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Math Lessons for a Living Education or alternative
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We are currently using Math Lessons for a Living Education and Life of Fred with our 8 year old. I am wondering if there is anything else like MLFLE available. This is working well for us, however, I would rather purchase something else if its available. Maybe SCM could create a similar style book. 😉 Maybe I should get the new book, Mathematics an Instrument for Living Teaching or one of SCM’s Business Math sets? Is it redundant to use more than one of the business math books?
May I ask why you wish to change from MLFLE? I have this on the way and am truly excited about a math my dd can relate with. Thanks!
We really enjoy this resource. That’s why I am wondering if there is something similar. My reasons have nothing to do with the material itself. Maybe I should have worded that differently.
I was disappointed with MLFLE. There were things I loved about it: looking for patterns, place value concepts – but in the end it was still too textbook-y. I really like the SCM resource and Rays for now. I need something for my son (12) and still looking into that.
That was my biggest concern, pollysoup. Are the stories simply contrived ways to get at a math concept? Did CM even use stories like this to teach math? Do you have a link for Ray’s so I could look at it? I’m thinking I may just need to go back to MOTL… I’m not strong in math myself so I will need help as they progress.
Here is the Ray’s link (free on Google Books):
shannon
What about SMC’s Mathematics book? Does anyone have feedback on their use of it? Is it somewhat similar to MotL in that it shows different ways to teach math in daily life? I haven’t read the whole sample but it doesn’t seem to show much in the ‘how to use’ department. Thoughts?
shannon
Here’s a link to MLFLE book 2 sample: http://www.angelaodell.com/math-lessons-for-a-living-education/book-2/
On the left you can click the other volumes for their sample.
I’m going to check out the link for Rays now.
Are the stories simply contrived ways to get at a math concept?
~~I guess you could call it that since they are fictional stories. They tell a story of a pair of twins while along the way they learn math, and so does your child.
Did CM even use stories like this to teach math?
~~There’s the 2 million $ question. In Cathern Levison’s book , A Charlotte Mason Education, on page 44 she says “Give the children story problems and let them use their beans to solve it.” Yet I have been told CM would frown on stories for math. When I attempt to read her difficult works I get no clear answer. But the bottom line for my family is what is important is what works for my child; not what anyone else approved of. Except for God of course. 🙂
Amber,
I have been racking my brain trying to think of something similar. The closest I can think of is Strayer Upton Math. I have the 1st book in the sereies of 3. Each one is for 2 grade levels. They are small hard backs with answers in the back. No TM needed. In the first book there are many, many story problems. And their are a few hands on things to do, but not much. The first book is geared for grades 3 and 4.
Samples:
That’s funny…..I just posted a similar response to MLfaLE on the other thread on this forum…. http://simplycharlottemason.com/scmforum/topic/math-lessons-for-a-living-education-vs-math-on-the-level
I really felt the story was contrived and I think our son became sick of it to be honest. The scope and sequence is very similar to MUS. The author presents place value the same way as MUS’s decimal street and when comparing the Table of Contents of the green book, 1st level, that I was using, it was the same as MUS.
susie in ms…I also have book 1 in the Practical Arithmetics series and I was thinking about giving it a try with our dd age 9. I like the look of it better than Ray’s. Although, a dear friend and long time CM educator used it with her 2 boys throughout elementary. Then went to Life of Fred and now to Saxon for 11th grade. She told me, if she had to do it over again, she would have started with Saxon around 4th gradeish. I was shocked and I think she was shocked with herself saying it….LOL. However, she stated math was one area she wished she would have been more consistent with in finding a program and sticking to it all the way through. Now, I’m on the fence. Our daughter will be entering 4th grade in the fall and I feel we’re at a crossroads. She started with Abeka in Kindergarten, which I don’t recommend, BTW. She has since been doing MUS for 3 years. MUS has gone all right for her, but I don’t envision sticking with it through graduation. Our older daughter has used MUS through high school and it’s a good fit for her, but I’m just not sure it’s advanced enough for this next child. Also, I love the idea of mastery, but I still wish there was a little more review of preview concepts.
Oh my…this got much longer than I intended. Better run….
Melissa
That’s just it, Melissa. I don’t like switching around in math. I need to do something now and stick with it. I think it’s very detrimental to my boys to keep switching around so I’m determined. 🙂
I think there’s a huge difference in using “story problems” or word problems to do math. This I feel is not only beneficial, but necessary. This is how they relate it to real life. As far as using stories such as those in MLfaLE, I’m not sure. But as you say, if it works. I know my oldest 9yos would tire of that very quickly.
I don’t like switching around either, but if something doesn’t work I have learned to move on. I wasted a year and a half on R&S alone trying to make it work. I am also falling into the *better late than early* crowd after 2 years of torturing my dd and myself. I think our switch to gentle will be a great fit for her. If not I may just forget math for 2 1/2 years till she is 10 (the recommended age, by many, for starting formal math).
RobinP and susie in ms…have either of you tried MUS? I’m curiuos what your thoughts are on it.
Our son will be 8 next week and lately I’ve been letting a lot slide with him leaning toward better late than early. He’s the type of kid that bucks and bucks and bucks. Then one day he decides the timing is right and it becomes so easy. I’m thinking sometimes he’s just not ready to do it. On the other hand, his older sister, age 9, loves school and everything to do with it. They are only one year apart, but academically and in maturity, they are leaps and bounds different. You know, when they were younger, I had this idealistic picture of schooling them together and life being so grand….wow, was I in for a rude awakening….LOL! I have since come to realize, they are both a blessing with their individual strengths and weaknesses. Now we were blessed with a 3rd baby and he is totally different from the other two. God has a funny way, doesn’t he
I definitely think the key to math is making it real and applicable to life. I recently did a series of blog posts on math and in my research, I came to this revelation.
You know, as much as I love this forum, I wish you were all here to sit and chat over tea…..
Blessings,
Melissa
We used the Strayer-Upton books until last year for my son. While he could do math – it got to the point that he couldn’t. There wasn’t enough real life examples for him. He just got lost. My pastors wife is teaching him this year. He is growing by leaps and bounds. But we are moving in 3 months. I have to find something. She is recommending I use http://fractionbars.com for the immediate.
MUS was ok. But, it is missing something. I used it all the way through with my oldest. Teaching Textbooks is too school oriented (focusing too much on standards and not math).
Ray’s I like (I’m using it with my 8 yr. old.) I haven’t really looked into the older books yet.
When you all find the perfect math program – please PM me. 🙂 We’ve been searching for it since 1995.
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