I actually wrote cc and told them that I believe the skip counting songs are actually a huge disservice to kids because as they get into older math and they are sitting there trying to sing the songs 🫤. So thankful I found your videos on this math curriculum. We’re going to try and out. I’m hopeful it’s just what we will be looking for!
I hope so too!! For Cc-by the time they get into the upper elementary (5-6th grade I think) they are supposed to start saying the math facts instead of just skip counting. We just never were in CC for those grades for my girls.
Videos like this are so helpful! Because not everything goes according to plan. And it's nice to see how you make changes as you go and re-evaluate throughout the year.
I’m glad it’s helpful!!!! I think sometimes we feel guilty when we have to drop things. But it’s ok. Life is all about learning and it’s not always from books or curriculum. So I always remind myself, their education is so much broader than we think!
Just over halfway through but I paused to come down here to say how much I wholeheartedly agree with your approach to math. When mine were still in public school, I'd bring it up to teachers of one of my children that math just doesn't click. I did this year after year, and year after year I was told not to worry because even though this child was in the lowest percentile for math, it was still within the "appropriate" window for math skills of that age/grade. I let it go (at first) because this child has always done things to a slower drum. This child sat up, crawled, walked, and talked later than average but still within "appropriate" windows. But the older this child got, the more I thought something was off. This child should not be THIS FAR "behind." I tried things at home to help but nothing worked. Nothing. It just...didn't sink in. I pulled my children out a few years ago and we've been trying to play catch-up. This child is in 7th grade but can barely do subtraction, even with single digits. I had this child tested, by the way, just to see, and nope...no issues other than it simply doesn't click. Sigh. I searched far and wide for a curriculum that I thought would work. It needed to be mastery (because why move onto the next thing if you don't fully understand the current or previous one?) and it needed to show this child the reasoning, the how and the why, behind math. Turns out, Math-U-See was the answer. Actually seeing and holding and building the math has been a *tremendous* help. Well, that plus continuing to use flash cards haha. I'm not giving those up no matter what anyone tries to tell me. You need to be able to quickly rattle off an answer instead of sitting there for 10 seconds trying to remember it or counting on your fingers. Nothing will ever change my mind on the importance of memorization. However, for as much progress as we've made, this is not quite enough. I've been eyeing other things, such as Learn Math Fast, Math Facts That Stick, that one triangle math game you talk about whose name escapes me at the moment...but I haven't taken the plunge on any of them yet. I also have a high schooler who does fairly well in math. Not great, but not horrible. Reversing the damage of CommonCore has been interesting but is going well. There are definitely gaps that need filling and I've got very little time to fill them. Next year, we are probably going to focus on practical math, such as statistics and personal finance, but on the side I'm going to see if we can't fill in those gaps. I've also got another who, thank you Lord, is a walking calculator. I don't have to do anything special or pick out specific curriculum with that one. Some of the things that one can do at that age blows my mind. Sponge, I tell ya! Anyway, back to the vid! Thanks for being here for us, Rachel. You're such a treasure 😊
Thank you!! 😊 Good for you for following your “spidy-sense!” 😜 every year I learn to ALSO relinquish the ideal that “we have to be at this level or that level.” Just do the next lesson and next school year, pick up where you left off (if you can be disciplined enough not to buy a whole new curriculum! lol!) I’ve always done that with Math. But it’s harder to do that with language arts bc I’ve switched or wanted something new, but why not??? Then we can breath more easily during the year if we want to slow down or rabbit trail to something else before come back. It’s amazing how much the public school mentality has a hold on our thinking, even as homeschoolers. 🤪
@@OurHOMEschoolPlan Yes! The longer I do this, the more I'm like ehh, we'll get there. But I'm still also running out of time, especially with the older ones. There's a balance ya gotta find...somewhere, somehow haha
@@katie7748 that’s very true as well! Theres only so many more years I can say, “eh….he’ll figure out how to write a paper sometime!” The time is now!!! 😜
@OurHOMEschoolPlan Speaking of writing papers, I know you use IEW (so do we), but I wondered if maybe you could tackle how you approach it? My oldest doesn't need much help with papers but the others? Pffffffft. Especially getting them to pick a topic, how to get their thoughts articulated onto paper (or even just verbally can be a struggle), etc.
@@katie7748 I’m not exactly sure what you mean. I teach the lesson if necessary. The first few units, I worked through their KWO with them. With my youngest, I sit with her after her first draft to edit the things that needs work. Or I might mark her paper up so she can edit herself. At the younger ages, I help as much as needed. You can model for them how to write if they struggle. For gathering their ideas, they may need your help on that as well, lots of prompting…..
“Reflex” is an online math game for math facts for adding and subtracting and multiplication and division My kids enjoy it and it’s not overbearing but they now have their facts memorized- It’s been great for my household!
@@OurHOMEschoolPlan no I think it’s a one time of about 35 dollars for unlimited use But it’s like a video game format and your kids will get them memorized! LOL it works
Watching this for the Learn Math Fast review. I have an ADHD daughter who struggles with math, especially retention. I don’t currently homeschool her. I did for three years, but not the past 2. So I’m trying to supplement to help her survive. This program is tempting for me-the simplicity and speed of it-but it’s not the same STYLE of math she’s learning in public school… with area models, bar models etc… so I don’t want to confuse her. But finding the right SUPPLEMENT is even harder than finding the right CURRICULUM. The curricula out there that I love is just TOO MUCH to use as a supplement in addition to a full day of public school! I have also considered ZEARN. It’s fabulous but would take awhile to get through. Math Mammoth is great because of the spiral review books-which help with the retention issue… anyway right now we are using Math Antics videos and some Math Mammoth PDFs on fractions… phew
Oh boy! This would be a great supplement bc of how it’s set up. But with public school….are they doing common core? I have no clue how the “new math” might confuse.
I enthusiastically recommend Grammar of Poetry as a foundation for poetry memorization/appreciation/writing. It teaches the fundamentals of poetry--I learned a LOT and finally "get" poetry. My kids really enjoyed it. Just the other day my eleven year old said something like "I really like this song's rhyme scheme!" What?! So. So. Good.
I agree with Campfire being more engaging than Gather 'Round. It really speaks to me and I enjoy teaching it. I think that is why my son really enjoys it as well. Even in 2nd grade, he did the core connections himself while I cooked last year.
That’s awesome!!!! I wish campfire would’ve been around in 2020. Maybe it was but I didn’t hear of it until later. But trying that with the core connections during the time when that was what I was looking for…..I wonder how I would’ve liked it. That’s awesome that your son does it on his own! 💕
Thank you for this video!! I have a 10th grader and another that will be in high school in the fall. I would love to hear more about high school! I can’t wait to hear your thoughts about what you are doing for him in 12th grade. I love that you are letting go and realizing what you have energy for. It’s so hard to feel responsible for all the things…teaching, filling in gaps, social activities, learning styles…May God give us all wisdom and encouragement to homeschool well while learning to let go and trust Him with the details! ❤ Thanks again for being real and honest with how things are going!! It is refreshing to know I am not alone in the ebb and flow of this wonderful yet challenging at times homeschool journey!
❤️❤️❤️thank you too! It honestly helps me to hear that sharing my own struggles actually encourages bc I’m like you all. When I watch the TH-cam videos of the Mom who always seems to have it all together, it can actually make me feel bad about myself bc I can’t ever seem to have things so streamlined and working together the way it “appears” she does. Hearing that others have struggled or are currently struggling with certain aspects is refreshing for me! So thank you for telling me it is for you as well!!
I saw a video from the Chanel "How to Homeschool " and it was a warning about Dualingo having lgbtq content on it as part of the lesson. So just be cautious and check the validity of that. Due to your video a few months ago on LMF, I bought it that day, lol! My 4th and 6th graders are doing so well with Learn Math Fast btw, thank you so much for sharing about it! It has made a huge difference in their understanding and confidence of math!
Yep! Same goes for Prodigy (which our children only had while in public school). We kicked Prodigy to the curb as soon as we started homeschooling. It's more games than learning anyway 🙄
That’s so wonderful!!!! I’m so happy LMF is working for you! Thanks for the heads up! I haven’t seen anything like that on Duolingo yet, but I told my kids to let me know if they run across it. We know several homeschoolers who’ve been on it much longer than us. One of my daughter’s friends has been on for years. I’ll have to ask her. 🤔
Feeling encouraged! And helps me to remember to be flexible, remember to just take it one year at a time, it’s ok to spend a little more time on something, there is only OUR time schedule not necessarily the curriculum’s, and ENJOY THE RIDE WITH THE KIDDOS ALONG THE WAY! Thanks for being here with us!
My son, who will be in the 9th grade next year, sounds a lot like yours. He does not like to write as well and he doesn't express himself either! And you're totally right! He's my easiest child to teach because he doesn't push back either. When there is paper that requires a personal option he HATES it. He just wants someone to tell him what to do and how to do it. Thanks for the update! My year isn't going as I planned but we will get through it!
Loved the update! I had to let go too, teaching my 5th grader how to do things independently. He does his math, science and Easy Peasy spelling all by himself. I just check it. We do TGTB, History and Bible together. My 10th grader does well, struggles in math, but getting that seen about. I saved the book you mentioned you did with your daughter, my daughter enjoys doing things together so I will look into that as well. Good to hear from you Rachel! Can’t wait to hear what you have planned for next year.
Thank you so much!!!! I have a feeling next year will look pretty different for us! We’ll see! (I always have way more optimism when I’m planning, though! 😂 Gotta keep reminding myself….. That’s awesome that your daughter loves doing those types of book studies!
I was doing TGTB with my 6th grader for the past 4 years until we started Level 6 and it all broke apart. She really has struggled with retention, so I started LMF with her and it has been great to boost her confidence. She also was making a bunch of silly mistakes with the multi-digit multiplication, so I was just re-printing the worksheets from the LMF website and having her re-do them on a separate sheet of paper with lines. She struggles with keeping her numbers aligned or getting distracted and losing her place. Another thing that has REALLY helped her with focus is timed math drills-just a page of very simple addition. She has improved significantly in her ability to focus just doing this! :) And on the Duolingo note, we were doing that also and my daughter was loving it, but we came across their 'woke' content in some of the stories. Just be aware! :)
I’m so glad LMF is going well! And yes, the confidence boost is so good for them!! On Duolingo….yeah somebody else just told me that too! And I looked it up. So is it in content that you HAVE to interact with? We literally just started a few weeks ago so we’re very early on.
Speed in mathematics is not important in higher maths. It can actually cause problems. Having number sense and a solid understanding of the process will take them a lot further than speed and memorization. This is actually showing up in your daughter written timed tests. Timing will cause a mental block and cause mistakes.
I’ve done higher mathematics, then kind where 1 problem takes up an entire page to work out. Knowing your math facts means you can think about the process rather than skip counting on your fingers. So it does matter for higher math. I’d rather have math take an hour than and hour and 15 minutes. And punching it into a calculator takes more time than just knowing it too. I don’t disagree on timing which is why I quit doing the timed tests the way the books suggests. My daughters never passed them. They basically want 2 seconds per problem, that includes the writing of the number. But once I started doing the flash cards, the memorization did kick in as well as the speed. When my daughter completed 50 flash cards in under a minute, I knew she had the speed so I tried her back on the written test. That’s when I was commenting how much slower she wrote. The writer of Learn Math Fast also assured me the time tests, the accuracy was more important than the speed. So this is why we’ve not made ourselves stuck on them. But I disagree with you some about speed. I’m not talking as much about speed as I am about memorizing the facts RATHER than counting on your fingers or skip counting.
Lmf has an extra book for each volume with extra worksheets for each lessons. I'm so glad I got volume one after your first video on it. My 2nd grade was having a hard time with addition and substraction math facts. I can't believe how well its been working for her. We do a lesson and then a worksheet every day and then test ( i dont time it though). She is getting so much better we just started chapter 2 and she is doing way better than I expected.
That’s wonderful!!!!!! It’s so relieving, too, to just sit on a concept until it’s mastered and. Of feel guilty to move on! I’m so happy it’s working well for you!
I couldn’t teach grammar for 2 hrs at a time!!! My kids wouldn’t listen either!!! My oldest loves diagramming the scripture book!!! He does it independently!!! It’s awesome that the book study with your teen is working out well!!! Campfire curriculums is awesome!!! We love the hands on activities!!! My older kids love Duolingo and drops!!! We are doing different languages so we aren’t doing it together!!!
It’s not all 2 hours of grammar. It’s 45 minutes of a grammar lesson which includes review and diagramming together. 30 minutes of math fact speed drills. Then 45 minutes of an IEW lesson which includes doing the Key word outline together. So even the 45 minutes is teaching and then doing the homework. 😁
Thank you for all your encouragement! My kids and life are no where near yours (mostly babies) but i find you to be so kind and encouraging and down to earth, so thank you! I'm in the same boat of trying to figure out my energy and letting go. I'm reading "If mama ain't happy" it's a boundaries book for moms. Also, I've heard "math it" is good for math facts.
Thanks for the update video! I'm stoked for the Learn Math Fast video. I splurged and got the first 2 books to try with my 4th graders, and we're doing a little bit of the addition while they're finishing up a review week in their current curriculum. I think we might try to take a break (long division 🤪) and see if reviewing older things will help (plus breaks are very beneficial in my experience). Love the flexibility in homeschool to be able to do that! Hoping the extra practice will do the trick! Look forward to your videos 🙂
You’re going to finding it so beneficial for your own sanity and for their confidence!!! And I totally agree about breaks!! I realized last year that Jan & Feb I’ve often take a break from the curriculum to focus on math games! And it’s always been so freeing! ❤️
I made a plan and cut some things before we even started the school year…knowing that I have a tendency to want to do it all. But I keep cutting and cutting because we were always behind. Finally mid year we switched all subjects but math and LA to My Father’s World family cycle. I am so glad we switched. We no longer constantly feel behind. We are feasting on all the subjects but not feeling stuffed…just satisfied!
That’s wonderful!!! Believe it or not, I actually considered My Fathers World last year too! So how long does it take you to get through school with the family cycle? I’ve never tried it. But it’s always intrigued me.
We are using Exploration to 1850. We are on week 13 now. We spend about 1.5 - 2 hours per day for hymn, bible, history, science, art/music, and read aloud.
@@freelandtr I just looked at all the cycles yesterday for my youngest. And I actually started to get anxiety again about ALL there is to do in this curriculum. (This is why I end up not doing it…bc it’s so hard to predict what your days will be like in a new year). But let me ask…. So you spend up to 2 hours doing things together. Then after that’s math, grammar, spelling, and the writing portion? So the kids could have another 1-2 hours more in the afternoon? I looked at so many things yesterday bc like you mentioned in your original comment….what I also want for my youngest is to just read and learn without the pressure of having tasks to check off. I’d love to be able to just concentrate more on her this year. My older two never stop needing me though and it’s their needs that seem difficult to predict for me. I’m worried if I buy something like MFW, I’m just going to end up cutting so much of it. (I’m like you….i wanna do it all! 🤪)
@@OurHOMEschoolPlan We start our day at 8:30 so we are finished most days by 1 pm. Yes, we add math and language arts. My children are mostly independent with math using Math-u-see. LA is where I spent much of my time. For us MFW was the simpler thing since it included all the subjects I wanted to cover expect LA, math, and Shakespeare. We don't skip anything in MFW except some of the hands-on activities (crafts and cooking). I know some families use MFW for only one child but the beauty for us is that most of my children are using the same package --- five of my six children. My oldest child just started ninth grade with MFW this week.
Oh, also going to be doing the same with my daughter as far as those books go. I don't hear many others talking about things like that (unfortunately 😢 ) so I appreciate you bringing it to my attention. I actually debated doing P2P this year with her but it's been just too chaotic with the move so we are focusing primarily on the basics.
Yeah….P2P takes a little planning. I meant to do it last year. It is geared to 12-13 year olds. But my daughter is 14. It will still be good! I’m sure I’ll give an update on how it went. The Speak Truth book is so good!!!
Thanks for introducing us to Generations of Grace Bible curriculum. I would love to see an update on these devotionals once you have completed as well!
Oh I’ve completed all of them several times!! 😂😂😂 I have thought about doing an updated video about it though. I’m just not sure if I have much NEW to say about it. What is it that you want to know?
Maybe I could see if my church has an extra teacher manual I could show for those who’ve asked if they needed it. But I would definitely love to do an update bc I wish I would’ve explained a little better about how thorough it is in getting to ALL of the Bible.
I enjoyed hearing all about your year and just bought that interactive grammar notebook. My oldest is doing Fix It grammar and it is working for her, but my younger daughter did not like it. She is very kinesthetic. I put her back in Masterbooks LA and it is going well, but when she gets stuck on a grammar skill I am going to pull this interactive notebook out to teach her the skill if she can't "get it" from the Masterbook lesson. So, thanks so much for putting that in this video! It solved a problem for me because I knew I needed something open and go to be able to teach her things when she hits a wall and can't learn from the Masterbook lesson. I LOVED what you said about not being able to teach it all as the kids get older. They do have so many more subjects as the hit middle/high school and it is so helpful to outsource subjects when we can. For me, this is a huge reason why we do CC starting 7th grade. We had some CC drama with our community and for a minute I was wondering if we were going to even have a place to go next year. So I started trying to plan for 9th and 7th grades next year on my own and it was so stressful. I am hopeful something is going to work out to continue with CC next year, but we will see. If not CC, we will have to outsource subjects because, like you said, I just can't do it all anymore with my kids at these ages. I also loved what you said about math and how you've slowed down your youngest to really get those basic facts down. I have a whole story to tell about math as well..... we are now doing Math U See and I LOVE IT. Absolutely love it. I never thought I would love a math more than Masterbooks, but MUS is doing exactly what you talked about in this video. We have gone to the basics (yes, I started at alpha with both girls) and we are zooming through the first levels, but my girls have serious gaps in their math and you just can't do higher math easily with those gaps. My oldest didn't understand carrying/borrowing until doing Alpha and Beta. She knew procedurally what to do but she sorely lacked UNDERSTANDING, which means she had some major place value holes in her math knowledge that we patched up with Alpha and Beta. I am super excited to FINALLY (after literally a decade of teaching math) to gave discovered a curriculum that will help my kids UNDERSTAND math. hahaha!!!! And, finally, can't wait for that Forensic video! I bought that book to just read myself. It is fascinating. :) I look forward to hearing what you and your son have thought about the course.
👏🏼 👏🏼 👏🏼 I hope the interactive notebook works for you!! I think it’s a fun way to learn it bc while they’re cutting and glueing….they’re also THINKING! And then it’s a fun way to review it later! It does also have practice sheets in there as well! I wonder if Math U See if just like LMF but with more practice in it. I’ve always been intrigued by it but never fully looked into it bc I do like Singapore math. But I do have the math U see manipulatives (I bought them at a used curriculum sale) and I actually pulled it out today to explain division!! It’s very helpful! You’re such a nerd about the science! Do you have other co-around you, you could consider if CC doesn’t work? I’m actually considering an additional co-op for Natalie next year so she can have weekly accountability (like CC but I don’t have to do EVERY subject…you can pick and choose 1 or 6!) the downside to a co-op, is I can’t choose the curriculum. So we’ll see what this co-op offers. They were actually started by former CCers in our area (long before I began homeschooling). But they wanted a more flexible option for a weekly academic co-op. So….we’ll see!
@@OurHOMEschoolPlan I cant wait to see the interactive notebook....because I am certainly a nerd who loves curriculum haha! I really do think it is going to fit well with how I intend to use it. Is it consumable or do you have to make copies? It seems like I remember that you have to make copies. I am really not all that familiar with LMF but it sounds like you are planning a review of it soon, maybe?! I would love to learn more about it but from what you said about it here it does seem similar to MUS. I am so elated with MUS. FINALLY my girls are getting basic concepts because they can SEE them with those MUS blocks. It's amazing! We do have a co-op here where they could go one day and take three classes. I totally understand what you mean about wanting to be able to choose your curriculum and not being stuck with having to do what the co op is choosing.... this co-op would allow me more freedom to choose things but at the same time this co-op would require me to attend and contribute by teaching or volunteering which is hard for me to do since I also have littles. So CC really is the best fit for us and I am hopeful my girls are going to get into a different community next year since, sadly, ours will most likely not have the Challenge program next year.
@@faithfullyinfertile I make copies for the interactive notebook. I don’t think it’s consumable since there’s cutting. I think the templates are not blank on the other side.
I love campfire but never used gather around. My husband is doing the Paleontologist unit. We are doing the topic and history part. I love how it ties into the Bible. We also did the Christmas Carols in 23 and the other Christmas unit in 22. We love Campfire but we also don’t use everything.
I saw the end finally. I decided that my kids actually need more time in school because they are getting into trouble otherwise. So I am the opposite. I want it done before noon but when my 3rd grader sits there and cries for an hour instead of doing school work we are doing extra math or writing after lunch. It is mainly attitude. I want her to stop waking up just to get it done because that is what she is doing. She is whiny tired. But we are done before lunch. We were done before 10:30/11 before 2 weeks ago.
It is amazing how the attitudes affect the TIME on the day! It’s so true! Today…..I’m still sitting at the table while my daughters work because we didn’t get it all done this morning. So not everyday is done before lunch. But it’s definitely the GOAL for MY time. They can procrastinate on their own time!!! 😜
@@OurHOMEschoolPlanI honestly think that my daughter has always fought school more than my son. My 4 year old gets offended if we don’t do school with her. My oldest definitely wants to avoid it or hurry up and get it over with which isn’t good.
Yes, they have supplemental worksheets and copies of the book worksheets. I believe there is only one supplemental worksheet. I know this is true for Vol 1 but my son is still in Vol 1 so I'm not sure about the other volumes .
@@OurHOMEschoolPlan You can print off the ones in the book and they have 1 extra practice sheet per lesson. It's only for Volume 1, like ravenzmama said.
I know at some point, maybe 5-6th grade, for memory master, CC wanted the kids to say the actual math facts. But we quit CC after my middle child was 4th grade.
So I wanted to tell you on your daughters times tables have you looked into times tails they have helped a lot for buy kids. I don’t think speed is as necessary as accuracy and learn math fast does actually offer additional worksheets. They are on the website. We love learn math fast. It has made a world of difference in our home.
Times tails? No I haven’t. I agree on the speed. I told my daughter I’m not so much focused on speed as I am about just memorizing the facts so that she’s not using her fingers to skip count. And when they’re memorized, she’ll obviously be faster.
I recently purchased the IEW teaching the classics but it only had the discs and the workbook. Does the binder have different pages in it then the workbook? If so do you know if its possible to purchase that on its own?
Good evening, Thank you very much for this helpful video. Could you please recommend which volumes of learn math fast I could purchase for grades 3 and 6? Thank you for all your time and help. Anschen
I would say it depends on which skills you need to start at. Book 1 includes adding, subtracting, multiplying. And dividing even to long division and multiplying three digit numbers by three digit numbers. Book 2 starts decimals, fractions, and percentages… book three might be basic geometry (like area, perimeter, etc.) or maybe book 3 is pre-algebra….if you look at the website, it will tell you the emphasis of each book.
@@OurHOMEschoolPlan I am from South Africa. We are eagerly awaiting the launch of amazon. It is being delayed... I am able to have a book delivered in the UAE, and then having a friend bring it back here. So buying the right one is important, because of luggage weight. Will maybe start with one and two.
Hello, I am about to order the learn math fast books. Could you please explain to me why are there different editions? I just want to make sure that I order the right books.
Are you talking about their updated editions of the volume 1-7? They did just update with color inside some of the books but I don’t think the main content changed much. Volumes 1-7 have to do with the content inside. Let me know if that doesn’t help.
It’s a bi-weekly Christian co-op, my girls do two academic (but fun) subjects. And they have PE. The entire co-op “day” is about 3 hours. My 8th grader is doing Biblical Worldview class and a STEM science class. My younger one is doing Spanish and creation science.
I don't think IEW works for everyone. In think for some students it takes too long for it to go do KWO on an already written piece of work to practice all use of an outline to lay out your own paper. I am personally not a fan, and I think that because I don't think it's a good match for my child or even my thinking style. My son is currently ousting IEW in a private school and I am not a fan. He learned so much more in a different writing class lay year when we homeschooled where they wrote the same kind of essay (literary analysis through persuasive writing) over and over. There was a little bit of writing practice every day. He learned so much. This year, he has lost a lot of that. Next year, I think we will use one of the online writing programs like Lantern English or Write at Home.
I feel torn! I personally have learned from IEw and I think of “decorating” my own quite often. And so that’s why I do like it. As for the KWO, gosh….i see what you’re saying. But I also think learning how to make an outline is such an essential step to make writing your paper easier. I say that from my own experience. When I wrote research papers in high school and college, I never wrote outlines and I think it makes the actual writing process so much more difficult if the ideas aren’t organized. I’m sure other writing programs other than IEW teach that as well….hopefully. 😊
@OurHOMEschoolPlan I think it's just child and teacher dependent. There are some that IEW works great for. I agree that outlines are a great tool, especially for research papers. I just meant I think there are more direct, effective ways to teach how to outline fit a paper than the KWO approach. Many programs teach outlining to prep for essays. And note cards for research papers are also great. Learning to write a strong thesis can also help organize a paper. But I'm rusty, lol. I really like the looks of the programs I mentioned. The student gets written instructions for each step of a paper and constant feedback from a teacher. No videos. And the courses are short (6-8 weeks) so you can repeat essay types or mix and match how you like.
@@gardenia77 if there are less teacher intensive ways to teach this, my ears are open!!! 😜 I’ll have to look at the ones you’ve suggested. I also would like a closer look at “writing with Rhetoric” and “essentials in writing”. I’m sure there’s tons of great programs out there!
@OurHOMEschoolPlan We used Essentials in Writing one year and liked it. Very clear, systematic instruction. The next year we moved on to the live online class because my son needed someone besides me to give him feedback for writing. The online class was amazing, but no longer available. We tried Writing and Rhetoric in 6th very briefly and I think I would have liked it if we could have started sooner. It takes awhile to really get to the meat of essay writing and if I remember correctly, you have to get through several volumes. In high school, I definitely just want something that jumps right into essay Writing. I do see what you mean about the dress ups. My favorite ELA curriculum we used in middle school was Bards and Poets. It taught style beautifully, and in my opinion, in a less robotic way than the lists in IEW. It is by Cottage Press and they have a high school version too. It also includes sentence diagramming and literary analysis and poetry study. You might like it! It is one of my favorite courses we've ever done, but we need to outsource Writing. I think it's a hidden gem.
@@gardenia77 oh my goodness!!!! My jaw actually dropped when I read all that Bards and Poets! Goes over! I’m definitely looking into this one!!!!! Thank you!!!!!
Forgive my ADHD brain but I know you don't do 180 days of school but you use Master Books that's 180 days. How do you adjust? Do you do more than one day a day or leave the book not complete? Is not complete allowed?
You’re allowed to not complete a curriculum! 😉 schools don’t complete their books. Even for high school credit, 80% complete is complete. (That’s official…and it’s also assuming you aren’t supplementing with anything else.)
Sigh….i have not. It’s on my list to do hopefully soon! But in a nutshell! I love it! It’s such a great program to use as either a supplement to help on certain trouble areas OR to use as the main curriculum for an older student.
@@OurHOMEschoolPlan thank you! The dozen or so reviews I have seen is essentially “first look” type reviews. Yours seemed to show a bit of actual experience. I just bought the first 2 books using your code.
@@Alpha1Farms thank you!!! And yeah….i think it’s so good for their confidence. (Bc some of the lessons will be so easy for them to breeze through). And then it will help to just stop and focus on where the struggle is. I also didn’t feel nearly as much pressure to move on for the sake of “completing the book before the end of the year!” Because there are only 7 books total. So the real goal is to complete them before graduation!! That’s so much less pressure and helps you to be able to just focus on the needs and appreciate any progress being made!!
It says it’s geared to girls 8-12 bc it was originally written for girls. Part of me feels that’s a stretch. 😳 I’m not sure an 8 year old could comprehend all of it. But you could always get it and you feel it’s a little too much, save it for the next year. I definitely wouldn’t cap it off at 12. Women of all ages will appreciate it.
I actually wrote cc and told them that I believe the skip counting songs are actually a huge disservice to kids because as they get into older math and they are sitting there trying to sing the songs 🫤. So thankful I found your videos on this math curriculum. We’re going to try and out. I’m hopeful it’s just what we will be looking for!
I hope so too!!
For Cc-by the time they get into the upper elementary (5-6th grade I think) they are supposed to start saying the math facts instead of just skip counting. We just never were in CC for those grades for my girls.
Videos like this are so helpful! Because not everything goes according to plan. And it's nice to see how you make changes as you go and re-evaluate throughout the year.
I’m glad it’s helpful!!!! I think sometimes we feel guilty when we have to drop things. But it’s ok. Life is all about learning and it’s not always from books or curriculum. So I always remind myself, their education is so much broader than we think!
Just over halfway through but I paused to come down here to say how much I wholeheartedly agree with your approach to math. When mine were still in public school, I'd bring it up to teachers of one of my children that math just doesn't click. I did this year after year, and year after year I was told not to worry because even though this child was in the lowest percentile for math, it was still within the "appropriate" window for math skills of that age/grade. I let it go (at first) because this child has always done things to a slower drum. This child sat up, crawled, walked, and talked later than average but still within "appropriate" windows. But the older this child got, the more I thought something was off. This child should not be THIS FAR "behind." I tried things at home to help but nothing worked. Nothing. It just...didn't sink in. I pulled my children out a few years ago and we've been trying to play catch-up. This child is in 7th grade but can barely do subtraction, even with single digits. I had this child tested, by the way, just to see, and nope...no issues other than it simply doesn't click. Sigh. I searched far and wide for a curriculum that I thought would work. It needed to be mastery (because why move onto the next thing if you don't fully understand the current or previous one?) and it needed to show this child the reasoning, the how and the why, behind math. Turns out, Math-U-See was the answer. Actually seeing and holding and building the math has been a *tremendous* help. Well, that plus continuing to use flash cards haha. I'm not giving those up no matter what anyone tries to tell me. You need to be able to quickly rattle off an answer instead of sitting there for 10 seconds trying to remember it or counting on your fingers. Nothing will ever change my mind on the importance of memorization. However, for as much progress as we've made, this is not quite enough. I've been eyeing other things, such as Learn Math Fast, Math Facts That Stick, that one triangle math game you talk about whose name escapes me at the moment...but I haven't taken the plunge on any of them yet.
I also have a high schooler who does fairly well in math. Not great, but not horrible. Reversing the damage of CommonCore has been interesting but is going well. There are definitely gaps that need filling and I've got very little time to fill them. Next year, we are probably going to focus on practical math, such as statistics and personal finance, but on the side I'm going to see if we can't fill in those gaps.
I've also got another who, thank you Lord, is a walking calculator. I don't have to do anything special or pick out specific curriculum with that one. Some of the things that one can do at that age blows my mind. Sponge, I tell ya!
Anyway, back to the vid! Thanks for being here for us, Rachel. You're such a treasure 😊
Thank you!! 😊
Good for you for following your “spidy-sense!” 😜 every year I learn to ALSO relinquish the ideal that “we have to be at this level or that level.” Just do the next lesson and next school year, pick up where you left off (if you can be disciplined enough not to buy a whole new curriculum! lol!) I’ve always done that with Math. But it’s harder to do that with language arts bc I’ve switched or wanted something new, but why not??? Then we can breath more easily during the year if we want to slow down or rabbit trail to something else before come back.
It’s amazing how much the public school mentality has a hold on our thinking, even as homeschoolers. 🤪
@@OurHOMEschoolPlan Yes! The longer I do this, the more I'm like ehh, we'll get there. But I'm still also running out of time, especially with the older ones. There's a balance ya gotta find...somewhere, somehow haha
@@katie7748 that’s very true as well! Theres only so many more years I can say, “eh….he’ll figure out how to write a paper sometime!” The time is now!!! 😜
@OurHOMEschoolPlan Speaking of writing papers, I know you use IEW (so do we), but I wondered if maybe you could tackle how you approach it? My oldest doesn't need much help with papers but the others? Pffffffft. Especially getting them to pick a topic, how to get their thoughts articulated onto paper (or even just verbally can be a struggle), etc.
@@katie7748 I’m not exactly sure what you mean. I teach the lesson if necessary. The first few units, I worked through their KWO with them. With my youngest, I sit with her after her first draft to edit the things that needs work. Or I might mark her paper up so she can edit herself.
At the younger ages, I help as much as needed. You can model for them how to write if they struggle. For gathering their ideas, they may need your help on that as well, lots of prompting…..
“Reflex” is an online math game for math facts for adding and subtracting and multiplication and division
My kids enjoy it and it’s not overbearing but they now have their facts memorized- It’s been great for my household!
Never heard of that one!! Is it free??
@@OurHOMEschoolPlan no I think it’s a one time of about 35 dollars for unlimited use
But it’s like a video game format and your kids will get them memorized! LOL it works
Watching this for the Learn Math Fast review. I have an ADHD daughter who struggles with math, especially retention. I don’t currently homeschool her. I did for three years, but not the past 2. So I’m trying to supplement to help her survive. This program is tempting for me-the simplicity and speed of it-but it’s not the same STYLE of math she’s learning in public school… with area models, bar models etc… so I don’t want to confuse her. But finding the right SUPPLEMENT is even harder than finding the right CURRICULUM. The curricula out there that I love is just TOO MUCH to use as a supplement in addition to a full day of public school! I have also considered ZEARN. It’s fabulous but would take awhile to get through. Math Mammoth is great because of the spiral review books-which help with the retention issue… anyway right now we are using Math Antics videos and some Math Mammoth PDFs on fractions… phew
Oh boy! This would be a great supplement bc of how it’s set up. But with public school….are they doing common core? I have no clue how the “new math” might confuse.
I enthusiastically recommend Grammar of Poetry as a foundation for poetry memorization/appreciation/writing. It teaches the fundamentals of poetry--I learned a LOT and finally "get" poetry. My kids really enjoyed it. Just the other day my eleven year old said something like "I really like this song's rhyme scheme!" What?! So. So. Good.
❤️❤️❤️ I just love making up my own poems!! I’m not Emily Dickinson….i am, indeed, more of a Limerick poet! 😜
I agree with Campfire being more engaging than Gather 'Round. It really speaks to me and I enjoy teaching it. I think that is why my son really enjoys it as well. Even in 2nd grade, he did the core connections himself while I cooked last year.
That’s awesome!!!! I wish campfire would’ve been around in 2020. Maybe it was but I didn’t hear of it until later. But trying that with the core connections during the time when that was what I was looking for…..I wonder how I would’ve liked it. That’s awesome that your son does it on his own! 💕
Thank you for this video!! I have a 10th grader and another that will be in high school in the fall. I would love to hear more about high school! I can’t wait to hear your thoughts about what you are doing for him in 12th grade. I love that you are letting go and realizing what you have energy for. It’s so hard to feel responsible for all the things…teaching, filling in gaps, social activities, learning styles…May God give us all wisdom and encouragement to homeschool well while learning to let go and trust Him with the details! ❤ Thanks again for being real and honest with how things are going!! It is refreshing to know I am not alone in the ebb and flow of this wonderful yet challenging at times homeschool journey!
❤️❤️❤️thank you too! It honestly helps me to hear that sharing my own struggles actually encourages bc I’m like you all. When I watch the TH-cam videos of the Mom who always seems to have it all together, it can actually make me feel bad about myself bc I can’t ever seem to have things so streamlined and working together the way it “appears” she does. Hearing that others have struggled or are currently struggling with certain aspects is refreshing for me! So thank you for telling me it is for you as well!!
I saw a video from the Chanel "How to Homeschool " and it was a warning about Dualingo having lgbtq content on it as part of the lesson. So just be cautious and check the validity of that. Due to your video a few months ago on LMF, I bought it that day, lol! My 4th and 6th graders are doing so well with Learn Math Fast btw, thank you so much for sharing about it! It has made a huge difference in their understanding and confidence of math!
Yep! Same goes for Prodigy (which our children only had while in public school). We kicked Prodigy to the curb as soon as we started homeschooling. It's more games than learning anyway 🙄
That’s so wonderful!!!! I’m so happy LMF is working for you!
Thanks for the heads up! I haven’t seen anything like that on Duolingo yet, but I told my kids to let me know if they run across it. We know several homeschoolers who’ve been on it much longer than us. One of my daughter’s friends has been on for years. I’ll have to ask her. 🤔
Yes, we switched to Rosetta stone because of this. Their "agenda" is listed on their website.
@@thelearninghill it’s sad.
Yes, it’s in the French for sure. Sadly, my child loved it and we had to kick it to the curb. Another friend had issues with Spanish.
Feeling encouraged! And helps me to remember to be flexible, remember to just take it one year at a time, it’s ok to spend a little more time on something, there is only OUR time schedule not necessarily the curriculum’s, and ENJOY THE RIDE WITH THE KIDDOS ALONG THE WAY! Thanks for being here with us!
Absolutely!!! 👍🏻 you’re so welcome!!! ❤️
My son, who will be in the 9th grade next year, sounds a lot like yours. He does not like to write as well and he doesn't express himself either! And you're totally right! He's my easiest child to teach because he doesn't push back either. When there is paper that requires a personal option he HATES it. He just wants someone to tell him what to do and how to do it. Thanks for the update! My year isn't going as I planned but we will get through it!
Yep!!! These boys sound like two peas in a pod!!! 🫛 😜
Loved the update! I had to let go too, teaching my 5th grader how to do things independently. He does his math, science and Easy Peasy spelling all by himself. I just check it. We do TGTB, History and Bible together.
My 10th grader does well, struggles in math, but getting that seen about.
I saved the book you mentioned you did with your daughter, my daughter enjoys doing things together so I will look into that as well.
Good to hear from you Rachel! Can’t wait to hear what you have planned for next year.
Thank you so much!!!! I have a feeling next year will look pretty different for us! We’ll see! (I always have way more optimism when I’m planning, though! 😂 Gotta keep reminding myself…..
That’s awesome that your daughter loves doing those types of book studies!
I was doing TGTB with my 6th grader for the past 4 years until we started Level 6 and it all broke apart. She really has struggled with retention, so I started LMF with her and it has been great to boost her confidence. She also was making a bunch of silly mistakes with the multi-digit multiplication, so I was just re-printing the worksheets from the LMF website and having her re-do them on a separate sheet of paper with lines. She struggles with keeping her numbers aligned or getting distracted and losing her place. Another thing that has REALLY helped her with focus is timed math drills-just a page of very simple addition. She has improved significantly in her ability to focus just doing this! :) And on the Duolingo note, we were doing that also and my daughter was loving it, but we came across their 'woke' content in some of the stories. Just be aware! :)
I’m so glad LMF is going well! And yes, the confidence boost is so good for them!!
On Duolingo….yeah somebody else just told me that too! And I looked it up. So is it in content that you HAVE to interact with? We literally just started a few weeks ago so we’re very early on.
Speed in mathematics is not important in higher maths. It can actually cause problems. Having number sense and a solid understanding of the process will take them a lot further than speed and memorization. This is actually showing up in your daughter written timed tests. Timing will cause a mental block and cause mistakes.
I’ve done higher mathematics, then kind where 1 problem takes up an entire page to work out. Knowing your math facts means you can think about the process rather than skip counting on your fingers. So it does matter for higher math. I’d rather have math take an hour than and hour and 15 minutes. And punching it into a calculator takes more time than just knowing it too.
I don’t disagree on timing which is why I quit doing the timed tests the way the books suggests. My daughters never passed them. They basically want 2 seconds per problem, that includes the writing of the number. But once I started doing the flash cards, the memorization did kick in as well as the speed. When my daughter completed 50 flash cards in under a minute, I knew she had the speed so I tried her back on the written test. That’s when I was commenting how much slower she wrote.
The writer of Learn Math Fast also assured me the time tests, the accuracy was more important than the speed. So this is why we’ve not made ourselves stuck on them.
But I disagree with you some about speed. I’m not talking as much about speed as I am about memorizing the facts RATHER than counting on your fingers or skip counting.
Lmf has an extra book for each volume with extra worksheets for each lessons. I'm so glad I got volume one after your first video on it. My 2nd grade was having a hard time with addition and substraction math facts. I can't believe how well its been working for her. We do a lesson and then a worksheet every day and then test ( i dont time it though). She is getting so much better we just started chapter 2 and she is doing way better than I expected.
That’s wonderful!!!!!! It’s so relieving, too, to just sit on a concept until it’s mastered and. Of feel guilty to move on! I’m so happy it’s working well for you!
I couldn’t teach grammar for 2 hrs at a time!!! My kids wouldn’t listen either!!! My oldest loves diagramming the scripture book!!! He does it independently!!! It’s awesome that the book study with your teen is working out well!!! Campfire curriculums is awesome!!! We love the hands on activities!!! My older kids love Duolingo and drops!!! We are doing different languages so we aren’t doing it together!!!
It’s not all 2 hours of grammar. It’s 45 minutes of a grammar lesson which includes review and diagramming together. 30 minutes of math fact speed drills. Then 45 minutes of an IEW lesson which includes doing the Key word outline together. So even the 45 minutes is teaching and then doing the homework. 😁
Thank you for all your encouragement! My kids and life are no where near yours (mostly babies) but i find you to be so kind and encouraging and down to earth, so thank you! I'm in the same boat of trying to figure out my energy and letting go. I'm reading "If mama ain't happy" it's a boundaries book for moms. Also, I've heard "math it" is good for math facts.
You’re welcome!
What’s math it?? An app??
i just thought I'd share "Writing With Skill" from The Well Trained Mind has been amazing for solidifying all of our writing skills
Thanks!!! I’m writing down all the recommendations that I’ve never looked at. It’s AMAZING how many options there are!
Thanks for the update video! I'm stoked for the Learn Math Fast video. I splurged and got the first 2 books to try with my 4th graders, and we're doing a little bit of the addition while they're finishing up a review week in their current curriculum. I think we might try to take a break (long division 🤪) and see if reviewing older things will help (plus breaks are very beneficial in my experience). Love the flexibility in homeschool to be able to do that! Hoping the extra practice will do the trick! Look forward to your videos 🙂
You’re going to finding it so beneficial for your own sanity and for their confidence!!! And I totally agree about breaks!! I realized last year that Jan & Feb I’ve often take a break from the curriculum to focus on math games! And it’s always been so freeing! ❤️
I made a plan and cut some things before we even started the school year…knowing that I have a tendency to want to do it all. But I keep cutting and cutting because we were always behind. Finally mid year we switched all subjects but math and LA to My Father’s World family cycle. I am so glad we switched. We no longer constantly feel behind. We are feasting on all the subjects but not feeling stuffed…just satisfied!
That’s wonderful!!! Believe it or not, I actually considered My Fathers World last year too!
So how long does it take you to get through school with the family cycle? I’ve never tried it. But it’s always intrigued me.
We are using Exploration to 1850. We are on week 13 now. We spend about 1.5 - 2 hours per day for hymn, bible, history, science, art/music, and read aloud.
@@freelandtr I just looked at all the cycles yesterday for my youngest. And I actually started to get anxiety again about ALL there is to do in this curriculum. (This is why I end up not doing it…bc it’s so hard to predict what your days will be like in a new year). But let me ask….
So you spend up to 2 hours doing things together. Then after that’s math, grammar, spelling, and the writing portion? So the kids could have another 1-2 hours more in the afternoon?
I looked at so many things yesterday bc like you mentioned in your original comment….what I also want for my youngest is to just read and learn without the pressure of having tasks to check off. I’d love to be able to just concentrate more on her this year. My older two never stop needing me though and it’s their needs that seem difficult to predict for me. I’m worried if I buy something like MFW, I’m just going to end up cutting so much of it. (I’m like you….i wanna do it all! 🤪)
@@OurHOMEschoolPlan We start our day at 8:30 so we are finished most days by 1 pm. Yes, we add math and language arts. My children are mostly independent with math using Math-u-see. LA is where I spent much of my time. For us MFW was the simpler thing since it included all the subjects I wanted to cover expect LA, math, and Shakespeare. We don't skip anything in MFW except some of the hands-on activities (crafts and cooking). I know some families use MFW for only one child but the beauty for us is that most of my children are using the same package --- five of my six children. My oldest child just started ninth grade with MFW this week.
Oh, also going to be doing the same with my daughter as far as those books go. I don't hear many others talking about things like that (unfortunately 😢 ) so I appreciate you bringing it to my attention. I actually debated doing P2P this year with her but it's been just too chaotic with the move so we are focusing primarily on the basics.
Yeah….P2P takes a little planning. I meant to do it last year. It is geared to 12-13 year olds. But my daughter is 14. It will still be good! I’m sure I’ll give an update on how it went.
The Speak Truth book is so good!!!
Thanks for introducing us to Generations of Grace Bible curriculum. I would love to see an update on these devotionals once you have completed as well!
Oh I’ve completed all of them several times!! 😂😂😂 I have thought about doing an updated video about it though. I’m just not sure if I have much NEW to say about it. What is it that you want to know?
Maybe I could see if my church has an extra teacher manual I could show for those who’ve asked if they needed it. But I would definitely love to do an update bc I wish I would’ve explained a little better about how thorough it is in getting to ALL of the Bible.
We are thinking about using Forensic Science for our science next year.
I think it’s such an interesting science! You’ll love it!
I enjoyed hearing all about your year and just bought that interactive grammar notebook. My oldest is doing Fix It grammar and it is working for her, but my younger daughter did not like it. She is very kinesthetic. I put her back in Masterbooks LA and it is going well, but when she gets stuck on a grammar skill I am going to pull this interactive notebook out to teach her the skill if she can't "get it" from the Masterbook lesson. So, thanks so much for putting that in this video! It solved a problem for me because I knew I needed something open and go to be able to teach her things when she hits a wall and can't learn from the Masterbook lesson.
I LOVED what you said about not being able to teach it all as the kids get older. They do have so many more subjects as the hit middle/high school and it is so helpful to outsource subjects when we can. For me, this is a huge reason why we do CC starting 7th grade. We had some CC drama with our community and for a minute I was wondering if we were going to even have a place to go next year. So I started trying to plan for 9th and 7th grades next year on my own and it was so stressful. I am hopeful something is going to work out to continue with CC next year, but we will see. If not CC, we will have to outsource subjects because, like you said, I just can't do it all anymore with my kids at these ages.
I also loved what you said about math and how you've slowed down your youngest to really get those basic facts down. I have a whole story to tell about math as well..... we are now doing Math U See and I LOVE IT. Absolutely love it. I never thought I would love a math more than Masterbooks, but MUS is doing exactly what you talked about in this video. We have gone to the basics (yes, I started at alpha with both girls) and we are zooming through the first levels, but my girls have serious gaps in their math and you just can't do higher math easily with those gaps. My oldest didn't understand carrying/borrowing until doing Alpha and Beta. She knew procedurally what to do but she sorely lacked UNDERSTANDING, which means she had some major place value holes in her math knowledge that we patched up with Alpha and Beta. I am super excited to FINALLY (after literally a decade of teaching math) to gave discovered a curriculum that will help my kids UNDERSTAND math. hahaha!!!!
And, finally, can't wait for that Forensic video! I bought that book to just read myself. It is fascinating. :) I look forward to hearing what you and your son have thought about the course.
👏🏼 👏🏼 👏🏼 I hope the interactive notebook works for you!! I think it’s a fun way to learn it bc while they’re cutting and glueing….they’re also THINKING! And then it’s a fun way to review it later! It does also have practice sheets in there as well!
I wonder if Math U See if just like LMF but with more practice in it. I’ve always been intrigued by it but never fully looked into it bc I do like Singapore math. But I do have the math U see manipulatives (I bought them at a used curriculum sale) and I actually pulled it out today to explain division!! It’s very helpful!
You’re such a nerd about the science!
Do you have other co-around you, you could consider if CC doesn’t work? I’m actually considering an additional co-op for Natalie next year so she can have weekly accountability (like CC but I don’t have to do EVERY subject…you can pick and choose 1 or 6!) the downside to a co-op, is I can’t choose the curriculum. So we’ll see what this co-op offers. They were actually started by former CCers in our area (long before I began homeschooling). But they wanted a more flexible option for a weekly academic co-op. So….we’ll see!
@@OurHOMEschoolPlan I cant wait to see the interactive notebook....because I am certainly a nerd who loves curriculum haha!
I really do think it is going to fit well with how I intend to use it. Is it consumable or do you have to make copies? It seems like I remember that you have to make copies.
I am really not all that familiar with LMF but it sounds like you are planning a review of it soon, maybe?! I would love to learn more about it but from what you said about it here it does seem similar to MUS. I am so elated with MUS. FINALLY my girls are getting basic concepts because they can SEE them with those MUS blocks. It's amazing!
We do have a co-op here where they could go one day and take three classes. I totally understand what you mean about wanting to be able to choose your curriculum and not being stuck with having to do what the co op is choosing.... this co-op would allow me more freedom to choose things but at the same time this co-op would require me to attend and contribute by teaching or volunteering which is hard for me to do since I also have littles. So CC really is the best fit for us and I am hopeful my girls are going to get into a different community next year since, sadly, ours will most likely not have the Challenge program next year.
@@faithfullyinfertile I make copies for the interactive notebook. I don’t think it’s consumable since there’s cutting. I think the templates are not blank on the other side.
@@OurHOMEschoolPlan that’s what I thought. And that’s annoying. 😜 But we will make it work.
@@faithfullyinfertile the good news is, the pages are perforated! So at least there’s that!
Tx for sharing! My 9th grader took the mini course from GA, Essay writing track and it’s been helpful.
That is awesome!
I love campfire but never used gather around. My husband is doing the Paleontologist unit. We are doing the topic and history part. I love how it ties into the Bible. We also did the Christmas Carols in 23 and the other Christmas unit in 22. We love Campfire but we also don’t use everything.
I saw the end finally. I decided that my kids actually need more time in school because they are getting into trouble otherwise. So I am the opposite. I want it done before noon but when my 3rd grader sits there and cries for an hour instead of doing school work we are doing extra math or writing after lunch. It is mainly attitude. I want her to stop waking up just to get it done because that is what she is doing. She is whiny tired. But we are done before lunch. We were done before 10:30/11 before 2 weeks ago.
It is amazing how the attitudes affect the TIME on the day! It’s so true! Today…..I’m still sitting at the table while my daughters work because we didn’t get it all done this morning. So not everyday is done before lunch. But it’s definitely the GOAL for MY time. They can procrastinate on their own time!!! 😜
They are so well written! And you’re right about the Bible application too! Thats always a bonus!
@@OurHOMEschoolPlanI honestly think that my daughter has always fought school more than my son. My 4 year old gets offended if we don’t do school with her. My oldest definitely wants to avoid it or hurry up and get it over with which isn’t good.
Thank you so much, Rachel. I always look forward to your reviews. 🎉❤
You’re welcome! ☺️
Learn Math Fast does have extra worksheets online. There is a code in the front of your book.
I printed off some but they looked the same ones in the book. There’s different ones?
Yes, they have supplemental worksheets and copies of the book worksheets. I believe there is only one supplemental worksheet. I know this is true for Vol 1 but my son is still in Vol 1 so I'm not sure about the other volumes .
@@OurHOMEschoolPlan You can print off the ones in the book and they have 1 extra practice sheet per lesson. It's only for Volume 1, like ravenzmama said.
@@ravenzmama84321 thanks!! I’ll have to look again!
Thanks for sharing your ideas and changes you are making. I still have to assist my 10th grader with various subjects.
You are so welcome!
We are having the same issue with skip counting bc of cc!
I know at some point, maybe 5-6th grade, for memory master, CC wanted the kids to say the actual math facts. But we quit CC after my middle child was 4th grade.
I really want to hear your opinion and details on the Forensic Science.
Yeah I am interested for myself. My kids are too young for it but it got my interest. 😅
Will definitely do!
So I wanted to tell you on your daughters times tables have you looked into times tails they have helped a lot for buy kids. I don’t think speed is as necessary as accuracy and learn math fast does actually offer additional worksheets. They are on the website. We love learn math fast. It has made a world of difference in our home.
Times tails? No I haven’t.
I agree on the speed. I told my daughter I’m not so much focused on speed as I am about just memorizing the facts so that she’s not using her fingers to skip count. And when they’re memorized, she’ll obviously be faster.
I recently purchased the IEW teaching the classics but it only had the discs and the workbook. Does the binder have different pages in it then the workbook? If so do you know if its possible to purchase that on its own?
The binder? I’m not sure what you’re talking about. Teaching the classics only comes with the manual (with worksheets you can copy) and the discs.
Thanks so much for sharing!
Good evening,
Thank you very much for this helpful video.
Could you please recommend which volumes of learn math fast I could purchase for grades 3 and 6?
Thank you for all your time and help.
Anschen
I would say it depends on which skills you need to start at. Book 1 includes adding, subtracting, multiplying. And dividing even to long division and multiplying three digit numbers by three digit numbers. Book 2 starts decimals, fractions, and percentages… book three might be basic geometry (like area, perimeter, etc.) or maybe book 3 is pre-algebra….if you look at the website, it will tell you the emphasis of each book.
@@OurHOMEschoolPlan I am from South Africa. We are eagerly awaiting the launch of amazon. It is being delayed...
I am able to have a book delivered in the UAE, and then having a friend bring it back here.
So buying the right one is important, because of luggage weight.
Will maybe start with one and two.
Haven’t watched yet, but I can’t wait until I am able to!! 😊
Awe!!!! 🥰
Hello,
I am about to order the learn math fast books. Could you please explain to me why are there different editions? I just want to make sure that I order the right books.
Are you talking about their updated editions of the volume 1-7?
They did just update with color inside some of the books but I don’t think the main content changed much. Volumes 1-7 have to do with the content inside.
Let me know if that doesn’t help.
Do you have a video about transcripts and diplomas?
Ugh…..I need to make one about transcripts but I have not yet. Same with diplomas. I’ve not graduated anybody yet! 🤪
You may have already mentioned this, but what type of co-op are you attending this year?
It’s a bi-weekly Christian co-op, my girls do two academic (but fun) subjects. And they have PE. The entire co-op “day” is about 3 hours.
My 8th grader is doing Biblical Worldview class and a STEM science class.
My younger one is doing Spanish and creation science.
How is LMF Algebra 1 compare to by Critical Thinking?
I'm not sure what you're asking.
I don't think IEW works for everyone. In think for some students it takes too long for it to go do KWO on an already written piece of work to practice all use of an outline to lay out your own paper. I am personally not a fan, and I think that because I don't think it's a good match for my child or even my thinking style.
My son is currently ousting IEW in a private school and I am not a fan. He learned so much more in a different writing class lay year when we homeschooled where they wrote the same kind of essay (literary analysis through persuasive writing) over and over. There was a little bit of writing practice every day. He learned so much. This year, he has lost a lot of that.
Next year, I think we will use one of the online writing programs like Lantern English or Write at Home.
I feel torn! I personally have learned from IEw and I think of “decorating” my own quite often. And so that’s why I do like it. As for the KWO, gosh….i see what you’re saying. But I also think learning how to make an outline is such an essential step to make writing your paper easier. I say that from my own experience. When I wrote research papers in high school and college, I never wrote outlines and I think it makes the actual writing process so much more difficult if the ideas aren’t organized. I’m sure other writing programs other than IEW teach that as well….hopefully. 😊
@OurHOMEschoolPlan I think it's just child and teacher dependent. There are some that IEW works great for.
I agree that outlines are a great tool, especially for research papers. I just meant I think there are more direct, effective ways to teach how to outline fit a paper than the KWO approach. Many programs teach outlining to prep for essays. And note cards for research papers are also great. Learning to write a strong thesis can also help organize a paper. But I'm rusty, lol.
I really like the looks of the programs I mentioned. The student gets written instructions for each step of a paper and constant feedback from a teacher. No videos. And the courses are short (6-8 weeks) so you can repeat essay types or mix and match how you like.
@@gardenia77 if there are less teacher intensive ways to teach this, my ears are open!!! 😜 I’ll have to look at the ones you’ve suggested. I also would like a closer look at “writing with Rhetoric” and “essentials in writing”. I’m sure there’s tons of great programs out there!
@OurHOMEschoolPlan We used Essentials in Writing one year and liked it. Very clear, systematic instruction. The next year we moved on to the live online class because my son needed someone besides me to give him feedback for writing. The online class was amazing, but no longer available.
We tried Writing and Rhetoric in 6th very briefly and I think I would have liked it if we could have started sooner. It takes awhile to really get to the meat of essay writing and if I remember correctly, you have to get through several volumes. In high school, I definitely just want something that jumps right into essay Writing. I do see what you mean about the dress ups. My favorite ELA curriculum we used in middle school was Bards and Poets. It taught style beautifully, and in my opinion, in a less robotic way than the lists in IEW. It is by Cottage Press and they have a high school version too. It also includes sentence diagramming and literary analysis and poetry study. You might like it! It is one of my favorite courses we've ever done, but we need to outsource Writing. I think it's a hidden gem.
@@gardenia77 oh my goodness!!!! My jaw actually dropped when I read all that Bards and Poets! Goes over! I’m definitely looking into this one!!!!! Thank you!!!!!
Forgive my ADHD brain but I know you don't do 180 days of school but you use Master Books that's 180 days. How do you adjust? Do you do more than one day a day or leave the book not complete? Is not complete allowed?
You’re allowed to not complete a curriculum! 😉 schools don’t complete their books. Even for high school credit, 80% complete is complete. (That’s official…and it’s also assuming you aren’t supplementing with anything else.)
@@OurHOMEschoolPlan hmmm... game changer 😆
@@ReiverGrad14 😂 yah!!! 👏🏼 👏🏼 👏🏼
Did you do an update on learn math fast?
Sigh….i have not. It’s on my list to do hopefully soon!
But in a nutshell! I love it! It’s such a great program to use as either a supplement to help on certain trouble areas OR to use as the main curriculum for an older student.
@@OurHOMEschoolPlan thank you! The dozen or so reviews I have seen is essentially “first look” type reviews. Yours seemed to show a bit of actual experience. I just bought the first 2 books using your code.
@@Alpha1Farms thank you!!! And yeah….i think it’s so good for their confidence. (Bc some of the lessons will be so easy for them to breeze through). And then it will help to just stop and focus on where the struggle is. I also didn’t feel nearly as much pressure to move on for the sake of “completing the book before the end of the year!” Because there are only 7 books total. So the real goal is to complete them before graduation!! That’s so much less pressure and helps you to be able to just focus on the needs and appreciate any progress being made!!
What age level is speak truth geared to? I have a 4th grader and I'm looking for a book/devotional to do alongside her.
It says it’s geared to girls 8-12 bc it was originally written for girls. Part of me feels that’s a stretch. 😳 I’m not sure an 8 year old could comprehend all of it. But you could always get it and you feel it’s a little too much, save it for the next year. I definitely wouldn’t cap it off at 12. Women of all ages will appreciate it.