Hands on Equations update

[brownie]

I wanted to share that I bought the basic HOE package for ds8 because he needed something to slow him down a bit, go deeper, etc...He's currently in Singapore 4A

 

Well after 1 week we are halfway through the curriculum with very little time spent on it. He is enamored by it. He smiles as he does it but happily declares it too easy...why don't we go faster? (because mom hasn't read ahead far enough...that's why!) When can he get the real Algebra, he wants to know.

 

Now it's possible level 3 gets beyond him...haven't even looked at it yet because I am learning it alongside him. Just discovered a sample sheet of the verbal problems and they do look really good so maybe we will try those tomorrow and see how it goes. So I'm not sure what to think of it yet. I'm a little disappointed but then again I think he likes it...

 

On the other hand, I also bought Key to Fractions to reinforce his fraction understanding, and he groans every time I bring it out...BORING!

 

Brownie

[patchfire]

Did you get the entire Verbal Problems book? That was what really made dd think deeper when we were using HOE. It's a LOT of problems, and truly what 'made' the program for us.

[brownie]

No - I figured we'd check it out 1st. But there is a sample sheet of them. I will see what ds thinks of them tomorrow and if they make him think...I'll splurge for the book. Even though he complains I think he's secretly proud of himself bc it's too easy and he is actually enjoying it. Brownie

[cylau]

Verbal problem book is pretty hard. The first 3 levels of HOE is quite easy and enjoyable. The Verbal problem book is what makes DS think, and he no longer believes that algebra is as easy as he thought.

[EKS]

 

Now it's possible level 3 gets beyond him...

 

I just started my 8yo on Hands on Equations as well. He went through level 1 in about 15 minutes. Now he's on level 3, but the problem is that he sets up the problem, looks at it for a minute, and then tells me the answer. Hopefully, we'll get to problems that require a stepwise approach at some point.

[brownie]

Same here. We did the sample verbal problems this morning and he just read the question and gave me an answer...it was harder than the regular problems but still too easy. Brownie

[Matryoshka]

Same here. We did the sample verbal problems this morning and he just read the question and gave me an answer...it was harder than the regular problems but still too easy. Brownie

 

Once you get to the level 2 and 3 verbal problems, they are quite tricky. I posted the general TOC and some samples on the middle school forum recently:

 

It's divided into seven sections:

 

Getting Started with Verbal Problems

Number Problems

Consecutive Number Problems

Age Problems

Coin Problems

Distance Problems

Story and Miscellaneous Problems

 

Each Section is further divided into problems best done after Level 1, 2 or 3.

 

Here's a sample Number Problem, Level 1:

 

When two-thirds of a number is increased by 20, and the sum is then halved, the result obtained is the same as two-thirds of the number, increased by 3. Find the number.

 

Here's a sample Coin problem, Level 2:

 

Sean collects nickels and dimes. Every time he places a nickel into his collection, he places two dimes. After a week, he notices that the number of dimes, increased by twice the number of nickels, gives the same number of coins as three times the number of nickels, increased by 10. How many coins does he have by the end of the week?

 

Here's a sample Distance Problem, Level 3:

 

At 10 am, two canoes are 16 miles apart on a river. They pass each other at noon headed in opposite directions. If the upstream canoe's rate of speed is 2 miles per hour slower than two-thirds of the rate of the canoe going downstream, find the distance the downstream canoe travels when the two canoes meet.

 

There are many, many problems in the book as well as complete solutions with pictoral example of how to lay them out with the scale and pawn manipulatives.

 

[brownie]

Thanks! Surely those will stump him! I think I will go ahead and order it. Brownie

[Mom0012]

Same here. We did the sample verbal problems this morning and he just read the question and gave me an answer...it was harder than the regular problems but still too easy. Brownie

 

Well, consider yourself lucky then. My son finds them quite challenging and I often have to look at the answer before I go over the problem with him to make sure I am reading it the correct way.:001_smile:

 

Lisa

[love2read]

The sample verbal questions are the easiest ones. Toward the middle/end of the level 1 verbal questions he'll slow down because they get tricky.

[love2read]

I often have to look at the answer before I go over the problem with him to make sure I am reading it the correct way.:001_smile:

 

Lisa

:iagree: I'm glad I'm not the only one.