Homeschoolers: What do you do in the summer?

[WatchingThemGrow]

No, I haven't found one. I did make one in Word though very easily - just space the lines until it's the size you want and print .

Yeah, I'm just lazy I've done it before, but on a different computer, didn't transfer it over...see, really lazy.

[Katigre]

It is quite affordable. IME, you don't need the textbook. We usually do fine w/ the workbook. I don't really buy the teacher's manuals or anything either as it is pretty easy to illustrate the concepts with manipulatives and so forth. I don't feel I need to be lead through that.

How do you make sure to teach the Asian way of doing math without the teacher's manual? I realized that I would have to teach DS math in a totally different way than how I learned once we started using Rightstart, and in his other 'play' math workbooks I've had him skip the addition/subtraction pages so that he doesn't learn the bad habits of borrowing and such before he learns other mental math techniques.

[egoldber]

Not HSers but we use Singapore for fun and enrichment.

We found that the workbook alone was fine through 4th grade. But starting with 4A, and especially 4B, she needed the textbook. I also found that they occasionally used different terminology than I had been taught, so it was helpful to have the text book that explained the terminology.

We also like the Challenging Word Problem companion series.

We also order from Rainbow Resources. They always have everything and their shipping is very reasonable.

[ThreeofUs]

Thanks to everyone! This helps.

DS1, at 6, is a fluent reader, but spelling, grammar and math are areas where he can use improvement. Math is a particular area where he needs a lot of work. I took him through the practice tests for Singapore Math, and when he got over the different terminology and the idea of word problems, he got through 1A. 1B was way over his head, so I think we'll start with 1A.

I got both books this time, just so I can see what the difference is.

[ThreeofUs]

Okay, so last question:

How do you, yourself, keep organized? Do you use a notebook full of ideas? Where do you keep your plans?

[Katigre]

Okay, so last question:

How do you, yourself, keep organized? Do you use a notebook full of ideas? Where do you keep your plans?

I don't have any sort of set schedule, but I'm a teacher who is used to having a 'plan' in my head all the time so I run off of that. Roughly, I do handwriting 2x/week and math 1-2x/week, read aloud daily for 30-60 minutes (sometimes more), Grammar (FLL) 1-2x/week for 10 minutes max (the lessons are fairly short). During the school year we do something 5/7 days a week.

My goals are semester-long and year-long (i.e., by the end of May 2012 I would like DS to have completed X, Y and Z) and so I just gauge where to focus by where our progress is toward that (does that make sense?).

Many parents find that a daily or weekly plan works better for them than a semester-plan, especially if they're not naturally administrative/organized. So do it however works for you - there are a number of wonderful and free homeschool schedules you can download and customize online .

[ThreeofUs]

Makes perfect sense. I'll google homeschool schedules.

[brittone2]

How do you make sure to teach the Asian way of doing math without the teacher's manual? I realized that I would have to teach DS math in a totally different way than how I learned once we started using Rightstart, and in his other 'play' math workbooks I've had him skip the addition/subtraction pages so that he doesn't learn the bad habits of borrowing and such before he learns other mental math techniques.

nak but the workbooks often show little thought bubbles next to the people, illustrating them thinking through concepts like number bonds, for example. They usually have some "reminder" of how to think through the problem so I generally just use those concepts and expand upon them on my own with him. I have found using manipulatives w/ the different concepts, etc. to work fine with the singapore program. I have purchased the textbook or teacher manual from time to time but have found we mostly end up using just the workbook.

DS1 is moving to 4a this fall and i may do the textbook or teacher's manual this year.

eta: they will also illustrate concepts like regrouping in the workbook using columns for ones, tens, hundreds and then illustrating what they are doing. I will grab our base 10 set and demonstrate the concepts to him. ITA it is different from the way I learned. We also do Miquon with Singapore so he ends up exposed to several different ways to think through various problems.

[ThreeofUs]

Wait. What's your base 10 set?

[brittone2]

Wait. What's your base 10 set?

nak-We have a bunch of manipulatives we use. I have a base 10 set like this (ours is different but same concept)
http://rainbowresource.com/pictures/...677332-1358194

It isn't necessary IMO to own anything like that to teach Singapore (from what I remember of the first few years). You can make your own or just use very basic manipulatives/counters to illustrate different concepts. You could make a chart with ones, tens, hundreds and move whatever counters around to illustrate a lot of the same concepts (useful to illustrate things like "borrowing" and "carrying")