This is not related to my child with LDs, but I don’t know where else to turn….
My daughter is in 7th grade, and our school district is using Connected Math, which does not have text books that show HOW problems are worked out. It is very difficult for my husband or myself to help our daughter with her homework when we do not have a resource (like a textbook) to which we can refer , to refresh our own memories. (on how to dertermine the slope of a line, for instance.)
Can anyone refer us to a source where we can get the the teacher’s manuals to the Connected Math series or to a good reference book on middle school math for rusty parents?
Thanks, Jody
Re: Need "Connected Math" Resources
We have also just switched to Connected Math and after dreading it, I really like it. We had a Parents Forum early in year and had them try many of the classroom activites. Much of the program is experiencial, such as data collecting by throwing the dice and counting. The homework stems directly from the classwork and discussion.
Have your child bring home their math binder. A big part of the program is maintaining an excellent binder. The homework questions directly relate the classroom work. Each classroom activity ends with a summarizing of the work.
This program is deliberatly NOT procedural. That is get a method or formula and keep repeating it. The answer to many of the questions in the teacher’s manual is “answers will vary”. Meaning lots of answers are possible and its the child’s explanation that counts.
Follow up to my post...
In following up with my daughter and her teacher, most of the problem stems from my daughter NOT taking adequate notes in class and being too social.
I must say that I am quite impressed with the middle school teachers. My daughter now attends “homework club” one day a week after school run by the math teacher. They are holding the kids accountable for learning, and help is available if the children seek it out and are willing to do their share.
Apparently much of my daughter’s difficulty is of her own making……
Jody
I don’t know about Connected Math, but for a series of self-teaching books with oodles and oodles of worked problems, see the Schaum’s series. Either go to any college bookstore and look for Schaum’s math outlines, or go on Amazon and type in Schaum’s. There is one for Elementary Algebra and I believe there is one for Basic Math (not positive of the exact titles but look for something resembling these.) Quite inexpensive. These books are fundamental references for every serious college student of math and technology, and the format is always: very short explanation, model solved problems, bunches of problems with solutions, and bunches more practice with answers. Very helpful to really learn how-to.