So I use Richele’s handbook as a guide as to the concepts needing to accomplish for the year as a guide. I also look at state standards (not that I have to but it’s nice to get an idea of what is being covered) then I decide from that what I am going to cover. In the early years I depended on those DVDs of Richele’s to guide the teaching which helped! This year my son was in 3rd grade we went through Richele’s first 2 books (in 1-2nd grade) and then we started using the handbook. I had an idea of how the lessons went since we had the other books as a guide. He made huge leaps and finished what was for 3 and 4th grade….so we started SU this year and we did not do every page I focused more on the word problems and concepts. We also did a review at the end of each lesson and after he had finished his understanding of multiplication and division. So our time consists of each lesson: beginning using a “math talk” giving him an oral problem and having him explain how he came up with it. We talk of the many different ways one can come up with an answer quite fun if you have more than one kid (great time to doing some written narrations as well for forms 2 and up). If it is a new concept we discuss in a concrete way if it is something he is working on and have moved onto abstract problems I assign some in his book (no more than 15 min. worth) then we wrap up with some mental math. Here we practice drilling math facts or other mindbending mental questions. If easier can give me a call hard sometimes to explain being written. 🙂
Don’t worry if you “miss things” because we all will, I would be more concerned of making sure you teach your kids how to learn and think.
Hope this helps some. 🙂
