Jemimah is sitting the IPMA Level 5 test today. It is hard to believe that she has completed Level 5 of MEP. Where has the time gone?
She is working on the computer and the house is very quiet. It's strange. My job is to supply the busy worker bee with hot cups of milky tea and chocky bikkies, but I find myself wandering in and out of the room and feeling generally superfluous. I will not like it when my girl does all her work independently, that is for sure.
I still have nothing but praise for this free maths programme. It supplies a complete, rigourous maths education in a simple and interesting format. There are no gimmicks, no coloured workbooks, no fun manipulatives. What there is, though, is sensible explanations, little busywork, interesting applications, good teaching materials for mum, sufficient repetition and adequate practice, and plenty of variety.
We've used MEP from the beginning and think it's great. I'll be interested to see the results of the test today.
Now what should I do? More biscuits perhaps?
Hi Jeanne,
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to you and Jemimah. I'm sure she'll do well.
We started with MEP but it made Lucy cry. So after that continuing for a while we abandoned it. I am sorry about that as I thought it was really good.
Just to let you know.
My last two comments have not appeared on your blog's comments section. My latest was today. I hope this comes up.
Hi Jeanne! Sorry I've been away. I've missed reading your lovely posts.
ReplyDeleteSounds like Jemimah is doing wonderfully well - and you've been an exceptional teacher! Glad to hear you've found a good maths program you're both really enjoying.
Love your newfound job, serving bikkies is always fun! ;o)
Great to see what you've been up to. xx
Wow. I agree with your assessment of MEP. We are back, with an almost 8 year old girl, and in booklet 1B, far from your advanced Jemmimah in level 6 at 10, but levels aside, MEP is wonderful, no matter your pace in learning math.
ReplyDeleteBut yes, we use and LOVE Life of Fred. Those are wonderful math books.
What a feeling that of your girl working independently! I am with you. I will not like it, for more than I wish now my oldest were a bit more independent in her studies, LOL.
Love,
s
ps. have fun in your upcoming trip!
Hi Jeanne,
ReplyDeleteI have started MEP with my DD (not every day, just on occasion) and I do like what I have seen. She enjoys it too!
I think I'll be thanking you again and again for introducing me to this program.
Enjoy your big holiday!
Is MEP online or is it printed? I've been looking at their homepage and it certainly seems wroth reviewing.
ReplyDeleteYou print it off. You really only need to print the practice books, but I print it all.
ReplyDeleteWhat did you use for currency and volume sections that were UK based? Did you supplement with other Australian maths worksheets at that time? Thanks for your input and ideas!
ReplyDeleteI taught money by playing shop. Now we just change the pounds to dollars and continue through the exercise. Both are decimal currencies, so there are no issues but the symbols and we just ignore those.
ReplyDeleteAustralia and Britain are both metric so we don't have a problem with measures here. If I were you I would teach both. Metric is good general knowledge. I would introduce imperial measures in real life not Maths probably.
At faculty retreat...just went to a seminar you'll be interested in:
ReplyDeletestudents who do drill/kill do worse in math than students who do creative or mapping approaches to math with reasonable pracitce;
students who text in class may as well have skipped class;
students who take notes on laptop or other device go immediately into "transcription mode" and do, on average, 1 grade level worse than students who do pen/paper notes.
Fascinating to me! I've always required laptops to be closed (unless the student has them as an assistive device and no phones! I was ahead of the curve.