I have a 11, almost 12 year old daughter. She is going into 6th grade next year. (She was old enough to start school a year earlier but she would have been very young.) (Her 5 year birthday was Aug 22.) She wanted to start school because her older brother was doing school, so I started her anyway an figured we'd just be a year ahead. With this in mind she has been doing 6th grade math this year. There are about 5 concepts that I just don't feel she has a handle on, at least enough to head into 7th grade. I want to be sure to know that she really has the concepts down. She doesn't want to drop back so I'm not sure what to do. I thought of just redoing the 6th grade. Most of it will be super easy but it would give us the time to work on the things she needs to grasp and still pracitce the other things. I've thought of switching to Saxon to give her a different variety, but don't know if that is wise. I also thought about doing a really easy math year and use the extra supplemental pages and the extra homework for this year then next year start the 7th grade. (She won't really be behind because she is currently a year ahead.) Also, for those of you using A Beka. Do you feel that Abeka is ALOT of work? More than is neccesary? I feel like there is alot of math and language. I know when my son was in a Christian school they didn't use the whole program because there was so much. Looking for insight from anyone who may have gone through this. Thank you, Gail
My 6th grader struggles in Math because he didn't understand stuff and was pushed on in school anyway. (This was before we started HS.) I am sure you know as they get older, it just all builds, so with that said, I would stick with 6th grade math and focus on the struggles to the point they are not struggles anymore. If when just focusing on the stuggles she might catch up quickly and then could move on to 7th grade. We used 6th grade Teaching Text this year and it was the first year ds enjoyed math. You might want to look at it, get others oppion on it, too. As far as Abeka, we used it our first two years of HS. It does have A LOT of "seat work." We didn't do it all, which I didn't like, but...there was just to much, ecspecially since he struggled. JMO. HTH, let me know what you come up with, I am kind of in the same spot. Ginger
We had the same situation with my boys. My youngest graduated early from high school due to starting early. Abeka is a lot of work but I felt it was necessary work. Didnt hurt my kids, they did very well.
Have you seen math mammoth? The books can be purchased by topic and so you could just purchase the areas she struggles in and then use 7th grade book with a little extra work in the problem areas?
We used Abeka for 1st & 2nd grades. We just did the workbook work and NONE of the seatwork mentioned in the teachers manual (aside from the worksheets that are "supposed" to be seat work - we just did those with the other worksheets). There teacher's manuals are very confusing - the workbooks and "seat work". It takes a bit to distinguish them. I have a friend who has been with Abeka for prek-4th and will be doing 5th next year. She does ALL the work, including following the TM to a precise T! She does Abeka for phonics/language and math, plus all the other subjects AND she adds other curriculum to it. Crazy...I cannot even finish what we set out to do most of the time! lol! Anyway...her kids are SUPER smart! She schools ALL day. She has 5 kids in a small home, 2 of which are twin boys who are two. So she HAS to school like that to keep structure and her home running smoothly. Abeka works for her because she is the type to actually use the "blackboard" and follow all of the TM instructions for seatwork & the copywork.
This is all very interesting to read from a teacher's perspective. My mom home schooled me through 8th grade, using A Beka for every single subject. I was definitely advanced far beyond even the advanced track of 8th graders when I went to public school, and I actually NEVER finished a single book in any subject. It's A LOT of work, but well worth it, I'm sure.
Why would you repeat an entire "grade" behind 6 or 7 concepts? Why cant she continue to work on those skills throughout the summer and then continue on with 7th grade math in the Fall? I dont think its worth the trouble of repeating the entire grade again. Dont waste her time. Tell her which things you want her to work on and find worksheets online for those or make up your own problems. Its not hard to substitute one number for another and get a new math problem, ya' know. Look into a system like Math U See or Life of Fred because they cover topics, not grades.
I wouldn't repeat a grade either. The beauty of homeschooling is that you can focus on certain areas and relax on others. As for A Beka, it does have a lot of extra work. While it may work for some students, if your child isn't a traditional learner, it will get old. The good thing about A Beka is that you do not have to use everything they offer. I pick and choose with A Beka. We have been using pieces of their Language Arts and Ems is doing beautifully. When she tested last, she was four years ahead in Language Arts, or four years a head of what the state expected. LOL Some students need that extra work and some don't. If you like the curriculum, make it work for your kiddo.
