What Would You Do?

[HSMom2One]

Let's say you were a good teacher in nearly all subjects, but were not the best at certain others -- such as MATH. :D

 

We have been using MUS and dd loves it, but she is getting to a place where when she has challenges, I have a hard time explaining the answer to her and we get pretty frustrated. I can reasonably do math, but I am not a good math teacher. And as much as Steve is a help, he can't provide all the answers for us by the DVD alone. (For some reason, the DVD doesn't talk back and answer dd's questions -- LOL!)

 

Dh is on the road a lot and cannot consistently work with dd. So that leaves me.....and Steve.

 

 

 

• Should I find ways to supplement the teaching load and stay with MUS? If so, what would you suggest?
  

 

 

 

• Should I look for an online math program, changing my daughter's curriculum (which would make her sad because she really likes MUS?)
  

 

 

I live way out in the country and cannot easily find a private tutor or join another co-op. We are connected with another hs family (science/art co-op), but I do not like their choice of math curriculum.

 

We need to figure this out before dd begins the next level in September. Thank you in advance for any input you may have to offer.

 

Blessings,

Lucinda

[Gretchen in NJ]

How about post your question that your child is having trouble with here? I am sure there are people here on this board that are able to help you explain it to your child.

[SeekingSimplicity]

This is just an odd ball suggestion, first thing that popped into my mind, don't know if it's helpful,..... but do you know any teenagers? Like at church, or a homeschool group, or where ever? Maybe you could ask one that your dd knows and likes to come do math work with her, or go to your local high school and talk to the math teacher about getting a student to tutor your dd. You might could get it low cost or free this way.

When I was little, my brother was much older, and his friend had a younger brother in high school who would come over a lot and help me with math. That's why I thought of that. And it was fun to have someone young and cool to help me out.

Good luck to you!

[HSMom2One]

This is just an odd ball suggestion, first thing that popped into my mind, don't know if it's helpful,..... but do you know any teenagers? Like at church, or a homeschool group, or where ever? Maybe you could ask one that your dd knows and likes to come do math work with her, or go to your local high school and talk to the math teacher about getting a student to tutor your dd. You might could get it low cost or free this way.

When I was little, my brother was much older, and his friend had a younger brother in high school who would come over a lot and help me with math. That's why I thought of that. And it was fun to have someone young and cool to help me out.

Good luck to you!

 

I might possibly be able to get a teen, so will consider that as a an option. I might be able to barter art lessons for math tutoring, but am not sure about her schedule next year.

 

Anyone else have thoughts/input?

 

Blessings,

Lucinda

[Julie in MN]

What age are we talking? Is she in Algebra?

[Cindyg]

I'll tell you what we have done with Latin, and perhaps you could do something similar with math. We found a tutor, but we don't see her every day or even every week. We see her at the end of each chapter. I e-mail her, and we find a time we can meet. It's all very informal.

 

She reviews the chapter with us, makes sure we didn't miss anything important, and answers all the questions we documented during our own study. (This is important: When we can't figure something out, we write it down so we'll be sure to ask the tutor.)

 

As you can imagine, this is actually more for my sake than my son's. He's picking up Latin pretty well without worrying about the details. I need to make sure we're getting right, and the tutor really helps with this. But I like teaching it myself, at our own slow pace, and trying to figure it out on our own. So this is a great arrangement for me. (Oh, and I specified to the instructor when we started: We don't want her to assign any homework! We'll work on OUR curriculum at OUR pace! She's fine with that.)

 

I would imagine it would be easier to find a math tutor than a Latin tutor. :) Perhaps you could ask around.

[HSMom2One]

I'll tell you what we have done with Latin, and perhaps you could do something similar with math. We found a tutor, but we don't see her every day or even every week. We see her at the end of each chapter. I e-mail her, and we find a time we can meet. It's all very informal.

 

She reviews the chapter with us, makes sure we didn't miss anything important, and answers all the questions we documented during our own study. (This is important: When we can't figure something out, we write it down so we'll be sure to ask the tutor.)

 

As you can imagine, this is actually more for my sake than my son's. He's picking up Latin pretty well without worrying about the details. I need to make sure we're getting right, and the tutor really helps with this. But I like teaching it myself, at our own slow pace, and trying to figure it out on our own. So this is a great arrangement for me. (Oh, and I specified to the instructor when we started: We don't want her to assign any homework! We'll work on OUR curriculum at OUR pace! She's fine with that.)

 

I would imagine it would be easier to find a math tutor than a Latin tutor. :) Perhaps you could ask around.

 

Another great option! Thank you, Cindyg.

 

If anyone else comes up with another option, please post away. Surely, there are others that have had similar challenges with subjects that are difficult to teach. I'd like to gather some ideas together before making a final choice.

 

Blessings,

Lucinda

[HSMom2One]

Thanks for the offers to help online. That is really sweet. What dd would benefit most from though is a live source that is both visual and audible, so it may be best to follow the suggestion to connect with a tutor.

 

10 yo dd will be going into Epsilon when we complete our summer classes next month. As you can see by the fact that she at this level and we're having issues of frustration -- I'm really not strong at teaching or communicating math. LOL! (I know, you are about to ask, "Ya think") Well, I took a class in my liberal arts studies in college called "Math for the Mystified", which should give you a good idea of my measure of confidence.

 

:tongue_smilie:

But hey -- I'm a VERY good teacher at other subjects.

 

Blessings,

Lucinda

 

 

 

Blessings,

Lucinda

Edited July 15, 2009 by HSMom2One

[HSMom2One]

Thanks for the offers to help online. That is really sweet. What dd would benefit most from though is a live source that is both visual and audible, so it may be best to follow the suggestion to connect with a tutor.

 

10 yo dd will be going into Epsilon when we complete our summer classes next month. As you can see by the fact that she at this level and we're having issues of frustration -- I'm really not strong at teaching or communicating math. LOL! (I know, you are about to ask, "Ya think?") Well, I took a class in my liberal arts studies in college called "Math for the Mystified", which should give you a good idea of my measure of confidence.

 

:tongue_smilie:

But hey -- I'm a VERY good teacher with other subjects.

 

Blessings,

Lucinda

 

 

 

Blessings,

Lucinda

[specialmama]

Have you looked at Teaching Textbooks samples? My dd is 10, going into gr. 5, and we just finished MUS Delta. Now we're doing TT 6. It has given my dd a big boost to think she's doing gr. 6 work LOL... TT tends to be about a year behind. :001_smile: Check out the samples online, we were hooked. :001_smile:

[MomOfOneFunOne]

My daughter just LOVES cybeRShala! Online, Singapore. It has both the video and audio that you want. Here is a review I recently wrote for them. Of course, if you have questions you can just ask me here or pm. ; )

 

We use cybeRShala.com and couldn’t be happier! When considering cybeRShala, I couldn't imagine how an online math class would work so I would like to begin my review there:

My daughter logs on and the "classroom" comes up. Imagine the monitor, on the left is a column about a 1/4 or 1/5 part of the total screen. At the top of it are both videos: my daughter can see both herself and the teacher. They listen and speak to each other using the headphones and microphones. Below that is a chat window which we very rarely use.

Most of the remaining screen space is the whiteboard. The pages being worked on (text, et c.), PowerPoint (used in the manner of manipulatives usually to illustrate new or troubling concepts), and problems worked together appear here. The white board is interactive: both teacher and student write on the board and control tools.

My daughter has homework every class session either in the books (which are included in the class fee and mailed to us) or, if they’re working on Challenging Word Problems or Intensive Practice problems, the homework is emailed to us. When she's finished with her homework, I scan the pages and email them back to the teacher. They go over the homework at the beginning of class. They would, at this point, discuss any troubling problems but we have found that the teaching and in-class practice are so thorough that homework problems rarely, if ever, arise.

What I particularly appreciate about this class is that they focus strongly on the challenging work (IP and CWP) and not just the text and workbook. This was particularly important to me. I felt at ease teaching the text and workbook but was getting lost in the challenging material. The teacher my daughter has is not only just good at math but she fully understands Singapore Math and teaches it well. I never really understood the problem-solving models. This, I now see, is critical for working the more challenging problems.

A few words about the teacher: she’s just brilliant! My cybeRShala student is a 10 year old girl who loves math. Teacher’s understanding of Singapore math is far more that superficial or “just enough to stay ahead of the student.†She truly understands Singapore Math from the core. She isn’t merely good at math, she has a deep understand of math in general, of Singapore math specifically, and she uses best teaching practices in all the lessons. So much more than the all-too-common teacher lecturing, student passively attending (at best) is our teacher’s approach! They enjoy a true sharing of ideas. Teacher leads my daughter to understanding and allows my daughter to make exciting discoveries for herself. It’s truly beautiful and so is Teacher!

I would also add a few words about Mr. Sharma, the principal. I am not particularly technologically able however, it has never been a problem. With infinite patience, Principal has walked me through setting up our computer for the online class and has been there for any technical questions I have had in this area. I am sure you will find Mr. Sharma perfectly accommodating; he has always been available and helpful when needed. Most important, I feel he has the very best interest of my student at heart!

I have invited my daughter to supply her own testimonial which I’ll add for her here:

First of all, if you have Rachna, you are lucky. She is the best teacher on the planet! I like her because she is very nice and understanding. She is excellent at math and knows what she’s doing. I love having the class online. It is great to be able to see myself and the teacher on the webcam and talk to each other. I like writing on the whiteboard, too. She makes the class fun and interesting. I even like doing my homework because it is intriguing: sometimes the problems are like a game. Rachna is so nice. I really love her.

If I can answer any more questions from a parent’s perspective, please feel free to forward them through Principal. If my daughter can answer any more questions from a student’s perspective, you may also have those forwarded to me via Principal.

Truly, we couldn't be happier!

 

by the way,

$100/month, 1.15 hr/lesson, 2 lessons/week

an enrollment fee of, I think, $75

All the books are included in the fee. The text and workbook arrive via post; the Challenging Word Problems and Intensive Practice problems arrive via email.

 

you'll need

computer/internet

webcam, headphones w/ mic

scanner

 

ask me anything! We love it!

[corbie]

Lucinda - I ran into some snags with MUS with my dd during Delta. There is a number you can call. There is help available on the web site. I sent in an e-mail, and a rep from our state called me back to help me work through our problem. I know that is not a complete solution, but it could come in handy if the tutor isn't around. MUS does things differently, and I had a hard time explaining some things. Your tutor might too. I could explain how to divide the way I was taught but had trouble showing dd the MUS way when certain problems came up. Good luck!

[HSMom2One]

Lucinda - I ran into some snags with MUS with my dd during Delta. There is a number you can call. There is help available on the web site. I sent in an e-mail, and a rep from our state called me back to help me work through our problem. I know that is not a complete solution, but it could come in handy if the tutor isn't around. MUS does things differently, and I had a hard time explaining some things. Your tutor might too. I could explain how to divide the way I was taught but had trouble showing dd the MUS way when certain problems came up. Good luck!

 

That is EXACTLY the problem, Corbie. You have hit the nail on the head. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I will check out the website further!

 

Boy it sure makes me feel better that I'm not the only one dealing with this....:)

 

Blessings,

Lucinda

[HSMom2One]

Have you looked at Teaching Textbooks samples? My dd is 10, going into gr. 5, and we just finished MUS Delta. Now we're doing TT 6. It has given my dd a big boost to think she's doing gr. 6 work LOL... TT tends to be about a year behind. :001_smile: Check out the samples online, we were hooked. :001_smile:

 

Hey Karyn,

After reading your post I ran across a review of the TT curriculum and it sounded even better. Next thing I knew I was at their website - and now I am very interested. Thanks for the recommendation, as I would never have checked this out otherwise. This may be the solution to our problem after all.

 

Blessings,

Lucinda

[specialmama]

Hey Karyn,

After reading your post I ran across a review of the TT curriculum and it sounded even better. Next thing I knew I was at their website - and now I am very interested. Thanks for the recommendation, as I would never have checked this out otherwise. This may be the solution to our problem after all.

 

Blessings,

Lucinda

 

Well that would be cool! :D