Thanks everybody. I feel reassured :) It makes sense about it being nasal or sinus related. But I couldn't find any articles about it when I googled it, not knowing what on earth search terms to use for such a strange question! Thank you all. I don't have any trouble with en words - the short e doesn't change from the short e in et or eg words, for me. Aren't accents and regional variations odd? ten vs tin - my mom made my enunciate those, even though I am southern, so most of the time I say those (and pen/pin!) with the correct short vowel, thank goodness. Sure makes it easier to teach phonics. However, if my southern accent was stronger, these "a" words wouldn't be such a problem lol!

My 4 yo twins are beginning to sound out words, mostly CVC. The problem is the short "a" sound in man or Sam. Why does the vowel sound different than in other short "a" words like mat or sat? Is there any way to make the blending easier? The kids go "m", "m....a...." "m...a...n" and then try to blend it together and it comes out all forced and wrong-sounding. I feel like I'm nuts and maybe I'm the only one that hears this, but it is genuinely hard for the kids. So somebody else has to have noticed this, right??

Tabletclass had not been on my radar, so thanks for the recommendations. I've been to the websites, both subsription and free, and watched the demo stuff. Questions for you actual users: 1. Is anything self-grading? Or do you the parent grade the tests? Or does the student? It looks like the tests and keys are all available and that might be TOO much freedom at this age, I think, unless the student really loves learning just for learning's sake. 2. What is the difference between the free website (with $20 printed worksheets) and the subscription? Is it just being able to navigate the videos and see what you've done? Tests? What are the other advantages to having an account? Derek, thanks for your reviews on this here and in other threads - I've seen several of them as I searched "tabletclass" here on WTM :)

any Making Math Meaningful users?

I agree - it's enough to spark some interest, but allow for flexibility. We have added in library books at times, science encyclopedias for kids, magazines, nature walks, and I have really appreciated the lightness of the curriculum in allowing science at this age to be more child-centered and interest-led. There is so much time to get meaty, in K, 1st, and 2nd it doesn't have to be yet. And I'm an engineer :)

Thank you for the replies - do you find those that you are using to be written to the student, and mostly independent?

Thanks for this input - I was thinking the same thing about some topics being missing from MMM 6, and possibly a year of overlap with another 6th grade being a good idea. My only qualm about Jacob's Algebra is then switching curriculum - again - for high school, since there's no algebra 2 that follows on. But maybe I'm borrowing trouble too far ahead.

Has anybody used this, from Cornerstone Curriculum? What do you use next, for a 5th grader finishing up level 6 and needing to move to something else, to continue being semi-independent in math for 6th grade and up?

Hi, I'm posting for a friend. She's not into forums, but asked me about math since I was an engineer and a math teacher. But I don't have a middle schooler yet, so I'm asking y'all :) Her son has used Making Math Meaningful from Cornerstone one level ahead of grade level since kindergarten. So he's finishing level 6, at the end of 5th grade. Mom wants to switch programs now, into something that hopefully he can continue all the way through high school. She wants it be semi or mostly independent, due to having youngers to teach too. It does not necessarily need to be video. TT sounds like a good idea, but there is enough negative "chatter" she's heard (even not being on forums) that she's concerned. But what else is there to do with a sixth-grader in this situation? BJU is another curriculum that came up. So opinions on that would be appreciated too. In her words, her son is "is good with it [math], once he understands it, which means if he actually reads it and thinks. :-) He has a good attitude about it, as long as I don't berrage him with tons at a time. He is all about doing as much as he can in his head and with a little writing and "work" as possible...much like his dad was in school! :-P" She says he's not definitely aiming at a career in science or math, but doesn't want to rule it out either. She's asking me, since I have a math background, but I taught a classroom out of a textbook, not a single child to be independent. It's different. I've never seen TT in person, but I heard it's a lot of multiple choice answers, and the student gets 2 tries. My concern is that a child who doesn't like to work it out could guess it right within 2 guesses, but not learn much. So it's as much the style of TT, as whether or not it's rigorous or not. Thanks in advance!

Lauri puzzles are awesome. My 2 year old twins love them. For girly, you can get ballerina or butterflies or flowers.

by prepare, you mean attach the tiles to the magnets? or is there more? I got a used set of tiles - but the duplicate letters are missing. I only have one of each letter and each phonogram :( Thank you for this input, very helpful! PS are your twins going to be using it to learn the phonics the first time, or to learn spelling, or to learn both at the same time? I am kinda confused by how that's supposed to work. I mean, do I start AAS level 1 with my daughter but keep plugging with Explode the Code 7? Or just stop, since she's a pretty proficient reader?

Thanks for the help, especially about samples! I will check that out when I next get a chance - computer time about up for today! What's the website with the free sounds? Is it the same as her methods? I am confused when samples says things like "pronounce for spelling" and cost isn't the same as "cawst". I've lived all over, mostly in the South though, but I don't have a bad drawl. But I would say those the same :confused:

Thank you! I will make sure I look at those before I make a final decision!

Good to know!! So it wouldn't be unreasonable to get a fluent reader, natural speller 6 yo in 1st grade through level 2? Do you think I should get level 3 as well, just to be safe? Shipping would be the same for 2 levels or for 3, hmmm....And there is that guarantee, I should be able to send it all back if necessary, no difference in 2 levels or in 3 there, that I know of. I made my own phonogram cards for teaching reading. Do you think I should buy level 1, to have her materials and make sure I'm on the same page all the way through the program? I'm trying to minimize expense but not at the cost of a cohesive program. If I buy AAS, it's going to be for the purpose of having something comprehensive that takes the burden off me, so I'm not going halfway and still trying to piece together some on my own. If it's necessary, I'll buy level 1 as well.

and by the way, what did you use to teach your daughter to read? I'm curious because my hodge podge worked well when I only had one child. But by the time I'm schooling her, in 3rd or 4th, and trying to teach 2 to read, I may need something more organized! I'm intrigued by AAR, but again, the expense! for two - gasp!