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TyraTooters

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Posts posted by TyraTooters

  1. My math anxious (but very math capable) son moved from 2nd grade A Beka to Singapore (US Edition) with relative ease. We added the Intensive Practice books. I think Fan math plus IP is a good combo, but we didn't like CWP as well as the IP. The IP has some CWP level problems. The thing that IP did for my son was give him more challenging mastery problems using the TB concepts by going more broadly and deeply into the topic. There is no actual teaching in the IP books, but the thought progression starts at the TB level and gets a little more difficult. Some people use the IP a level behind for this reason.

     

    The IP gave my son a lot more math confidence, and it reinforced the mastery style of Singapore very well. He did not do well with the incremental quality of A Beka, and second grade A Beka was just awful--review most of the year, and then throwing in new concepts at the end. Not a good fit for him at all. And way too many games with not a lot of explanation of the games--the novelty of the instructions bothered him, and he hated bouncing all over topically. 

     

    Which level did you choose? I'm town between 2b and 3a. I'm thinking 2a would be the best place to start. 

  2. There are tons and tons of parts to Singapore, you can certainly customize the program using a variety of components. Don't worry about using the most challenging bits until your son is able to get his bearings about him.

     

    Give him the Singapore PM placement tests and let him try it since he's expressed an interest in it.

     

    You might use the Textbook + Workbook and in Extra Practice if he needs additional review. Instead of  CWP, you can use FAN Process Skills a grade behind to break down word problems.

    We are fairly new to Singapore, what is CWP and FAN Process Skills?

  3. We are currently about 3/4 of the way through 2nd grade Abeka. We hate it. We are making it work for the time being, taking our time and doing our own thing with it but it's time to move on. He is good at math when he takes the time to slow down and think about it before getting all worked up and finding himself in a fit of rage. 

    He finally said that the reason he isn't getting it is because there's not enough time spent on a certain topic. We need mastery, which I knew we would end up switching to. He does all his math sitting rightnexttome. Just knowing I am right there, even if he doesn't need me, helps him out. I'm okay with that, I just want him to be able to pull his math out and not completely dread it or get worked up before we even start. 

     

    His brother, 7 years old, uses Singapore and he's mentioned that he wants to use the same thing but I don't know how that will work for a kid who isn't really a mathy person. He catches on quick, when he's not freaking out about the material, but I wouldn't say he's into math or math-minded. I've also been looking at BJU. We don't need anything with tons of manipulatives, he gets annoyed with those. 

  4. You all are awesome!!! We are working on narration and comprehension with WWE2 so I know where he stands with comprehension. He is all wrapped up in those Magic Tree House books with their Fact Trackers right now. We just started a reading journal for this year. I am pretty lose about it, sometimes he writes his favorite part of the book, other times he draws a part from the story, sometimes he writes two or three sentences about what he's recently read. I don't make him do it for every book, or every day, just kind of when I think about it or if it's been a couple days. 

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  5. My suggestion isn't going to be the popular one, but we use Abeka for the 3rd grader with HFA and ODD. That's what we started with in first grade, after MM (nothing wrong with MM but I think he needed the spiral approach with more reviewing), and he just doesn't want to switch. His 1st grade ADHD brother, however, is getting ready to start Miquon once I get it ordered. He is finishing off the last several lessons of Abeka kindergarten (without the teacher manual) and we just modify things a bit. Today we worked with LEGOS, I made a little plus sign and put it in the middle. He then had set up an addition or subtraction problem. He had mostly the 2x2 square pieces but he also had a 2x4 rectangle piece. One problem he needed to have 4 pieces on one side of the plus sign. When *I* looked there were only three, two 2x2s and one 2x4. I told him that it wasn't right and then he pointed out that the 2x4 was just two of the 2x2 pieces joined together. That makes me feel better about my Miquon choice. The eight year old would NOT have put that together. 

     

    ETA...when we finish up the tail end of our second grade Abeka we will likely be switching to CLE. He likes to get the lesson and get it done with very little playing. He doesn't even like the tiles on All About Spelling! (talking about the eight year old HFA and ODD child)

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  6. I think we need a little something extra to make it really stick. Sometimes just having him read over it is all he needs and other times he needs a little more. I don't want to pair anything rigorous with it but am looking to see if anyone has any suggestions to make it stick. 

  7. I don't know WHAT I was thinking but we are done with Abeka kindergarten and are moving on to FIRST GRADE! We made it through Abeka with a lot of modifications and we are ready to break away from the box and find something that works better for us!! 

     

    Title says it all!! 

     

    I need some suggestions that have worked well for you all. So far he's been fairly easy to teach, just trying to find the right fit. We are in the process of looking at Miquon but I haven't fully settled on it just yet. We are starting Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons today (he can read but not fluently so we are working on it some more). What else can you all suggest? Nothing too teacher intensive as I have an eight year old third grader and a two and a half year old! 

     

    And GO!

  8. Singapore is complete, but some kids have trouble "leaping" into some concepts.  Miquon fills that gap.

     

    Miquon teaches conceptual math very well, but lacks word problems and some kids need more review.  Singapore fills that gap.

     

    The Cuisenaire Rods used in Miquon work very well as a precursor to the bar method used in Singapore.

     

    It's like they were made for each other. :001_wub:

     

     

    I would move through Singapore topic-by-topic.  So you might give a choice between subtraction and fractions, but move through each section in order.  Whereas, Miquon you can work through *any* order within reason.  

    So if I went this route, what would you suggest I purchase from Singapore? I would get all three books and the c-rods for Miquon but would I need the textbook from Singapore or just the workbook?

  9. Miquon is a discovery method math.  As teacher, you will be doing more observing and asking leading questions rather than actually teaching.  I think Miquon lays an important foundation for that sort of problem solving initiative. 

     

    You give your child a packet of lab sheets and let him choose which order to work.  You can make some excellent assessments simply based upon what lab sheets they pick.  Ex.  If they are always avoiding subtraction, that tells me that I should do a purposeful lesson on subtraction.  An avoidance of a topic usually means a lack of understanding.  Also, if addition is always done neat, tidy, and fast, I know that I can move on.  

     

    Singapore pairs very well with Miquon.  Introduce a concept through Miquon, and use Singapore as a review and a "catch all" for any details that might not have been discovered yet.  Don't try to match up concepts.  In fact, it's better to let some time lapse between learning a topic in Miquon and seeing it in Singapore.  Retention is higher.  (I'd say to start Singapore 1A after you've gone through about half of the Orange Book...and maybe skip straight to the Intensive Practice Books instead of the workbooks.)

     

    Miquon is not something you can plan at the beginning of the year.  Plan to spend about an hour a week thinking about how your child is doing in math and prepping the next week's lessons.  Before the school year starts, you need to read The First Grade Diary and Teacher's Notes.  Read the beginning of each section in the Annotations.  

     

    If Miquon is NOT working, I'd say Math Mammoth is it's pedagogical opposite.  MM teaches conceptual math in step-by-sep fashion.  (My Miquon-loving kids HATE Math Mammoth with fiery passion.  I think MM is solid.  They prefer the discovery method.)

     

     

    MEP math is worth checking into.  I think it's like mixing Miquon and Singapore into one scripted lesson.  Excellent stuff!  My only issues with MEP are page lay-out (small print for little people) and it's a British programme and so uses British money.  I do enough hands-on American money & measurements work at home so I don't feel that is a big problem.  It is also teacher-intensive, and that is what prevents me from using it. (I have 3 students and a toddler.)

    WHOA! Thanks for all the help! I never would have thought to pair anything with it. So is there anything in Singapore that is not covered in Miquon that I would still have to teach? Or just kind of take a worksheet out and let him go at it? I feel like I need some hand-holding while I move away from Abeka! 

  10. Have you watched the educationunboxed videos? Highly, highly reccomended. It will give you the clearest idea of what cuisinare rods can do and how you use them.

     

    I think as a teacher, there's a learning curve. Miquon is just unlike anything else out there.

     

    As a student...my type A, perfectionist, linear thinker HATED Miquon. I mean, really hated every aspect of it. He's very much a physical/tactile learner so I thought it would be great. But here's the thing- he wants to be led a to b, therefor c. He likes the baby steps. Miquon doesn't Do that, it's more, "huh, a...and b....what do you think about that? Let's play with this." He also hated the aesthetic, he appreciates a full-color layout with cartoons and such. He found Miquon visually underwhelming.

     

    My creative, visual, chaotic thinker (really my only accurate discriptor) absolutely thrives on Miquon. He's a kid that laughed in delight when he realized 2+3=5 and 5-3=2 and then sat for an hour testing it on other facts. This is exactly what Miquon is going for. That making your own connections and puzzling things out.

     

    Hope that helped at all.

    What does your Type A child use for math?

  11. Have you watched the educationunboxed videos? Highly, highly reccomended. It will give you the clearest idea of what cuisinare rods can do and how you use them.

     

    I think as a teacher, there's a learning curve. Miquon is just unlike anything else out there.

     

    As a student...my type A, perfectionist, linear thinker HATED Miquon. I mean, really hated every aspect of it. He's very much a physical/tactile learner so I thought it would be great. But here's the thing- he wants to be led a to b, therefor c. He likes the baby steps. Miquon doesn't Do that, it's more, "huh, a...and b....what do you think about that? Let's play with this." He also hated the aesthetic, he appreciates a full-color layout with cartoons and such. He found Miquon visually underwhelming.

     

    My creative, visual, chaotic thinker (really my only accurate discriptor) absolutely thrives on Miquon. He's a kid that laughed in delight when he realized 2+3=5 and 5-3=2 and then sat for an hour testing it on other facts. This is exactly what Miquon is going for. That making your own connections and puzzling things out.

     

    Hope that helped at all.

    YES! That actually helps a ton. My oldest (8) is the same as your Type A child. I don't think the open-ended-ness of Miquon will appeal to him at all. He does Abeka and he is quite content with it. I make modifications but he likes it. He has to have a very clear picture where as I think the clear picture fogs the mind of my chaotic child! 

  12. We are switching math up this year and moving away from Abeka for the adhd kinder boy. He has learned quite a bit but he's bored with it. I try not to give him any worksheets because when I do you can see his love for kindergarten just fade away. He HATES it. It doesn't help that he struggles with handwriting and writing things backwards, either. 

     

    I think he just needs something a little more hands on but nothing crazy. This looks like it might be a good fit, but I want you all to tell me more about it! 

  13. I'm glad I did a TT search! Abeka has served us well and my eight year old has actually said no to switching it to anything else but the idea of TT is very appealing. He is my electronics obsessed child. He's like an alcoholic with electronics, one sip and it's all downhill from here. So any way that he can use electronics in a healthy way and learn a little while doing so is perfect in my book. Compared to Abeka it seems a little behind but that's like comparing apples to oranges there. If TT can free up some of my time to work with the others, keep the eight year old engaged, build his confidence, feed his addiction to screen time, AND get him somewhere with math then sign me up! 

  14. My eight year old reads his First Language Lessons lesson from time to time if I need to help or work with his brother or (two year old) sister. He has taught himself many lessons that way. Of course, I go over it with him some when I'm done helping the others but he just reads the teacher and student texts and does what the directions tell him to. He's also read a story or two to himself in his Writing With Ease book. Just a thought. 

     

    I heard that Rod & Staff can be self taught but I've not looked at it to know firsthand. 

  15. I am looking at getting Apologia Zoology 1 to use this year. We are just going to wing it with our own note booking but I was looking the the ChristianBook website and I noticed that you can buy the lab kit for about $90. It comes with everything you need for all the experiments. I was curious to see if anyone has bought the lab kits for zoology 1 yet and if it's worth it. I kind of like the idea of having it all in one place and not having to go looking for it on a daily/weekly basis but I'm just not sure I want to pay the $90 for it. 

     

    Also, has anyone bought the Daily Lesson plans? Those are about $7 and it just breaks it all down for you suggesting where to start and stop for each day. 

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