Tonia
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Posts posted by Tonia
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No, there's nothing terrible about using fingers to count. BUT at some point they need to just know the basics (adding single digits in their head) without having to count it out on their fingers each and every time.
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Finishing up week 5!
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We're in level E now and I will just chime in too! :)
I agree with the other posters - more review, whether a workbook, or printing out some math drill pages for mutli-digit addition and subtraction were essential for us. I love the way concepts were taught (and I actually love the way they taught mutli-digit subtraction) but there was just not enough daily practice after a new concept was introduced so I had to add that in.
Even though they didn't match up exactly, I really liked Horizons math for this. I just used it about 1/2 year behind so we could get to the concept in RS first and then use Horizons just for the math drill. They worked well together.
We skipped a lot of the drawing lessons. Instead I would do the warm-up section, a practice sheet and play a game.
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Thanks for responding, Catherine... reading your thoughts has been very helpful.
Last year, sixth grade, I started VT with him and also Lial's BCM, and I also spent weeks doing fraction, decimal, and percent games daily. There was far too little fraction practice for ds in RS but the games have addressed that, plus some problems from BCM and some old Singapore books I had lying around. I just purchased Lial's pre-algebra and I'm using it also for extra practice and word problems. Lial's spends more time on ratio, rate and proportion than RS does and I think this is important. I also find VT to be not very detailed or challenging so I'm not sure I will stay with it or move to Foerster's Algebra, which I used with my older ds very successfully.
I don't have a plan but have simply mixed it up weekly so that he does 2-3 lessons from RS, 1 from VT and 1 from Lial's roughly each week, with practice days thrown in too. This child needs lots of drill when it comes to math.My daughter is the type who needs the extra drill too. That's something that we've always supplemented with RightStart. I love the way they teach different concepts but, for my daughter, there isn't enough daily practice to really cement those concepts. We've been adding in extra games this year - really working on multiplication and fractions.
Thanks for your help!
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I found a YouTube video explaining level E. It said that there's a lesson, a game, and a worksheet. I suppose I mean interactive rather than necessarily hands-on. She does well with discussion, talking things out. That's how I know that she has come up with a different way of answering a problem. She thinks out loud. :)
Is RightStart fun? Do your kids enjoy it? She needs more fun and less drudgery in her required schoolwork.
My daughter thinks it's fun (honestly, some days though I'd just like to hand her a worksheet! :) ) and it is a program where you discuss and interact - that's another draw for my daughter. So yes, if your daughter likes the interaction and she likes to discuss math then she'll like RightStart. If she were the type who just says give me the facts and let me finish the page then she would not like this program - but your daughter sounds a lot like mine! :) Good luck with your decision.
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I really like RightStart and we've used it since the beginning - we're in level E now but I'm not sure how easy it is to jump into RightStart at that level. But I guess that's what the Transition Lessons are for. :)
Now, when you say hands-on, do you mean in regards to using manipulatives or to the one-on-one teaching needed? I'm finding that there's less use of manipulatives as you go - which makes sense since the older children get the less concrete work they need, they're ready to move on to more abstract. You'll still be using the abacus, the drawing board and tools (these are used quite often), and card games in this level - all the other manipulatives not so much.
If you mean hands-on in regards to one-on-one instruction then Level E, so far for us, has been just as teacher intensive as the other levels. All lessons are taught be you then there's usually a worksheet for the student to complete.
Oh, one other note - I've seen it recommended quite often that you play all the fraction games. There are lessons on fractions but playing all the games really rounds it out. I'm finding that the games are really a necessary part of this level (we slacked off in the games department for level D but I don't plan to with level E).
I haven't used Level G yet, but plan to. RightStart suggests that you use it along with Videotext - taking 2 years to finish Module A and level G - doing a bit of each each week. I'm looking at using Level G with Lial's Essential Mathematics spread over two years (5th and 6th grade) before moving on to PreA/Algebra. I think...
Hope this helps! If you have anymore questions about Level E I'll try to answer them.
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I agree that EM (instead of BCM) seems the better way to go with what you want to accomplish. Fwiw, I'd like to have a textbook on hand alongside VT anyway, so I think you may have inspired me to pick up a used copy of Lial's, perhaps both EM and PreA—for backup, just... in case :D. Thanks for the thread!
LOL... always happy to help someone else buy more books! (Never thought I'd be the inspiration for someone purchasing a math book, though! :) ) Thanks for the discussion - this has helped clarify some things for me. You (and everyone else) have been very helpful!
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Liberty's Kids is on there!
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I have ebook version as well. Pictures are stunning but I don't mind reading from my ereader. It really does just depend on which method you prefer to read from.
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My dd used RS A - C and then we moved on to CLE. I remembered how much she had enjoyed the drawing lessons in RS C, so we added in RS G last year as a supplement in 5th grade. Honestly, it did not seem to be well done, IMO. While geometry is a real strength for my dd, she just didn't get the point of many of the lessons. Neither did I. We quit at about lesson 30. I was really disappointed because I thought this would be a perfect supplement for her.
Thanks for mentioning that, Pastel. Guess I'll be googling to read some reviews :)
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Just out of curiosity, what makes you unsure about using VT alongside RS G?
For one, I'm not sure how much practice there is with all the basic operations and things before you actually get to the algebra portion of VT. My dd is going to need a year or two to really solidify all that before moving on to algebra. Second, the price. It's really more than I want to spend.
I'm still considering my options. Right now I'm leaning towards doing a combination of Lial's Essential Mathematics and RS G spread out over 2 years and then Lial's PreA in 7th.
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I'm giving away a 2 book set - Talking with your Daughter about Best Friends and Mean Girls
Giveaway is open until Oct. 2
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I'm also in the both are important camp but I do think that one naturally leads to the other. When kids are young - narration/retelling is generally easy for them. That's the skill to develop and work on with young children. On the other hand, summarizing (picking out the important details instead of just retelling the story) is a skill that must be learned and is best left for when children are a bit older.
For my daughter at least, narration/retelling has been fairly straightforward. Summarizing, on the other hand, is taking some work and doesn't come naturally. At this point (4th grade) she's really beyond the narration stage but summarizing is an important skill. Right now I'm still having to offer a bit of guidance in finding the important details/summarizing but it's slowly coming.
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We will be in the same boat next year and I am really undecided what to do. I wish I could preview it first.
Soror - found this online after searching - BCM sample
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I was just looking at the Lial's series and saw there is an Essential Mathematics book that covers whole numbers, fractions, decimals, ratios and percents. Would that be more appropriate for a 5-6th grader than BCM? And then follow up with Lial's Pre-A in 7th?
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While she was doing the RS geometry, she sometimes worked on Key to Fractions or Key to Decimals. Both of my dds have needed more work on fractions and decimals than RS gave them. It could be that BCM would cover that for you.
Also, we consider BCM to actually *be* pre-algebra. After she completed it, she started Jacob's Algebra. I know we've had numerous discussions here about whether to do BCM instead of/in addition to pre-algebra. It probably depends on how much the repetition would benefit your child vs. driving them nuts.
I forsee that we'll have the same issue - dd will need more work with fractions, decimals, and perhaps long division. (I'm making it a point to schedule in more game time this year so we can really work through all the fraction games - hoping that will help). That's why I was considering Lial's - to basically review concepts already covered and to firm up any places dd needs the extra help.
Age and experience-wise I'm not sure she'll be ready for algebra in 7th. Old editions of Lial's are pretty cheap so I could always pick up a used copy of pre-A and if it's too easy then switch to algebra.
Did your dd like the Key to... series? I am basically looking for some sort of "in-between" program - something to review the basic operations and shore up any issues before moving on to the high school math sequence. Hence the reason for looking at Lial's.
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We didn't play a ton of games in level C either - I liked the addition of practice sheets (dd didn't like them as much!). I felt since we didn't play as many games (which is really a form of math drill) then the practice sheets replaced that need and still gave dd the practice she needed with the basic operations.
I do think the games are more necessary for level D - especially for fractions.
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DD is in her last year of RightStart (not counting RS Geometry) and I'm trying to figure out where to go next. I know RS recommends a combo of Videotext and RS Geometry but I'm just not sure about that. I like the looks of Lials BCM - for those who have used it do you think it would work to divided it over 2 years (5th and 6th grades) and use it in conjunction with RS Geometry? If we did that would dd move on to Lials prealgebra after that (for 7th grade)?
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RightStart for us though we did use different supplements occasionally. Now to figure out what to use next since we're in level E....
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We're in FLL 4 now after using FLL from the beginning - so I guess I could add my 2 cents :) My dd didn't "get" the grammar in first grade either but we just plugged away at it and, looking back, I can see how it was beneficial. The definitions are second nature now where we are in the real work of diagramming and picking sentences apart. So I think you should just keep plugging away at it. It's a gentle program and, while your dd might not really understand it (and most kids don't get grammar at that age - it's really an abstract concept and not something concrete) the repetition and memorizing the definitions of the parts of speech will serve her well later on. But, if it gets to a point where things are very easy (sooo many lessons on nouns!), skips some, combine some lessons, etc. But definitely keep doing it.
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Interesting, I was going to suggest How to Train Your Dragon series, but the lexile is 900+. I didn't think they were that high. My 4th grader really likes them though. Roald Dahl is a huge hit here.
I was going to suggest the same - my dd (age 9, 4th grade) reads this series in her free time - she really enjoys them. I'd say they are a step up from MTH - books are longer, etc. but not a huge step. Don't know how they'd compare to Percy Jackson - haven't gotten to those yet!
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I usually have mine shipped to a relative in the states. Have had one package delivered to my home from RR and had to pay duty on that. CBD has always been pretty good, as well as Amazon.ca. I also like Book Depository (free shipping).
Oh, and for ordering homeschool materials in Canada I really like The Learning House.
Are fingers really that bad?
in K-8 Curriculum Board
Posted
So that's where you start - she doesn't know 2+7 when you ask so perhaps she's not ready for the 'abstract' concept so work on them in a concrete way. Get some counters (or an abacus) and make a line of three. Ask her how many there are without counting. Then do four and repeat. No counting. Get to five (five is easy to remember because there is 1 in the middle with 2 on each side so there's no need to count). Once she has 3-5 down start on 6 and higher but leave a space between the group of 5 and the next group. Again, no counting. She can see the counters grouped on the table but needs to work on not counting them individually each time. Teach her to see numbers in groups.