Elinor Everywhere Posted April 26, 2009 Share Posted April 26, 2009 But let's talk review. I've been scrolling through the lessons, but for those who use it, is there enough review? It appears that each lesson is learning new concepts, which is fine, but my 11yo dd, while understanding concepts readily, requires more review than, say, Singapore offered (not including all the other books). Do you supplement? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetbaby Posted April 26, 2009 Share Posted April 26, 2009 Yes, MEP is full of review. It is a spiral program and we currently use it exclusively. It is a full math program much similar to Singapore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elinor Everywhere Posted April 26, 2009 Author Share Posted April 26, 2009 Yes, MEP is full of review. It is a spiral program and we currently use it exclusively. It is a full math program much similar to Singapore. Kysha, do you print it all out at an office supply store, or do it yourself? Also, is it possible to jump in at the 6th grade level, or would that be inadvisable to due content? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetbaby Posted April 26, 2009 Share Posted April 26, 2009 Kysha, do you print it all out at an office supply store, or do it yourself? Also, is it possible to jump in at the 6th grade level, or would that be inadvisable to due content? I print out a section of lessons at a time. If you have noticed, the lesson books are just like Singapore ex. Year 3's lessons are in books 3A and 3B but the books are divided into sections. I print out a section of a workbook and a section of the corresponding lesson plans. Many users suggest placing a child a year or more behind the current grade level if coming from an American program because MEP is advanced. You can join the yahoo group and look in the FILES section for information regarding placement. They have a list of popular homeschool math programs and how they correlate to the years in MEP. Some users basically look at the material covered in each year and decide the best fit for their children. You would want to place them in a year that is 50% review and 50% new concepts in order for them to be challenged enough but without it being too easy or without the frustration of being too overwhelming. The password to the locked books in available in the FILES of the yahoo group also. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christielee7278 Posted April 26, 2009 Share Posted April 26, 2009 We are just starting MEP. I'm putting my 11 year old (who has struggled this year with R&S grade 5) in MEP grade four, but only having him do the student worksheets until he gets to where he needs help. My almost five year old is starting Grade 1. Actually we have already started a little and he loves it. I downloaded the student pages to my computer and then uploaded them onto Office Depot's website for printing. The printing itself cost $15 and then I had the pages spiral bound for around $2. I plan on using my laptop at the table for teacher pages. I just need to get the other pages printed and we'll be ready to go! (I wanted to see how the student pages turned out before printing anymore) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elinor Everywhere Posted April 26, 2009 Author Share Posted April 26, 2009 I plan on using my laptop at the table for teacher pages. I just need to get the other pages printed and we'll be ready to go! (I wanted to see how the student pages turned out before printing anymore) Using the laptop for the teacher's pages is a great idea, and a money-saver. But when you say you need to print out other pages besides the student pages, what are they? Do you mean the copy masters? What exactly are the copy masters? I see them, but I'm not sure of their function. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elinor Everywhere Posted April 26, 2009 Author Share Posted April 26, 2009 Many users suggest placing a child a year or more behind the current grade level if coming from an American program because MEP is advanced. You can join the yahoo group and look in the FILES section for information regarding placement. They have a list of popular homeschool math programs and how they correlate to the years in MEP. Some users basically look at the material covered in each year and decide the best fit for their children. You would want to place them in a year that is 50% review and 50% new concepts in order for them to be challenged enough but without it being too easy or without the frustration of being too overwhelming. The password to the locked books in available in the FILES of the yahoo group also. HTH Thanks, I'll look at the files section. My only concern with dropping my daughter back (or actually, with starting a new program this late) is that due to her career interests, she needs to be doing Algebra I by 8th grade. If I put her back into 5th, we can't get there in time. Perhaps I discovered MEP too late, and I should just keep on with what we're doing. I was perfectly happy with our math until yesterday. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christielee7278 Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 Using the laptop for the teacher's pages is a great idea, and a money-saver. But when you say you need to print out other pages besides the student pages, what are they? Do you mean the copy masters? What exactly are the copy masters? I see them, but I'm not sure of their function. Yes, the copymasters. I'm not exactly sure yet what they are for which is one reason I haven't printed them yet. :D I know some of them are identical to the worksheets so I'm thinking most of them are for a classroom type setting. If I put her back into 5th, we can't get there in time. Perhaps I discovered MEP too late, and I should just keep on with what we're doing. I was perfectly happy with our math until yesterday. :D I'm sure others with more experience could answer this better, but my thinking is your daughter would still be ready for Algebra by that time. This program is a year ahead of most US programs so our 5th grade would be their 4th grade. She would still be at the same math level...just with a different "grade". Does that make sense? lol I think it would be worth a try anyway. Most of the worksheets for 4th and 5th are also interactive on the website so she do what my oldest will be doing to see where his level actually is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 Do you mean the copy masters? What exactly are the copy masters? I see them, but I'm not sure of their function. They are just larger copies of some of the workbook materials. You can print them if you need them, other-wise there is no need. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elinor Everywhere Posted April 27, 2009 Author Share Posted April 27, 2009 They are just larger copies of some of the workbook materials. You can print them if you need them, other-wise there is no need. Bill Thanks, Bill. I'm in a quandry right now, trying to decide if it is worth switching math programs this late in the game, which I swore I'd never do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elinor Everywhere Posted April 27, 2009 Author Share Posted April 27, 2009 This program is a year ahead of most US programs so our 5th grade would be their 4th grade. She would still be at the same math level...just with a different "grade". Does that make sense? lol I think it would be worth a try anyway. Most of the worksheets for 4th and 5th are also interactive on the website so she do what my oldest will be doing to see where his level actually is. In looking at the lesson plans, I'm not sure there's enough instruction for *me* to teach, since I won't have the luxury of teaching their way from the beginning. Hmmm. Much to think and fret over! ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephanieF Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 :iagree: That is what puts me of, I need something a bit more scripted for an individual setting rather than a class one. My friend swears that she doesn't bother with the teacher notes but just lets her son do the work, helping him where necessary. I have to say that we have covered the year 1 program using rightstart so I would start at year 2 (which is where ds is age wise too). The main difference is that mep uses the numberline which rightstart doesn't. The big advantage though is it is free lol! Stephanie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 But let's talk review. I've been scrolling through the lessons, but for those who use it, is there enough review? It appears that each lesson is learning new concepts, which is fine, but my 11yo dd, while understanding concepts readily, requires more review than, say, Singapore offered (not including all the other books). Do you supplement? Hello Elinor From about 4A onwards, both my boys have needed more practice. To change the pace a little, I am using Life Of Fred. Calvin is doing LOF Fractions now (he did has done fractions twice now and this will be his third!) and I will be doing LOF Fractions with Hobbes after 4A - perhaps missing out the chapter on dividing by fractions. I haven't looked at MEP - I can't quite cope with the idea of going to an entire new programme, rather than supplementing... Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elinor Everywhere Posted April 27, 2009 Author Share Posted April 27, 2009 I haven't looked at MEP - I can't quite cope with the idea of going to an entire new programme, rather than supplementing... Laura Hi Laura, After deliberating all weekend, I have decided the same thing. I actually like our math program, and I, too, supplement with LOF. Tessa loves it, and it's a "Fun Friday" math for her. I believe math is a subject which builds within itself in a particular order the author decrees, and I've never believed in switching around too much, particularly after 4th grade. So, although MEP looks good, I'm going to assume my kids are old enough that I've "missed the boat", and just keep doing what we're doing--which I was very pleased with until I ventured back on the boards the other day. I must stop doing that! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 Hello Elinor From about 4A onwards, both my boys have needed more practice. To change the pace a little, I am using Life Of Fred. Calvin is doing LOF Fractions now (he did has done fractions twice now and this will be his third!) and I will be doing LOF Fractions with Hobbes after 4A - perhaps missing out the chapter on dividing by fractions. I haven't looked at MEP - I can't quite cope with the idea of going to an entire new programme, rather than supplementing... Laura Laura, the workbooks in MEP I believe could easily be used as a "supplement" as long as you were able to occasionally peek at the lesson plans to made sure you understood the (at times) foreign looking elements that crop up. It's every similar to Singapore in that regard. And could expand or contract depending on your needs. Your plates seem pretty full already, so this might be the last thing you need, but I think it is something you could pick from without taking on another "full program(me)" should a little more supplementation be desired. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 Laura, the workbooks in MEP I believe could easily be used as a "supplement" as long as you were able to occasionally peek at the lesson plans to made sure you understood the (at times) foreign looking elements that crop up. It's every similar to Singapore in that regard. And could expand or contract depending on your needs. Your plates seem pretty full already, so this might be the last thing you need, but I think it is something you could pick from without taking on another "full program(me)" should a little more supplementation be desired. Bill I suspect that I should be pointing the boys a bit more towards standard UK curricula, as they are heading towards school in two years. LOF is my last foray into 'non-standard' curriculum - from now on, for the basics of English and Maths, it's straight-ahead school-style stuff. I think I'm going to work Galore Park maths in with Hobbes' Singapore and LOF: he's already finished this year's Singapore maths, and we don't finish school until the end of July, so I have time to use GP and LOF to go over a few things. On this subject: why does Singapore sometimes throw in a few subjects at the end of a book, do a very cursory few exercises, then waltz on? In the last 10 pages (4A), Hobbes has 'covered' measuring angles, parallel and perpendicular lines, perimeter and area (of rectangles). It all seems very sketchy; I remember having problems teaching it to Calvin too. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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