Thanks to all of you giving me support and courage, I took a big step back and started over with 8th grade math for Crystal. We are now using Lifepac and I am pleased. She started in the first book today and did the first unit and took the test. We corrected her mistakes and reviewed the unit and I think she has it. She did 19 pages today and it was mostly very easy for her but she has lots of problems with math. I just felt like we were moving on and making a big mistake in our other book. This has so much review it helps her remember better. I think we will be looking into 9th grade Lifepacs for next year but I am not rushing into anything here. She seems okay with starting over in fact it is probably a relief because we were into equations and she did okay but couldn't seem to retain what she had learned from day to day. I love the way we can do what each child needs and not have to worry about a whole class of kids. I just appreciate all the support I find here. I would never have been willing to start over like this when I first started this. But after reading some of your posts I just know this is the right thing to do. Beth
Good for you, Beth! That is great. You are making the right choice for your daughter and you will be happy you did. I can't get over that she did 19 pages! My kids only do 5 a day. Maybe I am not having them do enough. But it works for us right now. And they seem to be moving forward just fine. That's the great thing about hsing...we all can do what is best for us...and not worry about a whole class, as you said! Good luck to you and your dd with the lifepacs!
Before your kids put a ransom on my head I better say those 19 pages were from book one and they were very easy in my opinion. I am sure she won't be doing that everyday and she didn't do language today or science. Thanks Leslie, I think this is the best thing for her. Beth
That's great Beth! I'm glad you did that, and so is your dd I'm guessing! That's the neat thing about homeschooling: You CAN back up, start over, review, and do what you need to make it the best you can for your child! I hope it continues to work out well for you and her!
You must feel a tremendous sense of relief! My dd8 (second grade) ALREADY has a hard time with math (just like Mom ) and we also use LIFEPAC. Even though she's working in 2nd/3rd grade for other subjects, we are still using 1st for math. And like you, I'm glad we can take as long as we need to and give more time and attention to gaps in understanding when and where necessary. Bev
I agree Bev! What I like is that I, as a mom, can be encouraging and helpful when my child doesn't understand something, or gets behind. In school they'd be labeled as slow learners or something such as that. I can't stand the thought of my child being labeled in a negative way because they take longer to learn something! Who cares! They're too special to label, and special enough to keep home and encourage and praise!!!
we love the grade 8 life paks and am going to look into the 9th cause we have them already. I think it gets more into ALgerbra in it but Lifepaks are good atreafirming what you have learned. I know from past experience 8th grade is full of review for the entire year it moves you from k-9 readiness! My dd is doing 8th on SOS and we laugh at how easy it is but she is gaining great strengths in the redoing so many things they have learned all these years! I am grateful to the producers of this curric because of this! My ds gets great grades in Math now in HIgh School! Sophomore?
Glad to hear that your courageous decision is working for your student. I had to make similar decisions with our phonics program last year. We changed cur. and did alot of repeat. It is real pleasant to have the school day start being about success and learning again instead of stress and frustration. You certainly did the write thing to get your homeschooler on a path of success, instead of plogging along, don't let the "school year" and "grade level" time frames worry you, there is always summer school LOL
I feel so good after reading your posts. You are saying what I feel or what I see in Crystal, which makes me feel like you have been in our spot and we are on the right path. It is a blessing to start out the day happy instead of dreading math time. Beth
We had to stop with my older child and go back to ground zero and start over. He had missed something and I did not catch it untill he was in 7th or 8th grade when I went and took a whole month off of normal work and began with first grade workbooks ( scholastics ty pe) with clear instructions then the next grade level etc... We went through everything untill I found where the block was in his learning, or hole? And after we filled it in with the knowledge he needed he 'got it' much easier and actualy could do his math after that! Going back and starting with basics is so important! That is why I like life paks 7 & 8 they both do that! Be blessed! Tmom
A bit on a tangent, I am wondering if you ever "admit" to your daughter that you find math hard too. I read somewhere that you should never admit to the one that you are teaching that you also find it difficult. I am tempted to do it all the time though, even if it's a lie (e.g. "yeah that question was tricky, I had trouble with it too" when I could see the answer in a split second). I don't know why I should not say this, and I'm wondering if it either dooms the student if they know that the material is hard for others, or on the other hand if it dooms the student if they feel like they're the dumb one who just can't do it.
I have never made it a secret that I have trouble in math. It actually helps my kids to know that it's not just them. That even adults have to work hard at it sometimes. I just stress that it is that much more important to work hard to learn it now, while they are younger, to help them when they are older. Seems to work for them.
The only thing that I found that would hinder the child is my daughter has a hard time with Algebra (she is trying to take it in college - Pre Algebra) and she has said numerous times that she just can't get it. It is so hard!!! When my dgs came upon the word "Algebra" in his math (5th grade) he said I can't do that I know it's going to be hard. When I explained to him it is just the beginning and he will do very well with it, it was OK. He is very good in Math and can do it. He just felt if his mother couldn't do it, either could he. Now he can tackle just about anything and I don't hear that any more.
I found out what my faavorite math to teach is! Factors! I love that and exponentaial notation so much I almost taught the gal I was helping learn the first step the whole thing! I hope I have made it exciting for her! The way they use the little boxes to sort oour your prime factors these days is way easier than when I had to figure them as akid but I have found it so much fun to teach! SOs, is the curic I am talking about, and AOP does too
