Teaching Textbooks alone?

[DragonFaerie]

I know there have been many threads and comments about how TT seems to be below grade level so I have been supplementing with MM and Daily Math from Evan-Moor. My kids are good with math and are working ahead in TT. They are finishing up TT4 now and will start TT5 next month and continue working on it through the summer. Thus, they will be in TT6 next fall when they move to 4th/5th grade.

 

However, I need to trim things down a little bit for next year. We will continue with TT but I'm wondering how much supplementation is really necessary if they are working ahead of grade level. I'm thinking about dropping MM and just using TT and Daily Math. Does that sound sufficient?

[BatmansWife]

I don't see why not. I'm using just TT with my ds and my dd will begin level 3 in the fall. I don't plan on using another math with it. But.....now I do need to check out what Daily Math is like. :001_smile:

[DragonFaerie]

I like Daily Math because it is short (just 5 questions per day) and covers a wide variety of grade-level topics. I usually have to help the kids with at least one or two as they haven't covered some of the topics in TT yet. But, I figure if I keep Daily Math at grade level and keep advancing in TT, they will eventually be able to handle Daily Math on their own. I am thinking about adding Daily Word Problems next year, too. Same concept as Daily Math but they have one word problem per day.

[zenjenn]

I used to say it is behind grade level but now I'm not even so sure.. it's not behind so much as *different*. Like I used to think TT3 was a little 2nd gradish, but now it looks like it STARTS late 2nd gradish but the finishes where any 3rd grade math would finish, with all topics belabored less than in other curricula. (Of course, this comparison is for the *average* math student in an *average* public school, not accelerated students.)

 

Here's where I think some people find TT problematic: there is this presumption that there's a lecture, and there's problems, and therefore it is presumed that it is a hands-off curriculum as far as parents are concerned. Furthermore, the homework also allows multiple attempts and include hints, which make it possible for a student to "fake it" a bit.

 

I don't think TT requires supplementation so much as it requires *involvement*. You as a parent need to have the child work problems with you present, and you as a teacher need to be prepared to present alternate approaches for assuring comprehension if the student's grasp isn't firm after using TT. (Whether formal supplementation with another curriculum, or just rolling up your sleeves and working problems on a white board with your student.)

 

At times, it can be fairly hands-off. With both my students, there are times when a topic comes easily to them and I have to do next to nothing beyond evaluating with them a bit to test comprehension. Other times, after I evaluate, I find the comprehension is thin (even if their scores are perfectly decent in the TT Gradebook). When that happens, we spend extra time outside of TT until I am satisfied that comprehension is solid. I don't use anything formal anymore, but I'm pretty comfortable with explaining math concepts. I found it took more time to try to dig up the right MM sheet than it was to just write down problems and get to it.

 

Example: I have one student who is dyslexic and reading analog clocks took a whole week of putting aside TT and taking out a Judy learning clock and working with it, even though her TT gradebook didn't look particularly alarming. My other child just "got it" and that unit was pretty much hands-off in terms of my role, and she can now read an analog clock better than some teenagers I know.

Edited February 24, 2012 by zenjenn

[wapiti]

I know there have been many threads and comments about how TT seems to be below grade level so I have been supplementing with MM and Daily Math from Evan-Moor. My kids are good with math and are working ahead in TT. They are finishing up TT4 now and will start TT5 next month and continue working on it through the summer. Thus, they will be in TT6 next fall when they move to 4th/5th grade.

 

However, I need to trim things down a little bit for next year. We will continue with TT but I'm wondering how much supplementation is really necessary if they are working ahead of grade level. I'm thinking about dropping MM and just using TT and Daily Math. Does that sound sufficient?

 

My understanding is that there is some controversy over depth, in addition to scope-and-sequence, that working ahead alone would not address. (I don't know Daily Math, but if it were me, and I wanted to trim down, I'd just use MM.)

[DragonFaerie]

The problem I have with MM is that it is more teacher-intensive and I need more independent curriculum for them. But I don't want to short-change them, either. If we need to keep going with all three programs, that's what we'll do.

[nukeswife]

I've used TT for about 3 years now with my oldest and my dd is in her first year using it. I've not had any problem with them using only TT. It's not behind like many say. If you use it all the way through you'll end up in the same place as other math curricula. Like some have mentioned the scope and sequence is simply different which I think gives many who don't actually use the program the impression that it's behind. Then again I always wonder "behind what" Isn't part of homeschooling the ability to teach the child at their pace in order for them to truly learn and retain the material? I have to do standardized testing every year and my son has always had scores in the 8th or 9th stanines (the two highest) on his math portions.

[DragonFaerie]

I've used TT for about 3 years now with my oldest and my dd is in her first year using it. I've not had any problem with them using only TT. It's not behind like many say. If you use it all the way through you'll end up in the same place as other math curricula. Like some have mentioned the scope and sequence is simply different which I think gives many who don't actually use the program the impression that it's behind. Then again I always wonder "behind what" Isn't part of homeschooling the ability to teach the child at their pace in order for them to truly learn and retain the material? I have to do standardized testing every year and my son has always had scores in the 8th or 9th stanines (the two highest) on his math portions.

 

Thanks. That's reassuring.