Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion What's your opinion based on your experience?

I only hope it's not too easy for your DS! :p

Kriston, got the book today (perfect timing as I'll be off all holiday weekend). Just curious on how you approach the subject at your home. There are definitely plenty of teaching points and a lot of terms/topics that jogged my memory!. Our current style is very, very informal and usually just a few minutes at the dinner table or during bath. I'm curious on how you approach with your DS. (Or is this part of formal HSing for you?)

Very good recommendation. What I will probably do is read through the book this weekend and that will give me ideas on what to "feed the boy" when he asks more about geometry. But I'm curious on your approach.

JB

We did use the book for formal HSing. But our idea of "formal" may be different from yours, LOL! We're pretty casual! we usually spent 30+ minutes on it per day, depending upon how much in the mood we were. Some days when he was really clicking, we went closer to an hour. But that was only if he wanted to go that long.

When we worked on the book, DS7 and I just read through the material, did the experiments, and talked about the patterns he saw in, say, the measurements of the angles when a line bisected parallel lines. We did everything orally or together on paper. There were no worksheets or "homework." He read the "Brain Teaser" problems and answered them aloud, using scratch paper as needed to get the answers.

Actually, I think it would be a fabulous book to use at the dinner table precisely because it's not a very formal book, you know? Very conversational.

I'm not sure I gave you the answer you were looking for. If I can be of more help than I have been, please post again.

I hope it works for you.

We did some this morning at breakfast. Chapter 1 contains a few terms that I omitted originally. I think when we get to the next chapter and do more with angles he'll find it more engaging. He was interested in the new terms: ray, plane, etc.

Last weekend he took two of my 12" rulers and was playing with them making all sorts of angles. Then he got a brilliant idea. I turned around and saw that he had taped them together and wrote on one (it was an old wooden ruler) "0 degrees". I haven't had the heart to undo the tape yet.

JB

Okay, now I'm going over to Amazon to get that book. I've posted this resource before but here goes again, if anyone's interested:

http://www.didax.com/shop/productde...c/StartRow/1/ShowAll/No/ItemNo/2-142.cfm

I would purchase the book as well as a set of the cubes. I also purchased the activity cards and started with those. They are easier and very fun. They prepared DD8 to work in the 6-12 book. This is a very fun manipulative for engineer type math mind kids. The great thing about the cubes is that you can reinforce many math concepts besides just spacial/3-D problem solving. I am also planning to incorporate it with the fractions books I got at the pru-frock sale. You can definately make multiplication more fun so it's not so drill like.

Neato

Additionally, if you go to their clearance items they also have some really neat stuff.

They have sets of art and integrated topic packs. I ordered one and think they are great for HS art projects. They are originally $30 marked down to $9, I think. I purchased the movement pack on a whim on my way checking out. Now that I've had a chance to really look at it I think I'll go back for a few more.
The sets consist of 8x10 cardstock each with a picture of a painting. Some are recongnizable artists, some not. On the back is some info on the artist, about the picture and discussion topics. They also offer ideas on how the student may study the picture and use it to create a piece of their own artwork.

thanks 'neato - i was just coming back here to mention the art packs i found! (i'm a sucker for bargains.)

I found this too -
Catalogs.com Savings Certificate:
15% OFF all orders of $25 or more!
Enter the Promotional code - E5W1X8 - in the shopping cart at checkout on the Didax.com website.
(offer expires: 08/31/2008)

Aren't they cool? Which ones did you get?

I got light, landscapes, and portraits. I wish I could get them all!

I also really liked unifix sudoku for the littler ones. Though, DD8 took it from her sister and did all the cards first. She thought it was pretty fun.