BatmansWife Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 Nope. You guessed wrong. It was Life of Fred Fractions brand new for $8.00. :thumbup: What are the odds? I can't wait to read it and see if we want to become Fred readers. I'm considering the Elementary books. Where does everyone buy those again? I can't remember. :001_unsure: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlessedMom Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 :) What a great find! Hope you enjoy it! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Osaubi Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 Awesome find! Congrats! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momma2Many66 Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 Wow !! That is one book I never saw at a yard sale ! Good for you !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 Lucky, lucky you!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txhomemom Posted August 13, 2011 Share Posted August 13, 2011 That was an awesome find. I usually don't find much as far as homeschooling curriculum at garage sales and believe me I have seen everything, but my best homeschooling garage sale find ever was a complete Oak Meadow Grade 7 set for $6. That is right, $6 for the entire thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnandtinagilbert Posted August 13, 2011 Share Posted August 13, 2011 GREAT find! I love when that happens! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiana Posted August 13, 2011 Share Posted August 13, 2011 Nice :D I just scored a completely free copy of Liping Ma's book off a 'free books, please take' table from a retiring professor :):) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
9763653 Posted August 13, 2011 Share Posted August 13, 2011 Great find! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
9763653 Posted August 13, 2011 Share Posted August 13, 2011 Nice :D I just scored a completely free copy of Liping Ma's book off a 'free books, please take' table from a retiring professor :):) Wow, that is even better! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NittanyJen Posted August 13, 2011 Share Posted August 13, 2011 Nope. You guessed wrong. It was Life of Fred Fractions brand new for $8.00. :thumbup: What are the odds? I can't wait to read it and see if we want to become Fred readers. I'm considering the Elementary books. Where does everyone buy those again? I can't remember. :001_unsure: Congrats-- awesome find! We love Fred! Elementary: google polka dot press or z-twist books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BatmansWife Posted August 13, 2011 Author Share Posted August 13, 2011 Congrats-- awesome find! We love Fred! Elementary: google polka dot press or z-twist books. Thank you so much for reminding me where to look. I'll check those out. I started reading this myself....I'm about to start chapter 5. So far, it's very simple stuff....hasn't even gotten into fractions yet really (looks like that starts in chapter 7). But, I do like the style and I think my son would enjoy this. It's not a very big book, and the chapters are fairly short. Would you say that the jist of Fred (if that's even what you'd call it), is to explain things fairly simply and once you get it you get it....so you don't have to have a huge book with a ton of problems?? Do most of you Fred users use this as a supplement? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elizabeth rose Posted August 13, 2011 Share Posted August 13, 2011 I used the books after Singapore 6. I didn't use them as a supplement, but as a review. IMO, I don't see how you could learn from them the first time encountering the topics. As a review they were fine, fun and novel, but as for really learning the concepts, it didn't work for us. We went through Algebra 1, but ended up ditching Algebra 1 quickly. Other people swear by them thoough. I say if your child likes them and enjoys it, then why not? Not sure I would only do Fred for Math though beyond a review year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NittanyJen Posted August 13, 2011 Share Posted August 13, 2011 Thank you so much for reminding me where to look. I'll check those out. I started reading this myself....I'm about to start chapter 5. So far, it's very simple stuff....hasn't even gotten into fractions yet really (looks like that starts in chapter 7). But, I do like the style and I think my son would enjoy this. It's not a very big book, and the chapters are fairly short. Would you say that the jist of Fred (if that's even what you'd call it), is to explain things fairly simply and once you get it you get it....so you don't have to have a huge book with a ton of problems?? Do most of you Fred users use this as a supplement? The answer to this really seems to vary family by family, and of course with how they approach the book. The elementary books-- I would say strictly supplement for us. The older set, from Fractions onward-- I love them, and am using them for my very math-capable son as his main program (he does other stuff, but mostly because he likes to explore, not because Fred isn't good enough). The math in Fred is all there, and is outstanding, if that type of learning works with your kid. I love that the math is not only very well explained, to the underpinnings and theory, but it is all applied knowledge, and the student must apply it in novel situations and recombine bits and pieces of knowledge in order to succeed in the chapter problems and tests, which truly solidifies knowledge. You don't need 500 problems when you aren't relying on drill and kill methods (which are called that because what they are killing, for many, is any chance of a love of math or an understanding of how to apply it to unique situations). Look at the Fractions book-- at first it doesn't look like a large book, and it it has a story contained in it as well-- however, the entire book is, at its core, about fractions, not rocket science. It does not need to be a large book. Same for decimals and percents. The necessary material is covered to a great deal of depth, given the easy topic, and the story enhances the learning, as it shows the student how to apply the material and how it relates to other disciplines. After that, the other books grow larger, and many have a "Home Companion" which provide additional problem sets as well (there are not one, but TWO books for pre-algebra, which may even be an excessive amount of practice for that topic-- if you do those two books thoroughly and completely-- as in never moving on until achieving at least a 90% on the tests, not looking at the answers in each chapter until doing the problems, but really really reading the answers for understanding, and really reading the chapters for understanding and not just whizzing through them because the story is fun) two pre-algebra books of that caliber will nearly leave the student over-prepared for algebra. So . . . it's your call. The style in LoF demands more of the student, requiring him to recombine and apply methods from a toolbox, rather than just "here's an algorithm, now blindly apply it to 50 identical problems." I would say LoF works brilliantly as a standalone program-- for the student who is willing to do the work and who learns well from that style-- who is ready to learn on his own from a book. Others will benefit from using it as a supplement. I have one kid of each type; both are very bright (test as gifted) and both excel in math. One is definitely a LoF kid; the other will probably use LoF as a supplement, as he benefits from being presented with information in multiple ways (my younger is already loving the LoF elementary series alongside Singapore, MM, and Khan Academy as well as figuring checks in restaurants and playing various games; I am thinking LoF older series and Singapore either NEM or DM for him when he's older, or LoF and AoPS). The upshot is, do what's right for your kid, because none of our kids learns the same way. The basic question answered is: Yes, the math in LoF (older series) is thorough enough as a standalone, for the right type of kid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BatmansWife Posted August 13, 2011 Author Share Posted August 13, 2011 Thank you Jen and Elizabeth! I appreciate you telling me more about Fred! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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