Melissa,
Yes, Practical Arithmetics has plenty of word problems especially in the brown book. Back in the day when I first discovered PA, I thought “this is so Charlotte Mason” because of all the word problems. Having strong computation skills, my older children transitioned into algebra just fine. I doubted the books occasionally when we first started using them and worried that we weren’t doing much geometry and negative numbers. However, my children truly understood the why behind dividing fractions and converting fractions to decimals and percents. I don’t worry anymore and keep things simple here by sticking to those nearly 500 page books.
I think the diagnostic test idea is great, but it may simplify things if you try to settle soon somewhere in the book to continue steadily from (like page 310, if multiplication work is needed). Since you are teaching the child and not the math book, it’s definitely okay to skip or add computation problems. The books may seem to move slowly, but that is a good thing. Practical Arithmetics builds concept by concept with a lot of similar problems grouped together to produce mastery. My children don’t need much instruction from me because of the books’ pace.
When we begin math, each child tells me what he/she will do for the day as we look over the math book together. I ask if I can work a couple of sample problems with the child on the dry erase board. When the assignment is completed, the child checks his/her own work using the back of the book and brings it to me so I can look over it too. Right now, though, I still check my dd6’s work because she would get lost in the answer key with it’s small print. I haven’t had problems with cheating because I make a big deal about the privilege and honor it is to use the answer key independently.
I have sets of cuisenaire and Math U See rods that I use to teach basic addition and subtraction. I especially use them for multi-digit addition and subtraction problems, but I rarely use manipulatives once we hit longer multiplication and division problems. I keep the rods handy just in case.
I love the way the red book teaches the additive method for subtraction on page 68. I can subtract multi-digit problems mentally now using that method, and my husband who computes problems all day in his work loves the additive method instead of the borrowing method. So, I have my children learn both the additive and borrowing methods for subtraction. They work problems using both methods until they are ready to choose which way they want to do their subtraction. Some prefer the borrowing method over the additive. What?!
I hope that helps.
Janell
