CPO skills and practice sheets

[redsquirrel]

How do you use these? I have a teacher's book and it doesn't give much guidance as to where it works. it gives some suggestions but doesn't really tell me how it fits in.

 

I am considering assigning the reading in the book but then having my student do the work in the skills and practice book rather than in the text book. It seems to be more varied.

 

I am feeling like I need to pick from one or the other on a given day. I don't think I need to have him do both the review questions in the book and the skills and practice sheets on a topic.

 

What did you do or what are you planning to do?

[runamuk]

:bigear:

 

I've got this on order and would love to hear what others have done, experiences and tips. :)

[Sweet Home Alabama]

How do you use these? I have a teacher's book and it doesn't give much guidance as to where it works. it gives some suggestions but doesn't really tell me how it fits in.

 

I am considering assigning the reading in the book but then having my student do the work in the skills and practice book rather than in the text book. It seems to be more varied.

 

I am feeling like I need to pick from one or the other on a given day. I don't think I need to have him do both the review questions in the book and the skills and practice sheets on a topic.

 

What did you do or what are you planning to do?

 

 

We are using CPO's Foundations of Physical Science. We try to follow the order of the items in the TM: Investigations, Pretest, Lesson X.1 Section Review Questions, X.2 Sec. Rev. Questions, X.3 Section Review Questions, Assessment, Test.

 

I print out the teaching (or explanation) part only of the Skills and Practice sheets (not the problems too) because she is reading each section and answering all of the questions/problems in the text. (I decided it would be too much to do both the in-text sec. rev. questions AND the problems on the Skill & Practice Sheets. Of course, they are there if she needs extra practice.)

 

We are not in a steady routine yet like I hope we will be (eventually)... but we are using the S&P sheets for reference if she has trouble with the math in the section reviews.

 

For her notebook, I used numbered tabs (found at Walmart, I think) to organize information from each chapter. Each week I refer to the teacher's manual and print out the pretest, graphic organizers (with answers), and Skill & Practice Sheets (explanations only) that correspond with the chapter we are studying. These are put behind the number that corresponds to the current chapter. We use all of this strictly for reference because my primary goal is to give her a chance to look up information to help her with math problems and to help her with study skills. Applying information that she looks up to help her with problems in the text is the goal (along with getting the right answers to the problems).

 

Does this help?

[Coffeemama]

When I planned out the whole year of CPO Earth, I scanned through every skill and practice sheet and picked out the ones I felt were most useful/beneficial and scheduled them. Most chapters I chose one or two sheets, for the first few chapters I chose none for ch 1, two from ch2, one for ch 3, one for chapter 4.

 

Now that we are two weeks in (DD finished the first chapter assessment today and did great!) science is not taking as long as I had thought. I scheduled an hour a day 4 days a week. But she is finishing reading the section and answering the questions in 30-40 mins. We spent more than an hour on lab 1B, but it was a fabulous learing activity for compiling all the data, graphing it and drawing conclusions. Now, I may go back to the skill sheets and add a few more to her schedule (particulary for the winter months) since I know it won't be overwhelming.

 

I am so glad we went with this program. I was a little nervous this summer that we might be in over our heads, but it's not too hard taking it one step at a time. I love that there are so many optional extra activities and writing assignments. It's great not to have to supplement.

[A.J. at J.A.]

When I planned out the whole year of CPO Earth, I scanned through every skill and practice sheet and picked out the ones I felt were most useful/beneficial and scheduled them.

 

This is what I've done. My boys are older (5th & 7th), so we do quite a few of the S&P sheets - I've found them valuable and well worth the time it takes. My 5th grader doesn't always do the entire sheet - I read over it with him and we discuss the practice and example, my 7th grader usually does most of the problems for the S&Ps I select.

 

Blessings,

Angela

[redsquirrel]

This is what I've done. My boys are older (5th & 7th), so we do quite a few of the S&P sheets - I've found them valuable and well worth the time it takes. My 5th grader doesn't always do the entire sheet - I read over it with him and we discuss the practice and example, my 7th grader usually does most of the problems for the S&Ps I select.

 

Blessings,

Angela

 

Do you have them do this in addition to the questions at the end of each reading? About how long does it take your 7th grader?

 

I am thinking of having him do the assigned reading and then go over a couple questions orally to make sure he understood what he read. If he does, then I can assign the skills and practice sheets for that section that look good to me. Not all of the Skills and Practice sheets look like they would be a good fit for my kid. I am interested in the ones to develop math skills or scientific thinking/literacy. I don't think he needs the sheets to enhance reading comprehension etc. I also don't feel the need to assign much that is obviously more of a writing assignment. We have lots of writing going on. I will do some, so he can get a bit of that 'writing across the curriculum' action, but I don't feel the need to push it.

[A.J. at J.A.]

Do you have them do this in addition to the questions at the end of each reading? About how long does it take your 7th grader?

 

I am thinking of having him do the assigned reading and then go over a couple questions orally to make sure he understood what he read. If he does, then I can assign the skills and practice sheets for that section that look good to me. Not all of the Skills and Practice sheets look like they would be a good fit for my kid. I am interested in the ones to develop math skills or scientific thinking/literacy. I don't think he needs the sheets to enhance reading comprehension etc. I also don't feel the need to assign much that is obviously more of a writing assignment. We have lots of writing going on. I will do some, so he can get a bit of that 'writing across the curriculum' action, but I don't feel the need to push it.

 

We go through the textbook sections orally and then do the section questions all together orally as well. The S&P and Investigations are the only written work we're really doing. I agree, that we are not focusing on the reading comprehension in terms of writing (we do IEW), but they read it (either all of us together, or they read it separately) and then we can discuss the questions if I feel the need.

 

We're still new to CPO (just finishing chapter 2 of Earth Science), but I've done all my planning for the full Earth Science book and am really excited!

 

Looking back on the past two weeks, my 7th grader has spent between 45-75 minutes each time we do it, but that includes practicing the Quizlet Vocab I've created for the current unit. Here is an example: http://quizlet.com/6025200/cpo-earth-science-unit-1-flash-cards/ I think they enjoy that and I've found quizlet to be amazingly helpful across the board. We use it for Latin, Science, Drawing terms, and IEW U.S. History I Vocab.

 

Blessings,

Angela

Edited August 26, 2011 by A.J. at J.A.

[redsquirrel]

Thank you so much for that. I appreciate your sharing your experience. We start school here in mid-September so I am almost ready.

 

I am glad to know my 'vision' (such that it is) is not too far off from what someone is actually doing.

 

Now if I can only make it happen.......

[Mallory]

We haven't started yet, so you can take this all with a grain of salt ;)

 

To start off with I have a handful planned for "pre-lessons." We usually start on the Wen or Thurs before our official first day and spend a few days waking up on time and going through our schedule and showing the boys where their books and supplies are, and looking over what is going to be expected of them for the next year.

 

Also we've never used any textbooks before, so this is what I hope to get through those first couple practice days-

Using Textbook, SQ3R, Science Vocabulary, Internet Research, Bibliography, Math in Words, Using Spreadsheets

Then I have scheduled all of the sheets and the text questions. I know that I am an over scheduler and I know I will cut some, do some orally, and do some written. I'll make that call on the day depending on how much time we have and how much they have (or haven't) written already that day.