Chez J Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 Hi all, What grade does one start the life of fred series for math? I am using Horizons, which ends at the end of 6th grade. My daughter will need to graduate high school with calculus for her currently chose career of architecture. Backing from Calculus in LoF, we would start fractions in 6th grade. Is that right and reasonable? (Obviously she's not in 6th yet LOL! or I'd know the answer to this.) I know she'll have to finish Alg. I in 8th to make calculus by 12th. Also, is it all in one, or would I supplement? Would NEM work? Or, better to use Lial's for algebra? TIA, Lesley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alana in Canada Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 :lurk5: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom22ns Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 LoF Fractions followed by Decimals/Percents will probably not take you all of 7th grade if you have done horizons all the way through 6th. Most of what will be covered in those two will be review with just a little new material. If you plan to stick with the Fred series, you can then go straight on to Algebra, or he may have his pre-algebra book written by then and you could slip it in between. Either way, starting Algebra in 8th grade you will be in Calculus in his series in 12th. Debbie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 My ds is in 5th. We are just finishing Fractions and will finish decimals before the end of the school year. We are concurrently working through Singapore 5a. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shasta Mom Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 My ds is in 5th. We are just finishing Fractions and will finish decimals before the end of the school year. We are concurrently working through Singapore 5a. Great news on timing! I'm waiting for LOF to arrive at my doorstep, and we're done with 4B in 2 weeks. I was hoping we could dive into it soon:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindyg Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 I think you could do LOF Fractions in 4th grade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 We did LOF Fractions after Singapore 4B, and will do Decimals/Percents after 5B. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmoira Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 I think you could do LOF Fractions in 4th grade.I agree. DD the Elder seems like she needs a bit of a variety in math (February blues and all that), so I re-read LOF: Fractions over the weekend and compared it with coverage in Levels 4 and 5 of Singapore Primary Math. I could see nothing that would trip her up. We started this morning, much to her delight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmoira Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 We did LOF Fractions after Singapore 4B, and will do Decimals/Percents after 5B.I am thinking along the same line with respect to Decimals/percents. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shasta Mom Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 I am thinking along the same line with respect to Decimals/percents. :D Oh this is great! Now if we could only find our mailbox that the snowplow took out last week......I'm sure it's there:confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chez J Posted February 24, 2009 Author Share Posted February 24, 2009 Horizons gets into a lot of fractions in third grade and has introduced basic decimals also. So, maybe in 4th for fractions would be good. Thanks again. Lesley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzie in Ma Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 We were doing the 1st two books this year in 7th. I wrote to ask if we would continue in that vein. Here is his reply. Dear Lizzie, If she's under the age of 18, I would strongly suggest using the Fred's Home Companions along with the Life of Fred books for the two algebras. All of the answers plus other material is included in the Fred's Home Companions. Since the books are intended to be self-teaching, all you have to say each day is four words, "Please do a lesson." There are 108 lessons in beginning algebra and 101 in advanced algebra. And the Life of Fred series contains more mathematics than any other home schooling curriculum that I know of. A lot of the other curricula do a tremendous amount of repetition---especially Saxon. Many parents have written to me saying that they tell their kids "Do just the odd problems" or something to that effect. The government schools waste an inordinate amount of time in their teaching. When I taught at the high school level, I had to invent a kinds of time wasters so that I didn't finish the official textbook in April. I'm currently writing book #12 in the series: Life of Fred: Linear Algebra. Linear algebra is a university-level math course, typically taught at the junior level to math majors. After I button that one up in the late spring, I'm heading back to put a book or two between your daughter's LOF: Decimals and Percents and LOF: Beginning Algebra-----something to give the kid's some time to let their brains mature. I studied beginning algebra in the 9th grade. Trying to learn algebra before puberty is a tough proposition. I don't want to rehash the fractions, decimals, and percents material, but stirring it into a new context would (1) cement it into their brains and (2) give their brains time to grow up. I'm thinking of something like Life of Fred: Physics After Arithmetic. All the best to you, Stan My dd is sailing through the 1st two and has gone through puberty so we will be using the Beginning Algebra and Home Companion as he suggests. Hope this helps in some way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AuntPol Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 Both of my kids are doing LOF Fractions right now. My son is in 3rd grade and almost done with 4A and my dd is in AG 4th grade math. So far it is all review (they just did the bridge after chapter 15). I plan to finish this book and 4B this year and start them on decimals and 5A/B next year. I really like the book. The explanations are easy. There is a lot of review thrown in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindyg Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 In today's LOF Decimals lesson, ds literally fell in the floor in laughter at the story line. (The kids in the story go to a steak place that sells steak by "half a cow." I'm not sure how that work go over in a vegetarian family, but my son (5th grade) found it hilarious!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plimsoll Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 When the student is able to do multi-digit multiplication and long division. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EthiopianFood Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 In today's LOF Decimals lesson, ds literally fell in the floor in laughter at the story line. (The kids in the story go to a steak place that sells steak by "half a cow." I'm not sure how that work go over in a vegetarian family, but my son (5th grade) found it hilarious!) Cross out "cow" and write in "block of tofu." :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mariajames Posted March 30, 2010 Share Posted March 30, 2010 The decimal numeral system (also called base ten or occasionally denary) has ten as its base. It is the numerical base most widely used by modern civilizations. i love this forum and i think we are going to have a wonderful time here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JessaMae Posted March 30, 2010 Share Posted March 30, 2010 Thanks for this thread! My daughter is starting Singapore 4A (as soon as it arrives :001_smile: ) She has completed 2B, 3A, and 3B this year already. I am afraid she is moving too fast through these books! (she is 10) Adding in LOF between Singapore books sounds great. And after checking out the website, I have a feeling my daughter is really going to enjoy these books! I just added in LoF Fractions when I ordered Singapore 4A. I'm so glad I found this thread :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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