brownie
-
Posts
1,266 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Events
Blogs
Classifieds
Store
Posts posted by brownie
-
-
I've looked at this class. how old are your kids and did they have any programming experience?
-
I would like to present my kids with 2 articles written from different perspectives and discuss. Current events would of course be ideal but I realize I would have to create that myself. If there is a book out there ready to go, I would be interested. the objective is to read the 2 articles and see how they persuade you, to be alert for bias in the news, and to learn to come to your own conclusions, etc... A debate club would be ideal but we don't have the time and my kids don't have the interest, so kind of on a small scale i would like to to this at home but provide limited materials.
-
OK yes that's what I thought. I don't know if there's an official answer on this for VSL, but I stick with my initial response :) In my experience, sometimes you need to train the kid to use their skill, especially since we tend to teach in words and print. Have him close his eyes and read slowly, asking him to picture it as you go. Ask what he sees. With number cards in a card game that need to be recalled, I tell my kid to think of a slot machine (like on the weather channel :) my kids don't gamble!) and with spelling I asked my son to snap a picture like Cam Jansen and then read it to me backwards. We also made pictures of words he struggled with in a notebook. Now we don't even do it anymore. He's doing great with spelling now.
-
what do you mean he doesn't visualize? He doesn't see a picture in his mind? BTW my kids are VSL as well...at least the 12 and 7 yr olds. The oldest 2 learned to read as if pictures were images so poor phonics. The 7 year old struggled more and I had to teach him to read with phonics but he's my most vsl...go figure. I just think he didn't know how to use it to read. Maybe your son doesn't know how to use his picture thinking to remember stuff. I have trained my 7 yr old to use this skill for spelling. I've talked to all the kids about seeing numbers in their heads that they need to remember. I've talked about seeing the character in the story as he/she is described so they can remember better. I think sometimes they just don't know they can use their picture skills to remember verbal or textual information?
-
Well Aspie is just rough...that's all there is to it. And if the other children follow his example...well...
I don't have an answer. We started out joyfully 4 years and it has certainly deteriorated. I start with math because it is best for us to get it done when everyone is fresh. We do another short subject or two and break for snack with a read aloud. Snack usually turns into a full-fledged buffet cause those boys are hungry! Then back for a more challenging subject and winding down in the early afternoon with things like instrument practice, exercise, and silent reading if the schedule goes according to plan. Those are things that don't require help from me because I'm toast by about 1PM.
I do try to alternate hard with quick and easy working gradually toward easiest by the end of the day. History is a read aloud while the boys draw a picture of what I'm reading right now. Science is either read aloud from a text or do an experiment/demo/project.
Brownie
-
Our public school does not consider it advanced track. Advanced track is Alg in 7th grade (or sooner for about 5% of the kids). All remaining students start algebra in 8th grade. The lowest track does half the book in 8th grade, finishing it in 9th.
-
Well I moved my son straight from Singapore 5B into Saxon 1/2, but I had him take the placement test 1st. He passed 7/6 with flying colors so we did Alg 1/2 bc I had it on my shelf. I am sure it is not 100% overlap. After all, Singapore has always been a bit non-traditional in the way it approaches things, but I haven't found we needed both. DS10 is pulling about a 90% Alg 1/2 and we're skipping about 1/3 of the problems. I switched to Saxon to hammer those pre-algebra concepts in before Algebra with the spiral, repetitive nature of the program.
-
If your state has no requirement for testing, then the ps is just out of luck if they expected to see a standardized test. What if you had moved from out of state? They can't say anything. In our state we have required testing years for homeschoolers and the Explore doesn't count. The ps does testing every year, multiple times in many years but that doesn't mean we have to have tests on file if we go back. We only need to comply with the law.
Another option for quick test results is the CAT online through Christian Liberty. We have done it many years above level and mom doesn't have to administer anything because it's all on the computer.
-
I would not want to extinguish his passion. I would make a deal that if he got the math work you assigned done 4 days a week, he could use the 5th day's math time to do whatever he wants. Don't tell him he's not ready for calculus, just that you want him to do algebra. Also, I would of course allow him to do whatever math he wants to do with his free time!
-
OK I will summarize the pyramid. It is WAY too much to copy the entire thing.
Range A - the child needs enrichment, honors, AP
Range B - Alg in 7th grade, mentorships, take 2yrs math in one year
Range C - the child needs acceleration starting with individual pacing, taking algebra in 5th or 6th grade, ranging all the way up to grade skipping and early college entrance at the highest peak
Ranges depend on age
Range A is 1-10 for 4th grade math
Range B is 10-15 "
Range C is 15-25 "
Remembering that these are statistical recommendations. Take it with a grain of salt. Like I said, according to the chart, my 12 year old could do algebra in 5th or 6th grade, but he really should have waited until 7th. The placement was based on a school placement test as well (had nothing to do wtih Explore). So whether the scores were inflated thanks to homeschooling or the issues are due to his incredibly slow processing speed /ADHD I do not know.
Ahhh...it mentions under the diagram that this is adapted from Handbook of Gifted Education. I think the scores are not though. They've just applied the concept to statistical score ranges.
-
hmmm..Cmites definitely posts a pyramid. It is also in Shoplik's math talent book. I am putting a kid to bed, but I will try to come back later and summarize the pyramid.
-
So I checked my oldest's scores for you. The top region was 15 for 4th grade. DS got a 16. Now in 6th grade I felt he wasn't quite ready for Honors Algebra and I was right. But every kid's scores aren't going to predict success in math class the same. It's just a suggestion based on statistics.
-
Well they should give you percentile versus 8th grade. IMO an average 8th grader these days does Algebra, so I would equate 50% to Algebra readiness as best as this test can do that bc it is not a placement test. Did you also get a triangle chart showing with part of the pyramid your child falls in? This recommends a year for algebra in the mid-region and 2 year acceleration I think in the top region. Something like that anyhow. I don't have our results for this year yet. But I found that to be fairly accurate for my oldest. He fell at the bottom of the top zone but is struggling with Honors Algebra in 6th grade. On the other hand, he has ADHD and is pulling an A- with effort so it seemed relatively accurate.
-
The thing I've found that makes it useful to supervise is insisting on quality, particularly with handwriting. If they get in the habit of forming letters incorrectly then you have more work to undo the damage. I do most work orally or supervising my 7yr old, but I definitely leave the room too. And he's most independent one! I love how if I am with another child he will actually figure out what he can do next - yea! The older two would just run off and play....still. It's a personality thing. He will also grab a math book to work in for fun, and I don't interfere with that :)
Brownie
-
I don't recall WTM saying anything about computers. However, by fourth grade they can learn to program on Scratch, or NXT-G if you get Lego Mindstorms. They can also learn to graph data from a science expt in excel and prepare slides for a presentation or a report in power point. They should start learning to type.
Physics for 4th grade I don't know. I used RS4K but I wasn't totally happy with it. I like their chemistry but physics is mediocre. BFSU is probably better for concepts but integrates all the sciences together.
-
hmm...that must be the January test? We did the February. It's only been a couple of weeks I think. Brownie
-
I used Miquon. Not exclusively or in its entirety. We also use Singapore. but it's very exploratory/discovery oriented. I do think it's good for hands-on kids. Brownie
-
Sadly, it's not that weird. My kids take their epi-pens everywhere. Two of them are in their fanny pack at all times. I have 1 in my purse and 1 in the kitchen as well. However, I have only every met 1 kid in real life who did this as well, and I have met A Lot of kids with allergies. People get complacent. It's so sweet of you to worry (more than the kid's own mom!) and be so proactive. I wish I could meet more people like you.
-
Same issue here with the 10 year old. In face I just posted recently. All I can say is last year I let him do chess workbooks and software on Friday instead of traditional math.
-
Thanks! Sounds like he wasn't talking about what parents should do at home, which is what I was hoping to hear. We do Math Olympiad. I think a HS boy locally does a math circle. Maybe next year we will be available to join. Being around other kids who like math might be motivating for my kids.
-
Hi! Thanks for checking in so I don't go searching for the rest of a non-existent recording! I have your pre-algebra book but I'm still waiting for the right kid to use it with. I was just looking over it tonight but ds is 10 and challenge adverse. I may try it out in bits and see how it goes.
Brownie
-
hmmm..I got to the end but it cuts short after mentioning that he's about to tell parents what to do. Anybody have another link?
-
I'm going to share a link to an article which a lovely person here just sent me.
http://mathprize.atfoundation.org/archive/2009/Rusczyk_Problem_Solving_Presentation_at_Math_Prize_for_Girls_2009.pdf and I'm going to share one of the more memorable quotes, IMO, from the whole article:
"This is the whole game: the goal of education is how to solve new problems."
Of course early on we have to teach the fundamentals...mainly reading and computation. But I think a bright student pretty much has these 90% conquered by the end of second grade and they are ready to start transitioning (gradually) to more problem solving.
My dh was EXACTLY like the guy who sent the email in article. He breezed through school, graduate valdictorian, got a full academic scholarship and then arrived in an advanced honors math class toward his math minor. He dropped passing and also dropped his math minor. Math was no longer fun, but what he really means is that he was used to getting 100% and he couldn't do that anymore. He was actually challenged! It's sad that the lesson he learned his WHOLE life was to get 100%, not to learn. To this day he only wants to tackle stuff he can be really good at.
-
They should be the focus IMO and I don't think it is for any typical school. And I think it's too easy to get away from this at home with a bunch of open and go texts that don't demand these of the students. Some students get there in spite of the texts. I'm not willing to leave them to their own devices. I already see my 12 year old struggling with this, but I have high standards perhaps.
Math is going to be the death of me. Help?
in Logic Stage & Middle Grade Challenges
Posted
Completely different viewpoint here...My son is VSL though not dyslexic. He is taking an algebra course with a ps textbook. He is struggling but I've found 2 things...
1) Since he is big picture kid, I have found that providing a 5-10 minute overview of the lesson the night before the lecture to be incredibly helpful. I hit the main points and the purpose (where it's headed, why it's important). Then he can focus on the details of the lecture the next day bc he already knows the big picture. He can't follow the details until he knows the big picture.
2) When we study, we make summary sheets with different colored markers that only include the main tools covered. So 1 chapter might only require less than 20 lines of text (2 pages in large marker print) section by section. We review the main points repeatedly. We save the notes for midterm studying.