babysparkler
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Posts posted by babysparkler
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Worse case scenario, it's too much for you and they have to go back to PS I seriously doubt they will be behind.
:iagree:
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My DH wasn't ready for me to hs at first either. Since we both (and practically everyone else in our families) are certified ps teachers, we had more faith in the ps system than we should have. It wasn't until the ps failed our kids miserably that I was able to convince him that we should be hsing.
I started hsing with a newborn in the home and, though it was slightly more of a challenge, I would say that a two year old poses more of a challenge than a newborn who sleeps and nurses most of the day. I would venture to say that it would be easier for you to start hsing now so that you can get into the routine rather than waiting until a toddler is running around the house to shift gears.
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Schoolhouse Rock! My kids LOVE it (at all ages).
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I'd do a lot more listening than talking. :) If she wants your opinions I would bet that she would ask... and she may be getting more than she wants from everyone else. She will be much more receptive to your thoughts if she knows that you care enough to listen to hers.
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Monday, starting at 11 a.m., we have scouts all day (four different troops, one per child :)),
Can any of the 3 hours siblings are in scouts be used for school work? I used to pack a bag of schoolwork for my older son to work on while my younger son was in gymnastics.
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I use Edu-Track and love it. In Texas I really don't "need" to keep records, but I like to keep myself organized. My favorite feature of this software is that I can tag my son's courses as the grade level he is working on, and it will keep track for me how many hours of instructional time was completed at each different grade level within the school year. Since my son is all over the place, it really helps me to "see" what grade level he is working on.
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Our full tithe (at least 10%) goes to our general church budget... then we give additional (above and beyond) to specific ministries within the church, ministries outside of the church, and to missionaries.
I'm not sure how we are able to make ends meet with all that we give back to Him, but somehow God makes it all work... and THAT is exciting! (BTW... we are living on a single church-music director income but DH does additional music "gigs" on the side).
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Here is mine... We plan 30 weeks in unit blocks similar to the PS schedule but with week breaks for Grandparent visits and traveling. (We also have 2 weeks of testing scheduled in addition to that.) We don't "do school" in May, June & July because we have those packed with activity: church & boyscout camps, swimming lessons, vacations, etc... but what the kids don't know is that they are learning just as much during that time- just in a different style.:lol:
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Do you follow the PS school year, do year-round, etc? I'm just curious what everyone's yearly schedule looks like and how many weeks or days you consider "in-class time"...
Please share :)
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HUGE COWBOYS FAN HERE :001_smile:
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I just started doing this too... ds9 blue, dd7 red, ds4 green, ds2 yellow. It works great! I purchased 4 colored chairs for our homeschool table and we have no more fighting over chairs... and even the 2 year old goes right to "his" yellow chair. I also have colored trays for art projects, storage bins, cups, pencil grips, toothbrushes, picnic plates, etc... I love it and so do they :)
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I honestly don't think a prealgebra course is necessary before Jacobs unless a child needs to consolidate arithmetic skills.
Thank you... my husband and I have looked through the Jacob's book and think that it is very much what our son can handle, esp. since the first few chapters are more like a pre-algebra curriculum to break him in, so we plan to start him in that next year and go at a reasonable pace, maybe taking a year or two to get through it with supplementation on areas of difficulty that may arise. Then we are considering the Art of Problem Solving Intro books (Number Theory and Counting & Probability) as an extension before moving into Geometry. How does this sound?
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I follow that with another yr of algebra b/c algebra is the basis of all higher math and absolutely NOT something to be rushed through. (and I do not believe that MUS does an adequate job overall. It is a great introduction to the concept of algebra, but does not require the level of comprehension/application that Foerster (my text preference) requires.
That is a great idea.
As far as AoPS......no, I do not see them as a yrs curriculum. They are "fun" side books. They are challenging mental math problems. Like I said earlier, my ds does them for fun.
The Math Counts books would be great for your ds b/c they are also challenging mental math problems. My ds has had a lot of fun playing around with them too and they don't really require the same level of math.
I saw on their website that they had a simple placement test for their algebra book. You might want to consider having your ds take that test and see how he does. It might help you decide where you want to go with him. They have sample pgs on their website, so you could see how the info is presented and decide what you think.
HTH
That is very helpful! Thank you!
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I think you need to evaluate your objectives for your child and his abilities vs. his ability to think abstractly vs. concretely.
I have had 2 kids that are extremely good at math. My oldest is simply really good at math. My 13 yr thinks "mathematically." That is a large distinction. My oldest learned a concept and could apply it. He could do math. My 13 yos looks at the world and turns things into math. For example, during the summer between 1st and 2nd grade he taught himself multiplication. How? He didn't even realize he was doing it. He would look at window panes, cookies on a pan, toys on the floor, patterns, etc and say things like "Mommy, did you know that 4 rows of 5 is 20?" He never had to be taught multiplication. He "discovered" it on his own.
The reason I wanted to point out those distinctions is b/c my oldest mastered arithematic early, but he wasn't really ready for algebra until 7th grade. My younger ds was definitely there at 10.
he explains things that in no way resemble the manner in which it has been explained to him and is often a much better explanation than he has been given!This sounds very much like my son... he "figured out" multiplication in Kindergarten (along with exponents though he didn't know it by technical terms) and is constantly showing me alternate ways of coming to correct answers using his own logic and mental understanding. He is utterly bored with drilling, and knows concepts for good with one explanation (if that). He isn't at all interested in hands-on and prefers to think abstractly and work through books.
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I second the recommendation for Dolciani pre-Algebra.
What version is recommended? I saw a newer version with the tag line "An Accelerated Course"
http://www.amazon.com/Pre-Algebra-Accelerated-Mary-P-Dolciani/dp/0395591236
Does this edition move more quickly through material than the older editions?
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We started Jacobs Algebra when my son had just turned 10. The first 6 or so chapters are what is normally covered in prealgebra.
Would he be missing anything if he started Jacobs without a pre-alg course first or should he do that first?
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I would also suggest looking at this website: http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/Books/AoPS_B_CP_MOEMS.php These are challenging problems that require mental math. My ds loves this stuff. He is doing the Art of Problem Solving for fun this summer. (I wouldn't recommend them for you ds yet though b/c algebraic concepts are presumed base knowlegde for parts of it.) But the Math Counts problems, the Math Olympiad stuff would be perfect. I am curious about their Introduction to Algebra book, but I have never seen it so I can't tell you what is in it. My ds is beyond that point so I didn't pursue it.
The Art of Problem Solving books look like something that he would really enjoy... and it seems as though he probably needs to get a little bit of algebra down before tackling any other math... am I right? Would you suggest that we do something like Dolciani's Pre-alg first or just do Jacobs Algebra before doing AoPS? How do the AoPS books work? Are they all stand alone, or do they need to be done in a particular order? Would they be considered a full-year curriculum?
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How is your child at writing down work? I did algebra at that age, but my mother/my outside teacher had to put in a lot of extra work making me redo the assignments until I did them correctly and showed work. It was good for me ... but it took most of the year before I'd finally figured out that it was easier to do it the first time than to do a quick job because "I know this already, mom! I don't need to write down my work!" This would be the developmental part I'd worry about.
I've been pretty hard on him for a couple of years now to show his work, and though he dislikes it, he is pretty good about writing it down now. He likes to do it in his head first and then write it down after :lol:.
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We purchased a set of colored pencils (RoseArt maybe?) from Target or Walmart that came in a rectangular plastic holder - each pencil has it's own hole. I think the set was $9.99 or something like that. I don't know if that is what you are wanting, but we love it.
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:iagree: This is what I do. I make several small orders, just enough to get a good deal on a free book and the free shipping :)
:iagree: Me too :)
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We have a "No Solicitations" sign on our door. It seems everyone assumes the sign applies to all of those OTHER salespeople -- not them. So, when a stranger shows up and starts in, I ask if they are selling something. Then I glance over at the sign. ugh
We have one too. It has helped some, but I do have to point out the sign to some salespersons. Mostly, though, they start off by saying "I'm not selling anything, I am just letting all of the neighborhood know about..."
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I got my postitive later and later with subsequent children... with my 4th pregnancy I kept getting negatives until my period was almost 2 weeks overdue. That was so frustrating.
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I have a gifted 9 year old who just loves math (but is starting to lose his love for it b/c he hasn't had a challenge for a long time). He flew through Saxon 7/6 last year (by Mid-march I started giving him the chapter tests instead of the lessons and he was getting 90-100% on them without even doing the material). I then reviewed with him the concepts that he was unclear on. I decided not to go on to Saxon 8/7 mostly b/c he begged me not to bore him again with it.
I would like to do with him Jacob's Algebra at some point, but was wondering if he will need a Pre-Algebra course first? Though he has mastery of "elementary math" I worry that he could be developmentally too young as a 4th grader to start Algebra? He is begging me for a challenge... for something interesting. What do you all suggest?
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This is an "off year" for us budget-wise... we are in the 1000-1500 range b/c we refurnished our Homeschool room (new kidney table and chairs, organizers, etc.). We have added 2 kids to the mix (now we have PK & 2nd joining our 4th grader) so we had all of the "start-up" costs for Rightstart and AAS. We plan to be more in the $300-400 range per child in the future.
If you just got an extra $50...
in K-8 Curriculum Board
Posted
I always have a huge list of things that I want so I would have the hardest time deciding which to get. :lol: If you don't know what you want right now, I think you should wait until you do. :)