Hi Liz, I’m really glad you like the resources and are finding them helpful. I have italicized your questions below with the answers following. I will be using this with, a 1st, 2nd and 7th grader. Would these be taught in 3 separate classes so to go at their own pace?
Depending on your 1st and 2nd grader, they could easily be put together. Not knowing your 7th grader, she might like to help in the younger one’s math lessons. My older son loved to help with reading lessons for his younger brother. When you have two students together I find that the mental math part becomes even more fun with children posing questions to each other. A spirit of competition should be avoided though. I have one child who is more intuitive with math yet he is easily frustrated (will admit defeat before even beginning) yet when he remains calm his problem-solving skills are remarkable. Our second student, who is even-tempered, learned to have compassion for his brother while I internally called on the Lord for how to help him learn to get himself out of that pit of unfounded frustration. This is just an example of something that could arise in any classroom and home. My two students might both be covering fractions but my older son will have more difficult problems posed so they are going at their own pace, though they are in different grade levels.
In the end, it’s up to you. Teachers in Charlotte’s PUS schools definitely were teaching different grades (forms) at the same time and learned how to do it. I know I’ve seen examples of this in the Parents’ Review under “Notes on Lessons” on how they handled this. The example I saw wasn’t specifically with math but with reading and geography but may be of help. It’s p.847 if you ever read the Parents’ Review archived at Ambleside Online.
Whenever dealing with questions regarding specific subjects Charlotte always pointed her teachers back to the 20 Principles and I like to do the same when I’m working through things like which subjects to have our kids together. Is our schedule set up so as to promote a healthy atmosphere in our lessons? Is the time allotment proper for the digestion of the ideas and not too long to tire the brain? In this case, 20 minutes for your 1st and 2nd grader and 30 minutes for your 7th. See if you can effectively have your kids together or not. You may find that you are able to or you may find that you prefer to have your 1st grader doing something else while you work with your 2nd grader on arithmetic. I’ve had my kids together in arithmetic on some years and not on others.
My 7th will greatly benefit from this, we have always used MUS, she is very bright, scores well on the tests but still struggles and has the desire to just get it done. Where would I start with her?
I think I’ll need a little more information, Liz, to answer this. Is she showing real mathematical understanding or is her work mechanical? Page 45 of the book lists some guidelines (in question form) for Arithmetic in the Upper Grades. We don’t use MUS but I’m aware how it operates.
My 2nd grader has dyslexia and auditory processing disorder and this is going to be wonderful for her. I used MUS alpha with her some but next year plan to use CM living math and start at the beginning. We are using dianne crafts brain integration therapy and have seen wonderful results with reading and I think this will work perfectly as her math. Is it ok to use as a stand alone math?
The scope and sequence with the underlying principles and methods make for a stand-alone math for arithmetic. Personally, I keep a couple of books by my side for problem examples to use in giving oral problems, written problems and exams. I like Ray’s New Arithmetic and Strayer Upton’s Books 1-3. Together with manipulatives found in the home it’s an extremely economical curriculum.
I was also hoping to find a manipulative list with amounts needed, I.e. how many popsicle sticks, buttons, money, etc…. Maybe I missed it. Does each student get their own set of manipulatives? Thank you so much!!
Oh, wow, that’s a real “Why didn’t I think of that?” regarding a list. When the time came we spent a few math lessons putting the ten bundles together with craft sticks and stringing beads. We have a shared box of about 20 ten-bundles and 30 loose sticks.
The beads have long since been unstrung but I’m guessing it was about the same amount. Matchsticks take up little space and are inexpensive if you are willing to have them in your home. Each student and the teacher will need their own coin bag. We made these for a handicraft and, if you use eco-felt, can be made as economically as 30 cents or you can make nicer ones in suede or leather, which my guys were really into. I filled them each with 20 dimes and at least 100 pennies (they hold a lot for the bag’s deceptively small size). We also have a change box that I grabbed from if we ever find ourselves in the position of needing more coins.
I honestly don’t recall how many play money bills I had on hand but I believe they come in packs of 100 and you shouldn’t need more than that since once you get to ten $1’s the student is changing it into a $10 bill and ten $10’s are exchanged for a $100. Those were just kept in a general math manipulative box and my kids didn’t have their own. I would just have stacks out on the table for class for them to grab from.
I hope this helps you out Liz.
Best, Richele