DragonFaerie Posted June 1, 2014 Share Posted June 1, 2014 DS is really good at math, but we're having some trouble settling on a curriculum. He used TT for years and did really well, until he got bored with it last year. We tried Dolciani and AoPS, both of which he hated. So now he's doing Saxon and Life of Fred. Saxon started off well, but now he's getting impatient because of the sheer number of problems (he feels like it takes forever to get through a lesson). He still likes Fred, but that doesn't have enough practice and review for me. I consider Saxon our core and Fred as "fun math." My plan was to just keep going with Fred's Pre-Algebra books and Saxon 8/7 with Pre-Algebra for 6th, but I really, really, REALLY don't want him to start hating math. He is so good at it and it gives him such confidence to know that he's "ahead" in math. So what should I do? Any pre-algebra curriculum suggestions for us? UPDATE: Well, we've gotten it figured out. DS LOVES math, and even though he gets impatient with Saxon, he understands the need for it as our math spine. So, we've settled on Saxon, the Key to... series, Math Reasoning, and Murderous Maths (he likes reading these). LOF will be dropped. Thanks for the help, y'all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mathmarm Posted June 1, 2014 Share Posted June 1, 2014 This is equal parts suggestion and genuine question: Can you do 1/2 the Saxon problems orally, and 1/2 written? It will speed up the process and give him a chance to get better at mental math. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonFaerie Posted June 1, 2014 Author Share Posted June 1, 2014 This is equal parts suggestion and genuine question: Can you do 1/2 the Saxon problems orally, and 1/2 written? It will speed up the process and give him a chance to get better at mental math. Hmmm... I don't know. I've already been struggling with getting him to show his work. He just kind of "gets" math. He can look at a problem and just know the answer, though a lot of times, he doesn't know how he knows it, he just does. It's really very strange. But then when he misses something, he demands, "How is that wrong??" And I have to tell him, "I don't know how you missed it. You didn't show me your work." Anyway, wandering a bit off topic there, but I'm afraid that letting him do problems orally will just undermine the whole thing about showing his work. I do let him just write the answer if he can do it in his head, but then if he misses it, he has to show me the work on his correction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted June 2, 2014 Share Posted June 2, 2014 Another possibility might be Margaret Lial's PreAlgebra book. Have him do every fourth problem or so as there are MANY problems. Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HollyDay Posted June 2, 2014 Share Posted June 2, 2014 Have you looked at Horizon's pre-Algebra? We really liked that one. They have an algebra 1 text but I'm not sure about anything higher than that. I also like Lial's algebra books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonFaerie Posted June 2, 2014 Author Share Posted June 2, 2014 Thanks for the suggestions. I'll check them out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragons in the flower bed Posted June 2, 2014 Share Posted June 2, 2014 For algebra and up, there are supplemental Fred booklets with extra practice problems. I think they are called Zillions of Practice Problems. But it sounds like the main issue is that he doesn't want to do a lot of practice problems and you do want him to do a lot of practice problems. If you sat down with him in a Math Conference and said that and, "I'm going to win because I'm the parent, but how can we sweeten that for you?" he might say . . . "offer me math amnesty for ten problems of my choice on each page . . . pay me a penny for any problem over ten that I do . . . let me do all drill via a computer game . . . ", right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonFaerie Posted June 2, 2014 Author Share Posted June 2, 2014 For algebra and up, there are supplemental Fred booklets with extra practice problems. I think they are called Zillions of Practice Problems. But it sounds like the main issue is that he doesn't want to do a lot of practice problems and you do want him to do a lot of practice problems. If you sat down with him in a Math Conference and said that and, "I'm going to win because I'm the parent, but how can we sweeten that for you?" he might say . . . "offer me math amnesty for ten problems of my choice on each page . . . pay me a penny for any problem over ten that I do . . . let me do all drill via a computer game . . . ", right? LOL... That's not actually what I'm after, though. I'm looking for a happy medium between the 10 problems or less in Fred and the 30+ problems in Saxon. But actually, when I tried to discuss it with him, he said, "I'm good with whatever you pick." :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragons in the flower bed Posted June 2, 2014 Share Posted June 2, 2014 LOL... That's not actually what I'm after, though. I'm looking for a happy medium between the 10 problems or less in Fred and the 30+ problems in Saxon. But actually, when I tried to discuss it with him, he said, "I'm good with whatever you pick." :lol: Awww, what a good boy. I think I would skip pre-algebra and start doing LOF Algebra with a small number of problems assigned from the extra practice books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonFaerie Posted June 2, 2014 Author Share Posted June 2, 2014 Awww, what a good boy. I think I would skip pre-algebra and start doing LOF Algebra with a small number of problems assigned from the extra practice books. How do I know if we can skip pre-algebra? Right now, he's working on Saxon 7/6 and working through Fred Decimals and Percents. Does that give him enough foundation to go on to Algebra? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted June 2, 2014 Share Posted June 2, 2014 How do I know if we can skip pre-algebra? Right now, he's working on Saxon 7/6 and working through Fred Decimals and Percents. Does that give him enough foundation to go on to Algebra? Good question. One thing you could do is give him a placement test. Here are a few: Saxon Algebra 1 placement test http://www.sonlight.com/uploads/saxon_a1_placement.pdf These are the placement tests for Singapore Math. If a child scores over 80% then they are able to move on to the next level. The sixth grade curriculum is broken into two books. The next level after sixth grade is an integrated math that includes algebra, geometry, etc. Singapore Primary Math 6A (U.S. Ed.) Singapore Primary Math 6B (U.S. Ed.) Calvert Algebra Placement Test (pdf with no answers) http://homeschool.calverteducation.com/placement/HS04AlgebraPlacementTest.pdf These are K12 placement tests. Answers included. Pre-Algebra A Semester 1 Assessment 13 (505 KB) Semester 2 Assessment 14 (549 KB) Pre-Algebra B Semester 1 Assessment 15 (124 KB) Semester 2 Assessment 16 (659 KB) Math-U-See Placement tests. Answers included. Pre-Algebra Placement Test Algebra 1 Placement Test Thinkwell Placement test: Test 4Algebra 1 Placement Test Answer Key 5 or less 6 or 7 8 or more complete Test 3 8th Grade Math Algebra 1 I don't think a Life of Fred placement test exists. Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonFaerie Posted June 2, 2014 Author Share Posted June 2, 2014 Good question. One thing you could do is give him a placement test. Here are a few: Saxon Algebra 1 placement test http://www.sonlight.com/uploads/saxon_a1_placement.pdf These are the placement tests for Singapore Math. If a child scores over 80% then they are able to move on to the next level. The sixth grade curriculum is broken into two books. The next level after sixth grade is an integrated math that includes algebra, geometry, etc. Singapore Primary Math 6A (U.S. Ed.) Singapore Primary Math 6B (U.S. Ed.) Calvert Algebra Placement Test (pdf with no answers) http://homeschool.calverteducation.com/placement/HS04AlgebraPlacementTest.pdf These are K12 placement tests. Answers included. Pre-Algebra A Semester 1 Assessment 13 (505 KB) Semester 2 Assessment 14 (549 KB) Pre-Algebra B Semester 1 Assessment 15 (124 KB) Semester 2 Assessment 16 (659 KB) Math-U-See Placement tests. Answers included. Pre-Algebra Placement Test Algebra 1 Placement Test Thinkwell Placement test: Test 4Algebra 1 Placement Test Answer Key 5 or less 6 or 7 8 or more complete Test 3 8th Grade Math Algebra 1 I don't think a Life of Fred placement test exists. Regards, Kareni Wow! Thank you so much for this! Looks like I have some research to do. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonFaerie Posted June 3, 2014 Author Share Posted June 3, 2014 UPDATE: Well, we've gotten it figured out. DS LOVES math, and even though he gets impatient with Saxon, he understands the need for it as our math spine. So, we've settled on Saxon, the Key to... series, Math Reasoning, and Murderous Maths (he likes reading these). LOF will be dropped. Thanks for the help, y'all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiana Posted June 3, 2014 Share Posted June 3, 2014 Sounds like a plan. The murderous maths will interject some of the fun/humor that I feel is missing from Saxon, but he'll still get the solid procedural competency. Best of luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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