Method To Madness-Teaching Textbooks, Abeka and Saxon

Three Maths - One Challenge

My son started the school year doing a combination of Abeka (Core Curriculum) and Teaching Textbooks.

Here's My Challenges With Both
Then the curve ball with another - SAXON Math

Speed Racer's Starting Point:

*Triage and Sharpening in the below skills are needed*

Multiplication and Division Quick Recall

Fractions (Adding or Subtracting Mixed Numbers, Multiplying, Dividing)

Decimals (Multiplying and Dividing).

ABEKA MATH 6
Speed Racer uses this as his core Math Curriculum.

He watches the video instructor (this is his favorite class to watch) and does workbook 'seat work' with the class. Then every other day he has either a Speed Drill of old facts and 5-10 'homework' problems and homework. Truth be told I should've gotten him Math 5 since he isn't really ready for 6th grade math.

We are 50 days into these lessons and for Abeka Academy.

Findings:
- He can't 'cheat' the system
- What he doesn't know is easily revealed in (1) the speed drills (2) the homework (3) the hand written quizzes and test
- He can call the video teacher or speak to a tutor provided by Abeka Academy when he gets stuck

TEACHING TEXTBOOK 6
Speed Racer uses this as his supplemental Math Curriculum.

This he does completely independent.

I check his scores everyday when I get home. He's been scoring 70s and 80s.

We are 86 days into this curriculum as he was doing it for summer.


Findings:
- My kid found a way to'cheat' the system
- What he doesn't know is  not easily revealed unless I (1) disable the calculator function on the computer (2) keep a watchful eye on his scoring - which questions he got wrong or right

I'm putting this curriculum aside for Summer Learning since he isn't retaining his math facts from it. It's too easy for him to 'cheat' the program and neither one of us likes their book that much. It's not helping him to master some core concepts.

SAXON MATH 6/5
This will be Speed Racers NEW Core Math...

Saxon! Boy have I heard mixed reviews on this one. However, after realizing my Speed Racer had problems with his core math facts - memorization or knowing the answers cold, I thumbed through a friend's copy of this Math curriculum she swears by. We are using Math 6/5 which means it's for an average 6th grader and an advanced 5th grader. We got the paperback bound books so my kid who hates writing can write directly on the page the answers to the problems.

He does bulk at the number of problems he has to do:

(1) Math Drills (50 to 100 problems) timed - takes him about 5 to 10 min.

(2) Mental Math Practice - another 5-10 problems - takes about 5 min with me.

(3) New Lesson Practice where he and I read the lesson direction and he does problems in the lesson review: 25-30 problems - takes another 30 min.

It is recommended that the child complete ALL problems for the best success. This though may be the reason lots of parents and kids 'hate' it. However, this was the way I learned math when I was a kid and it worked wonders for me. Not only that, it solidifies his learning.

There is a test every 10 lessons.

We are 15 days into this curriculum and - HE IS MASTERING HIS FACTS. A great improvement. Whew!

Findings:
- My kid can't cheat this system.
- He finishes it and with each lesson I see him doing it faster (although he complains) so I time him.
- I do make him finish all the questions - but we break it up during the day. He does the Drills and mental math sections in the morning, then after snack/lunch he finishes the new lesson after his favorite class - reading.



OVERALL MATH with HIGH SCHOOL

and ELEMENTARY

SAXON gets it done and goes all the way up to CALCULUS

ABEKA is very RIGOROUS and triage is difficult for younger grades. The upper grades in HIGH SCHOOL Algebra is VERY challenging, but on par with SAXON.

TEACHING TEXTBOOKS is a 'light' math curriculum, good as a supplement if you have plans for your kid to enter engineering or science fields - try one of the above maths (SAXON or ABEKA). The Algebra 1 and 2 is 'very' light compared to the other two curriculums.

CTCMath.com is a REALLY good option to TEACHING TEXTBOOKS as it offers SPEED DRILLS, ALL GRADES up to CALCULUS and is online with parental controls.

 

BENEFITS TO USING 2 TYPES OF MATH CURRICULUMs?
Or Even Changing Them.

It's easy to find places where your child is having the most challenges.

There is no 'perfect' one fits all Math Program out there. So build one of your own.

Using both has shown me the 'strength of each'.

We still use supplements like XtraMath.com and flashcards just to mix things up.


WEEKLY WRAP UP

Tiger Lilly is really cramming for her CLEP test in English COMPOSITION. I really hope she passes it. So I've been timing her on essay writing, having her take sample test, and reviewing her flashcard memorization progress.

Her other classes we cut back on since we are using a 'block schedule' it works well with moving around stuff.

Speed Racer had a mini-tantrum (pouting & tossing himself around - at 11 yrs old - really! Sigh.) while working with his sister Rose. So, he had to recite the CALM DOWN list 2 times that day and spend some time doing jumping jacks while reflecting. After that, he was back on track. His scheduled subjects have had a bit of a change around, but he adjusted fine.

Report Cards were given to the kids. Overall both are doing well, but there are areas of needed improvement (mainly for me to find what works best for them). I asked them to advise mom/dad (teachers) on how we can make them successful in some of their more challenging subjects. Speed Racer needed better direction in (Math & Spelling). Tiger Lilly wanted a more interactive Language program and wanted out of Abeka Spanish because she doesn't have a 'passion' for that language. So we updated her Japanese and added French.

WORKING PARENT's LOG

Meals. Didn't do grocery shopping on Sunday or meal planning. So...did some of it on Monday while my home helper (sister Rose) ran the kiddos to their sports.Then I sent hubba to the store on Tuesday to get the things I forgot (he was happy since I took over his evening of schooling to send him on the errand). I planned plain ole meat with veggie meals for the week. One crockpot dish and rice as a side.

Cleaning. Still haven't had a chance to wash my clothes. However, the kids close are somewhat caught up (still have 4 loads). I did wash clothes during 'schooling hours' and put on the 'baby monitor' that lets me make sure the kids are still on task when I cleaned the upstairs bathrooms.

Work & Life Balance. A bit off kilter since I am working extra hours to be off early next week. So getting up at the ungodly hour of 3:45am to work a few extra hours for the week while getting off work by 2pm to start school is madness.

Lesson Planning. Had to rework courses on my excel spreadsheet for them, but that went well. I only did a week in advance though since I will be rolling off some of the online courses for the kids that end soon.

Rest. So, this I'm doing better now since my Hubba is taking his night shift with the kids back over. I get to bed at 10pm (as long as I don't get side-tracked working on my side-business). Except on Tuesday. A bedtime at 6 hours a night has been doing wonders for my complextion and disposition. Also, I do sneak in a 30 min. power nap 3 days a week while the kids are at their sports. Even so, I must not be getting all the sleep I need since I am sleeping in until 11am on Saturdays. But hey, I'm not complaining.



The Qualities of an Innovator a Hero?

Did you know that I write? Novels about heroes. And I realized that with the talk of 'over active, non-controlled kids' we may be actually suppressing our future heroes and innovators. Or just those kids like mine  - the hyper, overactive thinkers that like to take risk.

I know that may seem far fetched, but as an Engineer by day, I'm telling you I work with some amazing people. People that today, would've been unacceptable to our 'modern school system'.

PEOPLE WHO ARE OR SEEM FEARLESS

Think back, research, really take a deep look a history. Those men that did the impulsive became great - even if it was for GOOD or otherwise.

King David - a boy, a tiny boy, who impulsively and fearlessly knocked out a giant that those before him couldn't.

Or those extreme sports athletes like Tony Hawk and others, let's be honest, an ordinary kid would NEVER attempt to jump those heights on a skateboard, or do flips and tricks on a snowboard.

Impulsiveness = Adventurous

So when you are working with your son or daughter that seem a bit out of control, bold, impulsive, does things that you just can't fathom - realize that you may very well be raising the next HERO.

This I'm writing for my little Speed Racer. You and my Razor Ray are my 'adventurous spirits' and I'm so happy to be your mom. You keep my mind sharp, my heart full, and my imagination constantly working.

MY WEEKLY WRAPUP for Homeschooling

This week nothing went as planned. That really bugs me because I am an obsessive organizer and planner. After a few deep breaths I figured it out.

WEEKLY WRAP UP

A SNAG.

Speed Racer, due to horsing around in his dance class, was asked to postpone his time on his 'dance crew'. (I know when he gets older he will cringe that I'm writing this but I figure other parents have the same challenges).

He took it hard, the first day, then we talked to him. He still is going to the dance lessons, but I've filled his 'social' time with a new sport - Tennis.

It was a bummer that this happened his birthday weekend. He tried to act like nothing happened with him and the other boy (the kids all tease each other, he participated also, but he's the noobie and has some rather quick witted words). Nonetheless, we think him sticking with breakdancing for fun and not competition fits him best. He needs to be occupied the entire time.

New curriculum we are trying.
Speed Racer's all to help his Spelling issue.

Spelling You See  - we started it this week and he really likes it. Surprise!
Sequential Spelling  - yes we are still doing this too, but he likes it because he doesn't have to study.
Abeka Spelling - only doing word introduction.

For Tiger Lilly she hates Spanish :-(  so Abeka Spanish is a gone. Replaced by:

Manga Languages - it was love at first sight - and FREE from our Library!
Japanese (remember this? She loves this language).
French (she has to learn some before her Mission Trip with Landry)

Tiger Lilly, is 'cramming' for her Composition CLEP. We are crossing our fingers since she will be taking this in 3 weeks.

She is using (1) IXL to practice her grammar (2) Instantcert & SpeedyPrep (3) REA & Peterson Test
When she can do a 56% or better on consecutive test then I'll know she's ready.

Unfortunately, due to her habit of drawing during her video lessons lately, her test and quiz grades dropped.

Now she has to get her 'class notes' for each day, signed off by me before she can move on to her next class. Not to mention, I will be sitting in the teacher chair to keep control of the (see below)


More Horsing Around!

I've had to move back to my 'teacher' chair smack in the middle of Tiger Lilly and Speed Racer in order to get our work done on time.

Note Taking is a must! So I had to put a RULE up on the wall to remind Tiger Lilly and Speed Racer.

Lately, they've been making jokes, throwing their stress balls (that I removed) and taking forever to get their work done.

Field Trip!

New York City here we go baby. Not! Had to cancel since Hubba is still recovering. So we gave out timeshare stay in Manhattan to my brother in law who lives in NY but is having home renevations.

Instead we are visiting friends in New Jersey for a sleep over where Speed Racer can play with my friend's 3 boys (a rough and tumble weekend). I am really happy I have friends with boys that my son can be rough with.

Since Hubba isn't feeling up to all the walking, we just relaxed and shopped at a few shops.

WORKING PARENT's LOG

Meals. Yay me! I'm on a slow roll. Had to leave work early on Monday to go grocery shopping. We celebrated Speed Racer's birthday and went to dinner and a movie on Sunday - my food shopping day. Never fear! I still had some seasoned turkey and a few cans of cream of mushroom soup to make our crockpot dinner on Monday. The rest of the week went by (I only do dinner Mon-Thu since Friday is pizza day.)

Cleaning. Did not happen, but I did get some clothes cleaned. They are piled up on the couch waiting to be folded and put away. It will happen before Sunday. I promise.

Work & Life Balance. This is going okay. I did manage to get a lot of sleep over the weekend. Therefore, Monday and Tuesday were a breeze. However, fatigue caught up to me on Wed. since I gave Hubba the week off from evening schooling that he 'manages' uh, teaches. I love my field of work though and the job is working out well with my homeschooling schedule.

Lesson Planning. Still barely doing it on time. I tried to do 3 weeks in one sitting but that didn't happen. So, I will try again next week to do 2 weeks in 1 sitting. It takes 2 hours for each week of planning. Where am I going to find that?

Rest. Not too good. Taking over my husband's late shift for teaching meant only getting 4 hrs sleep a night. Yikes! On Wed. I didn't even get a quick nap in since I had a business meeting for a side endeavor.

Writing Isn't The Easiest Thing To Teach

So this week as our WRAP UP I'll talk about how our new Writing Curriculum worked out.

Tiger Lilly is my avid Writer, Artist and Programmer. Major Creative spirit here.

I'm trying to prepare her for the following CLEP TEST.

Composition (English) CLEP
Analyzing Literature CLEP

I needed help, after she took the Composition CLEP cold about 6 months ago (she failed by only 1 point! Sigh). However, I wanted to make her studying for it this time more active.

And to be honest there wasn't any viable options for studying Analyzing Literature CLEP...until I found one.

WRITING CURRICULUM for each CLEP

Composition (English) CLEP
Time4Writing.com (For Grammar, Essay Writing and Research Paper $99 each - for 3 courses) Each are 8 week online courses that are spelled out, outlined and has a teacher actually correct the papers and work. The teacher has done an excellent job at redlining the papers and checking the work. I've been very happy with this course.

Analyzing Literature CLEP
WriteGuide.com allowed me to specify a program that taught her how to analyze literature like Plays, Poetry, English and American. It's a tailored to fit program for our needs. It got off to a rocky start since they didn't really understand my requirements but once I spelled out what I was looking for they found my daughter a Phd in English to teach it. The only thing I don't like is that the teacher doesn't actually correct her papers. However, the feedback is very useful regarding how my daughter should approach her literature review and rules regarding responses in Literature. Overall, I am happy with the program, I just wish the teacher would be more thorough in correcting her written responses.

SpeedyPrep Videos and Flashcards
We signed up for this and I like that it comes with videos and flashcards for each test.

Peterson's and REA sample test
The Peterson's test are free through our library and more difficult than the REA. The REA electronic test are the best. Our goal is when she is scoring at least 57% on each test, we know she will be ready to talke the above test.

She took a sample test for REA and scored a 60% but since she took it before I wanted her to touch up on her grammar so we are doing a season of Analytical Grammar and Time4Writing.com Grammar.

Speed Racer started his new online writing and independent work this week.

He is doing fab. All the challenges he had last year seem to be fading away and he is rather compliant now with mom and dad when doing his work.

WRITING CURRICULUM 

This week he started his new Writing Online Course with

Sandiego Scribblers

Basically Speed Racer logs on, gets his assignment and types it in. The assignment is corrected with clear explanations. It's been going well. As well as the set up was simple.

He had a timed writing exercise or assignment from the course. I timed him and had him write his paragraph, then he typed it into the SandiegoScribblers.com student interface. We read over it and he made corrections then I let him hit send. He had 1 week to turn in his work. The teacher will redline it, send it back for him to make corrections.

Speed Racer liked that he got to 'meet' other students in the class. They were all told to 'write' and introduction of themselves and my little guy read everyone's.

EVERYTHING ELSE?

All went smoothly this week. The kids now have their independent online work to do while they are with the home helper for 3 hours a day.

I get home, toss dinner in the oven if it's not already in the crockpot.

We started instruction on our boxed curriculum Abeka Academy videos, workbooks, test and quizzes at 3pm.

This week my little guy didn't have his dance crew practice (which is 3 days a week 2.5-3hrs each day). Since we didn't have that, he finished school earlier than his sister did - at least when he wasn't sneaking longer break times.

Ending our school day at 9:30pm with poppa bear running things from 8pm til dinner at 9:30pm.

Only2 snafus happened

I had to stay late at work about 2 hrs and we had a later night than usual because my students didn't want work over the weekend.

My poor Hubba (after participating in a 'dance battle' at Speed Racer's dance school) injured his knee and just told me that he'd set his surgery date for Friday. Well it conflicted with my workschedule since I had no more vacation time. So... Razor Ray (my oldest son) came to save the day. He's coming home from his college apartment to take his dad to the hospital for surgery and is waiting there to drive dad home.


WORKING MOM NOTES

This week I had to be flexible and was willing to move a portion of instruction to the weekend or push the entire schedule a day. I worked 50 hrs this week instead of my customary 40. And had to wake up at an ungodly hour to do this. So I made a strick bedtime for myself at 10pm in order to get 6 hours of sleep each nigh. Thankfully, I survived on just 1 8 oz cup of coffee each day.

Curriculum and School Day schedule. As far as wibble room in the curriculum I have about 20 days to play with to end by mid May 2015.

Planning dinner went off course this week and while I dropped the kids off at their sports, I had to run to the grocery store to get supplies. Also, caved in and had Chick-fil-A one day since I had to help my daughter with her online Python class homework.

Workboxes and online courses helped me keep the kids and dad on track. Also, I could check their work progress at work while on my lunch break.

Creating Weekly Lesson Plan is off course since I have to re-adjust to accomadate a new Spanish Curriculum, Currclick Logic Class, Time4Learning Research Paper Class and integrating Humanities, African American history Movie Based Curriculum to sneak in some learning.

There was some silly time that was unscheduled and pushed into a later end to school at 10pm, but the kids didn't mind. Considering they stayed up til 12am with their dad playing video games.

This WEEK Flew By! Our 100 Days Of School.

You ever have one of those weeks where everything goes well?

100 DAYS OF SCHOOL DONE!!!

IS IT BECAUSE CHRISTMAS IS NEAR?

I think so.

My 7th GRADER, Tiger Lilly

Well I kicked her learning up a notch and we made some changes going into 3rd Quarter.

Hours of school a day: 6.5 hrs now (with 2-30 min breaks)

Changes:
Japanese: Finished up Japanese for the year
World History: Finished up for the year
Art Of Argument: Starting that after the holiday break
Humanities: Starting after the holiday
Time4Writing: Starting after the holiday
SOS English Lit and American Lit: Starting after the holiday
Java: Starting in Spring with YouthDigital.com

CLEP Test Review: Testing planned for over the summer
     Using InstantCert.com and SpeedyPrep for
      English Composition CLEP
      Analyzing Lit CLEP
      English Lit CLEP
      American Lit CLEP
      Humanities CLEP

Core Courses Unchanged:

Algebra 1 - Abeka DVD
Algebra 1 (Lab) - Teaching Textbooks
Geometry - Thinkwell with Holt book
Geometry (Lab) - Teaching Textbooks
Earth Science - Abeka DVD
English - Abeka DVD, Analytical Grammar, Sequential Spelling
Game Design 1 & 2 - Youth Digital
Speed Reading - ACE software


SPEED RACER, 4th Grade

He is hitting all A's and B's now. With the exception of Spelling, ugh!

Hours of school a day: 3hrs with 2-15 min breaks

I've added Spanish to his day.

Classes that stayed the same: Core subjects are Abeka DVD/Streaming with books

Bible
Arithmetic (Abeka DVD, xtramath.com and Teaching Textbooks)
Reading
Language Arts
Penmenship (Cursive writing)
History
Science
Spanish (I can read and speak in Spanish - book with dvd, and workbooks)