Jump to content

Menu

James Madison Formal Logic Review?


Recommended Posts

Critical Thinking Co put this formal Logic program for 8th+ a couple of years ago.  The crime solver format seems to be more engaging than the dry Introductory and Intermediate Logic (Nance) that oldest ds did.  Put my hands on it at Convention last year and really liked the approach.  Thinking about using it for next one in line. 

 

Is there anyone who has used it and can offer a review?  TIA 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We just started it, and I've already started to doubt the purchase. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to some of the answers. In the first lesson the goal is to determine if the meaning of a word is clear or unclear. The answer key says words like middle-sized, dangerous, and family are unclear. It also says words like smart, dirty, and alone are clear. How is dangerous unclear, but smart is clear? :001_huh:  A person can be book-smart, street-smart, etc. How is smart more clear than dangerous?

 

The reasoning seems pretty fuzzy to me. So far, I'm not impressed.at.all.

 

We're going to continue at least for a bit. I'm hoping someone who has used it the whole way through will chime in.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

We started this in August and after the first week I realized it wasn't going to work

 

I switched my dd to rulebook of arguments that has worked well. She had already completed DOD and the first part of traditional logic

 

I'm selling the James Madison, I really don't think it is a good fit for any of my kids. It sounded good in the description and would probable work for some, just not us

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We started this in August and after the first week I realized it wasn't going to work

 

I switched my dd to rulebook of arguments that has worked well. She had already completed DOD and the first part of traditional logic

 

I'm selling the James Madison, I really don't think it is a good fit for any of my kids. It sounded good in the description and would probable work for some, just not us

 

Would you mind sharing specifics about why it wasn't working for your family? Was it the format or something else?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Would you mind sharing specifics about why it wasn't working for your family? Was it the format or something else?

 

I think it is the format.   My dd had already completed Traditional Logic I, Discovery of Deduction and Fallacy Detective.  It uses a lot of examples and scenarios to explain concepts.  I was very excited about using this and thought it would be a perfect fit for my dd.  It was 

 

It turned out it was better to have something straight forward for her to find examples and explain in her own words to me.

 

I would like to hear if anyone has had  success with this book, I might give it another chance with a different child

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...