Wanted to ask for suggestions as to what to ask for re: DS7 next year in grade 3 math. He hasn't worked much on the CTY math, but I expect he'll be done with at least their CTY/EGPY Grade 3 Accelerated Math (and probably Grade 4, although I wonder if I should avoid further acceleration at this point). He already knows the multiplication tables through 12 from timez attack. For now, his teachers are preassessing and substituting challenge problems for regular work, so he's getting no instruction other than help getting started when he needs it.

Our district believes in differentiation, not acceleration. They use Everyday Math, and I think I saw some classes using Scott Foresman (don't know what that one is). I've also heard a rumor of Aleks.

In our district, grades 3 and 4 are in the same building, 5 and 6 about a mile away.

Suggestions? Thanks!

Can you get some appropriate level workbooks from Singapore (or similar) and get them to agree to let him work on that during math time?

It's kind of a lousy substitute for actual instruction but it may be a more interesting activity to do practice work at his level. Or instead of practice work you could look for some appropriate problem solving work. If the teacher doesn't have time to work with him, he could work on the problems himself during class and you could go over it with him at home.

My DD did EPGY 3-4 the summer before third grade. It goes up to introducing long division. She really liked the geometry stuff in EPGY. They hardly do any geometry in school.

Good luck...

Cathy

Thanks, Cathy. So far EPGY 3 is all review of the CTY problem solving course. Nothing new yet, and he's up to 3.25. I didn't realize it's a 3/4 course (like EPGY LAW which is 3-6). I guess he may as well finish it and we'll look to supplement next year. So I'll ask about Singapore and Aleks, and I suppose continuing in EPGY, which I'm sure they won't allow.

I had another idea--would your DS be interested in preparing for a math competition? Maybe that would give his practice a purpose.

Cathy, thanks for all the info. DS has now done a third of EPGY 3 and it turns out that it's primarily a review of the CTY Elementary Problem Solving I course. CTY had recommended starting with that one as an introduction and said it covered the first and second grade curricula. The weird thing is that it also covered long division, without much of an explanation. At least I know not to arbitrarily hold him back from the 4 course.

As for math competitions, he's good at math, but I never considered him a math whiz. But I like the idea of having him do problems he has to think about. I've read about math kangaroo on this board, although there are no locations nearby. It might be a good idea to try some of the problems from past tests as practice.

I think that kids can have a lot of fun with math competitions even if they don't end up winning. At least, I enjoyed them as a kid! I have used Math Kangaroo problems in my DD's mathlab this year and all the kids enjoyed doing something different, stretching their brains and learning problem solving strategies. Usually the math competition problems are much more interesting than the daily practice stuff they get at school.

If they taught reading the way they teach math, kids would memorize lists of spelling words and never read any books!

Anyway, (rant over), what about Descartes' Cove? My DS loves that game. He needs me to explain stuff and help him but he is so motivated to try to figure stuff out. He will work on advanced stuff for an hour, but he'll balk at doing a page of an easy work book. I don't think it's just because I'm working with him...often he doesn't want to hear my explanation. He just wants to grab the pencil and go!

I'd love anything that would make my DS grab a pencil, LOL! Isn't Descartes Cove for 6th grade and up? If not, it's definitely something that would appeal to him.

And thanks for the thought about reading and math. Never thought of that. Funny -- and accurate!

Cluefinders math is fun. I'm not sure what levels are available, but my kids enjoyed the grade 4 level when they were 6 and 7.

Descartes' Cove is listed for grades 6 and up but DS has been working on the easiest level (Measurement) and he can understand the problems conceptually. In terms of mechanics, they use decimals and percents but part of my son's excitement about it is discovering these new things which he views as some kind of secret knowledge, lol. When he gets to something new, we look at the secret book for clues. DD played it a bit and was able to do the Measurement problems without too much help from me. She doesn't seem to be as interested in it as DS, though.

We haven't tried the harder levels, I don't really know what's on them. You can look at a demo of the game on the CTY website. It's a six part thing including Measurement, Number & Operations, Data Analysis & Probability, Algebra, Geometry, Reasoning & Proof.