wy_kid_wrangler04 Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 She is learning right now things like 1/5 of 25 and similar. Would she be to young if we went slowly do you think? Has anybody done LOF fractions with a not advanced but well on grade level child? She does very good in school but is a strong grade level kid, if that makes sense. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dinsfamily Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 The author says that long division must be mastered before starting Fractions. That's the only thing holding us up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whereneverever Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 :bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa B Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 I had dd 11 try it after finishing Singapore 3 but felt there were things in the book she hadn't addressed yet making the book much more difficult than it had to be. I don't remember what things anymore. Sorry I can't be more specific. I have her scheduled to start it soon - as soon as she wraps up Singapore 4. I had dd 13 work through it after finishing Singapore 5 and I remember her thinking it was pretty easy and she could easily get through a bridge a week using LOF as a supplemental math book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 We did it after my ds had finished 3rd grade and SM 3B. We made it about halfway through the book before needing to shelve it due to it being too advanced. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NittanyJen Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 My older son has completed LoF Fractions, and the long division required is required often and is not always easy. The author makes sure by the end of the book that students are not intimidated by "big" (multidigit) numbers; that they get the idea that operations on big numbers are just the same as operations on smaller numbers repeated over and over. He does not explain this; the student finds out by being confronted with some kind of scary-looking problems and having to work through them! Also the problems presented are not identical to what is worked through in the text; the text explains the math, the hows and whys of the math, and then the end of chapter and and bridge tests present unique and novel problems and new applications to challenge the student to apply the math in order to achieve mastery. I think this does pretty much require both pre-mastery of the 4 basic food groups of math (add/sub/mult/divide through long division) AND logic-stage thinking in order to really work through the book independently as it was intended to be used. Even if you read it to her, your daughter might enjoy the story and get a little bit out of the math, but probably would not really absorb the full scope of the math in the book. Does that make sense? We love LoF in our house, and I am very, very guilty of practically proselytizing for it on these boards. However, I have a very advanced third grader just starting third grade who is catching onto mult and division, and who is catching onto fractions rapidly, and is starting to become and independent reader (his toughest subject, thanks to some disabilities). However, I would not dream of saddling him with Fred until at least part way through the fourth grade. I don't think his brain organization would be ready for it yet. When he needs more challenge or wants to explore new topics outside the scope of his math book, we either play games together, or let him play on Khan Academy, and that satisfies his thirst for more for right now :). When his reading picks up more, we'll probably start reading "Penrose the Mathematical Cat." Hope that helps! Jen http://hillandalefarmschool.blogspot.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen in CO Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 The long division is really necessary. If your 3rd grader is happy with long division , then LoF is fine. Otherwise, it is better to wait. You might get through a portion of the book without the long division, but it would be better to wait. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 She is learning right now things like 1/5 of 25 and similar. Would she be to young if we went slowly do you think? Has anybody done LOF fractions with a not advanced but well on grade level child? She does very good in school but is a strong grade level kid, if that makes sense. Thanks I also have a 3rd grader that did Fractions. I wouldn't use it with a 3rd grader that wasn't a strong math student and comfortable with everything that is supposed to be taught in the books. (I actually don't like Fractions at all, so I won't be using it with another student anyway. ;) ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NineChoirs Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 My older son has completed LoF Fractions, and the long division required is required often and is not always easy. The author makes sure by the end of the book that students are not intimidated by "big" (multidigit) numbers; that they get the idea that operations on big numbers are just the same as operations on smaller numbers repeated over and over. He does not explain this; the student finds out by being confronted with some kind of scary-looking problems and having to work through them! Also the problems presented are not identical to what is worked through in the text; the text explains the math, the hows and whys of the math, and then the end of chapter and and bridge tests present unique and novel problems and new applications to challenge the student to apply the math in order to achieve mastery. I think this does pretty much require both pre-mastery of the 4 basic food groups of math (add/sub/mult/divide through long division) AND logic-stage thinking in order to really work through the book independently as it was intended to be used. Even if you read it to her, your daughter might enjoy the story and get a little bit out of the math, but probably would not really absorb the full scope of the math in the book. Does that make sense? We love LoF in our house, and I am very, very guilty of practically proselytizing for it on these boards. However, I have a very advanced third grader just starting third grade who is catching onto mult and division, and who is catching onto fractions rapidly, and is starting to become and independent reader (his toughest subject, thanks to some disabilities). However, I would not dream of saddling him with Fred until at least part way through the fourth grade. I don't think his brain organization would be ready for it yet. When he needs more challenge or wants to explore new topics outside the scope of his math book, we either play games together, or let him play on Khan Academy, and that satisfies his thirst for more for right now :). When his reading picks up more, we'll probably start reading "Penrose the Mathematical Cat." Hope that helps! Jen http://hillandalefarmschool.blogspot.com/ :iagree: Very well said! The good news is, the author is currently working on an elementary series. I think they are going to be a pretty big hit. I will probably end up buying them myself, even though we don't have any kids at that grade level anymore (although we are trying to have more) :001_smile:. I can see my older kids using them for fun to "refresh" their basic math just because they love the LoF series so very, very much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Embassy Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 I'm going to try it this coming school year. We use Singapore and my kids aren't at the recommended point to start Life of Fred. But I plan to use it a little differently. My kids are whole to part learners and along with out standard math program I use something that reaches out to more difficult concepts. For instance this year we have read living math books and watched math DVDs on concepts that haven't been approached in their sequential math curriculum. I would do Life of Fred along with them and show them as they go. Fractions shouldn't be a problem since they have encountered them in doubling recipes, living math books, DVDs, and informal activities for awhile now. I don't think long division would be too difficult either. We'll see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnegurochkaL Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 My daughter and I just started it a week ago. She is going to be a 4th grader this fall so we will see how will it go for her. Even she hasn't studied multiplication/division of fraction formally, I already explained these topics to her. It might take her longer to conquer "fractions" than it took me(I was nearly 11), but we are going to try. It is a very simple topic to study comparing to Calculus:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wy_kid_wrangler04 Posted June 6, 2011 Author Share Posted June 6, 2011 . If your 3rd grader is happy with long division :001_huh: Is there such a creature? :lol: I forgot about the long division thing. She is doing long division but for sure does not have it mastered. I will hold off for atleast a year with her! Thanks for all the replies :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 I personally think it's best to have at least Singapore 4A completed before starting LOF Fractions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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