Do we not have a LOF thread? I searched and didn't find anything. I think it would be great for mathy kids as it has very little repetition.

Here's a review of LOF Beginning ALgebra. LOF review

DS is doing LOF fractions right now. He about half way through. And although he's breezing right through it, he's also enjoying it. It really is very funny, and I like the way math is explained....not just "here is the formula".

I have LOF Fractions and Decimals/Percents. DS8 has only done the first chapter of LOF...I'm saving it for summer I think.

OMG this is just what I've been looking for! Thanks Dazed&confused! My DD6 saw a homework show with algebra, after it she asked me "so Y is the unknown and that's what you need to figure out, right?" Can I learn how to do that? I showed her some fomulas but I'm not that great at math. I've been looking for a simple version, thanks again!

We ordered LOF Beginning Algebra for DS6. He is taking Pre-Algebra at school and it's by far and away the favorite part of his day. He is fascinated with having the ability to solve the unknown!

These look great! Do kids really need to know their multiplication tables to start these? My ds is really lazy about stuff like that, but likes conceptual math.

Bronxmom - it might give him the reason for learning those tables! I think for LOF Fractions, Stan recommends arithmetic through long division. I'm sure it's on his website some where.

Right, I saw that on his website, just wondering if he really needs to know it to understand the books. My son's about a million miles from long division, honestly.

Or is there anything else like this, but easier? I like the way it focuses on verbal reasoning.

I could take a look and see how far he can get into the book. I figure, we'll continue in the book as he gets to those ideas.

Wow, that's great! Just ordered Fractions for ds6. Looks like fun!

Harpo's got the whole set (it has happened to me more than once that I find something that looks perfect, and then it goes out of print by the time I want it, so I just got the works last summer, even though we're a long way from calculus and statistics!). He loves these books a lot--highly recommended!

Stan is a peach, too, and it's nice to feel as though one is supporting such a kind person.

Fred is how I found y'all in the first place, I think--it seems to me that I followed a link here from Lorel's review of Fred on her Bella site, so I'm doubly grateful to Fred!

peace
minnie

We're using LOF Fractions right now with DS7 and I would say that at least basic familiarity with multiplication facts is useful, especially for the 2nd half of the book. It really breeze over things like reducing fractions with the assumption that the kid understands that 5/20 = 1/4 because 5 and 20 are divisible by 5. Our work around right now is to let DS7 use a multiplication table to "cheat" with and we're working hard on memorizing the tables (using Timez Attack) simultaneously.

It's also a little light on concept practice, which works great for things that DS7 gets right away, but I find that we have to do supplemental practice on some things. So far it's been easy enough to print worksheets online for what we've needed (reducing fractions and equivalent fractions).

Wow... can't believe I'm just learning about this now! Thanks!

JB

Ooh --our LOFs arrived yesterday! We got Fractions and Beginning Algebra. I'm excited for ds6 to star Fractions -- I think he'll really like it and it's right at his ready level.

Thank you!!

Mia - what do you think of Beginning Algebra? Did you get the teacher's guide w/ it?

We got LOF Beginning Algebra as well. It really seems to make it easy. My 14yo (self professed math hater) did the first lesson last night and was like "that's it?".

Honestly, I haven't opened Beginning Algebra -- dh had it all night! He's a self-taught computer engineer and is thinking of going back for a degree -- "in this economy" and whatnot. He'd be *great* at math but had an abysmal HG+ kid school experience. He was busy all night with it and seemed intruiged, if not challenged. He said ds6 would probably be ready for it by the time he's 8, if not before.

I'll look at it tonight and let you know what I think! I will say, I was reading Fractions and laughing out loud.

ETA: yes, we got the teacher manual as well.

Can I use LOF along with regular school work. My boy is aged 9 and a half. Also, does anyone know offhand if they are available in the UK?

I'm sorry, Raddy, I don't know if they're available there. You could email the author (Stan Schmidt, Polka Dot Publishing) and ask him if he has a UK distributor--he's certain to know, since the books are self-published.

peace
minnie

We just got the first three plus the Beginning Algebra Home Companion. I don't think GS9 really needed the Fractions & Decimals and Percents but I felt his school did too much hit & miss on teaching them so I wanted to be sure he had a good foundation. It drives me crazy when people have no concept of how decimals, percents, & fractions relate to each other!

Besides, I heard they were so entertaining I didn't think he'd be bored to tears reviewing them. Last night he sat down to look at them and was almost squealing with delight. He read the first 6 chapters in Fractions, laughing about Fred. He looked up to check the time, saw he was missing the Simpsons and went back to the book. The books are that good!

I've got a niece in college who is struggling with her algebra. She already dropped it once and will have to take it later. I'll let her borrow the Beginning Algebra, I think it will be just the thing to prep her for College Algebra.

Oh, GS9 is soooo impressed that he got signed copies of the books!

So the Beginning Algebra continues the story of Fred from the fractions and dec/percents books?

Yes, in the opening of the book it says "Our story begins on the day before Fred's sixth birthday. Start with chapter one, and things will explain themselves nicely."

The way I understand it, Fred's story is continued throughout the whole series.

OK, this cracked me up... I was reading the note to Teachers & Parents in the Beginning Algebra...it said in part:
"We know tht it takes some work for the students to learn algebra, but their efforts need not involve suffering. If this book offers "a spoonful of sugar" to the students as they learn how to do algebra, who, except the American Dental Association, could object?"

Haha, little gems like that keep the kids entertained.

BTW, I learned from another board that one of the recommended resources to prepare for the CLEP in calculus(I think that was the math one) is Life of Fred Calculus!

Wow exciting and depressing for me since I was the kid who would have loved those books. I was/am really good at math to the point that my math professors begged me to change my major to math but it was so redundant and boring to me. I am a logical person in that once you tell me the concept and step it through I have it so why did I need to do all of the homework attached to it? So I didn't but would come in and ace the tests. LOL Drove my professors nuts to say the least. I'm great at the argument too ... I still got my A b/c I argued that homework is to ensure you comprehend the concept and by acing the test I proved that and therefore should only be considered on the test. But these textbooks would have made such a difference in my approach and I just might have wanted to graduate with a math degree. My problem is DD is too young for such things at this point so hopefully when she is ready for Algebra on these books will be available.

Anyway ... thanks for posting on them. Making a mental note for later on.