Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Age or Ability Specific Forums Really great workbooks, with pretentious names

I think the grade levels are roughly accurate too, going by our state standards here in NH anyhow. I just wanted to give a huge thanks for mentioning these; we are enjoying them tremendously. I love that they are perforated and easy to rip out; I've been scanning them into PDF form and that's made it a lot easier. The lack of boring repetition and thought given to the activities is just great. I also like how, in the reading one we have, there occasionally little runs of content organized around a theme.

I also just bought some Critical Thinking workbooks, and those are great too, but without as much fun variation, color, etc. to hold children's interest. I haven't found anything else like the FlashKids books for their combination of fun level and quality.

I bought the first-grade one for my MG 1st-grader who has not had much instruction in math and for whom it is not a primary interest (just now learning multiplication and division at home; doesn't yet know how to subtract with borrowing). I like the general style of the book, but it's too easy for her. She said the same thing when I gave it to her to flip through. Just noting this here because it surprised me a bit. I think 2nd grade would be right for her.

Might wanna just skip to grade 3. There would probably be plenty in there to interest your kid, even if some of the problems were too hard. OTOH I am sure the grade 2 would have much of interest in it too.

Last year my son really enjoyed some of the reading comp. worksheets too. They sparked an interest in multiple areas of science. I'd check 'em out.

There is also a separate, physically smaller and cheaper line of workbooks by the same publishers, called FlashKids something or other. The problem solving ones are pretty great IMO. I think they're about $4 US on Amazon, and well worth it. (Some of them are drill drill drill, like the multiplication ones, and should be avoided for a gifted kid.)

ETA: Here's one of the "Flash Skills" mini-workbooks I mentioned: http://www.amazon.com/Problem-Solving-Grade-Flash-Skills/dp/1411434692/ref=cm_aya_orig_subj (this is a good one)

Thanks! I went through the book and dogeared some of the stuff that looked like it would still be fun, if a little easy. She really enjoys the logic puzzles ("John is older than Sue, and Sue is younger than Jane..." kind of stuff.) That's not something we've ever done with her. So that stuff is good...I should see what else I can find like that. But the stuff on patterns, time, coins, and addition/subtraction is too easy.

I like these also. I'd read the "for the gifted" part of the title more like "for the easily bored". They are targeted at the standards for the listed grade level, but have a nice variety of activities in 1-2 page bite-sized amounts.

Have you tried the Grid Perplexors series?

http://www.fatbraintoys.com/toy_companies/mindware/grid_perplexors_level_a.cfm

It's just got the one kind of puzzle, but if you're looking for logic puzzles, it might fit the bill. My kids love them.

Hip, those look great! My DC loves those kind of things. Her Math teacher does those kind of things in school every week and she can't get enough of them. I'll have to look into that for the summer time! Thanks!

I'll add another workbook idea for parents on here.

These books were recommended by a teacher at the gifted school that my dds attend. I have no vested interested in these books. I've just used them and enjoyed them.

http://www.summerskills.com/

I haven't used the language arts book yet, but the thing I like about the summer skills math sharpener is that each "lesson" is only one page (front and back). So it's easy to have your child do one on any given day over the summer. Plus, each page has a variety of topics on it (money, time, calculations, word problems) so it's not the boring repetition that so many of our kids dislike.

Also, you can preview pages on their website to find the appropriate placement for your kids.

I ordered 3rd grade review for DD6 earlier this spring with the intention of doing it this summer. But, of course, she got a hold of it and whipped through it.

So now I've ordered 4th grade for her and 1st grade for DD5.

I just purchased summer skills for grade 2 for dd7 and math for grade 1 for ds5. These books look great!. Thanks for the suggestions!


Sheila

Just an update.. both kids completed 95% of their books this summer.

Ds5 (going into kinder with math acceleration) thought the math (grade 1 gifted math) was a bit easy. The reading he had to do in the book was a bit above his level at first but as the summer went on he was able to read the word problems himself.

Dd7 (going into 2nd with math acceleration) didn't like doing the summer bridge for 2nd grade gifted at all. It was a chore to get her to sit down. Nothing like bribery.. I mean positive reinforcement of fun stuff in the afternoon.