I know that I didn't see why I couldn't add x and x^2 when I was starting algebra. They both had x. Algebra tiles would have helped me see the difference. For some students, using the tiles as a start to solving linear equations would help. You can have a physical representation for the symbolic algebra. I don't know that I'd use them much for factoring. If a student needs them for the transition from concrete to abstract, it's wonderful that they're an additional tool. If a student doesn't need them, then that's great. I know they'd have helped me with understanding like terms and with solving linear equations.

MML is the software used with all of Pearson's math texts. I've used 3 of them. I have found errors in the software on occasion (just like in any text) and when I've reported them to the publisher, they've made changes. In one case, an example used a technique that hadn't been taught yet (using systems of equations to solve a word problem when systems were still a few chapters ahead). Your daughter can question her instructor when it seems that something isn't right. I don't know if students have the "contact the publisher" button with their access. I think MML is the best thing I've seen for helping students to learn. I have it as a requirement in all my classes that I can. However, it's crucial that it be a supplement and not the primary instruction. My approach would be to read the textbook first, doing all examples on scratch paper. Most of the texts will have an example, then will have some example where the student can try a problem similar to the example with the answer immediately available. This shows whether they understand the basic concept. Reading a math text is SLOW going if you're doing it correctly. I read fiction and nonfiction very quickly. It only takes a couple of hours to read most books. I once spent about 3 hours on 5 pages of math. Lots and lots and lots of scratch paper and trying to understand examples. Then I got to start the problem set. Texts now are written better with explanations and reasons than when I was in school. Many of them are very clear with the whys behind the work of a problem. Once you've gone through the text, working examples, then start the text problems. Pick at least a few odds from each topic - and aim for some of the tougher ones - not the ones at the start only. The student solutions manual will have step-by-step solutions. Sometimes you can buy it separately; sometimes it's available online (check under Student Tools or ask the instructor if they can make it available). Correct any problems and try to figure out where the mistake was. Only then should you go to the online work. At this point, the online work should go much smoother. Use Help Me Solve It or watch the videos for any topics. You don't want to use only MML. It is a great resource - but it should not be the only resource. USE the text. As for the specific quiz question... anything you learn later SHOULD apply to things earlier. You don't want to see math as just isolated rules for solving a certain type of problem - you want the big picture (thus the importance of the whys behind the work). Is there anything in the text from 1.7 saying how this can now be applied to 1.6, for instance? I hope this gives some ideas on ways to work with the software.

Here's information on the different editions and what was changed & moved for the Standards edition. I spent yesterday prepping for 4th grade - and I love the additions to the Standards version that wouldn't be in the US edition: negative numbers (although only briefly) and basic statistics.

I'd imagine it's MyMathLab from Pearson Publishing. I teach with it and really do love it. However, students using the "Help Me Solve This" feature alone are doing the same thing as students who used to just copy the problem from the solutions manual. At least Help Me Solve This walks through a problem rather than showing the full solution from the start. Regentrude's study tips are completely on target. Also, students need to work a TON of problems. I tell my students that the online work is NOT enough to really learn the material. In this case, I wouldn't think it's the software... but it's how the software is used. And if it is MML, another study tip is to use the Sample Tests (go to Take a Test and there are chapter tests available) as a study guide. Take the test (not for a grade) and see how you do.

I'm cold here and dreaming of when the temp will be back up to 100F :) Of course, we do use the AC then... and the house is a comfy 82 at that point. I think I need a "winter" home in the Southern hemisphere & a "summer home" here. Except I hate to travel. :glare:

We did 3A at the start of this school year (year-round - our start was June). I use the timeline in the Home Instructors Guide to give a rough estimate of how long we should spend on each topic to get through the work in a semester. We are using Standards and we use the text, WB, IP,and CWP (and a few additional books... iExcel and Miquon on occasion). We do the reviews. We do not do any testing other than the end of book test (the placement tests from the Singapore math site). I use a timer and we spend 40-60 min a day on math. If we're on a topic that needs a bit more work, we spend more time just in the text and WB and we go much slower (or skip) the IP. I try to do a few word problems every day. How many depends on how our time is working. Sometimes my son is able to move very quickly through the text and workbook. Other times we don't get much additional work done. The times that he gets the text/wb done quickly, we spend more time in IP and CWP. On occasion (I think with some of the addition work with the Practice pages), I'd just have him do one column of work rather than all problems. I adjust based on what I'm seeing of his mastery. I don't know if planning on 1 exercise each day would be enough to get through the book in a semester. It might be helpful to decide whether MM or Singapore is your main program and then use the other to supplement, dropping pages or topics in it as you need for progression in the main program.

FYI - the Frank Schaeffer books are just using the Singapore name but are not associated with the program. The new CWP books are here.

There aren't solutions. The answers alone are in the back of the book - but no step-by-step solutions (which does make some of the problems tricky). Thus, I've started out working the problems myself to have solutions with bar diagrams. We're spending about 40-60 min on math daily. I want math to be rock solid - and then some. And I believe that the only way to get really good is to do tons of practice. We do the text (Standards), workbook, IP, CWP, iExcel, and Miquon (with occasional additional add ins).

Pie Fight!!!

Sorry, but yes, starting early on with CWP and using bar models really does a great job of training in word problems. In CWP 3 a tricky one was "Jim and Dan have $24 altogether. If Jim gives $2 to Dan, he will have three times as much money as Dan. How much money does Jim have?" I've forced my son to do bar models for some "easy" problems earlier so he got the hang of drawing the bars. I found the iExcel books good for doing the bar model setups. He's at the stage now where I don't force him to draw a bar model unless he needs it because he's stuck. I'm also starting to show him that we can use algebra to solve the word problems. I really like how the bar models give a great transition from the concrete to abstract. It gives a solid visual and then gives a wonderful setup to transition into algebra. I've also found it fascinating to see that there are some of the problems that the bar model is significantly faster than an algebraic approach. I figure that the more tools my son has to solve a problem, the better.

The bar models were really foreign to me when I started with the books. We're doing CWP 3. I finally decided that I'd work the problems using bar models ahead of my son so if he got stuck, I could quickly help. I'm almost done with the book. What I find fascinating is that some of the problems can be solved much faster with bar models than with algebra. The bar models also lead to a great transition to algebra. I plan on starting with some variables later this year or next and doing some algebra to solve the word problems.

Thanks! This is something that's been bugging us. Just read it to my son. :)

Hope you get some other posts... but you can also do a search for these programs... I haven't used either program but you may want to check out CSMP and/or MEP. One of these may be a good fit for you.

My son sweats pretty heavily at night and with a dark pillowcase he gets sweat/salt stains. Sounds similar to what you're seeing.

You might want to try the Extra Practice books. They're at the same level as the textbook/workbook problems. The Intensive Practice is significantly higher challenge.

I'm in SC. Third year homeschooling under 3rd option. If you've picked the 3rd option group you'll homeschool under, give them a call and get their suggestion of how to inform the school and what is required to be submitted. The school may give you a tough time, but once you're away you shouldn't have any problems.

"Don't drive angry!"

Because kids get confused. My mom told me that our cat licking me was like her giving me kisses. I was trying to communicate with her language. I can still taste her fur. It tasted soft. But I was a strange kid too. :D

Brrr!

I'm in SC, also using 3rd option. Your association will require different documentation. I've used 2 different associations (using one with less paperwork this year!). I believe the only time you'd need to show anyone the portfolio would be if you were questioned. And under those circumstances, you'd want to call your organization and let them know immediately as well. I hang onto the portfolio - it gives us a good indication of progress. I keep attendance records, any testing results, and the required 2 progress reports (grades) - and documentation from the accountability association. This is our 3rd year homeschooling. I've never shown anyone anything - and just have mailed in the required documentation to the accountability group. Feel free to PM me if you have specific questions - or maybe other SC residents will post as well :)

Jenny wrote the HiG for PM 1. I think someone else did the others... So if you like the guide for level 1, you probably do want to switch to standards.

I like that the Standards edition includes prealgebra concepts. Negative numbers are introduced in 4A (very briefly... but they're there!). More statistics in Standards (some data analysis, probability). Some information on differences here. One quote: "Most of the content is the same as in the US edition and thus the third edition of Primary Mathematics, and some content was added in from the second edition of Primary Mathematics. In fact, it is probably in places a bit more challenging than the US edition because of the addition of material from the second edition of Primary Mathematics." I like the additional review in the Standards books too. We used US for 1st grade and have used Standards since.

I teach with MyMathLab and like the software a lot. My current group of students has done their homework - mainly getting 100% - and now that they're taking their first quiz, they're not doing so good. It may be the case that it's more prior OCD/anxiety tendencies that are going on with your daughter. Here's what I generally see with my students... take what's useful & ignore the rest :) I see students do well on homework and poorly on tests or quizzes because when they do the homework, they follow a pattern with the examples or because they've just done a few similar problems. When it comes to the test and problems are not in the same order - and on only one topic - the students second-guess themselves. One way to see if this is what's going on is to make up your own quiz. Take a few problems from each topic from the text, write them on notecards, shuffle them up, and you've got a practice quiz. You could have your daughter take this quiz with you there. Watch her do the problems and see if it's an issue with her not understanding as well as she'd thought (in which case, learn the material better initially... change notetaking approaches, do more problems for practice... ), if there's a common error she's making (sign errors or something along those lines), or if she's not trusting herself (in which case maybe telling her to take the quiz but only allow one attempt on the problem, get the answer, and move on). Good luck!

We did Spelling Workout in 1st and most of 2nd grade. My son was retaining NOTHING. We switched to AAS and his spelling has improved tremendously. It gives explanations, breaks down sounds (so great for phonics), and gives clear strategies. AAS has helped for both spelling and for reading. I'm very happy with it - and very unimpressed with SWO (for us at least).

I've taught online courses at two different cc's. The requirements will vary by the college. I teach as an adjunct now and pay for an online course is the same as pay for the in-class course. Academic freedom is also the same: in my case, very little. The department selects the text and the basic syllabus is standard, so I have the freedom to make some changes to what I want the students to do and how I run the course, but the content is pretty fixed. (As it should be... I teach math.) I have rarely seen "meaningful" student interaction. I've taught using an online component for a number of years. I think I've only had 1 or 2 semesters where students used the online discussion board effectively. Those were both traditional classes. Unfortunately, my experience with online courses has been that they're populated by students who are generally trying to do the least amount of work. An online course (especially in math) will likely require MORE time and energy than a traditional course from the students to master the material. I'll keep teaching online when the courses are offered to me, because the pay is nice for the effort I expend. I use CourseCompass as the software (Pearson publishing). I like it a lot, although there was a steep learning curve at first. It takes me a while to set up the course before the semester begins. Once things are set up, I really probably only spend an hour or so a week running the course. YMMV - especially depending on your discipline & how active your students are. Class size is capped at about 20 students, so even if everyone emailed me regularly (they don't), it wouldn't take a ton of extra time.