New Plan: High School Math

JellyMan and I are not happy with his performance in Saxon Advanced Math, and neither one of us feels that he’s ready to move on to calculus. We’ve decided to go ahead and finish the Advanced Math book by the end of October, but instead of moving on to Saxon Calculus 2nd edition, he’ll spend November and December going through The Teaching Company’s Understanding Calculus: Problems, Solutions, and Tips. There won’t be a huge focus on correct answers or any expectation of real understanding; I want him to simply relax, have some fun, and get a feel for where he’s going in math. In January he’ll start over with Saxon Advanced Math. I’ll have him take tests until he scores <80%. When that happens, I’ll back him up five lessons and have him work from there until the end. Even if he has to start on lesson 1, he should be able to finish by the end of next August. Then he’ll move on to Saxon Calculus in September of his junior year. 

Reasonable? Never mind, don’t tell me. I don’t care if I’m being reasonable or not. I’m so sick of fighting with this kid—he’s at the point where he wants to specialize, but I don’t think it’s time yet. How do you deal with this in your homeschool? When do you think it’s “safe” to drop math in favor of Hebrew? Latin in favor of dance? Sooner? Later? Never?

The Math Cycle

I think I've mentioned how The Goobers have been making my eyeballs bleed with their math drama, but I don't believe I've admitted that I have contributed to the problem by participating in the mind-sucking 21 step cycle we've perfected over our eight years of homeschooling.

1. Goobs start strong.


2. I am cool.


3. Goobs lose interest.


4. I remain cool.


5. Goobs complain.


6. I'm still cool.


7. Goobs whine.


8. Cool, dammit, cool.


9. Goobs start missing problems on purpose.  There is no other explanation.


10. I.  Am.  Cool.


11. Goobs make 30 problems last for four hours.


12. Okay, calm.  Settle for calm.


13. Goobs take four hours to score a 60%.


14. How can I stay calm?  Goobs will be in basement forever.


15. Forever!


16. Eyeballs bleed.


17. I yell.


18. Goobs panic.


19. Too late. iPods gone.


20. Goobs take an hour and a half to score a 97%.


21. I am cool.

We're on step 21 of the cycle, and I'm feeling a little better about things - at least I know the little Boogers Goobers CAN do math if they feel like it.  I'll be able to kick them out of my basement without feeling guilty.

Our Saxon Story, Part Two (or) Another Book Giveaway

I promised to write an update to Our Saxon Story (part one) to let everyone know how JellyMan is doing with upper level math.  This is that update.  But first, for the benefit of those who haven’t been breathlessly following our homeschool journey, I’ll very quickly tell you how we use Saxon math.  The rest of you just bear with me.

• We do not use Saxon K-3.
• After I taught The Goobers how to tell time (with a clock), record the passage of time (with a calendar), make change (with money), and perform basic operations (with paper and a pencil), they memorized their math facts (with Math-It) and they started Saxon 5/4. 
• JM started 5/4 in third grade.
• Anemone started 5/4 in second grade.
• They read the lessons themselves. 
• They do the problems themselves.
• They do not skip anything.  Ever.
• I grade their work.
• They re-do missed problems until they are correct.
• I do not allow calculators.
• I do not help. 
• But, since I do not allow calculators, I have to teach them things like how to find the square root of 549.3847 on paper because Saxon does not cover that.  Lame!

These next points came about because The Goobers were yanking my chain back at the beginning of the school year.  Oh, those Goobs.  They slay me.

• If they miss more than five problems, I don’t tell them which ones they missed.
• They go back and do the lesson over again.
• And again. 
• And again.
• And if it happens again, they go back ten lessons to pick up whatever they missed.
• I don’t care if takes 6 months or three years to get through a book.  It’s their time.

Okay, that’s over and it’s time for the update.  JellyMan (my thespian/Latinist/writer) started Algebra 1 in 7th grade and did very well at first, but he fell apart halfway through the book.  It was taking him hours to do his math.  He was making C’s and D’s every day, and he wasn’t getting to any of the rest of his subjects.  There were tears, and I felt sorry for him.  At the beginning of October I said to myself, “Self, Saxon 8/7 wasn’t enough practice.  This boy clearly isn’t ready for algebra.”  And I went out and bought Saxon Algebra 1/2 so my JellyMan could slow down while his little mind developed.  

And he took even longer, missed even more problems, and turned into an ill-tempered, hateful, disrespectful little punk. 

I was pissed, folks.  The beginning of Saxon Algebra 1/2 is basic.  Rock bottom basic.  A fourth grader could do it.  And I’ll be damned if I’ll let some twelve year old who can’t handle fourth grade math talk to me like I’m the only idiot in the room, so in November I put him right back at the beginning of Algebra 1, took away his extracurricular activities (including an opportunity to play Ralphie in A Christmas Story) and generally made his life a living hell. 

And guess what?  It turns out he was more than ready for algebra.  What a shocker!  He managed to finish the book by the end of his 7th grade year with an average of 89%.  (It would have been higher, but I only counted test grades - he received no credit for all those hours of daily lessons.  Payback, you know, for all the angst I suffered over not letting him be in that play he was so excited about.  Aren’t you glad I’m not your mother?)

He started Saxon Algebra 2 at the beginning of his 8th grade year.  The Man was deployed at the time, and we were not ourselves.  Grades slipped.  I didn’t much care.  The Man came home.  He cared much.  Balance was restored.  JellyMan is just short of halfway through Algebra 2 (agreeing to let him do a half lesson a day was stupid, but that situation has been rectified) and most days he does a fine job.  Of course, he also has days like yesterday.  Yesterday was …

Let’s just not talk about yesterday.  Let’s talk about who won last week’s book giveaway!  The winner is Rayann!  Congratulations, Rayann.  Email me your address and I’ll have The Man send those to you straightaway.  Well, maybe not straightaway.  But soon.  Very soon.

This week’s The-Air-Force-Won’t-Ship-All-These-Books-To-Hawaii giveaway focuses on ancient history:

• Gilgamesh the King; Ludmila Zeman
• What Do We Know About the Egyptians?; Joanna Defrates
• Make it Work: The Roman Empire; Andrew Haslam
• DK Eyewitness: Ancient Rome
• The Ancient Greece of Odysseus; Peter Connolly
• Black Ships Before Troy; Rosemary Sutcliff
• The Wanderings of Odysseus; Rosemary Sutcliff

Leave a comment telling me how you do math at your house to be entered in the drawing.  I will announce the winner next Saturday, the 30th of January, 2010.

Oh, and if you were worried about the effectiveness of Saxon math, stop worrying.  My Goobs took their first standardized tests last month.  Trust me, it’s effective!

Thoughts on High School Math and Science

Oh, no.  It’s time to reevaluate.

This is what I’d like JellyMan to do for high school math and science:

9th Grade:  Saxon Advanced Math

10th Grade:  Saxon Calculus

11th Grade:  The Mechanical Universe; Olenick, Apostol, Goodstein (physics)

12th Grade:  Beyond the Mechanical Universe; Olenick, Apostol, Goodstein (physics)

But that plan makes me hyperventilate because it isn’t “normal.”  I’m fine with being unconventional in other subjects, but I don’t have enough math and science to feel comfortable deviating from the traditional path.  I mean, really.  Two years of math?  Two years of physics?  What am I thinking?  What about chemistry and biology?  What about the four years of math recommended for college admissions? I’m so far gone that even thinking about my own pathetic high school math and science progression:

9th Grade:  Geometry (C/D)
                   Earth Science (B/D) 

10th Grade:  One semester of Algebra 2 (D)
                    One semester of Chemistry (D)

11th Grade:  One semester of Biology (D)

12th Grade:  One semester of Algebra 1 (D) 

and knowing that I did in fact go on to college (earning A’s in math and A’s and B’s in science) doesn’t help me breathe any easier.  So JellyMan’s high school plan will probably look more like this:

9th Grade:  Saxon Advanced Math
                   Geology/Astronomy 

10th Grade:  Saxon Calculus
                     Chemical Principles 2nd ed.; Dickerson, Gray, Haight (chemistry)  

11th Grade:  The Mechanical Universe (physics)

Summer:  Biology 101 at local college

12th Grade:  Beyond the Mechanical Universe (physics)

At least, we’ll call that the plan until he turns 14 and decides he’s too smart for school.  It happens.  Ask me how I know.  

The Euclidean Algorithm

A few days ago I mentioned I was looking for a book of word problems to supplement JellyMan's Saxon Algebra 2 book.  Well, I don't know what I was thinking.  I have several perfectly good math books just lying around not being any good to anybody, and he can just work the word problems in those.  Duh!  All I need to do is spend a few hours going through the books and selecting the hardest most suitable problems.  I decided to start with Modern Algebra and Trigonometry: Structure and Method Book 2 because that's the book my dad tortured me with when I was a kid.  There's a relationship there.

As I was flipping through and circling the hardest most suitable problems, I found a section about finding the greatest common factor of two numbers using the Euclidean Algorithm, and I thought, "Cool!  The Goobs totally need to see this."  So I copied the section, pretty much word for word, onto the white board and waited for The Goobs to wake up.  

They must have heard my earnest scribblings in their sleep, because I waited a long time.  When they finally came downstairs, this is what they saw (click to enlarge):

They threw up their hands and hissed and writhed in the sunlight.  It wasn't pretty.  So I fed them their breakfast and started over from the beginning, and I'm going to share how I taught this concept just so you can fully appreciate why I generally leave the math instruction to the good people who wrote our textbooks.  (Psssst - it's because I'm a really crappy math teacher.)

"Okay, Goobs.  Who knows the greatest common factor of 1149 and 460?  Anyone?  Anyone?  Okay, I don't know either.  Just ignore that Euclidean Algorithm bit at the top, and I'll show you how to do it:"

"When you get to a remainder of zero, that divisor is the G.C.F.  Got it?  Good.  Try with, let's say, 897 and 143.  (waiting, waiting, waiting)  Okay, good.  You got it.  Is anyone interested in why this works?  Anyone?  Anyone?  Well, you're going to learn why anyway.  Deal with it."

"Aw, Mom!  It's the weekend! I hate math!  It makes my brain shrivel!  Aaaagggh!"

"Shut up and pay attention, darlin', you're making my eyes bleed.  Okay.  When we write 'each of the four steps in the form:

"you can see that 23 is a divisor of each divisor and also of each remainder.  It must, therefore, be a divisor of each dividend, and the G.C.F. of 460 and 1449 is the same as that of 46 and 23, namely, 23.'  I can't help it, sweetie, that's what the book says.  I'm reading word for word.  I'll read it again . . . here, you follow along . . . do you understand now?  Really?  Tell me."

"23 will go into everything you divide by and everything left over, so it's the greatest common factor."

"Okay, good.  Now listen to this:"

"Remember, any time you see 'in general' written in a math book, it means 'not always, but close enough that you won't have to worry about it, at least in this chapter.'  Do you both understand what's on the white board?  Anyone?  Anyone?"

*crickets*

"Okay, how about if I show you how all these a's and b's and symbols relate to the original problem..."

"Better?  Okay, good.  Now, listen up.  'Successive division produces the sequence of equalities:'"

"'Since the successive remainders are decreasing nonnegative integers, you must ultimately arrive at a 0 remainder.  The G.C.F. of a and b is the last positive remainder in this sequence.'  Got it?"

*crickets*

"Okay, let's plug the values of the original problem into these equations so you can see it more clearly.  JellyMan, what does a equal?  Good.  Anemone, what is b?  Good.  Now, q1 is... the first quotient, that's right, so r1 has to be... yes, the first remainder.  And so on.  What would the next thingy - I mean, term, no, I mean equality - in the sequence be for our problem?  Good."

"' The process of obtaining a G.C.F. in this way is attributed to Euclid - yes, JellyMan, the geometry guy - and is referred to as the Euclidean Algorithm.'  Isn't that cool?  What?  Oh.  Sure, you can go play Wii."

At least I've got the crickets to keep me company.  *sniff*  My dad will be so proud.

Saturday Mom Confession #14

The Goobs and I have been hashing out our annual (monthly, weekly, daily, hourly) conflict over math.  They haven't made an A on a paper since the new school year started, and they've been taking hours to finish their lessons.  I've tried being cool about it. 

"Sure, you can do a half a lesson a day this year."

"Nah, we don't have to use the tests."

"Yeah, go ahead and do your math in purple marker."

"If you finish before 1:00, I'll take you swimming."

Nothing helped, so last Sunday The Man got involved and we presented a united front.  We stood up to The Goobers and said, "Look, Goobers.  This is unacceptable.  From now on, you have an hour to do your math.  Anything not done in one hour will be your responsibility to finish as homework.  And if you make less than an 80% (oh, how my standards have slipped) on a lesson, you'll do the entire thing over again.  If it takes you three years to get through these books, so be it."

The Goobs appeared suitably awed by The Man's presence, and I looked forward to Monday.  Ah, Monday.  We would finish school on time and everybody would make good grades.

Pppffbbbt.

The Goobs answered our challenge by making D's - easily their very worst grades of the year.  I didn't get mad.  I just threw their papers away and said, "Gee, it's too bad you have to do these lessons over again.  I hope you're okay with being in the same math book for three years."  The next day they did the lessons over again.

They did them again the next day.

And the next day.

And the next day I got mad. 

"You will sit at this table and not say another word until you score an 80%!  What is wrong with you guys?  Why do you miss different problems every time?  Are you trying to kill me?"

A little while later, I heard an outraged cry from JellyMan.  "Mom!" he shouted, "We've BEEN making 80%!  You're grading our papers wrong!"

"What?"

"I've made an 80% the last three times!"

"Nuh-uh."

"I have!"

"No."

"Yes, I have!  And so has Anemone!"

JellyMan defending his sister?  Something's up.  "Um, let me see that."

I had been taking off 5 points per problem when I should have been taking off 3.33 points per problem.  I feel bad about it, I do.  But you know what?  That is exactly why they've been making crappy grades on their math lessons - they just don't pay attention to things.  Ha! 

Yeah, they didn't think it was funny, either.

And now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to drool over the local Catholic school's website.  Hey.  A girl can dream, can't she? 

**** UPDATE ****

The Goobs both made A's on their math today!  I guess the propect of angry nuns put the fear of God into them.  Hahahahahahaha.

School Notes

• This is the first full steam week of our new school year.  The Goobs hated me on Monday, and that sentiment was returned five times over.  We're cool now, though.  Mostly.
• We're 8 years into this whole homeschool thing, and JellyMan is still poking along like he has all day to finish his lessons.  Which he does, of course.  So why does it make me so insane? 

• Since I dropped my external hard drive, I've given up on trying to keep homeschool records on the computer.  I've gone back to paper.  I tried to make nifty planners using the forms at Donna Young's site, but my printer broke.  ARGH!  I got mad and went out and bought ridiculously expensive student planners at Staples.  And guess what?  I love them.  They're wonderful.  I'm going to buy them forever and ever.  Amen.
• Anemone brought home her dance schedule for the fall, and it looks as though she will have to drop her lyrical dance class.  It is scheduled right at The Man's shift change, and it just isn't going to work.  She is not happy. 

• My Goobs still hate math.  What?  Really?  I am shocked.  SHOCKED.  So we are going half speed this year.  Since we study Monday through Saturday year round (when we're not taking mental health breaks), they can still finish their Saxon books (Algebra 2 and 8/7) if they complete three lessons per week.  So I gave them some rules: they must do three Saxon lessons every week, and they must do math six days a week, whether it is two or twenty Saxon problems or something from one of the supplemental math workbooks we have lying around.  They are agreeable, so we'll see how it goes.
• I was under the impression that I would have more free time once The Goobs were a little older and taking more responsibility for their own educations.  I was so wrong.  Homeschooling just gets more and more time consuming as they grow up, and I'm beginning to understand why so many families take the more traditional route for high school.

Math-It

I had a terrible time teaching JellyMan his math facts.  First I tried silly songs.  Then I tried bribery - "You tell me what 8x7 is, JellyMan, and I'll give you this Hershey's Kiss."  Then I tried flashcards.  Then I added bribery to the flashcards.  And then, in despair, I forced him to write each fact ten times.  And I let him eat Kisses while he wrote them.  Not my proudest parenting moment, let me tell you.  And it was all for nothing, because he still didn't know his math facts, and worse still, he was under the impression that math = chocolate. 

Embarrassing fact:  I never learned my math facts as a child.  I didn't learn them until I started drilling JellyMan!

So I bought Math-It, and I went with the timeless "you will learn this and you will learn it right now or else" approach to teaching.  Math-It is a little program designed to teach children their math facts and how to figure quickly and accurately.  It's supposed to be fun.  It isn't really, unless you're the sort of person who thinks it's fun to beat your own time record in anything from the 300 meter dash to how many boogers you can pick in 30 seconds.  No matter, though.  JellyMan knew his math facts cold inside a week, and that's all I cared about.  He could also add a page long column of six digit numbers quickly and accurately without having to count on his fingers.  He could also double any number without thinking much about it and he could subtract any number from any other number without error.  All this in a week!  Anemone had the same success a few years later, only we were starting from scratch so it took her a normal school year to learn the material. 

I bought the basic Math-It kit from the Elijah Company way back when.  (They are no longer selling curriculum, but they still have a website with free homeschooling articles and inspirational home-business materials for purchase.)  Basic Math-It comes with a guide book for use with Pre Math-It, Math-It, and Advanced Math-It, a booklet called "How Stevie Learned His Math" and three math fact card games called Addit, Dubblit, and Timzit.  (Don't ask about the spelling, because I just don't know.)  It also came with an audio cassette, but I don't remember what is on it.  I remember listening to it once and not particularly liking it, so I never used it again.

 The above picture is of the Timzit game.  The Addit and Dubblit games look much the same, so I won't bother posting pictures of those.  I have just one complaint about the materials - the little cards just don't hold up to the abuse a couple of six and seven year olds can inflict on them.  I was always having to replace cards.  It would be much better if the cards were laminated.  If I were going to buy this set again, I would laminate the cards myself right away.

I consider the real gem of this program to be the "How Stevie Learned His Math" booklet.  It is written as if the instructor is speaking directly to a child, and it blew my little mind.  So this is how my grandparents can figure so quickly in their heads!  I chucked all the basic math I learned in elementary school and now I do it his way.   It's so much quicker and easier.  The Guide Book is good, too - it sums up what kids "should" know by what grade up to grade 8, and serves as a quick refresher course for those of us who spaced out on math the first time around.  (I'm betting there are a lot of us!) There aren't any worksheets; if you want your child to practice on paper you'll have to make your own.  We frequently used a whiteboard.

 I've hung onto Math-It over the years because I always planned on purchasing Advanced Math-It as a refresher course before starting algebra.  I forgot, of course, and JellyMan has gone on to algebra without it, but he doesn't seem to be suffering for it.  I could go ahead and buy it and then take a Math-It vacation.  I'm sure the kids would enjoy a week away from Saxon - I know I would.

Our Saxon Story (part one)

Now that we're back home, it's back to life.  The first day back at the books was rough.  Rough, I tell you.  In honor of that first excruciating day, I've written another homeschooling post.  This one is about math.  Saxon math.

We use Saxon math, and have from (almost) the beginning.  I was not impressed with levels K-3; it seemed like a lot of expensive and unnecessary busy work to me (how long does it really take to learn to count coins or use a calendar or tell time, and why on earth would you need to buy a book for any of it?) so I had The Goobers learn their math facts and basic arithmetic and then start with Saxon 5/4.  JellyMan took almost two years to learn his math facts, mostly because I didn't find Math-It until the end of his second grade year.  Before Math-It I tried to make learning math facts fun, which meant my boy ended up being very good at having fun but not very good at math facts.   When he started 5/4 in the third grade, I sat and read the lessons to him and worked the practice problems with him, but I soon realized that I wasn't needed.  I had no additional insights to offer; I couldn't say anything other than what was already in the book.  JellyMan could read just fine; he could read the lesson himself and then get on with things.  He is now in Algebra 1 and doing well.  Anemone has benefited from JellyMan's experience.  She spent her first grade year learning her math facts and practicing her reading, and when she started 5/4 in second grade she didn't have to endure my reading the lessons to her.  She's working through 7/6 now, and hasn't hit a snag yet.

The only real problem we have with Saxon is that it is about as exciting as a wet blanket.  But you know what?  I don't care.  Math doesn't have to be fun.  Math doesn't even have to be interesting.  All math has to be is thorough, and Saxon is nothing if not thorough.  Neither of my children partcularly like math, but they are both good at it.  I suppose I could take pity on them and switch to something trendier or more colorful or more engaging, but I don't think I will.  You see, switching math programs would be an inconvenience for me, and The Lazy Man's Homeschool (that's what I call our homeschool when I'm not trying to impress anyone) is all about not inconveniencing the parents more than absolutely necessary.  I would have to evaluate several different programs, and work through many, many math problems to decide whether or not a particular book was acceptable.  Then I would have to present the winners to The Goobers to see if the little darlings approved.  And then, of course, each Goober would choose a different program and I would be stuck buying two new math books every year instead of just one.  All this so my kids can be entertained during their math lessons!  Ugh.  The thought of all that inconvenience is making me sick to my stomach.

So, The Goobers are stuck with Saxon for the duration.  I have worked through Algebra 1 and about half of Algebra 2, and I don't forsee any trouble.  The lessons are clear, and the problems are workable.  Sure, the lessons are even more excruciatingly boring than 5/4 - 8/7, but again, I don't really care.  They can amuse themselves however they see fit once their math lessons are done for the day, and they can take all that fascinating theoretical math in college.

I will write a followup post either next year or the year after to let everyone know how JellyMan is doing in the upper level math books. 

"Ha! I rock at math!"

That's what I heard JellyMan say last week after he got through helping Anemone with Venn diagrams.  I poked my head in the room to find out what was going on, and he told me about helping Anemone, and then he told me he was able to help R. (a girl he knows from drama) with her geometry homework.  R. is in 9th grade.  So JellyMan finally had a good math experience and now is much more confident in his ability.  I'm so glad - it's difficult for me to see him kicking himself about his perceived deficits in math when I know he's actually pretty good at it.  Maybe it's because he hasn't had anyone to compare himself to.

Anyway, I just wanted to write this down so I'd remember it.  Good math days are so infrequent that I need to remember them as long as I can.