Life of Fred Math help! roughly 7th grade (prealgebra)

[sweetsouthern]

i need some help pretty please. dd is starting 7th in the fall and working through CLE math 500 (towards the end). i stink at math and cant help her with it much at all anymore, plus she insists on being very independent. i wanted to purchase teaching textbooks prealgebra, but there is no way on earth we can afford it now.

 

im looking at life of fred. i would i start with prealgrebra or should i do decimals and fractions? she has learned what i think is quite a bit with decimals and fractions,so im not sure. is there a placement test for life of fred? also... is it just the one book? is there something i can use with it to review previously taught concepts?? cause i think if we stop all that cold turkey, they will be gone from her brain :D:lol:

 

any help would be great! thanks so much!

[Pen]

It would probably be a good idea to go back to where she needs to be solid, before or along with pre-algebra. I'm not aware of a placement test, but the author has been accessible for questions I am told, I think his email address is on the polka dot publishing site.

 

You might also want to look at a book on Algebra by Edward Zacarro, which could perhaps be reviewed by both you and your daughter to help get an understanding for Algebra.

 

There are books that go into one or another specific area if you feel she needs to review. OTOH, Algebra tends to still use the basics like adding, subtracting and so on in the course of solving for an unknown, so perhaps that would be enough.

[Rockhopper]

I was very glad ds "went back" and started w/ LOF Fractions, even tho he was "ready" for pre-alg.

 

LOF really helped solidify concepts for him.

[Momling]

I do like LOF a lot, but I wouldn't be comfortable giving up a solid comprehensive math program like CLE to do it. Supplement? Yes! But I'd continue on to CLE 600 in order to solidify elementary math before moving entirely to Fred.

[NotSoObvious]

If she is already behind, I would not give up CLE. I add quite a bit of conceptual/hands-on lessons, but CLE is our rock. We are just finishing up 400s.

This summer we are adding Hands On Equations and in the fall I might add Life of Fred.

I've heard from lots of people that LoF doesn't cut it for a stand alone program (although I'm sure someone will disagree). I would imagine that would be especially true for a student who is behind or needs a lot of review.

 

Just supplement, would be my advice.

[3byzaz]

I agree not to stop CLE. My oldest has done a fair amount of LOF. He is a very fast reader, but he flies through those and they are great for review or to see it from a different angle...but I think CLE is far more complete - just my opinion and from experience.

 

My oldest is almost done with CLE 700- he RARELY has needed help from me, but the explanation is so well done and understandable that if he did, I can help him based on that. :)

[sweetsouthern]

ok,so if i keep going with cle and and in life of fred, does anyone think that will "teach" her how to do algebra, i guess basicaly with very little help from me?

 

or would i still be better looking for something she can teach it to her (like teaching textbooks?).

[Pen]

I'm not sure if anyone else can answer what your daughter would need for learning algebra, not knowing your daughter. I don't even think you can be sure that Teaching Textbooks would successfully teach her algebra--it is a good fit for some children and not for others.

 

I want to re-recommend that in addition to LOF you look at the Edward Zacarro book on Algebra. It has pretty good explanations, I think. You might also want to check out Khan Academy online and or the Keys to Series. I also have no idea how good a fit CLE is for your daughter. If it is a good fit, continuing makes sense. If not, maybe a change from that would be better.

 

While not at the same age or level, LOF is loved by my son, and we will be trying this summer to use LOF (with no MUS) for fractions and see how that goes. I expect that he will do fine, but only actually trying it will really tell.

 

It might help if you, yourself use something, Khan or LOF or Zacarro, say, to learn some algebra yourself so that even if she is studying independently you will have some knowledge to use to help or even to evaluate whether she is getting it. Maybe you don't really stink at math. Maybe with one of the above to learn from you would suddenly realize that you "get" pre-algebra.