Sue G in PA Posted August 31, 2010 Share Posted August 31, 2010 Brief history...he has used a variety of programs since beginning hs journey in 2nd grade (K12 for 2 years, then tried Saxon, moved to MUS then back to ps for 6th grade where they used Everyday Math :glare:). He liked MUS, except watching the DVDs was "too boring". So, when we decided to bring him home this year, we tested him with Saxon and he tested into 8/7. He said he could handle Saxon now. Fast forward to today. H ecomplains every.single.day. I only make him do evens or odds so it isn't too many problems. It isn't too hard b/c he KNOWS most of the problems (most is review right now). WWYD? Try the DIVE CD? Switch programs and if so to what? I'm tapped out of $ in my budget for homeschool stuff! Teaching textbooks is out of the question (too much $). I could probably swing MUS. Life of Fred? Another? Please advise. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest janainaz Posted August 31, 2010 Share Posted August 31, 2010 If he was in school he'd just have to get through it. At his age, I'm not sure I'd cater to his "not liking it". Does he not like the program, or that he has to do the work? At some point, math is math. I make my ds do every single problem. College is not easy and I don't want my kids thinking that classes and teachers are going to cater to their likes and dislikes. I would not switch, I'd make him toughen up and get through it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue G in PA Posted August 31, 2010 Author Share Posted August 31, 2010 Ya know, Jana...you are 100% correct! He's just being a twit b/c he doesn't want to be homeschooled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tenaj Posted August 31, 2010 Share Posted August 31, 2010 I would say just keep plugging away, keep encouraging him and if he bombs a test, back up, redo the lessons involved and retake. My seventh grade son switched from MUS to Saxon 8/7 last year and it really took him about 30 - 40 lessons in the Saxon book before he got comfortable with the amount of work. He learned over time that he really needed to concentrate during the math lesson (we use the DIVE CD) and then work diligently to complete the lesson. One thing that helped him at the beginning is that when it seemed like the 30 problems were overwhelming him, we broke it into 10 problem sections. He would do the first 10 and then I would check them and we would correct together. Then the next 10, etc. We sometimes broke it up throughout the whole school day and it seemed to move a bit faster for him - didn't allow him to get bogged down in the middle. I was tempted to reduce the problems but I didn't and I'm glad because I can see how the repetition helped him as the problems got more complicated. The correcting the mistakes together seemed to be a big help to him. I would recommend also that you be very picky as to the correct answers. Make sure the labels are correct and the answers are in the correct form. I always had to actually have his book in front of me as well as the answer key because he would sometime answer in a fraction when a percent was required or vice versa and I didn't catch that for a while which set him back when I started requiring the correct form. Also, another big thing later in the book that I missed was requiring him to show his work on each problem - my ds was doing a lot of the work in his head which was fine except as the problems got more complicated, he kept on trying to do the "headwork" and couldn't, and then I had to back up and show him how to show his work. I really think that a lot of my son's problems just came from a lack of discipline. Math had been too easy for too long for him and Saxon requires him to work hard and pay attention to the little things. Sorry this got long - since I was having the same issues last year at this time, it was near to my heart :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen in CO Posted August 31, 2010 Share Posted August 31, 2010 I'm using Saxon because my brother the math teacher suggested it. He is a terrific math teacher, and his kids excel in his class. He chose Saxon for us because of the strong scope-and-sequence, the detailed explanations, the incremental approach, the built-in review and the large problem set. He isn't allowed to use it in his district as a text book, but he makes up his own in-class problems and tests anyway. None of his kids like their math books, especially in early high school. yes, there are kids that love math. But that's not what we're discussing here. If the problem is just that he doesn't like, I'd suggest that you stand up taller and keep on swimming. There are going to be lots of things that he doesn't like. My ds keeps telling me that school work should be work and not just playtime. Many kids don't learn the discipline required to get through difficult or challenging thigs. If the teachers or parents let them change everytime they complain, then they'll learn some very bad lessons about life. I remember groaning over my math problems in school. It never made me hate math. If your ds were younger, I'd have a different answer. I gave in to my ds when we first started homeschooling (I pulled him from ps in middle school). I remember the guilt and the mixed feelings. You'll be okay. Teen boys can be no fun at times. Whatever happened to those cute, eager little guys? Why do they have to grow up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudoMom Posted August 31, 2010 Share Posted August 31, 2010 Brief history...he has used a variety of programs since beginning hs journey in 2nd grade (K12 for 2 years, then tried Saxon, moved to MUS then back to ps for 6th grade where they used Everyday Math :glare:). He liked MUS, except watching the DVDs was "too boring". So, when we decided to bring him home this year, we tested him with Saxon and he tested into 8/7. He said he could handle Saxon now. Fast forward to today. H ecomplains every.single.day. I only make him do evens or odds so it isn't too many problems. It isn't too hard b/c he KNOWS most of the problems (most is review right now). WWYD? Try the DIVE CD? Switch programs and if so to what? I'm tapped out of $ in my budget for homeschool stuff! Teaching textbooks is out of the question (too much $). I could probably swing MUS. Life of Fred? Another? Please advise. Thanks. We've only ever used Saxon. When my oldest was in 5/4 & 6/5, I let him do evens or odds. I've since been convinced by reading some threads here that he needed to do all the problems in every set. But, if I was only having him do half the problems, I would add an additional problem on every time he complained. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen in CO Posted August 31, 2010 Share Posted August 31, 2010 We've only ever used Saxon. When my oldest was in 5/4 & 6/5, I let him do evens or odds. I've since been convinced by reading some threads here that he needed to do all the problems in every set. But, if I was only having him do half the problems, I would add an additional problem on every time he complained. I assign all of the problems for my dd, if she is focusing and not whining and wailing, I let her cross off one. When she is hopping through her problems, she does one then skips one. If she is dwaddling, she does them all. It keeps her motivated and has stopped our dwaddling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamee Posted August 31, 2010 Share Posted August 31, 2010 If he was in school he'd just have to get through it. At his age, I'm not sure I'd cater to his "not liking it". Does he not like the program, or that he has to do the work? At some point, math is math. I make my ds do every single problem. College is not easy and I don't want my kids thinking that classes and teachers are going to cater to their likes and dislikes. I would not switch, I'd make him toughen up and get through it. :iagree: This was my first thought too. I think math is a love hate subject and it's one that you just have to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mosaicmind Posted August 31, 2010 Share Posted August 31, 2010 I concur with the above posters on making his stick with it. He is old enough to know that there are going to be some things that he won't like doing. If he has done Saxon before, he knew what it would be like. We have the dive cd and it's a nice break to use it and not just the textbook. I make my son, who is using 8/7, do every single problem and the fact sheets too. It takes him about 45min to do all of it, but he is getting it done and is doing well with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted August 31, 2010 Share Posted August 31, 2010 You could have him test through the stuff he knows. He is old enough to deal with his decision to use Saxon. I wouldn't stop just because he complains. Frankly, I'd have complaining result in more problems assigned. But I'm mean like that. But actually I would be cautious about skipping problems. If you really need to skip, Saxon recommends that you do the entire review set for every other lesson, rather than evens or odds. If you really want to change programs, how about Lial's BCM or Prealgebra? You can get them pretty cheap used. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted September 1, 2010 Share Posted September 1, 2010 Most people here seem to think he has to toughen up and just do it - so I guess I am the only one with a dissenting opinion. IMO, the beauty of homeschooling is that you do NOT have to use a curriculum that does not work for your child if you can choose one that does. We hated Saxon- both parents , both kids. We did 8/7 as fast as possible because it was so boring and dry. I find it very important to be excited about the subject and it is a shame that so many people think of math as something that is only useful, but not exciting. Why are so many people accepting that it's OK to hate math? Would it be OK to hate reading, art, music? I do not think it is intrinsic that math has to be a love hate relationship - it only becomes one if nobody is there who instills the fun of it in a child. If your son really knows how to do the problems he may really be just bored. Then I'd speed up the process. DS did the whole book in 5 months in 5th grade, we carefully selected practice problems and he mastered the material. He is much happier now that he could move on to algebra for which we use Art of Problem Solving which actually radiates joy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaT Posted September 1, 2010 Share Posted September 1, 2010 This is my 15th year homeschooling, and the first year that anything other than Saxon is being used for math (for 2 out of 4 kids). Last year my then 12yo dd completed Saxon Algebra 1/2. She hated doing it and complained EVERY SINGLE DAY. I bought LoF for her to do over the summer and she absolutely loved it. I agreed to let her do LoF Beginning Algebra this year after letting my friend who teaches Algebra look over the text and give me the okay. I just caught her at the table doing her math for tomorrow ahead of time. It has been the right decision here. My 11yo son is doing LoF Pre-Algebra Biology and he absolutely loves it. My other two are sticking with Saxon. All this to say, sometimes it really is worth it to make a change. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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