How do you use Teaching Textbooks level wise?

[BlueTaelon]

I'm curious after a few comments on another thread. For you did you end up needing TT3 for your grade level 3rd grader or did you need TT4? So basically are you using it a year "ahead" for the grade level your child is on or matching the number to your childs grade level?

 

Yes I know, you should always do the placement test, just wondering what everyone elses experience has been.

[dragons in the flower bed]

:bigear:

[Shellers]

My son is in 5th grade and just finished up TT5 about a week ago. He's now starting TT6.

 

I pulled him out of public school in Nov. 2011 and he started using TT5. A lot of it in the beginning was review but most of the topics were new to him. He learned a lot! :)

[Mandylubug]

I pulled my two sons out of PS Feb 2011 when they were finishing up 2nd grade. They had gaps from being in two different states and needed some review. I used math mammoth to finish up their 2nd grade studies and then moved to TT3 this past December being that they should be in 3rd grade math now. The beginning did have a great review and had I found the program earlier; I would have used it instead of MM and then TT3 because I feel the review of concepts was solid and we are now full speed ahead into new topics.

[raceNzanesmom]

I only used it in high school, so I marked other.

[Mom0012]

My daughter is in 4th grade. Her main program is CLE, and she began the 500 series about a month or so ago. She's been using TT6 since the beginning of the year. I think CLE introduces things a little on the early side and that may be why she needs to be 2 years ahead in TT rather than 1.

 

Lisa

[tomandlorih]

My "second grade age" dd8 uses MUS as her main program. We are doing Gamma(3rd grade) this year and starting Delta. I had her start with TT3 just to make sure she didn't "miss anything" concept wise that was taught by TT that MUS didn't cover. So far the only thing I have seen was line segments. I do not make her do the assignments, only watch the lectures and take the quiz every 7 lessons or so(once a week).

 

To make a long story short, however, I voted 1 yr ahead but if I were doing it for serious instead of just a supplement, fill-in-any-gaps-because-of-standardized-testing, she would have started with TT4(2 yrs ahead) and been just fine.

[Bloggermom]

We start TT3 in 3rd grade, but since we homeschool year round we are moving to the next level immediately after one level ends. This ends up having us do 2 levels every 12 month year.

[Princess Peach]

DS12 did TT7 in 6th grade and is currently doing TT Pre-Alg in 7th grade.

[nikicole]

When my dd used TT, she used it a year ahead.

[cassiemc]

My son is 12, so 6th grade. He is using TT Algebra 1 right now. He started last year with TT7 after we switched from Singapore.

[luvnlattes]

I have 2 using TT. They both started out at grade level but now are working a year ahead because of the pace at which they work through the books.

[BlueTaelon]

My son is 12, so 6th grade. He is using TT Algebra 1 right now. He started last year with TT7 after we switched from Singapore.

 

 

So you skipped pre-alg and went straight from TT7 to alg 1? How is that working out? Do you feel he missed concepts from the pre-alg course or was pretty much the same stuff covered in 7 and pre-alg and with the review portion of alg 1 he was ok?

[Bellamoon]

My ds is in 4th and just finishing up tt4 and will start tt5 next week. It takes us about 6 months to finish a level

[Beth in SW WA]

I voted other.

 

We school year round and do math for a minimum of one hour daily and on weekends.

 

Dd7 uses TT 6 and SM3 currently. Dd8 uses TT Alg 1 with other math enrichments. I would not use TT alone but I understand that others have success using it without supplementation. My girls enjoy math so take that into consideration.

[nukeswife]

We use it on grade level.

[mommymilkies]

My 4th and 5th graders will be starting TT7 this week after doing the placement test.

[Scrub Jay]

I pulled my two sons out of PS Feb 2011 when they were finishing up 2nd grade. They had gaps from being in two different states and needed some review. I used math mammoth to finish up their 2nd grade studies and then moved to TT3 this past December being that they should be in 3rd grade math now. The beginning did have a great review and had I found the program earlier; I would have used it instead of MM and then TT3 because I feel the review of concepts was solid and we are now full speed ahead into new topics.

 

So you feel that MM2 was not needed because of the review? Or is it just because your sons already had some second grade math under their belts?

 

DD will be finishing MM1 in a month or so and I am going back and forth of whether to go into MM2 or try TT3.

[happy-hs]

My 4th grader is using TT5. She does one level per year.

 

My 3rd grader is using TT Pre-A. He moved through the books quickly during our first few years, but I am slowing his pace down for Pre-A. He is bright when it comes to math though.

 

 

Melissa :)

[amyrjoy]

Math is not my DD's best subject, but keeping her on grade level has been perfect as far as TT goes. So, we've been using TT3. Now, we didn't start with the first lesson. I skipped her ahead a bit. I do think we'll be moving along into TT4 in April/May and continue to do some in the summer. I am working with her at a nice gentle, pace. I wanted to reinforce thins she knew and challenge her at the same time. TT3 has accomplished that, and we've been happy thus so far. I guess it just depends on your situation! I do NOT feel badly about using it on grade level. We also do a bit of challenge word problems from Singapore and then some supplemental pages from Saxon 3, just to do extra practice. But, I'm eclectic like that with EVERYTHING we use, not just math!

[Mommy22alyns]

With Rebecca, we did almost a year ahead. I gave her quizzes from level 3 until she started having difficulty and she tested out of about 2/3 of the book. Now she's onto level 4. My plan is to have Sylvia use level 3 next year in 2nd grade along with CLE 200.

[Paisley Hedgehog]

nm

[usetoschool]

I voted other - we used it as an additional program for one year and based his level on the placement test. He was in 5th and used TT 7.

[cassiemc]

So you skipped pre-alg and went straight from TT7 to alg 1? How is that working out? Do you feel he missed concepts from the pre-alg course or was pretty much the same stuff covered in 7 and pre-alg and with the review portion of alg 1 he was ok?

 

Yes, he skipped pre-algebra. When I was looking at the content of the pre-algebra book, it seemed to be a lot like the 7th grade book. I gave him the placement test and he placed into Alg 1. He currently has a high B in it, so it's going well. He just gets math. Any mistakes he makes are usually from silly mistakes, not that he doesn't get it.

[BlueTaelon]

Yes, he skipped pre-algebra. When I was looking at the content of the pre-algebra book, it seemed to be a lot like the 7th grade book. I gave him the placement test and he placed into Alg 1. He currently has a high B in it, so it's going well. He just gets math. Any mistakes he makes are usually from silly mistakes, not that he doesn't get it.

 

My daughter is the same way, were just starting 7 but I will be sure to do a placement test in the fall before we decide on pre-alg or alg1.

[EmilyinND]

This is our first year using TT. We are using TT7 for my 7th grade ds. I will say, though that he is Non-Mathy.

[Elm in NJ]

My twins are in 5th. They were 1 year ahead in CLE maths(used from K to 4th), I gave them the pretest for TT7, and that is what they are doing.

 

Elmeryl

[Heidi @ Mt Hope]

Grade level for my oldest. A year ahead for #2. Three years ahead for #3 and taking it slowly. :)

[BlueTaelon]

Grade level for my oldest. A year ahead for #2. Three years ahead for #3 and taking it slowly. :)

 

 

I'm thinking of using TT3 when we hit 1st grade with my 5 yr old in the fall. How is it going? Just wondering if its going to be to big of a jump or to fast paced.

[NanceXToo]

I did not use the placement test at all. I ordered the grade level my child was at. She was going into 5th grade when I started TT, so I ordered TT5.

 

My daughter was not what I considered overly mathy and she did not love math. Sure, I had heard all the "TT is too easy/too behind" stories, but I just didn't care. I figured, she's in 5th grade, so I'm going to order TT5. IF it turns out to be true, that it's easy and a grade level or so behind, who cares. If the worst thing that happens this year is that she has an easy year of math and what it ends up doing is being a year of review and confidence building, so be it. Eventually she'll go through all the grade levels and learn everything she needs to know, and if she can do that without math feeling like a struggle and without a "math is too hard" attitude, more the better.

 

As it turned out, she used it at grade level with no supplementing whatsoever, and at times when I would watch, DID it seem "easy?" Yep. Because they explain it in a VERY easy to understand fashion, AND they do TONS of review, sneaking in new material mixed in with that.

 

And still, at the end of that year, when she took a standardized test, her scores had improved by leaps and bounds over the previous years standardized test, and her scores were NOT the scores of a kid or curriculum that was a year or two "behind." She'd done significantly better than average. I was impressed! And I've seen quite a few people around here say the same thing since!

 

If she had been more mathy and more confident in math and hadn't already started to develop a "math is too hard, I'm not good at math" attitude I might have been more likely to use a placement test, but my concerns were making sure she had confidence in math at that point, and found it fun again, and just knew that she COULD do it, it WASN'T "too hard," she WASN'T "bad" at it, etc. The rest was just icing on the cake!

Edited February 29, 2012 by NanceXToo

[mama27]

I voted other since 2 of my kids are using it on level, 1 is behind, and 1 is ahead.

[In2why]

I'm thinking of using TT3 when we hit 1st grade with my 5 yr old in the fall. How is it going? Just wondering if its going to be to big of a jump or to fast paced.

 

TT 3 assumes addition and subtraction mastery and moves to long addition and subtraction quickly. I will say we were half way through the level before multiplication facts were introduced, but then it moved quickly through the tables. There isn't much teaching of multiplication. They need drills, so they can keep moving. Fractions begin near the end of TT3. None of my 5 y/o's could have done it, but every child is different.

[shinyhappypeople]

I voted "on level." My 3rd grader is using TT3, and it's the perfect fit for her. I second what a PP said about it being a confidence builder. During a lesson last week, she looked at me, smiled, and said, "I'm good at math." It challenges her without being overwhelming.

 

Younger DD (1st grade) sometimes uses it, but prefers Dreambox for her main math program. However, Younger DD has atypical math understanding for her age. I think TT3 would quickly become too difficult for most typical 1st graders.

[In2why]

We use it on level, and are thrilled. We could probably have leveled up, but I wanted my kiddos to love and want to do math. That was the entire reason we chose TT. We were exhausted and frustrated and had tried Saxon, too much review, and MUS, not enough for review for his retention. TT ended his frustration and tears. He is retaining and progressing. We do supplement with math fact games and drills, but I think every program will need memorization work on the math tables. So we use Timez Attack and timed multiplication quizzes a couple times a week. I also have a couple Life of Fred books that I got for free that I might let my 4th grader play around with next year if he is interested.