stupidusername
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Posts posted by stupidusername
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we have been using AoPS for about a week now. At this point, based on what I have seen in Chapter 1 of the pre-Algebra book, I am probably not going to make AoPS our primary textbook. I think the "drill and kill" technique that Saxon uses is highly effective and I don't want to give it up.
A few years ago, AoPS author Richard Rusczyk spoke at a girls' math competition:
In the speech, he pooh-poohed people who get SAT math scores of 800 and AP Calculus BC scores of 5. Basically, he feels that the SAT math and AP Calculus tests are really easy, and that mathematically-gifted students should aim higher.
I get that. For someone with a true gift for math the SAT math test is easy. But the truth is, I'd be happy if my son (who is solid at math but not a math whiz) gets an 800 on the SAT math and a 5 on the AP Calculus BC test.
Therefore, we are going to continue using Saxon -- but we are going to supplement Saxon with AoPS. Thus, my son will get mastery of the basics from Saxon and exposure to the more advanced problem-solving methodology of AoPS. Should his interest and/or aptitude in math increase, we can always move more fully to AoPS at a later date.
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Is this meant for one lesson per day? We've never used Saxon before, but dd liked the look of it and the sample of the Dive CD that she saw. So now I need to know how to schedule it.
Thanks!
Which edition are you using? The Houghton-Mifflin version (see http://www.amazon.com/Saxon-Algebra-Student-Edition-2009/dp/1602773033/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1398444016&sr=8-3&keywords=saxon+algebra+2) is awful. Stick with the older version (see http://www.amazon.com/Algebra-An-Incremental-Development-Saxon/dp/1565771400/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1398444016&sr=8-1&keywords=saxon+algebra+2) and, yes, try to do one lesson per day.
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Follow up question: How long would it typically take to cover one lesson? One day? Several days?
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thanks for the tips!
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I bought "Vocabulary From Classic Roots" for my 10-year old son and am eager to get started, but am unsure how to proceed. Here is my tentative plan:
1) have him read the entire lesson to himself.
2) have him read the root out loud, then have him read each word, its spelling, and definition out loud. Repeat for every section in the chapter.
3) have him write down the answers to the exercises at the end of the chapter.
If he performs poorly on the exercises, I would add a new step:
2a) have him write down each word and its definition.
Does the above make sense?
What about "challenge words" and "familiar words"? How do I bring those into the lesson?
Any other thoughts?
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We have been using AoPS preAlgebra for three days. So far, it has been pretty rough going. It's quite different from what we're used to (Saxon). We are trying to hang in there.
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Thanks, everyone. This is all really helpful. I appreciate the feedback and support!
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Day #2 with AoPS was a struggle. My son is clearly waaay outside his comfort zone.
An example:
Problem 1.25: What is the value of 1643 - 1994 - 1643?
For some reason, my son was unable to get this problem. He stared at it sadly for 5-10 minutes, at which point I finally gave him the answer and explained it to him.
This was not the only AoPS problem he struggled with.
Keep in mind: This a smart kid who was able to get all but three of the problems correct on the AoPS Prealgebra pre-test.
What do you make of his difficulties with this material? Is it evidence that he should go back to Saxon, where he is much more comfortable? Or, on the contrary, is it evidence of gaps in the Saxon curriculum that need to be addressed?
Thoughts?
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we are trying out AoPS preAlgebra. First lesson was today. Very different from Saxon but so far so good. Thanks, everyone, for all the advice.
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I'd wait until he finishes Math 76, although personally, I'd continue with Saxon. :) But 76 is the book that precedes Saxon's pre-algebra texts (Math 87 and Alg. ½).
if you're still around, Ellie, can you elaborate on this? I'm trying to decide between sticking with Saxon and switching over to AoPS.
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Thank you for the clarification, Kiana. Sorry I misunderstood.
I gave my son the AoPS Prealgebra placement test this morning. The results were as I expected. He got all the computation problems right but missed three out of the four word problems. This reflects the strengths and weaknesses of the Saxon curriculum, i.e., he has solid computational skills but is poor at solving problems.
We will try AoPS Prealgebra for a week or two and see how it goes. I am anxious about switching because Saxon has worked well for us and we had gotten into a good routine.
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Thanks, everyone, for the feedback. As I said, we are quite happy with Saxon. I don't feel that the repetition is overkill. I think it reinforces what my son has learned, allowing him to develop mastery and automaticity.
I do, however, worry that he is not developing top-notch problem-solving skills. And, like I said above, I see no reason for him to zoom through a curriculum at such a rapid pace. Perhaps a more demanding textbook -- one that requires more time -- would be more appropriate.
I will take a look at the AoPS pre-Algebra book and see if it makes sense to switch. (I quickly looked at the AoPS Prealgebra placement test. I think my son will probably be able to get all of these right except maybe a couple of the word problems.)
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Hi everyone, I'm fairly new on this board so go easy on me!
I have a 10-year old homeschooled son (4th grader) who is cruising along in Saxon math. He recently finished Saxon 7/6. He will finish Saxon 8/7 in the fall and Saxon Course 3 (the new book by Stephen Hake) by spring 2015 (i.e., by the end of fifth grade). If he keeps on whizzing along, I expect him to finish Algebra 1 and 2 in 6th grade, Advanced Math in 7th grade, and Calculus in 8th grade.
We are very happy with Saxon, but I see no reason for him to finish Calculus before entering high school. Because of that, I would like to introduce the Art of Problem Solving (AoPS) books into the mix. My hope and expectation is that the AoPS books will deepen his math, logic, and problem-solving skills. However, I don't know how the AoPS books fit in with the Saxon books.
Has anyone else tried to integrate these two curricula? If so, do you have any suggestions?
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Hi everyone, I'm brand new on the board and fairly new to homeschooling. I have a 10-year old, 4th-grade son who has been homeschooled for 8 months. He completed a U.S. History textbook this year, and it went pretty well. I wouldn't say he loved it, but he didn't hate it either. We mostly relied on a textbook, but we did some supplemental work as well (such as interviewing a World War II veteran and watching several World War II movies).
I'm thinking of having him tackle World History next year (in 5th grade), with an emphasis on ancient civilizations. The book I'm considering is called "World History." It is published by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. It seems like a fairly standard text.
Our schedule will probably look something like this:
Monday - off because my son will attend a home school academy
Tuesday - read one section of the textbook
Wednesday - read one section of the textbook
Thursday - read one section of the textbook
Friday - watch a documentary to supplement the book. Hopefully this will result in better retention of the material we are covering.
That's three sections of the book per week, so we'll finish the book in about 6 months -- time to spare.
Does this sound like a reasonable plan? Any problems or pitfalls I should be aware of?
I also have questions about other subjects, but figured I'll start here. Thanks!
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Based on email correspondence with Stephen Hake, we are doing 7/6 followed by 8/7 followed by the new Course 3 book. Then Algebra 1 and 2.
We will be using the old Algebra books (3rd editions), not the new Houghton-Mifflin ones, which are terrible.
Mandarin or Japanese language program for homeschool
in K-8 Curriculum Board
Posted
I studied Japanese using Pimsleur CDs and Japanese: The Spoken Language (see http://www.amazon.com/Japanese-Spoken-Language-Part-1/dp/0300038348/ref=sr_1_16?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1398813241&sr=1-16&keywords=japanese+language+textbook). I also had a tutor.
I was eventually able to order a meal, ask for directions, and so forth. At one point, I went into a Japanese online "chat room" and was able to (slowly) carry out a simple written conversation. However, when I watched a Japanese movie I was unable to understand 95% of it. In general, my writing skills were better than my speaking skills, which in turn were better than my listening skills.
The Pimsleur CDs were fine for very basic language skills but they are nowhere near enough to get you to fluency. At least, that was my experience. And being on the East Coast, it was hard to find native speakers with whom I could practice.
I think it is nearly impossible to learn Japanese fluently unless you spend an extended period of time in Japan or have a Japanese spouse/significant other. From what I hear, Chinese is just as hard if not harder.