Colleen in NS Posted August 10, 2009 Share Posted August 10, 2009 Who here uses or has used these books with their middle schoolers? If you have, can you give me some hints on how to use them? We've started them, and are enjoying going through them orally, but to get through both in a year we'd have to do about 9-10 pages a week, and haven't been able to so far. I wonder if there are any hints about skipping exercises (like you can do in R&S math where you assign odds or evens, or in R&S grammar where you can do just a few exercises from each section until your child understands). Or any other hints, or maybe telling me if some sections seem to go faster than others for some reason. Logic is a foreign language to me, so this is new for me, too. Also, I'm hoping to keep it down to 30 min. or less per day (an hour or two per week schooling year round, if possible). BTW, I'm not looking for other recommendations - I know there have been complaints about CT, but I like it and I am going with my previous trust in WTM recommendations. We're up to lesson 2 and I'm enjoying what we're learning, plus the talks ds and I have had. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen in NS Posted August 11, 2009 Author Share Posted August 11, 2009 bump Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie in MN Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 (edited) My son will be doing Book 1 with a group of boys this fall. He hasn't started yet, so I can't help much. But I will say that we only aspire to go through one book this year. Since it's meant for grades 7-12, maybe the 12th graders do 2 books in a year??!! The mom who is leading it has had older kids in a classical public school and they did book 1 in 6th grade, but apparently it was a challenge for 6th graders. We will have grades 6-8 or so. She estimates three or four "homework" sessions of 20-30 minutes, and one "group" session of 30-40 minutes. (They do phy ed after that -- in case you want to set up a group :) .) That's all I know. I just answered because your post looked lonely :) Julie Edited August 11, 2009 by Julie in MN Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VBCaroline Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 I have 6th and 8th graders this year, and neither of them have done any logic. I purchased both of the Critical Thinking books. We're doing Year 4 in history, so I also bought Books 3 & 4 of Critical Thinking in U.S. History. I've decided that we'll try to make it through Book 1 of CT and Book 4 of CT in USH, but even this seems overly ambitious to me, and we haven't even started our school year yet. I'm only budgeting an hour twice a week to work on them. So, I guess I'm just letting you know that I'm right there with you, Colleen! Maybe if we cover bare basics during "class time", the girls and I can think/talk through some of the concepts and exercises with more depth on the way to lessons and outside classes. Caroline Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen in NS Posted August 18, 2009 Author Share Posted August 18, 2009 My son will be doing Book 1 with a group of boys this fall. He hasn't started yet, so I can't help much. But I will say that we only aspire to go through one book this year. Since it's meant for grades 7-12, maybe the 12th graders do 2 books in a year??!! The mom who is leading it has had older kids in a classical public school and they did book 1 in 6th grade, but apparently it was a challenge for 6th graders. We will have grades 6-8 or so. She estimates three or four "homework" sessions of 20-30 minutes, and one "group" session of 30-40 minutes. (They do phy ed after that -- in case you want to set up a group :) .) That's all I know. I just answered because your post looked lonely :) Julie I have 6th and 8th graders this year, and neither of them have done any logic. I purchased both of the Critical Thinking books. I'm only budgeting an hour twice a week to work on them. So, I guess I'm just letting you know that I'm right there with you, Colleen! Maybe if we cover bare basics during "class time", the girls and I can think/talk through some of the concepts and exercises with more depth on the way to lessons and outside classes. Caroline Ack! I forgot to answer you guys! Thank you for your responses. Caroline, let me know how it goes, if you think of it! I'm "stuck" in ch. 2 right now - those symbols are throwing me. I've been reading a lot of logic threads and trying to figure out if I can just gloss over ch. 2 :lol: - someone told me I can. I gotta think about it some more, before I do that, though. I think it depends on what I use for logic next year - IL (which I already bought) or TL (which apparently is more word than math based, and so appeals to me more). I think IL might be my first "dud" of a purchase. :lol: Not concluding this, yet, though - maybe ds can use it later as prep for computer programming if he wants to - then I won't feel I wasted my money if I go with TL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jibaker103 Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 Did any of you use Fallacy Detective or Thinking Toolbox first? What will you do after CT 1 & 2? Jennifer Mother to Noah Age 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen in NS Posted August 18, 2009 Author Share Posted August 18, 2009 Did any of you use Fallacy Detective or Thinking Toolbox first? What will you do after CT 1 & 2? Jennifer Mother to Noah Age 13 No, I used Mind Benders A first. This year we'll do as much as possible from CT. Next year, either Intro. Logic or Trad. Logic - haven't decided yet. I'm just following the WTM recs, rather blindly right now. But I'm reading logic thread and articles so that I know *why* I pick what I pick. And I haven't figured that out yet. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jibaker103 Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 No, I used Mind Benders A first. This year we'll do as much as possible from CT. Next year, either Intro. Logic or Trad. Logic - haven't decided yet. I'm just following the WTM recs, rather blindly right now. But I'm reading logic thread and articles so that I know *why* I pick what I pick. And I haven't figured that out yet. :D It is so hard starting in the middle!!! :confused: We have Fallacy Detective but not sure that he is really getting it so I need to try something else. I'm thinking critical thinking Bk 1 & 2 during logic time and mindbenders cd and/or building thinking skills during fun time. Jennifer Mother to Noah Age 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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