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Mackfam
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| Posted: July 11 2007 at 2:56pm | IP Logged
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Could someone give me an idea of exactly "how" the program works. I'm really intrigued because of the good things I've heard and it seems like a much better fit for my 6th grader, but I already have the Saxon 76 book, and I'm so afraid to make this huge investment.
Does the child have to watch a DVD each day for the lesson? I don't understand the digital scoring. And about how many practice problems does the child do per day?
Are any of you ordering the Math 6 book?
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Jen Mackintosh
Wife to Rob, mom to dd 19 , ds 16, ds 11, dd 8, and dd 3
Wildflowers and Marbles
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Karen T
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| Posted: July 11 2007 at 3:22pm | IP Logged
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Mackfam wrote:
Could someone give me an idea of exactly "how" the program works. I'm really intrigued because of the good things I've heard and it seems like a much better fit for my 6th grader, but I already have the Saxon 76 book, and I'm so afraid to make this huge investment.
Does the child have to watch a DVD each day for the lesson? I don't understand the digital scoring. And about how many practice problems does the child do per day?
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Jennifer,
I have only used the algebra I set so it may vary slightly for the different years. All of the teaching info is in the textbook - you can teach directly from that, or have the child read it, without using the CDs at all, if desired. But, the CD reads the lecture outloud and works the problems on a whiteboard just a a real-life teacher would. you don't see the teacher, just the whiteboard and the writing as he is speaking. Each lesson has 5 practice problems that are covered this way - best for the student to stop the video, do one problem, then watch him do it and check his answer, then stop and do the next, etc. Then after those are done there are 25 (?) problems which include both the lesson and previous lessons and there is always a word problem which is very similar to the one in the practice set. The answer book has just the answers, no step-by-step problem solving. If you don't understand how to get the right answer, you can use the Solutions CD which does do every problem step-by-step. There are tests for each chapter and the solutions done the same way.
I don't know what you mean about digital scoring - no problems are done on the computer by the student. Maybe you are seeing the lesson numbers?
Saxon is very easy to re-sell at a good price, so if you really want to try TT, post your Saxon on Cathswap or other boards - I sold all my 8/7 stuff very quickly.
karen T
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Mackfam
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Non Nobis
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| Posted: July 11 2007 at 3:30pm | IP Logged
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I think when the website talks about digital scoring, they must mean watching the DVD and completing the practice problem and checking with the DVD after hearing how you describe it. Or maybe they mean the solutions CD. Thank you so much for the other information.
Do you think it's possible to have the child do odds or evens on the problems? Do you think the 25 a day is necessary?
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Jen Mackintosh
Wife to Rob, mom to dd 19, ds 16, ds 11, dd 8, and dd 3
Wildflowers and Marbles
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Karen T
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| Posted: July 11 2007 at 3:49pm | IP Logged
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OK, i just went and viewed the sample for Math 7 - yes it apparently does let the student enter answers right into the program, and then keeps track and has a little gradebook. Really neat!
Like I said I've only used algebra I and at that level, all work is done written out so maybe that is why it's different.
It says they have a 30 day guarantee, so maybe you can try it out and see how you like it!
Karen T
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Karen T
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| Posted: July 11 2007 at 3:53pm | IP Logged
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Oops, forgot to answer about the problem numbers. I just checked our book and it's actually 20 problems in addition to the practice ones. I always had ds do them all b/c he gets careless and makes little mistakes in his hurry.
I know the spiral approach is considered to be the way to teach math now and I do think reviewing previous concepts is key, I think most books (Saxon is the worst about it IMO but even TT does it to some degree) lean so far on the review and sacrifice learning the new material as well. So I think doing all 20 problems is a good idea unless you want to pick and choose which ones. They did not take long; ds was able to watch a lesson, do the practice, review it and do the problems in an hour most days.
While drill can be overused in younger kids, i think the older they get the more they need extra problems, esp if they are having trouble with the concepts.
Karen T
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4Real Forums : Living and Loving Numbers
Topic: Teaching Textbooks
