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October 29, 2007
Connor Math Work 2007/10/29
We've continued to review topics like cancellation, factoring, least common denominator, precedence and other basic topics for working with expressions. I'm giving Connor review for today, all problems taken from the last several home work assignments that he was having problems with. I suspect he'll get them all now, which would allow us to then move on to ... equations.
One thing I've noticed is that it is very difficult to do these three things at once: get inside a child's head on what they know (as opposed to what they think they know), ensure that they are getting the right amount of work in the right balance to both gain confidence on existing skills and acquire new skills (or apply their existing skills to more challenging problems), and not get bogged down in trivial bits or digressions. Yet doing those three things at once is exactly what is necessary to provide a good understanding of a subject. Sometimes, it's difficult to remember that just because 25+ years of practice at a concept have made it blindingly obvious to you, does not mean that it is blindingly obvious to a pre-teen. The cool thing about teaching kids is that you learn about them, and yourself, in ways you would otherwise never be exposed to. In other words, this is fun.
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October 27, 2007
Just What I Wanted to do Tonight
... wait for the cops.
I managed to forget to lock my car last night. (Thankfully, that was a night in which I did not also leave my keys in the car, which happens sometimes.) Someone opened up the car, tossed my CDs around, threw all the stuff out of my glove box, and walked out with my XM radio and my various car chargers. Ironically, the chargers (for the phone, the iPod) were worth far more than the radio.
Yes, I should have locked my car. But it's really irritating to think that some jerk around here thinks it's just fine to come onto my property and help himself.
He didn't take any CDs. I guess "Story of the World" and an Arkangel production of "Macbeth" just didn't do it for him.
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October 26, 2007
Week ??
Week something or other.
Ooh, what a difference a plan makes! I've always prefered to do this homeschooling thing by the seat of my pants. Yes, I like to plan, and make extensive booklists and schedules, but here's my little secret: I never mean a word of it. Planning is fun, but in reality I really don't want to be tied down, not even to a plan of my own devising. Especially to a plan of my own devising, because I know how I plan.
But gosh, my kids are getting older, and they keep wanting to know what the plan is. They don't like it when I wing it. I think they're suspicious that as long as I don't have a plan written out, I'm tossing extra work at them whenever I can get away with it. They're right. Heh heh. I'm an overachiever. I will always go for the extra work; I will always plan more.
But I tried something new this week, and I think I've finally got it. I was able to see all the week's assignments at a glance. I was able to make sure no one day was overwhelmed. And something must have worked, because:
1) Connor did all the work I assigned him;
2) I did not stress out about the work I assigned; and
3) He finished with plenty of free time to spare, as he should.
Cool, eh? Here's the wrap-up:
Connor did Dad's math assignments, learning how to deal with operations with positive and negative numbers. He zipped through the fourth declension in Latin (who doesn't, after living through the third?). He did an entire week of analysis for Classical Writing; midway through the week he smashed his finger in the door, so a good deal of the analysis involved him dictating and me writing.
I'm going to pause for a moment to explain "analysis" to those of you who do not use Classical Writing: This is where we play around with analyzing and rewriting sentences. At our level, a week of analysis includes: Reading a narrative, dividing it into scenes, and analyzing the scenes for particular elements; pulling out sentences and parsing the nouns; diagramming the sentences, and rewriting them by changing the words, changing the style, and condensing them into the smallest sentence possible. This is brilliant stuff.
He did a couple of page in a punctuation workbook, which I have chosen for him because, to look at his rought drafts, he seems to never have heard of punctuation before.
He did map work on a map of the ancient Americas.
Other than that, he read. He read a chapter of Famous Men of the Middle Ages, a chapter of Our Island Story, a chapter from Hakim's "The Story of US" vol. 1, "Rikki Tikki Tavi" by Kipling, several fairy tales out of "The Blue Fairy Book," a version of "Pinocchio," a version of Aladdin and the lamp, several pages from the Kingfisher History Encyclopedia and "The Story of Mankind," and several from "Ancient America: Cultural Atlas for Young People."
I read to them from "By The Shores of Silver Lake," and Green's "King Arthur."
All in all, that is not too bad. Oh, and piano, karate, drama, etc. OK, so se skipped karate this week. It was just one of those days. We did a drawing lesson, too, from Mark Kistler's "Draw Squad."
Science, you ask? Well, he and Aidan had a field trip to the County Commissioner's office, to see what the county is doing to promote alternative energy. I say that covers science. The County Commissioner kept scaring Jeff by repeated use of the phrase "fiduciary responsibility to the citizens." It's scary because we used to live in Keller, Texas, where a government official talking (seriously) about its fiduciary responsibility was about as likely as Bill Clinton being faithful.
Oh, we watched a NOVA on genetics, too.
Aidan did some Singapore math, and some Right Start E math. He did a great deal of Galore Park Latin. Right now, Galore Park is my favorite Latin program, ever. I love it. I have not yet found anything I don't like about it. It's fantastic. Buy it for all your friends.
Aidan also started reading "The Hobbit." He listened to a couple of chapters of Story of the World in the car, and he read a chapter of Famous Men of the Middle Ages, and Our Island Story. He did piano, and drama, and the field trip .... and that was it for Aidan.
Griffin did a little of All About Spelling. For math I did a game with him in which I had him add numbers on the abacus, trading where necessary. He "got" the concept instantly, which is a big relief because this has been a very difficult concept for him to "get."
Lachlan played.
I'm linking our plan for next week, so that, if you're so inclined, you can see how I've worked this out. The blue assignments are Connor's (6th grade), the red are Aidan's (4th grade). The black are both. Notice that we're taking Halloween off.
Monday I'm going to see a gastroenterologist, to see if maybe he can figure out why I've been more or less ill for the past year. Your prayers and/or good thoughts are appreciated. I'm a little nervous, and I would like to be well again.
Oh, we also went to the dentist this week. One small cavity for Connor, but Lachlan makes up for everyone else. Is it bad when the insurance/payment lady at the dentist's office gasps in surprise when looking up your insurance, and recommends a discount card to you, instead? Yes, it's bad.
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October 24, 2007
Connor's Math Work 2007/10/24
We had taken a few days off for illness and pressing work, so now it's back to it. I wanted to catch up Connor on a few areas that he hasn't really been exposed to yet, due to Singapore's sequence, but which are prerequisite to the Dolciani pre-algebra. The areas I'm not sure of, given his difficulties with the expressions I gave him, are negatives (in particular, signs in combination like 2 - -4), grouping and canceling, and factors and factoring. So today Connor will be getting some sign work:
Simplify the following:
- a - b
- -a - b
- a + -b
- a - -b
- -a - -b
- a • b
- a • -b
- -a • b
- -a • -b
- a / b
- -a / -b
- a / -b
- -a / b
- a • b + a • (-b) + -a • b - a • b - -a • b
- a / b + -a / b + b / -a - a / b - -a / b
- a • -b + a / -b + -a • b - -a / b
Update: He's still not getting this. Sadly, I didn't try explaining the concept early enough in the evening, and I was probably a bit incoherent. I'm giving him the same problems tomorrow, but substituting a = 3 and b = 2, and will ask Steph to plug the explanation gap.
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October 21, 2007
Things I Wish I'd Never Heard
Who knew that Rick Wakeman had a disco period?
The names "Rick Wakeman" and "Chaka Khan" should just never appear on the same album. Ever. And it's a concept album. Rick Wakeman has done a concept album about Orwell's "1984," on which Chaka Khan is featured.
Hmm, I bet there's a reason I've never heard of this ...
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October 20, 2007
Week 11
This week we: Spent Monday afternoon at piano lessons, Monday evening at Lego League, Tuesday evening at Scouts, Wednesday morning at the ophthalmologist, Wednesday afternoon and part of the evening selling Cub Scout popcorn at the mall, Thursday at karate/drama classes, and Friday evening we were back at Lego League. Connor was sick on Thursday, Aidan on Friday.
Argh
Math
Jeff's been posting Connor's math work, so you've seen that. We've hit a snag in that I've realized Jeff has made some assumptions about Connor's math instruction. Singapore does not follow a typical American course of study. So here we are in pre-algebra, and Connor has never dealt with cancelling terms, or factoring; he's done very little with exponents or negative numbers. Part of his struggle with those problems is that Jeff assumed he could cancel terms, or subtract two negatives. The good news is that he picked it up all fairly quickly on the fly; the only thing I had to explicitly teach him was cancelling.
Aidan - as is typical for us so far, Singapore 3B is way easy. 3A kills us, but after that Connor flew through the next several books, and it looks as though Aidan will too. I've got Right Start E on the way for him.
Griffin continues to confound me. He enjoys his Singapore workbook, but will only add and subtract by counting. When I use the abacus with him, or try to show him how to take numbers apart, or how to use strategies for adding, he'll have none of it. When I pull out the base 10 manipulatives to show him place value, he just doesn't get it (though he can read and write large numbers). This is extremely frustrating to me. I can keep him going in Singapore, and he will learn algorithms but, I think, have no real understsanding; or I can ... what? Wait longer and hope that this is a maturity issue?
Latin
Aidan's Galore Park Latin Prep 1 finally arrived, and I love it. It's thorough, it's rigorous, but it's also colorful and fun.
Connor is ready to start the 4th declension in Henle, and to keep reviewing, reviewing, reviewing. I would love to talk him into using Galore Park instead, because I am tired of Henle. However, Henle is good, and he wants to stick with it, so there we are.
Writing
Aidan has given me permission to share his Classical Writing work here:
Robin Bird was perched on the branch of a tree with the rest of his military air strike force, when he saw a reconnaissance birdie. Robin got an escort and set out to capture the bird. It willingly went with them back to the base. After they landed, the bird told them everything. He was on a reconnaissance mission for the Evil King Rooster to find out everything he could about the whereabouts and status of the outbirds' nuclear poop missile. Robin Bird took three parakeet task forces to attack the king's fortress.EVIL KING ROOSTER'S FORTRESS, 0800 HOURS
The King's birds saw them coming and sounded the alarm. The anti-air beaks started firing. Then Robin Bird's birdie bombers started pooping on Evil King Rooster's cage fortress. Then bird fighters started strafing the king's people. Then they broke into the fortress and found and rescued the beautiful birdie that Allan-a-Birdie wanted to marry. All of Robin's birds retreated.
ROBIN BIRD'S BASE, 1300 HOURS
Control saw the last bird from Robin Bird's task force ome into the hangar as they got a message from Robin Bird to launch the nuclear poop missile.
"Open the silo and begin launch sequence!" ordered one of the birds. "Missile is armed! Beginning launch sequence ... now! Missile launch in 10 ... 9 ... 8 ... 7 ... 6 ... 5 ... 4 ... 3 ... 2 ...1 ... launch!"
KING ROOSTER'S BASE, 1400 hours
BOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!
And they tell me Classical Writing stifles creativity.
History
We've started listening to "Story Of The World" in the car. Let me just say that I hate Jim Weiss' voice. Ugh. He sounds smug and smarmy. However, we're in the car for classes twice a week, and listening to him read SOTW is a good use of our time. Connor read about Edmund Ironside from "Our Island Story." I don't think Aidan read it at all. Both read from "Famous Men of the Middle Ages." You see? Any sane person would think that SOTW, OIS and FMoMA would be plenty for history. Connor is also still plugging away at History Odyssey, which involves, in additon to what I've already listed, reading from the Kingfisher History Encyclopedia and Van Loon's "The Story of Mankind." And coloring lots of maps.
So I'm insane. Is that it?
Literature
Er, well. Still reading "By the Shores of Silver Lake" to the older ones, and "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" to the younger ones. Jeff is still occasionally reading "A Wrinkle in Time" to the older ones. This week Connor read some of Roger Lancelyn Green's "King Arthur," and another Lamb's Tale - "The Merchant of Venice" (timely, as he had been reading about the persecution of the Jews in the Kingfisher History Encyclopedia). He seems to not be too thrilled about reading the King Arthur, so I may take that over and read it aloud. Or something. I understand that Audible.com sells a version narrated by Sean Bean ... that's got to be good, right?
Science
Lego League (programming and alternative energy). Um, the little boys played with worms. That counts, right? We discussed how rainbows are made. Actually, I've been discovering the hidden power of Books In The Car. Today I left an astronomy book in the car, and Connor read tidbits aloud from it all day. I have underestimated car time as captive audience time. I have seen the light.
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October 16, 2007
Connor Math Work 2007/10/17
OK, so Connor doesn't actually understand distribution, commutation, association or precedence, so today we will work through yesterday's problems to show how those properties work, and then we'll drill more:
Simplify each of the following expressions, showing each simplification step.
- 4 + 3 • 5 + 2 / 7 • 7
- (4 + 3) • 5 + (2 / 7) • 7
- 4 + 3 • (5 + 2) / 7 • 7
- 4 + (3 • 5) / (7 • 7)
- (4 + 3 • 5 / 7) • 7
- 4 - 3 • 5 / 7 + 7
- 4 - (3 - 5) + 3
For each of the following expressions, show the implied precedence by grouping (with parentheses) operations that should be done together:
- 4 + 3 • 5 + 2 / 7 • 7
- (4 + 3) • 5 + 2 / 7 • 7
- a + b • c - d / e + f(g + h)
Rewrite each of the following expressions two other ways that mean the same thing (hint, you can distribute, commute, or express association for both of these):
- a(b + c) + d + d(b + c)
- ab + ac + a(b+c)
Update: So, so close. Apparently Connor gets the hard ones, but not the easy ones, because he doesn't have to think on the easy ones, so he doesn't. But because he doesn't think on the easy ones, he makes mistakes. So tomorrow, we're going to redo the 4 he missed (the last two of the first set, and the whole last set).
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October 15, 2007
Connor Math Work 2007/10/16
(For those of you who are expecting this to be Steph's post, just because it's her blog: Ha! Fooled ya! This is Jeff, and I've decided to post the part of the kids' education that I'm doing here, since my blog tends to have a decidedly different focus.)
We have Connor in the Dolciani, et al. Pre-Algebra book, on section 1-5. This covers association, commutation and distribution, as well as the properties of 1 and 0. Connor did the problems from part C and Self Test A today, and it was pretty obvious that, while he could simplify expressions, he did not really have the concepts down; he was simply doing it his own way. That would have been fine had he been getting them right, but because he wasn't understanding the concepts, Connor was getting the problems wrong (making bad assumptions, or not being careful, or both). I think that what was confusing him was that he could do the problems if they were all numbers, as these are, but could not figure out how to do them if a variable was thrown in, since it was not then entirely calculable.
So I've made up some problems for him to do tomorrow to drill in the concepts, and show some subtleties, and here they are if you want to use them:
Simplify each of the following expressions, showing each simplification step.
- 3(a + 12) + b(4 + 3)
- 7(5 - a) + 2a +1
- 2(2 + a) - (a • 3)
- 5a - 3a • 6
- 3 + 2 • 4 + 25 / 5
- 3 - 2 • 4 + 25 / 5
- 3 + 2 • 4 - 25 / 5
- 3b + 2a + 5
- 7 + b - (5 - b) + (5 - b) - 2b + 2(b + 1)
- a • b - 2b + 2(a + b) - b - 2a - b(a + 2) - b
Update: Not so good. Connor got 2 right.
Posted by jeff at 10:29 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
October 14, 2007
Get Your Daemon
You can take the quiz to determine if you think my daemon fits my personality. Or, get your own.
They're wrong. My daemon is a lynx, and we all know it.
If you don't know what this is all about, please go read Philip Pullman's "The Golden Compass." You'll thank me.
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Week 10, In Which I Self-Destruct
It's about week 10, anyway. Something like that. We're not real clear on dates here, and we had a week or so off, and ....
I had a bit of a homeschooling meltdown this week. Crisis. Confusion. Craziness! Two things happened at the same time that sent me into a tailspin. First, I realized that my boys have very little assigned reading, and that ain't right. I also realized that I was eating up a lot of time by reading their history and literature books to them, when it's time for them to be doing more of that themselves - I've got two younger ones to read to. So, I set about making book lists and reading assignments for them.
Second, Connor, Aidan and Jeff all decided that we should also be studying American history. Now. Every year.
Okay, fine. Well, it just so happens that LCC, Highlands Latin School and Ambleside Online do multiple streams of history, including American history every year. I had many models from which to draw a plan. But remember those other two kids? I'm really pressed for time right now, and every plan I came up with involved more and more time. And stress. I was trying to fit us into Drew's model LCC curriculum, when that history model does not fit our family.
Even though I know, understand, and believe in the theory behind our homeschooling, even I can lose sight of it from time to time. And when I do, things get crazy. I had to take time to step back and get my head on straight. History? I'm stressing about history? Connor's read all four volumes of Story of the World, and the Kingfisher History Encyclopedia, all for fun. He knows more about World War II than I do. And I'm stressing myself out because he's behind on someone's list. But it's easy to do that, from time to time; we forget to look at where are children are, and instead develop tunnel vision over what they have not yet done.
The whole point of "multum non multa," as put forth in the LCC, is not of following multiple streams of history and someone else's plan; it's focusing on what is most important, and not sweating the rest. Most important are Latin, math, and quality writing. We will learn history. We will read literature. We will learn science. But following some plan or booklist or schedule is not at all important or necessary. And I'm okay (for now), with a new plan in place: We'll finish out this year with our medieval studies, and with whatever American history the boys feel like reading. After that I'll continue Story of the World with the little ones, but the big ones may design their own history readings. We'll still do classical studies, because that's what I want to focus on. We'll direct them to the things we feel are most important in history. But other than that, I will learn to step back because it truly does not matter. They've got a good overview; however they fill in that overview with color and detail, it will be fine.
I may have to keep re-reading that last paragraph, over and over.
Math
Connor started a Dolciani Pre-Algebra text. I was thinking that he needs some extra reinforcement of certain topics before moving on to the rather rigorous New Elementary Math. I may have been wrong, as he's zipping through this book like it was nothing. However, I made the decision this week to hand him over to Jeff. Jeff will pick the next books to get us through higher math. Jeff will teach the lessons. I'll just oversee the work. On the one hand I'm disappointed, because Connor is getting into fun math, the math I would like to work on myself. On the other hand, this is a relief, because I have too much on my plate.
Aidan worked in Singapore 3B (adding and subtracting meters and kilometers/inches, feet and yards), without throwing anything (but it was a close run). I'm still trying to decide if I'm going to order Right Start E for him or not. I have conflicting information on how useful E is.
Griffin worked in Singapore 1A; however, Singapore would like him to do some subtraction now, please, and Griffin would rather color instead. Lachlan does no formal math. He just wanders around playing, occasionally coming up to me and saying something like "Hey Mom, 15 is five threes!" Good. Keep it up, kid. You'll make my job easier.
Latin
Connor read Cap. VI of Oerberg's Lingua Latina, and realized how much harder it is to do himself, vs. reading it with me. Aidan has bowed out of our Lingua Latina sessions - it's over his head. And Connor and I are about to get in too deep ourselves; there's a lot of vocabulary and subtle points of grammar that LL asks you to pick up by osmosis, intuition, and an incredible memory. He also did review work for Henle. We're moving v e r y s l o w l y through Henle. It will go much better/faster once Connor figures out he does have to work to learn the vocabulary. Aidan's new Latin book is still not in. Still.
Writing
Connor did week 10 of CW Homer A. We did the accompanying Harvey's Grammar orally. He outlined the story with Inspiration, and made a rough draft of the story ("The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck"). Aidan worked on week 12 of Aesop B. Aidan has not yet finished his rough draft, nor has he let me see it; however, while typing his version of the story of Robin Hood, Aidan asked how to spell "reconnaissance," and asked if he had to stick exactly to the story. This ought to be good.
History
Connor did two exercises in History Odyssey, one which involved reading and discussing "The Door in the Wall," and one in which he made an outline based on his reading about medieval Jewish persecution. He read three chapters of Our Island Story, including the story of Ethelred the Unready, plus Kipling's "Danegeld." Aidan and Griffin listened to a chapter of SOTW 2 (The Byzantine Empire). Aidan read "Marguerite Makes a Book," and three chapters of Our Island story. We colored illuminated letters, and a map of the Byzantine empire.
Literature
The big boys read Lamb's Tales, "The Tempest." I read aloud from "By The Shores of Silver Lake." Connor finished "Red Storm Rising" and Aidan is still working on some Timothy Zahn book or another ... maybe "Vision of the Future," by now.Geography
Looked up Singapore. Map of Byzantine Empire. Hagia Sophia. The older boys played Axis and Allies.Art
We didn't do any art this week, but you can entertain yourself with last week's pictures. We're using Mark Kistler's Draw Squad, which is a great book for helping boys to learn to draw. Here's Aidan's work:
And here's Connor's:
We also watched season 1 of Blackadder. Gotta love medieval studies.
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October 12, 2007
What Have I Been Thinking?
Somehow Tammy's links dropped off my radar. But now that she's posted in my comments, I followed the link to her Homeschool Comments on the Fly.
And I found there a story that may cause me to re-evaluate my life. It's a story of a family who follows the band Widespread Panic as they tour. They homeschool their son along the way.
WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF THAT?
(Jeff? Are you scared yet? And by the way, I think it would be educational for the children to see Philadelphia at Thanksgiving.)
Posted by lynx at 6:47 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Why I Hate Talking to People
I forget, sometimes, how insular my internet world is. Sometimes I stray into a more mainstream area of the net, where I'm quickly brought up short by the fascinating attitudes I find.
I involved myself in a discussion on breastfeeding on an email list. I consider myself somewhat of a breastfeeding activist; however I've also had the experience of having a child who could not, would not nurse, despite professional help and lots and lots of trying. And tears. Thank goodness for formula, in his case.
But we did honestly try everything before we gave him formula, and it was this story I was relating on the list. In fact, since I was unable to pump enough to feed my baby, a dear friend actually pumped her own milk for us. Yes, I fed my baby someone else's breast milk.
I expected some folks to be ooked out by this, because we've all forgotten about wet nurses and history. But I wasn't prepared for the response I got, which was outright disgust. One woman was particularly disgusted by the whole idea, and, of course, thought I just should have given the baby cow's milk and had done with it. (I never do get this argument. Why is human milk, which is for humans, disgusting, while milk squirted out of a cow's udder is acceptable? When you think about it, isn't that just weird?)
But she didn't stop there. No, she went on with this bit of logic: If I would let my baby drink some other human's breast milk, then logically speaking, why wouldn't I also let him drink urine?
Um. WHAT?!
Obviously I was not going to get anywhere with her on the subject of breast milk. Fine, drop it, done. But I could not resist the urge to try to point out to her that her logic is just bad. Er, no, you logically cannot equate breast milk with urine. One is nourishing and meant for human consumption. The other is just not. So, uh, no, I would not feed my baby urine, and by the way, what kind of frakked up person are you? (Okay, I only added that part in my head.)
Y'all know what kind of response I got, don't you? A rant about how I'm entitled to my OPINION about her LOGIC. Now she is offended because I did not let her have her OPINION.
I'm sorry, but we're done. When you don't even have the faintest clue that a logical argument is not governed by your opinion, we have nowhere to go, and I cannot help you. The biggest problem that I can see is that the world is full of you, you folks that cannot tell opinion from fact, or logic from wishful thinking, and you all vote. Some of you teach children (but not mine!). I sincerely hope that only a tiny number of you manages to equate breastmilk with pee.
Oh, she also came back with the stellar logical zinger that perhaps instead I'd let my baby eat someone's spit.
I'm going to go back into my own world now, where people are not so bizarrely sick and weird. Or at least, they're bizarre in ways I can cope with.
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