Math Answers

In a previous post Amy asked why I switched from Teaching Textbooks to Chalk Dust.  So I thought I'd answer here, since it was a long reply!

The first reason was $$$. I basically got the Chalk Dust for FREE!  Also I had been told that the TT didn't work the same way in the higher levels as it did in the lower levels.  By the time they get to Algebra the solutions were not included on the CD's like they are in the others.  The solutions showing my son what he did wrong was the best thing about the program for us!  So while others continue on with TT we decided not to.  I might even be wrong about it all, but really in the US math is math and I always use whatever works at the moment!
We've used MUS, MEP (free online here), TT and now Chalk Dust. :)

Just as an aside; we really enjoyed MEP but I am working part time now and it's just too teacher intensive for our schedule.  But I would really like to have continued to use it.  What ds did in level 3 of MEP was the same as TT6!

Another aside; my dd (now a hs graduate and in College) used MUS mostly all the way through, but her learning style was different from ds's.

Fractions

***This post was originally written back in November, just found it, not sure why I didn't post it before***

We aren't using Math-U-See (MUS) right now for math, we are using a free program found here.

BUT we are using the MUS blocks, namely the fraction overlays.
These things are ingenious.  My dd learned fractions with them and ds is flying through it right now because of these.
They make the fraction world tangible and are easier to work with than a pizza, although not as tasty. ;)

They make increasing and reducing fractions easier to grasp for example:

One-half or 1/2

\

is the same as:

two-fourths or 2/4

is the same as:

three- sixths or 3/6

is the same as:

fifty-one hundredths or 50/100

We could "see" that the larger the number, the smaller the pieces.  I think fractions can be confusing to kids because the larger numbers are actually smaller quantities (on the denominator), but with these fraction  overlays, you "see" it right away.  That's probably why they call the program Math-U-SEE. ;)

Playing around with the overlays:

What's been going on???

Wow, I haven't posted much at all.  I read a lot of blogs every day, but never seem to post on my own.  I'm going to try to make a habit of writing more often.

I am working part time now so our schedule is a bit different now.  I work 4 hours Tue and Wed, and 8 hours on Thursday.  Best part is I can take my son "C" with me. YAY!  I am the admin assistant for my pastor at church.  He's real relaxed about things so we do school when we are there.  I just can't devote a lot of one on one teaching time when we are there so C has to do independent work, but that is actually a good thing!

Our computer went out last week and we thought we needed to buy a new one.  Didn't really want to do that, but dh took it apart and put it back together. Nothing.  He took it apart again and tested the power box thingy and it showed that it was getting no power, so we ordered one on e-bay, it came, he put it in and it worked!  So happy about that!

I ordered Teaching Textbooks for C and it is working VERY well for us.  It's just what we needed with the change in schedule and teaching time.  I'm excited to stay with this program for the rest of his home school career.  I highly recommend it. Even though to *me* it's expensive. ;)  I was using a FREE program.

Another exciting thing recently, C turned 13!!! I realized I now have only teen/adult children.  How's that for making you feel old????

Soccer season just began and C is on a new team.  Well sort of... some of the same kids, new coach new uniforms.  I don't know what his team name is yet, but the colors will be black and silver.  He's ready!

Next weekend he will be gone to a youth retreat so I may have some quiet time since dh has to work that weekend too.  Oops, I didn't think about soccer, we don't have the schedules yet.  I wonder if he has a game????

Okay, that's it for now.

Multiplication Game

I made this game in powerpoint for my son to practice multiplication. It is self correcting. I got all the clip art off of the net and I hope I'm not violating any copyrights! (If so, I'll take it off and make a generic one.) I noticed that when I uploaded this I lost the "star wars" font. Oh well, you get the idea.

It works like this. He starts with the "Welcome" screen and then goes to problem number one. If he choose correctly he will see Yoda and then go to problem number two. If he chooses incorrectly he sees Darth Vader and will go back to problem number one, and so on.

I made other number sets. This one is "3's".

CJ's Multiplication