TT, Life of Fred, ??, comments please! X-POST

[kareng]

My dd is currently using TT pre-algebra. I like TT and she seems to do well with it. But, I have a question and a concern. I read somewhere (internet) that TT is considerably slower than other curricula. Would you agree with that statement? If so, could you tell me why?

 

That really isn't a big deal to me, I was just wondering. What is a big deal to me is the cost. It's so pricey! So I was looking into Life of Fred. I gather that you either LOVE Life of Fred or hate it. If you've used it, do you like it and why (or dislike it and why)?

 

Math does not come easily to my dd and TT has worked for us. She likes the lectures and I like that they explain step by step (no surprises) how they got the answer. I am a Math person (used to teach math and get paid for it!) but the way I think and the way my DD thinks are two completely different things. She is very creative and I am much more analytical. She and I used to get into arguments when I would try to teach her Math. So I like that TT lets her get it on her own (without Mom), allowing her to be more independent. By the way, anything that involves heavy reading comprehension won't work for her as she is dyslexic. The lecture piece is an important component. She needs that in order to understand the material. Just reading a book with Math concepts in it, wouldn't work for her.

 

If you have another curriculum in mind, let me know. I'm open to suggestions.

 

besroma

Hive Mind Queen Bee

Join Date: Nov 2010

Posts: 1,520

 

 

Based on your description, I think you would like LOF and your daughter would not. There is a lot of reading comprehension and analysis involved.

 

Since it is working, I would stick with TT. It may be a bit behind grade level, but if it is working well for her, that is important. Changing to another curriculum could frustrate her and not only set her back, but turn her off to math. Have you looked into purchasing a used set?

 

That being said, if you want to try something else, I would check out Chalkdust Math. We love the lectures by Dana Mosely, and it is a solid program. You can purchase the sets used, or if you search the threads here for his name, you can order the text and dvds from Amazon at lower prices. They just will not say "Chalkdust" on them, and you will not get their teacher support guarantee.

Edited June 21, 2012 by kareng
added comment

[Spryte]

This may not be helpful, but we use both TT and Life of Fred. :)

 

I like that TT is more independent, and that it gets done. Life of Fred is fun, and we read it together.

[Chrysalis Academy]

I agree that it doesn't sound like LOF would be the best match for your dd - although the elementary series is meant to be read aloud together, the idea is that they read and learn from the rest of the books on their own. And it is not incremental, step by step instruction on the algorithms - it's much more focused on when you need the math in real life, and how lots of real-life problem solving is really math.

[lillehei]

I would just stick with what is working. TT is a great program! I have one dc doing TT and one LOF with khanacademy.com for practice.

[nmoira]

I would not use LOF alone with a child who struggles with math, but you could always get the first pre-algebra book and see if it would work for you as a supplement.

[VeritasMama]

We also use LoF as a supplement, I would not be comfortable using it as a stand alone.

[fourcatmom]

Does LOF make a good supplement for those using TT? I am thinking of adding in the fractions and decimals/percents books with my 6th grader next year. She has done TT for 1 year and doing well but I was thinking something fun to mix it up a bit.

[Aconnolley]

Does LOF make a good supplement for those using TT? I am thinking of adding in the fractions and decimals/percents books with my 6th grader next year. She has done TT for 1 year and doing well but I was thinking something fun to mix it up a bit.

 

That's what we are doing this year. We are half way through LOF Fractions as an "end of the year review." So far, it has been a fun way to cement some of the concepts, and my kids haven't minded doing it too much eventhough it is summer. :001_smile:

 

Angela

[jessicalb]

My son came home from school behind in math and hating it and we spent years sifting through curriculum and crying and yelling (both of us!) over math. We have used LoF for two full years and had nothing but great results. We use it with a very small bit of supplementation from FreeRice.com and Khan Academy. Basically, FreeRice is to get faster with basic math facts and Khan is for a break when we have hit a conceptual wall in LoF and need some other ways of thinking about numbers before we return to it. We also do things like play mathy board games or watch mathy documentaries. But I would definitely say we use LoF as by far our primary source. We have seen improved attitude, better retention, higher tests scores, and we are very happy with it.

 

I would probably not use it as a supplement. Using it as a review would work pretty well, because the charm of LoF is really in the story, and a lot of information comes up in that story. Unless you use it consistently and read all of it, you miss a lot of both the fun and the educational aspects of it.

 

All that said, if your child learns best through lecture then LoF is probably only going to work if someone reads it aloud to her. I would call it a reading-based math program. My son excels in it because his strength lie in reading and language arts.

 

Good luck finding just the right solution! :)