What do you "teach"?

[sierramv1]

I posted on the other board about why the math program I am using gets rave content reviews, but I don't see that many people

using it. A lot of the responses I got said that one of the reasons people don't use it is because it's teacher intensive. So now I am

wondering what other mom's "teach" if teaching math is too teacher intensive? Am I not focusing on other things that I should be, so

I can teach them math? We do History 4-5 days a week, Science two days a week (but those are done as a family) as well as our

Composer study and Geography study that follows our History. I "teach" all those, and we spend till about 1pm to get everything done.

 

I have a DS (10) 5th grade (LoF D&P, MM5, GWG5, MCT, Digging into Diagramming,Compser Study, BFSU2, SOTW, World Geography-2xweek)

DS (6) 1rst grade (AAR2, AAS1, RightStart B, ZB Handwriting, ETC, Composer Study, SOTW, Geography)

DD (4) Resident Tornado

 

Am I missing something that would be teacher intensive....?

[Plateau Mama]

I "teach" history, Bible, Literature, Grammar, Writing, Memory Work.

 

Self taught are Science, Math.

 

My kid gets math. It just how his brain works. If he struggled I would "teach" math as well. But if I try to teach it he tells e to stop talking so he can get working.

 

That is my 5th grader. My 5 yo I teach everything. ;-)

[Forgiven]

I don't consider myself as a "teacher", but a mentor. There will be times I have to "teach" things explicitly, especially in the early years. When it comes to math, I'm a person who looked at Right Start (my good friend uses it) and then gave it right back and never considered it. I work full time with set hours in the mornings. I don't have time to sit down and hold my childrens' hands through math. Now, if I had a child who needed the hand holding, I would, but I'm not going to make something harder on me if I don't need to. Maybe that sounds selfish, but all three of my kids (Kindergartener included) can do their math independently. I sit in the same room with them while they do it and am available for any questions. Then I check their work as soon as they're done. If anything is wrong, we talk about it and then they have to redo it.

 

In an ideal world, I would LOVE to do something like Right Start, but it's just not ideal for us. Nothing that is too teacher intensive is, yet I do some stuff that is. We do MCT for grammar and I sit with my ds as he does it. I read, he reads, we talk about the sentences that he's analyzing. But it doesn't take much time at all. From what my friend said about Right Start, she spends hours with her kids doing it. Maybe her experience isn't normal, but I don't have hours every day to sit and do math. If I took one hour for each kid and did that, that would be 3 hours out of my day that I need to be working, to earn money for the family, and we can't afford it.

[sierramv1]

Thanks for your replies, it helps give me a little perspective. My oldest DS (10) does his math independently now because we aren't using

Right Start G, and most of the MM 5 comes easy to him. For some reason I just always had it in my brain that math would always be one

of those teacher intensive subjects, hmmm, stuff to think about!

[Arcadia]

I hand-hold for German and Music. For math, LA and science, I just need to be around to help out. For history and art, they are self-taught.

 

ETA:

For prep work it would be LA (including Literature) and science.

[km123175]

I'd also say I don't "teach" for the most part, but I am with my kids for much of the learning. Maybe for some when they say "teaching intensive" they mean the prep before the work starts, kwim?

 

 

In History/geography we read together - but I'm learning right along with them (I grew up in the social studies era). To me it feels teacher intensive in terms of time spent while doing it, but recently switched to SL (don't shoot me anyone, grin) for history, geography, and read alouds; so, for me that no longer feels teacher intensive. it's just spending time reading with my kids.

 

For LA subjects, I feel like I'm actually teaching my children something and some parts are more "teacher intensive" than others, but I still mostly use open and go curriculum. We recently started using AAS and I like to read over everything before I do it and a few lessons ahead (my 8 year old is moving quickly as we try to get to the right spot in the curriculum where she has to really apply new information). So, while the teaching part is kind of a no-brainer right now, it is more teacher intensive than typical for other users of it because of how I'm pre-reading and planning.

 

For the grammar and writing component (for older daughter) we currently used MCT Island level, which is sit and read together and we talk about the PI sentences together. Now that we're incorporating some writing assignments I spend a bit more time reading the teacher's section in the back of the books and decide how to implement the writing assignments. When we do MBtP lit units, it's only intensive when I work with my daughter on the writing assignments. I make sure she understands the process and how to do the assignments. In those times I'm teaching, but it's not a teacher intensive curriculum.

 

Math at our house goes both ways. LoF is not teacher intensive in terms of prep or participation. MM is not prep intensive and usually I'm not actively involved unless they get stuck. Miquon is teacher intensive for prep and working on the lab sheets.

 

So, I guess it depends on your definition of "teaching" and your focus of intensive. :)

[NASDAQ]

I teach everything, and math is our priority. But I still find Right Start to be intensive. It's a lot of balls to keep in the air, all of those games and manipulatives and so forth.

[Shellydon]

I teach almost everything - Math, grammar, history, science, Latin, Bible for my 3rd and 5th grader. I teach everything for my kinder student.

My 3rd and 5th grader do Typing and Spanish on the computer and spelling/handwriting mostly independently.

[Erin]

So far as I can tell, I don't teach anything and I really never have. Even in a classroom full of students, I've always taken more of a Socratic approach and "teach" by asking leading questions, so kids take themselves to their own answers. I've found kids tend to hang onto things better when they've "taught" themselves. :)

 

With a single JrHi student, each lesson is on his own in his text or next chapter or whatever. I'm more like a tutor, or facilitator, I've decided.

When he gets stuck or find something of interest, he calls me in. Some days we'll read his lessons together and discuss as we go. Some days he tells me what happened. Some days we discuss as we're time-lining, or mapping or making supper...

Some things are a mutual exploration, like a science experiment. I might know what's supposed to happen, but that doesn't mean it always does. And sometimes I haven't a clue...

[happymomofboys]

In my opinion, teaching means to move knowledge from the teacher's brain into the student's brain. I'm not a teacher. The knowledge isn't contained in my brain, but in the world. I'm a facilitator and a mentor. My goal is to provide the best teachers I can in the form of books, websites, videos, and real life experiences. I then guide my kids' learning with questions, observations, and correction.

[Gentlemommy]

My dd's are still young, (2nd and K) so I teach everything. Having said that, our material is pretty simple and straightforward. I don't care for a million manioulatives, so we limit them to C-rods. I sit with them and teach a concept, sit and watch over them as they put that concept to practice. Same with handwriting, same with spelling. I read history and science to them, so that requires me as well. When they read, I'm sitting with them, helping them notice grammar, punctuation, helping with words, making sure they understand the story, looking up definitions of new words with them. With grammar, I explain and watch dd complete the work, talking with her about not only that concept, but any others we encounter. Pretty much the only independent work they do is ETC, and only my older dd does that alone. I sit with the K'er during her ETC time.

We use-

K'er-phonics pathways, ETC, Miquon, and various easy reader books

2nd-ETC, Miquon/Primary Grade Challenge Math/MM3/various fun scholastic $1 sale books, LLATL, Apples and Pears, cursive hw sheets from the $1 scholastic sale, SOTW and various literature, whatever books she chooses to read aloud, literature/interest based science, Brave Write method writing

[I.Dup.]

I don't consider myself as a "teacher", but a mentor. There will be times I have to "teach" things explicitly, especially in the early years. When it comes to math, I'm a person who looked at Right Start (my good friend uses it) and then gave it right back and never considered it. I work full time with set hours in the mornings. I don't have time to sit down and hold my childrens' hands through math. Now, if I had a child who needed the hand holding, I would, but I'm not going to make something harder on me if I don't need to. Maybe that sounds selfish, but all three of my kids (Kindergartener included) can do their math independently. I sit in the same room with them while they do it and am available for any questions. Then I check their work as soon as they're done. If anything is wrong, we talk about it and then they have to redo it.

 

In an ideal world, I would LOVE to do something like Right Start, but it's just not ideal for us. Nothing that is too teacher intensive is, yet I do some stuff that is. We do MCT for grammar and I sit with my ds as he does it. I read, he reads, we talk about the sentences that he's analyzing. But it doesn't take much time at all. From what my friend said about Right Start, she spends hours with her kids doing it. Maybe her experience isn't normal, but I don't have hours every day to sit and do math. If I took one hour for each kid and did that, that would be 3 hours out of my day that I need to be working, to earn money for the family, and we can't afford it.

 

 

:iagree:

 

That is pretty much how we do it. I started off the year with a very teacher-intensive curriculum for history (TOG) where I had to plan all the weeks, get all the books, keep track of the books for each week, copy the worksheets, read the books, direct lectures, projects, etc, and that is just not something that I can keep up with. We did it for about 13 weeks and then stopped.

 

I teach them to read and write well, those take up the most time for me in the early years. I make sure they are on track with math and doing a program that works well for each of them (right now that is Singapore for my 2nd grader and CLE for my 5th grader). I am always available for math and check their work. But once they can read, I expect that a lot more gets done independently. I still spend time on the planning, purchasing and organizing the materials, making a basic framework, but by 4th-5th grade my goal is that much of their daily work is independently done.

 

ETA: Right Start math looks fun, but it would NEVER work in our family.

[Plateau Mama]

Thanks for your replies, it helps give me a little perspective. My oldest DS (10) does his math independently now because we aren't using

Right Start G, and most of the MM 5 comes easy to him. For some reason I just always had it in my brain that math would always be one

of those teacher intensive subjects, hmmm, stuff to think about!

 

What's teacher intensive should be dependent on your child. Like I said my middle kid gets math, but writing he struggles. Every year I pick an area of focus. Last year it was writing. We spent at least an hour a day writing. It. Was. Hard, but this year that dropped to 20-30 minutes. He still struggles with it, but he knows what he supposed to do. This year our focus has been memory work.

 

My oldest doesnt struggle with school. She struggles with organization, which affects her school in missing/forgotten assignments.

 

Its still too early to tell with my youngest (5yo), but right now learning to read/phonics is our intensive subject.

[GailV]

Digression that maybe should've been in the other thread: RightStart isn't so much about spending lots of time "teaching" math. It's about spending lots of time interacting with your child in regards to math.

 

At our house we talk about math All. The. Time. We have dinner table discussions about math, we talk about it in the car on long trips, we yammer on constantly about math. Many times my kids have come across a math story problem in a program or test. and commented that it was exactly like something they'd heard discussed.

 

I seem to recall that the author of RightStart makes the point that kids should observe and participate in these types of conversations. In order to insure that this happens, she's written a program that *requires* an adult to talk with kids about math quite a bit (which probably becomes talking TO kids about math in some cases). You know how in college you hang out with your study group discussing nerdy stuff late into the night about your "big ideas" about science/literature/math/whatever the heck you're studying? She's trying to provide that to kids starting at an early age, trying to show them that math is a living thing that people play around with and think about.

 

So, perhaps the original post should be regarding what you spend time discussing with your kids in that sort of way -- which subjects are you bringing to life?

 

ETA: I've had way too little sleep, and am up late waiting for homeschool prom to be over, so I don't guarantee that this ramble makes sense.

[NASDAQ]

Actually, my daughter finds "bring the academics into real life" intensely stressful. She's an anxious sort to begin with, and if I start to pop up with impromtu lessons, she's going to get nervous and seize up. She'd rather put "math" in a predictable set time.

[violamama]

I always thought "teacher intensive" meant it required more prep-work on my part. I can see how that phrase would apply to a scripted curric with older kids, too.

 

My kids are little so everything is done together. While I do my best to help them get to the answers under their own power, let's face it: I'm teaching and they are not yet independent. Sometimes I wander away for 3.7 seconds while the older one finishes math exercises. If I wander for longer, he will start drawing pictures on the pages. Actually, FWIW, taking responsibility for his own focus is something I am actively trying to help him develop.

[Quiver0f10]

:iagree:

 

That is pretty much how we do it. I started off the year with a very teacher-intensive curriculum for history (TOG) where I had to plan all the weeks, get all the books, keep track of the books for each week, copy the worksheets, read the books, direct lectures, projects, etc, and that is just not something that I can keep up with. We did it for about 13 weeks and then stopped.

 

I teach them to read and write well, those take up the most time for me in the early years. I make sure they are on track with math and doing a program that works well for each of them (right now that is Singapore for my 2nd grader and CLE for my 5th grader). I am always available for math and check their work. But once they can read, I expect that a lot more gets done independently. I still spend time on the planning, purchasing and organizing the materials, making a basic framework, but by 4th-5th grade my goal is that much of their daily work is independently done.

 

ETA: Right Start math looks fun, but it would NEVER work in our family.

I switched from TOG this year too for the same reasons. May I ask what you are using instead? Thanks!

[Julie Smith]

I so far teach all the subjects we cover, with the exception of piano.

 

But we don't cover grammar or writing yet. I will hopefully find something that will let me take on a mentor role more than a teacher role. (We do copy work in history, and dictation in spelling.)

[I.Dup.]

I switched from TOG this year too for the same reasons. May I ask what you are using instead? Thanks!

 

 

For history? I'm just going back to SOTW and having them listen to the CDs and read/do projects with them when I'm able. But history isn't something I focus on until they get a bit older and can be a bit more independent- now that I learned my lesson after TOG. I plan to have my 6th grader do a lot more history reading this year (for 6th).

[momma2three]

I think there's a difference between "teaching" and "teacher intensive."

 

DD does both MEP and Math Mammoth. MEP is very "teacher intensive." There's a script. There are games that I need to set up. There are manipulative that I need to find and organize and set up too. Every moment that we're doing MEP, I have to be sitting right next to her, fully engaged, for the 1/2 hour.

 

Math Mammoth is supposed to be largely self-taught. It still requires some reaching, IME. I sit next to her while she starts, and makes sure that she understands the questions. Maybe I'll sit while she does the first few, just to make sure. Then I can zone out: either continue sitting next to her doing my own thing, or wander off to do something. I check up frequently, and am never out of earshot and rarely out of the room.

 

Both are very solid programs, I think. They just have different teacher requirements. But sometimes I don't have the full 1/2 hour block, plus the prep time before, to sit with her for MEP. I have two younger kids who are into EVERYTHING and demand their own attention. A half hour is a long time for them. We usually do MEP when they're in bed already, and just DD1 is awake. Math Mammoth can be done while I'm also taking care of them, making dinner, straightening up, or reading the WTM forum.

 

If your other kids let you have that sort of 1/2 hour block every day, you're luckier than I am! It's just not something that works for every family. 1/2 an hour doesn't sound like much time I guess, but it's a very long time with a 2 year old troublemaker running around.

[Mandy in TN]

Regarding RightStart- when my son was little we did quite a bit of math play, it was fun and I didn't need to purchase an expensive program to do it.

 

Regarding programs that want to hold my hand but still eat up a chunk of my time instead of simplifying school or programs that require me to do all the prep work before we can do school, I am just not particularly interested. For me curriculum is something I can use to make planning easier on me or something I can use to simplify or enrich our journey. If something is cumbersome or time-consuming, if it adds to the load without adding to the result, it isn't something I am interested in using. Sometimes we have to try something to figure out if it is enriching or just adding to the load.

 

Example- My son didn't like LoF. He wanted to know why he needed to read a short story to do his math and then the math was only a few problems that he didn't find interesting. He wanted to do more math without having to read a story every time. I had thought it might be enrich the journey, but, for him, LoF added to the load without adding to the result and cheated him out of math time, but he liked Penrose the Mathematical Cat. I had an extra student who loves construction paper and glue. She loves lapbooks and making things pretty. For her these things enrich the journey and cement what she has learned. For my son, these are evil, unnecessary things designed to make something take longer. <shrug> What is worthwhile and what is just adding to the load is different for everyone.

 

HTH-

Mandy

[sbgrace]

I've used RightStart (A, B, 1/2 C), Singapore, and Math in Focus. There is a big difference in the amount of parental effort required to teach a RightStart lesson vs. working through instruction or problems in, say, Singapore with a child. This is true even though one of mine isn't even remotely an independent worker.

[Ravin]

Things I explicitly teach..

Pretty much everything, except reading comprehension, which we use an online thing for (Read Theory). DD is NOT an "independent learning" kind of kid. She needs hand-holding and explicit instruction in pretty much everything academic.

[TraceyS/FL]

Pretty much everything, except reading comprehension, which we use an online thing for (Read Theory).

Ohhhh, I hadn't seen this before - I shall be checking it out for DD!! Thanks!