Using MEP, tips please! :)

[ThreeBlessings]

I'd like to know how you're implementing MEP with your student(s). I'm a bit overwhelmed by the website. I've downloaded the first set of 3a parts. I've printed off the student pages only so far. I think I won't mind looking at the lesson plans on my computer. What about the blackline masters? There are over 100 just for the first 3a section?!?! Should I print these out? Do these get used with the lesson plans? Is there a clear set of instructions of when to use the masters and student pages? I gave the lesson plans a quick glance and it didn't look like that info was there? Maybe I glossed over it. Also how do you schedule this? 3 days, 5 days? Do the lessons take about an hour if you use the plan and the student pages? Thanks! :)

[Irishmommy]

I had these same questions when looking at the MEP curriculum! :lurk5:

[Guest RecumbentHeart]

:bigear:

[nmoira]

I think I won't mind looking at the lesson plans on my computer.

I print them 2 per page, double sided. They're nice to have at hand, but if you're using a laptop, that shouldn't be a problem.

 

What about the blackline masters?

These are overhead sheets showing one of the problems from the student pages, and occasionally blackboard problem from the lesson plans. For Y3, you shouldn't need most, if any, of them.

 

Do the lessons take about an hour if you use the plan and the student pages? Thanks! :)

We find that the lessons take at least 25% less time than that scheduled in the lesson plans. YMMV.

[Amy Jo]

I think I won't mind looking at the lesson plans on my computer.

I have them on my eReader. I refer to them while teaching.

 

What about the blackline masters? There are over 100 just for the first 3a section?!?! Should I print these out?

I didn't bother with these.

 

Is there a clear set of instructions of when to use the masters and student pages?

See above. But I have seen references to using the masters in the lesson plans, but it is buried in the other information.

 

Also how do you schedule this? 3 days, 5 days?

5 days. We are "behind" so currently we are skipping day 5 (which is extra activities & practice). There are 175 lessons per year.

 

Do the lessons take about an hour if you use the plan and the student pages?

I alot 30 min. If all goes well we are done. If not, hopefully we finished the interactive parts and DS can finish the worksheet alone. When the plans refer to having students take turns, I usually only do 1/2 the problems, or we take turns answering, just to speed it up. It works well for DS if I model doing the problem, as opposed to telling him how to do the problem.

 

HTH!

Amy

[Zoo Keeper]

Like Amy and Moira have posted, I don't print out the lesson plans or the copy masters. I have on occasion printed out one or two of the copymasters when one of my sons really needed to have a larger example to work from, but you could accomplish the same thing by writing it on a whiteboard. I do print out the student books. We do MEP daily, and no, it doesn't take the 45 min. in the lesson plan. Our full math time is an hour or so, but that is because we do a MEP/Singapore/Miquon combo.

 

I do think that MEP could stand very nicely on its own; but right now my very different boys are benefitting from seeing different approaches to math.

[twoxcell]

We just started using MEP last week. So far I have just copied the student worksheets. I look at the TM on my Laptop. The copymasters seem to be mainly for a classroom setting where you need to show the problems to a group of kids, so I haven't used them. My kids are really enjoying MEP so far. When we start our new school year we will use MEP and Horizons.

[stripe]

I've mostly found the copymasters helpful as a substitute for duplicating a diagram on a piece of paper or on a whiteboard -- for example, the puzzle problems in year 1 where you have a different shape stand for a different number, or the problems with scales (if you don't have or aren't using a balance). Also they're helpful if your child finds the diagrams too small. Otherwise I don't find them incredibly useful.

[nmoira]

 

I've mostly found the copymasters helpful as a substitute for duplicating a diagram on a piece of paper or on a whiteboard -- for example, the puzzle problems in year 1 where you have a different shape stand for a different number, or the problems with scales (if you don't have or aren't using a balance).

For these reasons I do use them for Y1, but I print them 2 per page.

[ThreeBlessings]

Thanks everyone! This is all very helpful. :) Like zoo keeper I'm planning to combine MEP/Miquon/Singapore for next year. I wasn't exactly sure how to piece it altogether yet. Its good to hear its possible to do all three! :)