...also use a jar in the bathroom to add (a pinch) to lotions and hair conditioners...

SCGS I believe that Year 2 is considered 1st grade, not Year 1. My DD6 and I are in Year 2 and she is 6, 1st grade, the lessons plans and the worksheets together are a good fit for us. I support the previous posts in that MEP math challenges and helps the brain to stretch a little further (conditioning exercises for the brain). MEP math encourages the teacher to demonstrate many of the problems with the help of the student. The first time a new type of problem is covered the student can sometimes barely follow along with the teacher, but eventually they can do those problems themselves; it really stretches the brain of my dd6 and is not boring for us.

DD6 - Jeff Kinney, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Judy Blume - "Fudge" books,