Hunter Posted May 24, 2012 Share Posted May 24, 2012 Is anyone using Professor B? It looks good to me, particularly for remedial work, but the handwork looks tricky for little ones. It looks to have a narrower focus than some other curricula, which again looks better for remedial, than for little ones. The software looks antiquated, but usable. Are there any problems with the software being compatible with newer computers? Is online safer that way? The online looks to be a bit pricey though, for the long run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SorrelZG Posted May 24, 2012 Share Posted May 24, 2012 I use the books for teaching me how to teach. Just a bit into the first one so far with my young ones but I find myself pulling from it frequently. It has proved the quickest and most effortless route to cementing number bonds for mine so far as well as adding past 10 for my oldest when he first reached that point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted May 24, 2012 Author Share Posted May 24, 2012 I use the books for teaching me how to teach. Just a bit into the first one so far with my young ones but I find myself pulling from it frequently. It has proved the quickest and most effortless route to cementing number bonds for mine so far as well as adding past 10 for my oldest when he first reached that point. The more I look, the more I'm impressed with the look of this program, for teacher training, and the more I worry about ease of direct use with the students. So you have the books, but no software or online subscription? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoveBaby Posted May 24, 2012 Share Posted May 24, 2012 Hunter, I am fascinated by Professor B! The hand work does look tricky, but I think the same effect could be done with objects. The idea is too keep children from counting, much like is written in most vintage math texts. I think there is a thread "what do you wish you would have found earlier" that several people had used it and were happy with it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted May 24, 2012 Share Posted May 24, 2012 We used the books not the software. It really did work well and we had fun too. I used to call my orders in and I always had to talk to Professor B when I ordered -- his secretary transferred me as soon as she got the order, no opportunity to say no! He really cared how children were doing using his system. He passed away about 2 years ago. I'm not sure what is happening with his company--it seemed really small, just him and a secretary that I thought was his wife. Same people every time. I hope someone will keep things going and continue with the software development. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted May 24, 2012 Author Share Posted May 24, 2012 Hunter, I am fascinated by Professor B! The hand work does look tricky, but I think the same effect could be done with objects. The idea is too keep children from counting, much like is written in most vintage math texts. I think there is a thread "what do you wish you would have found earlier" that several people had used it and were happy with it... Yes!, this is the closest thing I have found to the vintage texts. I see all the things I love about the vintage texts and a lot that I see at the heart of the early Waldorf lessons. Yes, minus the Waldorf art, but that wasn't the part I was struggling with. I'm glad it's the end of the month and that I'm short on cash, so I can have time to think. I think I'm going to be putting in an order on the 1st. If I got both the CD and the books, it's a lot of money per level, but there are only 3 levels and there are no manipulatives to purchase, so...in the long run it's not SO bad, I guess. I know the program says software OR books, but I don't think either alone will work well for me, with the disorganization disabilities I have. I'm happy to hear any and all chit chat about this program. I like the Amish Study Time math grade 3, but got ahold of a beat up 5th grade workbook, and my love stops there. There really wasn't anything wrong with it that I could put my finger on, but I just felt that somewhere around the 4th grade, I must have started taking another fork in the road, than the publisher did. I always like the table of contents and methods in the vintage texts, but have no time to pick my way through the antiquated topics. Professor B feels the closest to Ray's and I think that is the standard I'm holding all the curricula to. When they start getting too wide, I get bored with them. I really want to settle on mastery of the most important topics instead of getting lost in too much. The strategies in Professor B look awesome, but honestly it's the narrow scope and sequence that some people are complaining about that is the biggest draw for me. Less is more, right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted May 24, 2012 Author Share Posted May 24, 2012 We used the books not the software. It really did work well and we had fun too. I used to call my orders in and I always had to talk to Professor B when I ordered -- his secretary transferred me as soon as she got the order, no opportunity to say no! He really cared how children were doing using his system. He passed away about 2 years ago. I'm not sure what is happening with his company--it seemed really small, just him and a secretary that I thought was his wife. Same people every time. I hope someone will keep things going and continue with the software development. It's sad he died :-( Do you have the main text, a workbook, and an answer key? And the books felt like enough without the animated lessons? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bokons Posted May 24, 2012 Share Posted May 24, 2012 I used Professor B with my oldest, and had the text and the CDs, and he preferred me to teach with the text rather than the CD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted May 24, 2012 Author Share Posted May 24, 2012 I used Professor B with my oldest, and had the text and the CDs, and he preferred me to teach with the text rather than the CD. Did you refer to the CD for the harder lessons though? Or for the book 1 number recognition drills? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bokons Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 I started with the book first, then got the CDs, then went back to the text. If you can get the CDs used, you could use both and see which your dc prefer. They didn't have online when I used Professor B. I found that the text actually explained things quite well. If I remember correctly, it was in book 2 that we switched back to using the text after trying the CD for a bit. I don't think we did book 3 because my son went to school the year after that. Did you refer to the CD for the harder lessons though? Or for the book 1 number recognition drills? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 Yes, we had the textbook, workbook, and answer key. The book is very formal looking for 6 year olds. I can't remember the title but it is long. The workbook and answer key are quite basic but complete. We just worked through the day's text--book one was mainly fingers as I remember it, later we used a white board for the examples. Then the assigned problems. More problems then my ds could do but dd had no problem. There are two Algebra books too. We did the first one but I never managed to order the second. My dd was able to do the algebra at 9 as promised. Lots of factoring. She really did love Prof B. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted May 25, 2012 Author Share Posted May 25, 2012 Maybe I will try just the books. It just sounded too good to be true, and I saw some reviews saying the CDs were better...somewhere...but I don't know where. And I'm finding the CD samples a little frustrating, so...I was kind of scared about the books. Thank you ladies so much for taking the time to share with me. I really appreciate it. Algebra is just too far ahead for me to think about yet, with any of my students, but...it's nice to hear that it is an option, if we make the progress promised. Who knows, right? :-0 I just want to get the ladies rock solid with the basics for now, though. And I'm sad to admit I never have completely mastered my own math facts, and limped all the way through higher maths, not really understanding what my options were. I've really been enjoying this past week, studying all the strategies for the basic addition facts, that different publishers have come up with. I'm looking forward to turning some of them into art project posters with some of my tutoring students. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted May 25, 2012 Author Share Posted May 25, 2012 It looks like there are 3 algebra books now. Now, you have gone and piqued my interest in Algebra, too! Focus, I need to focus. I will NOT look farther than the table of contents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindy in NY Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 I have used Prof B for years. It has been our primary math program since the beginning. My oldest 2 are now in the 2nd Algebra book. My youngest is finishing up the Level 3 math book and will be ready for the 1st algebra book next term. Because we began using it so long ago, we have never used the CD's or online version. It does have a little narrower scope than some texts (no telling time or counting money, at least in the books) and some thing are taught later than they may be in a more traditional text. I can tell you that it has been the only program in all our years of homeschooling that I have never considered changing. It has produced excellent results with 3 very different students. I find it easy to teach and quite painless for everyone. Even when I read a lesson and think, "they are never going to get this" I am always proven wrong. The man was a genius at presenting concept in a way children get. There are a couple of other longtime users on the board. Maybe they will have more info on the cd's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted May 25, 2012 Author Share Posted May 25, 2012 I have used Prof B for years. It has been our primary math program since the beginning. My oldest 2 are now in the 2nd Algebra book. My youngest is finishing up the Level 3 math book and will be ready for the 1st algebra book next term. Because we began using it so long ago, we have never used the CD's or online version. It does have a little narrower scope than some texts (no telling time or counting money, at least in the books) and some thing are taught later than they may be in a more traditional text. I can tell you that it has been the only program in all our years of homeschooling that I have never considered changing. It has produced excellent results with 3 very different students. I find it easy to teach and quite painless for everyone. Even when I read a lesson and think, "they are never going to get this" I am always proven wrong. The man was a genius at presenting concept in a way children get. There are a couple of other longtime users on the board. Maybe they will have more info on the cd's. Hmm, I think at least one of the electronic versions has time and money as the last 2 lessons. It would be nice, but not essential to have those included. That type of thing is so easy to supplement. I'm getting more and more hopeful that the books alone might be enough. This is a truly affordable series for the books alone. I think the entire arithmetic series is about $130.00. The Algebra books are pricier. I remember this series being talked about in the early 2000s just before I stopped homeschooling my youngest son, but he was way past the series already. For some reason it stuck in my head. I heard the series mentioned once very briefly recently and I thought, "what a blast from the past", and not much more. But when I started investigating my options, I decided to google it, and was just blown away by what I saw. My perfect fit's take awhile to find, because I tend to have different priorities. And I'm very...not sure of the correct word...but I like a direct path to where I'm going. I get lost if the route is too scenic and before I know it, I've wandered off the path, to follow another faint path, and then yet another one. But when I find a direct road, if I wander off it, I always seem to find my way back to it, like a beacon, when I'm done messing around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindy in NY Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 I tend to be a direct path person myself so I get what you mean. I am not a "mathy" person myself. My own math education was lacking and it doesn't come naturally to me. One beauty of using the books for me was that I got to brush up on math as I taught it. I know myself well enough to know that if we had used the CD's or online program I would not have participated as actively as I needed to. The books are so inexpensive that I would suggest them as a reference if nothing else. Prof B's explanations of division, place value, fractions and percents, to name a few off the top of my head, are worth the price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted May 25, 2012 Author Share Posted May 25, 2012 (edited) I don't know if I'm a mathy person or not :-0 I was given such an inferior math education as a child that, who knows what I was or am. All the electronic versions look to be little more than a silent power point style prop for the teacher to use. And sometimes it looks like the silent animations are too quick for me to speak. It looks like it would be an uncomfortable struggle for me to try and teach with just an electronic version. I can't tell if the online and CDs are the same, or if they are different from each other as well as the books. A child cannot get 10 seconds into a lesson without a knowledgeable adult being RIGHT there who knows the material. It looks like the original plan was to cancel the books, but I don't think they were able to do that. The electronic version alone is just not enough for me, and I doubt it is for everyone else either. I'm just really hoping the books are enough alone, for me. $20.00 a month for the online is just way too much, when you have nothing to show for it, when it's over. Unless I guess you look at it as a teaching seminar that prepares you teach from the books better. But if the books were gone...no way. And the online is $20.00 for the 1st level, another $15.00 for the second, and another $10.00 for the 3rd. That's $45.00 a month for a family! That's a LOT :-0 I'm not even adding up what that comes out to yearly :-( Edited May 27, 2012 by Hunter TMI Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.