My Initial Review of IXL Math:
I have been using XtraMath with Bug partly to help him learn his addition facts, but mostly because it's just something to occupy him for a few minutes. He is so needy, and so different from his older brother, and I do find it really hard to find things for him to do all day, if his brother is busy reading. Bug is welcome to play with his toys at any time, but he really does not like to play by himself. At 5 years old, he is a beginning reader and has no interest in reading to himself. He has a desire? need? to interact with someone for 99% of his waking hours.
Anyway, the greatest thing about XtraMath is that it is free. It is a "nonprofit organization dedicated to math acheivement for all." Basically, it is a program that helps children memorize their math facts. Right now, the computer has Bug working on his addition facts, adding 0, 1, and 2 to numbers 0 through 9. He does well with the program, not getting upset if he doesn't get the answer in the allotted time. His older brother hated these types of times programs, but I think they can be very valuable in the chore that is memorizing arithmetic facts. I just hope Bug continues to enjoy the program.
I do recommend this program, but it is not for every child. Some children get anxious when they are put up against a timer, and in this case, I don't think the benefits outweigh the risk of forcing the child to hate math.
I also believe that no one should ever use a math fact memorization program, unless their child has demonstrated conceptual understanding. Before a child memorizes addition facts, he or she must fully understand that addition means putting together. Bug is comfortable with the concepts of addition and subtraction. I'm not sure he fully gets multiplication and division, but I will be sure that he does before it is time to memorize those tables.
I'll update again after we've used the program for a while.
My Final Review of IXL Math:
Bug got really bored of this. I'm still looking for something to help him with his math facts. I'd like something that will track his learning but be more games-based.
Sunday, June 9, 2013
Friday, May 24, 2013
Petra Lingua: A Review
We tried out a program called Petra Lingua for six months. I got both Spanish and German. (In addition, they offer Chinese, Russian, and French.) Both boys study Spanish, and Bee was interested in German, but we have put that on hold for a while, mostly because it was very difficult to find German materials to work with.
I found that Petra Lingua is a decent vocabulary builder, and Bug, my younger child, found it fairly entertaining. One thing I did not like is that the exercises include a lot of written words. I believe that for proper pronunciation, language study should be completely oral in the beginning stages. I also didn't feel that the exercises promoted learning. My children did not have to remember anything--they could click to hear the correct answer before selecting it.
So, the pros are:
The cons are:
I found that Petra Lingua is a decent vocabulary builder, and Bug, my younger child, found it fairly entertaining. One thing I did not like is that the exercises include a lot of written words. I believe that for proper pronunciation, language study should be completely oral in the beginning stages. I also didn't feel that the exercises promoted learning. My children did not have to remember anything--they could click to hear the correct answer before selecting it.
So, the pros are:
- Good company to work with. When my package expired, it was not automatically renewed.
- Native speakers and solid content. Words are pronounced correctly with correct grammar.
- They offer German and Russian, 2 languages where it is difficult to find materials for teaching young children.
- It's inexpensive, as little as $3.99 a month, if you pay for a year of access. It's $7.99 to get one month at a time.
The cons are:
- I do not think this material can stand on its own. The parent would need to reinforce, so it's more of a supplement.
- Exercises are boring, and I did not think that my children learned anything from doing them.
- Too much writing. I don't see why they can't have children click on a picture after hearing the spoken word.
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Real Science 4 Kids Chemistry: An Initial Review
After three years of homeschooling, I am reevaluating a lot of things. I decided I wanted to do a little bit more formal science with both boys this year. I don't feel secure in my own knowledge of science, so that's made choosing curriculum and fitting science into our daily life a challenge. My husband is a scientist, so fortunately they boys have picked up things from interacting with their dad. Bee has watched hundreds of science documentaries, and both boys have visited science museums many times in their lives.
Science is fun and interesting to both of them, and I'm concerned that my own hangups about it have prevented us from enjoying it like we could.
After giving it some thought, I selected Real Science for Kids. I watched the video of the author, Dr. Keller, on her website, and I really like her philosophy of science education. She says that many children do not learn science adequately because they do not learn chemistry and physics early enough. Instead, they are taught biology and earth science, but the problem is that these subjects do not make sense without a background in chemistry and physics, making it nearly impossible to retain knowledge. Something about this rang true for me. I also appreciated that when I signed up for the email list, I was not emailed every single day. (I had this problem with another science curriculum.)
I decided to order the Chemistry elementary book for Bug (rising kindergartener) and the Chemistry middle school for Bee (rising gifted 4th grader). I've received the books already. I ordered the package of student manual, teacher manual, and lab book. The books are attractive with colorful pictures on each page. I read each boy his first chapter, and I liked the way they were written, age appropriate and not too wordy. It will be easy to do the books simultaneously, as many of the experiments are the same, just more in depth at the middle school level.
The textbook and lab books are very short, with only 10 lessons in the textbook and ten activities/experiments in the lab book. To me, this is awesome because I feel that I can teach them a few important concepts that they can build upon. One of the most difficult aspects of homeschooling for me is deciding which information a child needs to know, especially when working outside my level of expertise. However, amongst the other reviews I've read of the product, many people think it's too short. They want more information and more activities. So, if you want a program with 180 days of lessons, this would be a poor choice.
I would rather work with a small amount of essential information and supplement it with videos, books, and additional experiments, depending on our time and level of interest in the various topics. What I absolutely don't want is a huge curriculum that I can't finish. I actually hope to be finished with our books by September. For the rest of the school year, we can informally reinforce and expand upon the concepts presented in the books.
After ordering the books, I researched the curriculum a little further and discovered that its author, Dr. Keller, is a proponent of intelligent design, although her curriculum is designed to be neutral on the subject of creation versus evolution. Therefore, in some of the books, the age of the universe, etc. and evolution are omitted. This appears to be a deal breaker for many secular homeschooler. Interestingly, it's also a deal breaker for many creationist Christians, who want a science curriculum that mentions the Bible.
Honestly, I do appreciate Dr. Keller trying to make something that every kind of homeschooler can use. Not many people are willing to do that. It makes me suspect that quality science education is more important to her than passing on an ideology. The lack of dates doesn't bother me very much, as it's fairly easy to print out timelines. If we decide to use her program for biology, however, it will take some effort to pick up some books on evolution. I'm willing to do that if we really enjoy the chemistry.
I'll post an update at the end of the summer and let everyone know how it went. Right now, I'm excited about my boys' enthusiasm for chemistry. We talked about atoms and molecules at dinner, and Bee has been poring over the periodic table on his own.
Science is fun and interesting to both of them, and I'm concerned that my own hangups about it have prevented us from enjoying it like we could.
After giving it some thought, I selected Real Science for Kids. I watched the video of the author, Dr. Keller, on her website, and I really like her philosophy of science education. She says that many children do not learn science adequately because they do not learn chemistry and physics early enough. Instead, they are taught biology and earth science, but the problem is that these subjects do not make sense without a background in chemistry and physics, making it nearly impossible to retain knowledge. Something about this rang true for me. I also appreciated that when I signed up for the email list, I was not emailed every single day. (I had this problem with another science curriculum.)
I decided to order the Chemistry elementary book for Bug (rising kindergartener) and the Chemistry middle school for Bee (rising gifted 4th grader). I've received the books already. I ordered the package of student manual, teacher manual, and lab book. The books are attractive with colorful pictures on each page. I read each boy his first chapter, and I liked the way they were written, age appropriate and not too wordy. It will be easy to do the books simultaneously, as many of the experiments are the same, just more in depth at the middle school level.
The textbook and lab books are very short, with only 10 lessons in the textbook and ten activities/experiments in the lab book. To me, this is awesome because I feel that I can teach them a few important concepts that they can build upon. One of the most difficult aspects of homeschooling for me is deciding which information a child needs to know, especially when working outside my level of expertise. However, amongst the other reviews I've read of the product, many people think it's too short. They want more information and more activities. So, if you want a program with 180 days of lessons, this would be a poor choice.
I would rather work with a small amount of essential information and supplement it with videos, books, and additional experiments, depending on our time and level of interest in the various topics. What I absolutely don't want is a huge curriculum that I can't finish. I actually hope to be finished with our books by September. For the rest of the school year, we can informally reinforce and expand upon the concepts presented in the books.
After ordering the books, I researched the curriculum a little further and discovered that its author, Dr. Keller, is a proponent of intelligent design, although her curriculum is designed to be neutral on the subject of creation versus evolution. Therefore, in some of the books, the age of the universe, etc. and evolution are omitted. This appears to be a deal breaker for many secular homeschooler. Interestingly, it's also a deal breaker for many creationist Christians, who want a science curriculum that mentions the Bible.
Honestly, I do appreciate Dr. Keller trying to make something that every kind of homeschooler can use. Not many people are willing to do that. It makes me suspect that quality science education is more important to her than passing on an ideology. The lack of dates doesn't bother me very much, as it's fairly easy to print out timelines. If we decide to use her program for biology, however, it will take some effort to pick up some books on evolution. I'm willing to do that if we really enjoy the chemistry.
I'll post an update at the end of the summer and let everyone know how it went. Right now, I'm excited about my boys' enthusiasm for chemistry. We talked about atoms and molecules at dinner, and Bee has been poring over the periodic table on his own.
All About Spelling, Continued
We've been using All About Spelling for several months now. I posted an initial review when I got it. Bee is nearly through Level 2, and has really not been challenged too much by the spelling words, but he has learned a lot of spelling rules that neither of knew before and filled in gaps in his spelling that were causing him frustration. This program has been immensely helpful in identifying exactly where he is confused so that I can review those concepts only and not bore him by reviewing things he has already mastered. Neither he nor I are frustrated anymore with spelling. A bonus to the program is the sentence dictation, which helps his spelling, handwriting, and punctuation. So far, I only give him about 3 sentences with each level. I am really happy with the program, and I only wish I had started this with him a year or two sooner.
Bug is using it too. He is a little young for it as far his ability to focus goes, being not yet 5 1/2. But it has been really good practice for him. He seems to prefer the skill of encoding right now to decoding (reading), so the program is a good fit, as long as I don't try and push him. I do modify the program. I don't worry if he wries letters in upper case, whereas I make his brother write his words in lower case. We're taking it very slowly.
The only flaw I have noticed in this program is that both of my children have gotten confused between the segmenting of sounds and the clapping of syllables. The result is that they clap extra syllables. I have decided to drop the segmenting with the tokens, since Bee doesn't need it, and Bug can do it without the tokens. I am curious to know if anyone else has had this problem, and I wonder if I did something to confuse both my children.
I continue to recommend this program!
Bug is using it too. He is a little young for it as far his ability to focus goes, being not yet 5 1/2. But it has been really good practice for him. He seems to prefer the skill of encoding right now to decoding (reading), so the program is a good fit, as long as I don't try and push him. I do modify the program. I don't worry if he wries letters in upper case, whereas I make his brother write his words in lower case. We're taking it very slowly.
The only flaw I have noticed in this program is that both of my children have gotten confused between the segmenting of sounds and the clapping of syllables. The result is that they clap extra syllables. I have decided to drop the segmenting with the tokens, since Bee doesn't need it, and Bug can do it without the tokens. I am curious to know if anyone else has had this problem, and I wonder if I did something to confuse both my children.
I continue to recommend this program!
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Breaking up Boredom with Geoboards
I decided that we need to start out each day with some kind of engaging hands-on activity that both boys (ages 8 and almost 5) can participate in. For the past couple of weeks, we've been using plastic Geoboards. I got a smaller one and a larger one for each boy, along with a big bag of rubber bands. I also purchased a couple of Geoboard books, for them to use to get ideas for designs.
We've been going over basic 2-dimensional shapes with the boards. We started on perimeter for Bee, a concept he hasn't been exposed to yet. Learning on the board will minimize the amount of paperwork I will ask him to do. We can also use the boards to demonstrate area, the different types of trianges, and angle measurement.
Bug loves making pictures from his book, Geoboard Pictures Flip and Draw, with the boards. I have a harder book for Bee, but he prefers to come up with his own designs. So far, he's made some cool faces on it, and today he made a tank, and actually wanted to record his by drawing it on a geobard paper. He hopes to sell the copies for $1.99 each. I love how visually creative and enterprising he can be. When I get around to it, I'll post some pictures of the first face he made.
I see there are a number of other books on Amazon related to math wih Geoboards. I imagine we'll find many more uses for this nifty tool.
We've been going over basic 2-dimensional shapes with the boards. We started on perimeter for Bee, a concept he hasn't been exposed to yet. Learning on the board will minimize the amount of paperwork I will ask him to do. We can also use the boards to demonstrate area, the different types of trianges, and angle measurement.
Bug loves making pictures from his book, Geoboard Pictures Flip and Draw, with the boards. I have a harder book for Bee, but he prefers to come up with his own designs. So far, he's made some cool faces on it, and today he made a tank, and actually wanted to record his by drawing it on a geobard paper. He hopes to sell the copies for $1.99 each. I love how visually creative and enterprising he can be. When I get around to it, I'll post some pictures of the first face he made.
I see there are a number of other books on Amazon related to math wih Geoboards. I imagine we'll find many more uses for this nifty tool.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
All About Spelling: A First Impression
After a little over a year of using a basic spelling list and online flashcards with Bee, I decided we needed a different approach. He was getting frustrated sometimes, and there were words that he just kept missing, even though he had seen them over and over.
I decided to try All About Spelling, which is a spelling program that uses coloful note cards, letter tiles, a large dry erase board, utilizes audio, visual, and kinesthetic learning, and emphasizes the rules of English spelling. Bee is very logical, and I think he will appreciate having a better understanding of why things are spelled the way they are. As I understand it, English spelling does actually have rules, but most of us aren't aware of most of them. I mostly learned how to spell by being an avid reader, and memorizing my spelling words each week as a child.
I ordered level 1, and although much of that level is going to be pretty easy for Bee, there are some new thinsg for him to learn, and there are even a few things that I have learned about English spelling! I haven't learned to spell anything new, but I did learn how to tell when letter "c" is going to make the "s" sound instead of the "k" sound, and when to use the letter "k" in place of the letter "c."
It's not a material for independent work. The parent sits with the child and gives a number of lessons that are carefully explained in the teacher book. This is ideal for Bee, as he thrives on one-on-one interaction with an adult.
It took some time to tear out the cards, and I still have not finished putting all the magnets on the tiles. Still, the teacher prep is easy work that requires no mental power. I don't know about other homeschooling moms, but my brain is totally fried. So, this is easy, and the only prep is a glance through the teacher manual, before giving the lesson.
Another huge plus for this material is that it is worksheet free! The emphasis is on learning the concepts, not filling out worksheets. There is a card file to store the cards, so the parent knows what to review, and mastered cards go into their own divider. It's a very well organized little system.
I hope that we will work through level 1 relatively quickly. I did the first lesson yesterday, and I hope to do 2 lessons a day a few times a week until we master level 1. Then, we will move onto level 2, and maintain or slow down our pace depending on how challenging Bee finds the material. It seems like a great material for homeschooling that can be used with both children who are natural spellers and those who struggle with it.
So, that was my first impression, at any rate. I will write another review after I've been using the material for a few months. (Here it is.)
I decided to try All About Spelling, which is a spelling program that uses coloful note cards, letter tiles, a large dry erase board, utilizes audio, visual, and kinesthetic learning, and emphasizes the rules of English spelling. Bee is very logical, and I think he will appreciate having a better understanding of why things are spelled the way they are. As I understand it, English spelling does actually have rules, but most of us aren't aware of most of them. I mostly learned how to spell by being an avid reader, and memorizing my spelling words each week as a child.
I ordered level 1, and although much of that level is going to be pretty easy for Bee, there are some new thinsg for him to learn, and there are even a few things that I have learned about English spelling! I haven't learned to spell anything new, but I did learn how to tell when letter "c" is going to make the "s" sound instead of the "k" sound, and when to use the letter "k" in place of the letter "c."
It's not a material for independent work. The parent sits with the child and gives a number of lessons that are carefully explained in the teacher book. This is ideal for Bee, as he thrives on one-on-one interaction with an adult.
It took some time to tear out the cards, and I still have not finished putting all the magnets on the tiles. Still, the teacher prep is easy work that requires no mental power. I don't know about other homeschooling moms, but my brain is totally fried. So, this is easy, and the only prep is a glance through the teacher manual, before giving the lesson.
Another huge plus for this material is that it is worksheet free! The emphasis is on learning the concepts, not filling out worksheets. There is a card file to store the cards, so the parent knows what to review, and mastered cards go into their own divider. It's a very well organized little system.
I hope that we will work through level 1 relatively quickly. I did the first lesson yesterday, and I hope to do 2 lessons a day a few times a week until we master level 1. Then, we will move onto level 2, and maintain or slow down our pace depending on how challenging Bee finds the material. It seems like a great material for homeschooling that can be used with both children who are natural spellers and those who struggle with it.
So, that was my first impression, at any rate. I will write another review after I've been using the material for a few months. (Here it is.)
Monday, October 29, 2012
Learning Addition with a little Montessori
Bug, who is about to turn 5, has been learning addition this year. My background is in Montessori, and we emphasize the concepts of the various operations when the children are 4 and 5, so that's what I've been trying to do with Bug. Addition is putting together; subtraction is taking away; multiplication is putting together the same quantity; and division is sharing equally. When children understand these concepts well, they have a great foundation for future mathematics study.
I showed him addition with the Montessori Golden Bead material first. The golden bead material contains thousand cubes, hundred squares, ten bars, and unit beads. This allows the children to have a concrete impression of our base-10 number system. We added some 4-digit quantities this way. I'm not sure it quite clicked for Bug at that point, but it's hard to say, as so much goes on with him internally that I don't know about. It's very different working with this material at home than it is in a classroom, where he would have been watching the older children work with this material.
He's also done some addition on his fingers, and this week I had him do some addition problems using seashells as counters. Both times he did this, I wrote five one-digit problems on a colorful piece of paper and had him answer them. At this point, it was clear to me that he understands the concept of addition.
He has been very enthusiastic. He's a tad too perfectionist about getting his numbers to look just the way he wants them, but I can deal with that. Today, I was so happy because he made worksheets for his brother and his dad (and himself!). His brother and dad were happy to humor him by answering the problems.
Later this week, I hope to show him addition with carrying on the golden bead material. This is not for accuracy, it's just to give them impression of what happens when we carry, and how we can't go over 10 in each place value.
I do not think the Montessori materials are necessary for teaching children math at home. I have them mainly because they have such sentimental value for me. They are extremely helpful, but there are many good ways of showing math to young children. I think the most important thing is that children have a solid understanding of how the operations work.
He'll eventually move onto another Montessori material, called the Stamp Game, that allows children to work with 4-digit quantities in a concrete way. We'll also be working over the coming months with memorizing his addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts, with a goal of finishing these by the time he finishes second grade. I'm hoping that computer games will prove to be a good tool for him in the memorization process (as they were for me once upon at time), but these did not work for his brother.
Hurray for math! So far, it's been my favorite homeschool subject to facilitate. I supposed that is odd, since I am a former English and Classics major. My children's other parent is a mathematician; perhaps that motivates me.
I showed him addition with the Montessori Golden Bead material first. The golden bead material contains thousand cubes, hundred squares, ten bars, and unit beads. This allows the children to have a concrete impression of our base-10 number system. We added some 4-digit quantities this way. I'm not sure it quite clicked for Bug at that point, but it's hard to say, as so much goes on with him internally that I don't know about. It's very different working with this material at home than it is in a classroom, where he would have been watching the older children work with this material.
He's also done some addition on his fingers, and this week I had him do some addition problems using seashells as counters. Both times he did this, I wrote five one-digit problems on a colorful piece of paper and had him answer them. At this point, it was clear to me that he understands the concept of addition.
He has been very enthusiastic. He's a tad too perfectionist about getting his numbers to look just the way he wants them, but I can deal with that. Today, I was so happy because he made worksheets for his brother and his dad (and himself!). His brother and dad were happy to humor him by answering the problems.
Later this week, I hope to show him addition with carrying on the golden bead material. This is not for accuracy, it's just to give them impression of what happens when we carry, and how we can't go over 10 in each place value.
I do not think the Montessori materials are necessary for teaching children math at home. I have them mainly because they have such sentimental value for me. They are extremely helpful, but there are many good ways of showing math to young children. I think the most important thing is that children have a solid understanding of how the operations work.
He'll eventually move onto another Montessori material, called the Stamp Game, that allows children to work with 4-digit quantities in a concrete way. We'll also be working over the coming months with memorizing his addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts, with a goal of finishing these by the time he finishes second grade. I'm hoping that computer games will prove to be a good tool for him in the memorization process (as they were for me once upon at time), but these did not work for his brother.
Hurray for math! So far, it's been my favorite homeschool subject to facilitate. I supposed that is odd, since I am a former English and Classics major. My children's other parent is a mathematician; perhaps that motivates me.
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