This is about what we have chosen for maths and English, how we use those choices and our assessment of them ;that is, how they work for our family.
This has to have a health warning: what works for our son may not work in another family or even for other children in our family.
This has to have a health warning: what works for our son may not work in another family or even for other children in our family.
This year, and last year, we've used books from Galore Park as our main maths and English books.
Galore Park is an English, secular publishing company which mainly supplies private schools. The course of study is wider than would be taken if we followed the National Curriculum. Many home educators use Galore Park and they have a Home Educator section on their website and home educator e-mailings.
Galore Park produce Junior maths and English books 1-3 to cover years 3-5 and then "So you want to learn maths/English" 1-3 to cover years 6-8.
Maths
How we use these books: Unlike many subjects, as will become apparent later, we use these books thoroughly doing all the chapters and most of the exercises. Some of the early exercises in a chapter are very easy so we will either do these aloud or I will set a few to check that ds can remember how to do them, otherwise, I find the exercises about the right length. If we have some difficulty with a chapter, I tend to leave it and return to it later or occasionally supplement with examples from the older maths text book on Mother's Companion (more about this later!) or from the internet.
I lik maths so don't have an answer book but there is one available. I can't comment about this.
Ds uses Schofield and Simms for mental maths about once a week. This is cheap and cheerful, same as he used when he was in school and does the job.
How Galore Park maths works for us: really well-A*. We plan to continue using the "So you want to learn maths" series for the next couple of years. My only, minor, gripe is that it would make the book more interesting if there was some explanation of how a particular topic is used in "real" life.
English
How we use the book: We use the English book in a completely different way to the maths book. The word that best describes our use of this book is loose.
The English book contains two comprehensions around a theme, an exercise with suggestions for creative writing, two punctuation exercises, two grammar exercises, sections on vocabulary and spelling and on speaking and listening, followed by suggestions for further reading and for further research around the topic used for the comprehensions. We actually use one comprehension, occasionally the creative writing and the punctuation exercise. The speaking and listening portion has provided some helpful ideas.
Occasional comprehensions have been avoided on the basis of their content.
We don't use the grammar as this is covered in more depth in Latin. I try to set writing around our history or geography. We also tend to use the real life opportunities of letters, e-mails and a private blog.
We use Schofield and Simms workbooks for spelling.
I am much less confident about marking English, particularly creative writing, than maths. Maths is either right or wrong and the right or wrong answer may have been achieved by a correct or incorrect method. English is a bit more complex. In view of this, I brought the answer book thinking that it would help sadly it is just an answer book for the exercises and I have hardly used it.
How Galore Park English works for us: Not as well as the maths. B+. We may not use this curriculum next year for English. I am open to suggestions!
Ds uses Schofield and Simms for mental maths about once a week. This is cheap and cheerful, same as he used when he was in school and does the job.
How Galore Park maths works for us: really well-A*. We plan to continue using the "So you want to learn maths" series for the next couple of years. My only, minor, gripe is that it would make the book more interesting if there was some explanation of how a particular topic is used in "real" life.
English
How we use the book: We use the English book in a completely different way to the maths book. The word that best describes our use of this book is loose.
The English book contains two comprehensions around a theme, an exercise with suggestions for creative writing, two punctuation exercises, two grammar exercises, sections on vocabulary and spelling and on speaking and listening, followed by suggestions for further reading and for further research around the topic used for the comprehensions. We actually use one comprehension, occasionally the creative writing and the punctuation exercise. The speaking and listening portion has provided some helpful ideas.
Occasional comprehensions have been avoided on the basis of their content.
We don't use the grammar as this is covered in more depth in Latin. I try to set writing around our history or geography. We also tend to use the real life opportunities of letters, e-mails and a private blog.
We use Schofield and Simms workbooks for spelling.
I am much less confident about marking English, particularly creative writing, than maths. Maths is either right or wrong and the right or wrong answer may have been achieved by a correct or incorrect method. English is a bit more complex. In view of this, I brought the answer book thinking that it would help sadly it is just an answer book for the exercises and I have hardly used it.
How Galore Park English works for us: Not as well as the maths. B+. We may not use this curriculum next year for English. I am open to suggestions!
I absolutely agree with your comment on correcting answers in Maths and English. As you say, Maths is either correct or incorrect. Easy! English essays or paragraphs etc is more subjective and is more difficult to mark. Sometimes you can look at a piece of writing and 'know' it's not quite right, but not be quite sure 'what' or 'how' that is! The joys!
ReplyDeleteAs for suggestions, I'm not going to be of much use to you I'm afraid. I await other answers with interest!
We're thinking of using Catherine Mooney's essay writing course. (http://www.catherinemooneytutoring.co.uk/)I agree that marking English is harder than most other subjects - well, spelling is either wrong or right, ditto punctuation, but the creative side is harder to assess.
ReplyDeleteI think the best way to learn to write good English is to read good English, but some of my children are much happier writing than reading, and vice versa.
And some have learned spelling naturally, by reading and remembering, while others would no doubt be judged dyslexic because of their inability to spell correctly the simplest words at times. (I don't think it is dyslexia, I think it is laziness - their fault - or lack of proper teaching - my fault!)