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A resource that my students have been using lately is Beestar High School which gives my students access when they have family vacations while keeping them with a structured coursework to help prepare them for their academic success. Depending on how each student responds (cram classes vs online/self-study) students may receive different score varations. Overall my students have all seen increase in their scores through Beestar High School and the program does a great job in keeping students consistent in their studying. I think that some students just need consistent practice and learning the actual concept which is what Beestar High School prepares for the students. What they learn on the website can be applied to current and new SAT tests.
I would tell him to put words over the top of the picture like "for project purposes only", you never want those pictures to leak now or in the future for whatever reason. Better safe than sorry.
Have you tried using the website called VolunteerMatch? You can set your preferences and they send out emails whenever there is a match. Usually the easiest ones to help out with would be reading to children.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Something that always strikes me is the laser focus on math and reading when people talk about their gifted children being challenged. Those are only two classes in school.
I have a hard time believing that even the most gifted child still knows the entire science, social studies, art, music, PE, and guidance curriculum.
DS is in the top reading group in first grade and he's not really "challenged" with the vocabulary/sight words. But his writing assignments are very open ended, so his teacher and I encourage him to do more than just a sentence or two.
He also this year, in his regular run of the mill public school (Maryland, but not MoCo) has learned about migration patters of the monarch butterfly, the life cycle of stars, perspective in architecture and art, the bones of the body and how his muscles work together, how to read music notes, etc.
So sure, he's not challenged in reading. Big deal. And there are certainly some kids in his class that already knew the life cycle of stars (one in particular knows more about space than most NASA employees I think), but there is enough new stuff going on that kids are always learning SOMETHING.
So why the exclusive focus on math and reading levels? Why doesn't "challenge" count if a child has to work hard on making the painting perspective correct or learning how to read music?
Agree so much. I want my kids to love learning for the sake of learning, and if there's something they are not so interested in, it's OK not to challenge them in that particular area. The point of growing up is you find your area to shine in, and really capitalize on it, right? Otherwise, all these lawyers on this board should challenge themselves and pick up a side CPA.
Of course they will have to get through certain required courses in life, and we want the skills so that they can effectively study and achieve in those areas even if it's not an area of passion. But then they get to move on and really throw themselves at what they are interested in, and learn for the rest of their lives, and love it.
I think there's a discrepancy in terminology here. When I say I want my child to be challenged, I don't mean I want her to be tied to a chair and forced to memorize texrbooks. I also want my child to love learning for the sake of learning and she did before she started school. I agree that ypu should find the areas you shine in and capitalize on that. What I don't understand is why that doesn't apply to kids who are interested in reading or math?
If a child is a naturally gifted artist, I would hope that he wouldn't be restricted to drawing stick figures. Hopefully, after showing he could draw stick figures, the teacher would let him try drawing a bowl of fruit, or someone's face, or anything new that he could challenge himself with, because although I'm not artistic and stick figures is enough drawing for me, I suspect that somebody who actually likes to draw would eventually get bored with that. If they weren't allowed to do more I suspect, they would decide they didn't like to draw after all. Yes, they could still learn new skills in PE, but not only did they not learn anything new in the art class you would have taught them to dislike something they previously loved. Yes, they could finish their stick figures quickly and get them out of the way to have time to read, but they would have rather had the chance to learn how to draw something new.
Nobody is saying we should force a first grader who hates math to tackle calculus (or try for a CPA), but a kindergartner who has figured out 3rd grade math on their own, because that's what they like to do, might be allowed to try 4th grade math by the time they get to 3rd grade, a kindergartner who can read fluently shouldn't be limited to "See Spot run", and while I haven't heard of artists being held back like those who have academic strengths, if a kid wants to try drawing something new then get him a bowl of fruit, (or action figures, legos, whatever).
I agree that children should learn because they are excited to learn. For me being challenged means being interested in what they are learning and excited to learn more, not being given more work than necessary to feel overwhelmed and stressed out. There is a fine line when it comes to finding that balance. A few my students lack that [challenge] in school so I tend to cycle through workbooks and worksheets to get them interested. It really depends on the kid on what clicks with their style. So far my students have all really liked Beestar with the worksheets for reading and math so I try to give them more assignments when they feel ready. Some of my students love the GT portion cause it gets them really excited because they feel a great sense of accomplishment.
Anonymous wrote:
Research does not support the fact that students are hurt by memorizing basic math facts early. The teachers posting on this thread are not presenting the whole picture.
The whole picture is that children learn differently and at different speeds. Some of them are more left-brained than right-brained. Most would benefit from early memorization to bolster their critical thinking, without any injury to their deep understanding of math. Some with dyscalculia who *would have had problems anyway*, give the appearance of relying on their memory without understanding the concepts. Of course, because it's the only way they have of trying to keep up! Again, these are students without scintillating math ability who need extra support in math regardless of the teaching method chosen.
How do I know? I have both kinds of kid - and have seen the contrast in their intuitive grasp of math. For the child with a slower mathematical understanding, early memorization is even more important! It's not a crutch, it's a way to let them focus more energy on the underlying concepts.
I agree that each student learns different and at times it is up to educators and parents to understand the needs of the students. I typically use a variety of supplemental websites from memorizing basic numbers to actual learning of a concept. For me Beestar has been extremely helpful for my students. My students have really loved the website and I can pace each of them at a different speed which helps them in the long run. Beestar also has a gifted/talented section for students that can be placed in more challenging classes. In the end it is all about finding that balance and for my students Beestar does a great job between being challenging but keeping students motivated.
Take struggling as a challenge. I would definitely have her tested but in the meantime look for what what interest/disinterest her. A great website I use is Beestar where I can target what my students' weakness/strengths are. From there you can help her with the reading and vocabulary. When she starts scoring higher points then she will see her name on the honor roll system which could really keep her interest going.
If you are looking for learning math concepts it really depends on the child too. For some of my kids they learn better with Kumon and Singapore Math and others more with Beestar. I personally like Beestar since it gives children that incentive they seem to be missing at school when they score below the curve. Some of my students also have used the new gifted and talented section and have been placed into those classes which keeps the learning momentum.
From all the supplemental websites I've been using for my daughter and students I've had the best luck with Beestar. Easy to navigate website, track progress and keeps the kids interested in the subject. Other websites/workbooks I've used before like Khan, IXL, Kumon etc., are also helpful but my kids tend to get either bored or frustrated with them. Beestar is so far the only one that has stuck around this long, I think it might be the reward program that keeps the kids interested.
Anonymous wrote:we use ixl. we tried kumon and although we saw progress our kids hated it. ixl has a similar approach - repetition - so the results are similar, but something about not seeing a full page of problems keeps them going
IXL and Kumon are helpful for basic memory skills and also time management for future tests. Have you tried using other websites? One website that I found that helped my students a lot was Beestar. Beestar had a lot of worksheets where my students could pace themselves. Also, I can track their progress online to help them on their weakness. It is also free of charge which really helps us when it comes to school budgets. The students also became more confident from seeing their name on the honor roll and wanted to start learning more.
Anonymous wrote:asnmdirteha wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:My kid learn this in first grade as she spent every waking hour after school working through IXL through 4th grade.
That's a lot of screen time. Ixl is also multiple choice so there is no way to know if she truly understands the concept.
I would have to agree that IXL due to the multiple choice, timer, and also the drill format does in some instances seem like it is testing for your ability to answer questions quickly. My daughter did not really enjoy these drill practices (it was like an upgraded Kumon to her) and she started resenting math. I finally found a few other supplemental websites to try out with her and the one that has stuck around is Beestar. She really enjoys working through the worksheets, being able to feel accomplished (very important to her learning style), and I am also able to track her progress for free and when we are traveling during vacations.
Have you actually used IXL? It has very few multiple choice questions, and while there is a timer that keeps track of how long you've working, the problems themselves are untimed.
Having said that, IXL is definitely drill. As a teacher, I use it when a kid needs to practice a specific concept that they somehow missed in an earlier grade. So, if my class is working on a estimating totals, and I find out that one of my kids can't round, I'll briefly teach that skill, and then assign them to practice that skill on IXL till they get to 100, and then hopefully the next day they can rejoin the group.
On the other hand, using IXL as a primary tool for enrichment doesn't make much sense to me. The problems are too basic. The kids don't get a chance to extend or apply what they've learned, and to become flexible in their mathematical thinking.
If I have a 4th grader who can do math like a 2nd grader, IXL is a hugely helpful tool in getting them to grade level. But for a 2nd grader who does math like a 4th grader needs something different, they need a chance to apply their 4th grade skills to complex situations, and then to move onto a 5th grade curriculum that is rich and varied. IXL might play a role if you have kid who is self teaching math and gets everything except exponents or something like that, and needs a quick tutorial, but it should be a very small part.
Thank you for sharing your insight. Although the problems are not timed, my students are still bothered by the ticking timer there. Some of my kids felt pressured from the timed learning. IXL is helpful to teach them time management for their upcoming standardized tests. However, it is not the most ideal website to use for my active learners. My smart students tend to find the it restrictive and tedious. My students enjoy the wide variety of problems in Beestar better. Some problems even induce interesting discussions and inspire the students to learn more.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:My kid learn this in first grade as she spent every waking hour after school working through IXL through 4th grade.
That's a lot of screen time. Ixl is also multiple choice so there is no way to know if she truly understands the concept.
I would have to agree that IXL due to the multiple choice, timer, and also the drill format does in some instances seem like it is testing for your ability to answer questions quickly. My daughter did not really enjoy these drill practices (it was like an upgraded Kumon to her) and she started resenting math. I finally found a few other supplemental websites to try out with her and the one that has stuck around is Beestar. She really enjoys working through the worksheets, being able to feel accomplished (very important to her learning style), and I am also able to track her progress for free and when we are traveling during vacations.
Have you considered a website called Beestar? I have been using it for over a year now and it has greatly helped my daughter's math, reading, language art skills. She is a lot more confident in math tests now and the best part is Beestar is for free! I don't have to shuttle her back and forth between Kumon sites and home and I can just have her work on subjects on Beestar that she may be struggling with for that quarter. I highly recommend you to take a look sometime!