Discovery of Deduction or Argument Builder after Art of Argument

[SoCal Sandra]

I can't decide whether to follow AOA with DOD or AB for dss 13. Any opinions or experiences? TIA.

[fluffybunny]

I found the DoD quite wordy and difficult, even for me ... never mind my 12 year old. James Nance's Introductory Logic (formal) has a much better way of teaching. The chapters are short and to the point, followed by clear exercises. We have just finished it and I think it has given ds a good foundation in formal logic. We are going to go through AoA next, but ds knows his informal fallacies quite well, so we'll probably just be looking at the pictures! I like how this book presents ideas in picture form and adverts, as not all fallacies are spoken. The best chapter of DoD is the last chapter: it covers some really great topics. This is the only chapter my ds will do of this book.

[TheApprentice]

Discovery of Deduction wordy and boring for my ds (at the time 8tn grade). It also got to be quite difficult for this age level. We made it about 1/2 way through. We dropped it, and now he get's his practice in logic from other areas (ie. geometry and computer programming). I'm fine with that.

[SilverMoon]

I think Argument Builder is the best next step. Kids that age naturally like to argue, so you may as well use it to your advantage.

[lewelma]

We did not like DoD and quit. Argument Builder is very similar to any rhetoric writing program like LToW or Corbett. So just don't double up.

 

Ruth in NZ

[Chrysalis Academy]

I hope this isn't too OT, but anybody used Argument Builder and liked it? Ruth, seeing you say it's similar to LToW piques my interest. I bought an old used copy of LToW to consider using, and pretty much want to throw it across the room every time I try to read it, it is so poorly organized. I don't have the cd/videos, which maybe would help, and I apparently don't have the patience to just figure it out . . . so I'm wondering if AB is similar enough, and easier to use? I haven't seen in discussed much, so wonder if anyone has experience with it.

[elegantlion]

I think where you go next depends upon your child. We did DoD and ds loved it, he's wordy and logical and CAP products work for him. Dod is formal logic and difficult. I believe formal logic is best done with your child in most cases. Ds needed someone to bounce ideas off of and make sure he was understanding concepts. I went through the book the summer before he did.

 

Argument Builder, we started using it this spring and will finish next year. It's beginning rhetoric and with a delayed writer we put it off until now.

 

It's also okay to wait. I looked at the other formal logic products and felt they were too sparse for us.

 

CAP provides decent samples on their website, enough to know whether the product will work for you or not.

 

 

Another option for beginning argumentation is Workbook for Arguments. This is an expanded version of the Rulebook for Arguments listed in WTM for 9th grade. The publisher website has a preview. Hackett Publishing.