You guys know those Complete Book of . . . colorful worktexts published by Carson-Dellosa and available in drugstores and bookstores? That was my math curriculum this year.
I was teaching first grade, which I could perfectly well explain myself, and a third grader who gets math intuitively and didn't need any special explanation. So presentation of concepts wasn't important.
The boys were benefitting from the ample practice problems in Math Mammoth, but wanted more color and more variety of activity. These books are in full color, include some paper crafts and games to cut out and assemble and a lot of puzzles.
I strive to create a math-rich environment. We read books from livingmath.net - math poetry, mathematician biographies. We play games that involve a lot of math like Dungeons & Dragons. The boys pour over Life of Fred, rereading it everyday. We heart Vi Hart. That's my true math curriculum. The workbooks, the daily assignments, I give only to make sure the boys at least have practiced what it going to be on the standardized tests at the end of the year.
Next year we can't use the same books, not just because of how silly I feel using these books.
The Hero will be in trickier concepts that I need help explaining. Since the book he's doing this year covers math to the end of grade two, I think I will put him in Beast Academy's new graphic novel program. It's colorful and a narrative, two essentials for him.
The Storyteller, though, will be past Beast Academy already. He wants to do it - I'm sure he'll pour over the books - but I will need to find a fifth grade level text for him. It should have a variety of practice exercises, puzzles, and games, because he hates drill (but needs it). Color is a plus. Humor would be great. If I was forced to choose right now, I would have a panic attack, because I really can't think of anything.
I'm pretty sure I'm going with Art of Problem Solving materials for the Scientist. It's algebra time for him and he will need the practice thinking mathematically if he's really going to be a scientist someday.
It's that time of year where I want to get my ducks in a row for purchasing next year's stuff. That I just don't know what to do about a core subject is making me a little twitchy.
J is doing Teaching Textbooks 6 this year for 5th grade. It suits his techie personality and gets me out of the equation which helps our relationship. It does have drill, but it's not too bad/repetitive. We did LOF Fractions alongside and I'm thinking of ordering LOF Decimals/Percents now that he's completed the Fractions book.
ReplyDeleteI am seriously considering using Teaching Textbooks next year, too, for Storyteller. He'd be nine half the year and ten the other half and will have completed 4th grade math already. I'm thinking to just skip him to TT Pre-algebra. TT gets so much flack on the WTM boards, but I don't hear stories like that from anywhere else at all ever. Everywhere else I hear all kinds of wild success stories of aced achievement tests.That's the goal. I just want him to pass that ACT and get into CC by 16.
ReplyDelete