Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion DS loves advanced math concepts but not practicing

What I mean is that a concept should be understood in the context of related topics. It should not be an isolated topic.

Of course it's okay for a kid to explore ahead of their level, but there needs to be a plan to make sure the curriculum is fully covered so there eventually are no gaps.

Working from the answer makes sense. That is an interesting way to engage the top down thinker. I think a lot of the pushing forward is to find the big concept buckets to put other things under. In that way, needed topics being missed isn't relevant, because by their very nature when they hit a topic where they are missing requisite knowledge the drive to backfill to move forward is likely stronger and more effective than trying to teach it in a typical linear and bottom up approach that most people need.

Wren - we used EPGY in the past and so it is interesting to hear that CTY is now different. Zen Scanner - you have beautifully summarized how I feel my son thinks - thank you
Today we bought him a scientific calculator with graphing capabilities. He spent hours looking at it and being very excited about it. I feel this is just like giving him the solutions to make him then work on the steps - having this type of calculator will give him some big picture ideas/ topics and will also make him look at the steps as sometimes I feel that he believes a computer class (like Art of Problem Solving) / calculator more than if mom or dad write it out on paper .

Wren--we're (still) using EPGY, but I had considered CTY and chosen EPGY instead mainly because at the time they were supposed to be similar except that EPGY offered a Stanford transcript, which they have since stopped doing. I'm curious--how has the CTY format changed?

Quite welcome, though I may have skipped to the back of the book a bit as that's my M.O., too.

DS7 got his allowance yesterday and ten minutes later he is giving it back to buy a math reference app on the iPad.

They have this drop down menu. In a topic, there are video lectures. Then they have problem sheets (quizzes) that you do online.

There are worksheets you can print out and practice, but so far there hasn't been the need. Then you do the chapter test on line.

In EPGY, it seemed you did geometry, then multiplication, and it was all mixed up and sometimes the lecture came after.

And I find the curriculum builds on the previous in the new format. Now this is grade 5. I do not know what is still lower. I commented on the new format to the tutor and she said that it was for grade 5 and beyond. But her wording may have indicated that DD would now have this format or it was all changed.

Thanks, Wren! That setup does sound a little better in some ways; it would be great to be able to print out practice sheets, but as far as I know on EPGY there's only a practice test at the end of the course you can really do that with. DD has been bothered by what you mention that sometimes in EPGY the lecture comes after problems that use a new technique that is taught in that lecture. I think that might work to encourage independent thought in a setting with a helpful and positive tutor, but it doesn't work very well the way it is presented in EPGY and DD has been very frustrated by it although now she recognizes it is the way EPGY is sometimes. We might take a look at CTY but there's always an issue switching between curricula of missing subjects or redoing them, I guess. Thanks though for mentioning CTY has changed at least some things; that might make it more useful for some kids.

What is "drilling & killing"? (When I Google I get something about Nigerian oil.)

Drill & kill = drill (practice techniques) and kill the enthusiasm.

Okay, I see. But if this is happening, then something has already gone wrong. Excessive repetitive practice of routine problems based on isolated topics is never going to make up for a lack of understanding of a broad range of topics and their interconnections.