HELP! If your DC (fifth) felt this way - what would you do?

[GreenIsGood2]

So, I feel like I have made a mess out of my DD (10-fifth) curriculum this year. I have been working all week trying to figure out what direction to go. I have just decided I am going to ask all of you because being only my second year I am really afraid of making more mistakes. In a nutshell, she is just kind of unhappy with some of it. Bored maybe? Or, maybe she just doesn't like too much homework and I should stick to my guns more? Ugh!

 

Here's an overview: My DD is actively trying to work with me to figure out works best. Over the summer through the help of some nice ladies here I have discovered that she is possibly gifted and very VSL. She is CRAZY creative and I have to keep her on task because she has so many projects going. She excels in ballet, theatre and gymnastics. She is horrible at spelling when she writes stories, but gets a perfect on her spelling tests. Loves math, science and technology.

 

So far this year:

Tried MCT (Town): She thinks it's "babyish" - wanted to drop it right away.

CLE math 5 - likes it - but wishes she had some "hard stuff" she says? However, she complains of too many problems to do for homework??

R&S English 5 - Likes the lesson - says too much homework to do because she knows it already. So far, great retention. A's on tests. Boring for her.

IEW Intensive - LOVES IT - wants to keep - finds him hysterical

LOF Fractions - loved it but she says it's too much to do with CLE.

Science - She can't get enough. She likes it, but I think it might be too easy. She does her own experiments with her microscope along with CP Science.

History- likes it now that I have added our own "scrapbook" type art activity to go along with it. We make it out of all the key points she learns in Story of the USA.

NaNoRiMo - FAVORITE LOVES IT.

 

Typing, piano, GSWS, GSWL, States & Capitals we are all good with.

 

Here are the other things: Added Mark Kistler Drawing videos online. She has done 4-5 a day. Loves it so much. Also added BrainPop App, Brainquest App, Stack the States APP as a "fun" option, and of course she likes them.

 

Her other complaints: She wishes it was all in one spot and that she could do it all alone. She is very independent. For example, I showed her Laurel Springs, because she thought she wanted something online, and she loved it. Kinda pricey, and I am not sure if it will actually fit her needs because of all the artsy? I've also considered Oak Meadow?

 

I see her light up when she draws, does NaNoRiMo, etc. Can it all be like that? Or, am I dreaming? I am afraid to cut anything like R&S and CLE because of how good everyone says they are? Any advice?

Edited September 25, 2012 by GreenIsGood2
xpost

[Aurelia]

If she's gifted, you might want to cross-post on the Accelerated Learner board, since you'll be likely to find more suggestions for curricula that are challenging but don't have as much repetition (since she likely doesn't need it).

 

Off the top of my head, you might try KISS for grammar, it's challenging without a lot of busywork, and free. She might like math products from the Art of Problem Solving folks, like going very slowly through Pre-Algebra or Beast Academy (it's FAR more challenging than your everyday third grade math, so she might like it), or something like Hands On Equations or Patty Paper Geometry to do on Fridays.

 

R&S and CLE are both made for classrooms, and I've heard a lot of things about how, R&S especially, is too much busywork for a one-on-one teaching situation. I think most people cut the amount of work down so the student gets enough practice without having their mind go numb.

[Farrar]

Many things... some some jumbled thoughts...

 

If she can spell on a test, then the process of writing is what's holding her back. Eventually, as she becomes more fluent at it, they'll integrate. It's like how younger kids can do well on handwriting in the workbook, but not when writing a note for fun. I wouldn't worry about it.

 

"Hard stuff" for math doesn't have to be more problems. Can you give her something conceptual and fun that's really different? Maybe something like Sideways Arithmetic from Wayside School? Or something like The Perfectly Perilous Book of Math or Primary Challenge Math or something along those lines?

 

Have you considered doing Bravewriter and maybe The Boomerang for language arts?

 

On the other hand, MCT+IEW+R&S+Nanowrimo = a whole lot of English. If you dropped the Rod and Staff and just had IEW and Nanowrimo, that seems like plenty. More time could just be used on adding more to her assignments or honing her writing.

 

No ideas for art, but it does sound like adding more would be positive.

[wapiti]

"Hard stuff" for math doesn't have to be more problems. Can you give her something conceptual and fun that's really different?

:iagree:

 

"More of the same" is not more challenging. Indeed, more of the same may be merely tedious.

[regentrude]

CLE math 5 - likes it - but wishes she had some "hard stuff" she says? However, she complains of too many problems to do for homework??

 

Makes perfect sense to me. Many problems of the same, easy, not challenging drill that is just busywork for a smart student can kill the love of math - and don't really teach much. I would take this very seriously and try out a more challenging math curriculum.

I do not know CLE and what level 5 is. A great program for kids who love math and want to be challenged is AoPS which starts with prealgebra. Look at the website and have her try the pretest.

(My DS used Intro to Algebra in 6th grade; the prealgebra did not exist).

[Arcadia]

She is horrible at spelling when she writes stories, but gets a perfect on her spelling tests. Loves math, science and technology.

 

Her vocabulary is ahead of her spelling :001_smile:

 

I used a dictionary at that age to edit my own compositions during proof reading.

[Mrs Twain]

Like others said, don't have her do all of the exercises in R&S. That is a great, high quality program, so I would not suggest throwing it out, especially since it is working well. Just cut down so that she only has to write enough exercises to make it stick.

 

For math, a very easy thing would be to add the Challenging Word Problems workbook from Singapore. You could do level 3 and 4 this year. That could be independent. I advise everyone to add that workbook regardless of which math program they use. You may also want to change math programs if CLE isn't challenging enough.

[EmmaNadine]

:iagree:

 

"More of the same" is not more challenging. Indeed, more of the same may be merely tedious.

 

Yes. This. Gifted kids get things quickly. They don't need busy work, they need something different to keep them going. Let her write, but then have her go back and edit. Editing is a great way to learn the mechanics of writing, and it's going to appeal to her more than a workbook. Don't make her do the problems just because they are on the work sheet. Remember, it's home school, not school at home. She shouldn't have to do stuff just because someone else thinks a standard child needs a certain amount of practice.

[crazyforlatin]

Just want to mention quickly that by assigning more challenging problems to DD, I saw her light up with interest. She's good at math, but I didn't sense any excitement until we went through Beast. There are just a small handful of problems in BA3 that are 5th grade level (even though it's supposed to be for 3rd graders), so I don't know if you should be using Beast when AOPS Pre-A, has somewhat similar but more difficult problems. We're on Level 5 of SM, but almost finished, and at the same time, she has been working on Pre-A problems, Chapter 1.

[Homemama2]

Like others said, don't have her do all of the exercises in R&S. That is a great, high quality program, so I would not suggest throwing it out, especially since it is working well. Just cut down so that she only has to write enough exercises to make it stick.

 

For math, a very easy thing would be to add the Challenging Word Problems workbook from Singapore. You could do level 3 and 4 this year. That could be independent. I advise everyone to add that workbook regardless of which math program they use. You may also want to change math programs if CLE isn't challenging enough.

 

 

:iagree: We do most of R& S orally, even the written practice section. I would have her write out the diagramming etc., but even then you could just do evens or odds. I'd drop MCT and add CWP/LOF to the math for some challenge/fun. If she likes LOF, can you cut back the amount of work in CLE so that she has time for it? You could also check out Hands on Equations.

Edited September 25, 2012 by Homemama2

[Mommy22alyns]

For R&S, you can skip or condense lessons, only assign part of the problems, etc. In level 4, I've already skipped a bunch of things for Rebecca as it's all review right now.

 

CLE - some people will cross out problems and combine two lessons into one. You might want to add some Challenging Word Problems or Hands on Equations; Rebecca is enjoying both.

[GreenIsGood2]

Ok! I think I have a pretty good idea on what I should do. A big thank you to all of you. Great ideas and advice. I guess I just needed to hear it's okay to cut things back, and that she doesn't have to do ALL the problems! I figured it was more my issue! Ha! I'll let you know how it goes! :001_smile:

[2_girls_mommy]

More of the same from me:

 

My gifted 5th grader does most of R&S 5 orally. I have her read the lesson to herself. Sometimes I do the oral drill from the T.M w/her, and she does the oral drill aloud to me. I glance at the day's lesson and maybe assign a little bit for her to write (diagramming or any composition exercises.) But most of the grammar she gets quickly and if she does fine on the oral, then she doesn't need to work on it more. For math, mine does R&S, but she does it a year ahead and I only assign the odds and all of the word problems, plus a critical thinking workbook.

 

That leaves more time for the other stuff: foreign languages, logic stage history and science work, writing summaries, etc.