If a=b and b=c, then which logic plan should I use?

[purduemeche]

DS9 begins 5th grade next year, and for lack of knowing better, we are planning to follow TWTM's logic curriculum reco's (Mind Benders 5th and 6th grade, then Traditional Logic I&II in 7th and 8th).  Any other suggestions?  Plans you enjoyed?

[Lori D.]

Well, I personally found Mindbenders to be very limited, as it is just one kind of logic puzzle. We used Mindbenders as just one of a variety of Logic and critical thinking resources during the elementary years.

 

Esp. in the elementary and middle school grades, I really like many types of puzzles and resources to help develop a variety of skills for critical thinking, problem-solving, analysis, and out-of-box thinking that ultimately help with not only a formal Logic program later on, but help with the higher thinking-levels of high school subjects such as Literature, Science, Math, etc.

 

At the very least, I would consider alternating Mindbenders with a few other resources, such as:

- Logic Countdown / Logic Liftoff / Orbiting with Logic

- Critical Thinking Activities in Pattern, Image, and Logic (gr. 4-6) -- by Seymour

- Dr. Funster: Think  A Minutes 

- Dr. Funster's Creative Thinking Puzzlers

- sudoku and ken-ken puzzles

- codes and cryptograms

- solo activities: Rush Hour

 

And definitely incorporate strategy and logic games. Maybe enjoy having a family game night once a week and try out different kinds of games:

- Set

- Amazing Labrynth

- Checkers

- Chess

- The Secret Door

- Forbidden Island

- Carcassone

- Takenoko

- Catan

 

 

You might also find these past threads helpful in thinking through the "why" of doing Logic, and some additional resource ideas:

s/o from Where's the Logic? thread. What if your child has never been exposed to this stuff?

13 year old who has not done any formal logic

Does anyone do 3 hours of Logic/week in Logic stage? And if not, how much logic is proper?

Can someone educate me on Logic?

Can you post your progression for Logic?

Logic resources needed (for 5th grade; preferably secular)

 

 

BEST of luck, and enjoy your Logic adventures! Warmest regards, Lori D.

 

[redsquirrel]

In 5th grade we went through the entire 'logic liftoff' series. My son enjoyed it very much, and it was a good way for use to learn to 'make room' in our schedule for the subject of logic.

[RootAnn]

My oldest dd liked reading the Fallacy Detective with me during 6th grade year. We did it all orally and went off on rabbit trails sometimes because of some of the questions. (We didn't always agree with each other or the suggested answers in back. Made for some fun debates.) If you do it twice per week (15-20 minutes for most lessons, but I scheduled 30 just in case we went off on a rabbit trail), you can finish in a semester or just over a semester. 

 

I followed it up this year with a semester-long (but much more intense, content & time-wise) Art of Argument with three of dd's peers (two other girls, one boy). Really fun to do with a group!

 

I'm not sure yet if we'll do Memoria Press's Traditional Logic I or Canon Press's Introductory Logic (newest edition w/DVD) next year (8th). 

 

Good luck!