Help me figure out FAN process skills....

[scrapper4life]

I've been reading about CLE and the forum's consensus about word problem weakness. After reading multiple posts, I am left with the following questions about using FAN PS to supplement CLE:

 

1. How often/how much FAN PS per week? I am hoping for once a week, but would like to hear what others do.

 

2. Is there a TM? I looked at Level one online sample and wasn't sure how to do the "lessons." If no TM, advice appreciated!

 

3. How do the levels line up? Do I use FAN level one for CLE 100?

 

4. At what CLE level do you start supplementing word problems?

 

5. Is there a website (free would be awesome) that provides needed word problem practice? If I could supplement with a fun game website instead of another workbook, that would be great. Perhaps there is something out there like xtramath but for word problems. However, I want program strength, so if another workbook (FAN) is the way to go, I'll do it.

 

Thank you so much!

Edited May 29, 2016 by scrapper4life

[sbgrace]

I use FAN math with CLE. I also used it with other math programs, including Singapore based in fact. I do think CLE needs supplemental word problem work if possible. It's not just that CLE is relatively weak in word problems for me, though that is enough reason to supplement here. But FAN math also provides more challenge. Stretching brains helps them grow, and I like stretching a bit in math. FAN math has been an easy way to do that here.

 

 

I've been reading about CLE and the forum's consensus about word problem weakness. After reading multiple posts, I am left with the following questions about using FAN PS to supplement CLE:

1. How often/how much FAN PS per week? I am hoping for once a week, but would like to hear what others do.

 

We actually do 1 or, more often, 2 problems a day. We just do it along with our CLE work.  I think it would fine to sub out some of the word problem work in CLE with a FAN math problem if that works better.  So if this CLE lesson has two word problems, you could just replace one or both with a CLE that day.   I like this way of working through the books. We spread the content out more so we don't do an entire lesson in a  single setting and just forget whatever the next week. Some of the problems are quite challenging in the upper levels, and it's nice to put all your brain into 1 or  2 problems instead of 6 I think. 

 

Alternatively, you could schedule a lesson on CLE quiz days or, if there is no quiz day in a given week,  in place of CLE one day that week something like that. You'd just have to see how many problems you would need to do each session to move through a book a year in that way. I have Level 5 and Level 6 here. Level 5 has 34 lessons and Level 6 has 31 lessons. Each lesson typically has 4-8 problems, though it varies.

2. Is there a TM? I looked at Level one online sample and wasn't sure how to do the "lessons." If no TM, advice appreciated!

 

The books include instruction written to the student in each section/chapter start, including explaining the thinking behind the model problems. These books are really thorough and clear compared to other resources I've seen and used. The back of each book includes completely worked out solutions to all problems. There is no TM needed.

 

Basically, we would look at and discuss the sample problem instruction in the beginning of the lesson. Then we would work through the problems. When the kids were little, we did them together on a white board. I did all math together at that age, so maybe they could have done them alone, I don't know. My independent worker, at some point, started working through the books on his own. I grade and we work together if he missed a problem. As the books have gotten harder, we started going through tricky sections more than once.

3. How do the levels line up? Do I use FAN level one for CLE 100?

I didn't start CLE until 5th grade, so I can't answer for sure. I didn't use FAN level one with RightStart, but that sequence was different. I *think* CLE lines up well with Singapore introduction of things like subtraction and addition.The FAN math with align with Singapore sequence.  It lined up perfectly with Singapore sequence in 5th grade. That said, some people use Singapore Challenging Word Problems one level behind grade level because they are challenging. The FAN math will have similar challenge levels. My kids are both 6th grade and completed CLE 600 into 700 this year. One is doing FAN math Level 5 with CLE 600/700. The other is doing Level 6 with CLE 600/700. The one in Level 5 just wasn't ready for Level 6, so we went back to rework 5 with him. He's typically been moving through the books a bit behind grade level though.

4. At what CLE level do you start supplementing word problems?

I don't know given I didn't use CLE in the early grades. The Level 1 book is about learning the basics of bar models/is pretty simple I think. I believe I started in 3rd grade, but we went back and did Levels 1 and 2 prior to Level 3. I don't remember how I structured it back then, and I wasn't using CLE at the time. But we able to work through the early books quickly and catch up to grade level. If you want to use FAN math, I would just purchase Level 1. If it seems appropriate, use it. If not, you can save it until CLE 200. It would be fine to keep FAN math one grade behind. However, I had one who was sort of resistant to using the Singapore methods presented in Level 1 to solve problems he could easily do in his head at the point we began! Starting earlier would also give you some cushion in moving through the books at whatever pace works for you and your child.

5. Is there a website (free would be awesome) that provides needed word problem practice? If I could supplement with a fun game website instead of another workbook, that would be great. Perhaps there is something out there like xtramath but for word problems. However, I want program strength, so if another workbook (FAN) is the way to go, I'll do it.

 

Maybe http://www.mathplayground.com/thinkingblocks.html would work well? I haven't used it to compare, but it's a bar model method of problem solving.

Thank you so much
 

 

Edited May 29, 2016 by sbgrace

[lorisuewho]

I really don't have much to add to the previous poster!  She already did a great job of answering your questions!

 

We used FAN with CLE (and Horizons and Rod and Staff and MEP).  In other words, whatever math program was our spine, we still supplemented with either FAN process skills or CWP.  I prefer FAN because I think it does a much better job of explaining HOW to solve the problems.

 

Level 1 of FAN is really basic.  I honestly believe it could be skipped; however, I really wouldn't use the program above grade level unless you have a super strong math student.  I did level 1 this past year with my first grader who was doing 2nd grade in Horizons but it was too simple.  I wish I had just done level 2 with her. With my boys they did FAN math one half to one full year lower than their regular math so we could focus on solving problems and not on the actual arithmetic skill. 

 

I don't know of a teacher manual but I think the book offers a good deal of help in how to solve each type of problem.