7th Grade Math uninspiring?

[aandwsmom]

Anyone else feel this way? We are on day 5 of it and while my NON-Math son loved Monkey math last year and learned..... so far, we are finding the dry, drawn-out talk very tedious. And I worry that if it doesnt improve, we will be back to Math struggles which isnt fun. Even Mom is finding it dull and wishing it was over......
Did they change it because 7th and 8th grade is "older" and wouldnt find Monkey math as cool or what?

[hearthstone_academy]

Monkey Math is new. Sixth grade math used to be just like seventh grade.

I think it's hilarious that you call it Monkey Math. That's what WE say at our house!

Hand him a math textbook. He'll be begging to go back to Time4Learning's seventh grade math.

How many lesson activities is he doing per day? Sometimes it helps to just slow down, even if it means he isn't getting through the material as fast.

[aandwsmom]

We are only doing 2 things a day in Math.
Last year with Monkey Math it was 1 lesson and 1 quiz is how it worked out per day.
With 7th grade, some days its 2 lessons, some days its a quiz and a review because it seems so far that all(we are in 2nd area) have 4 sessions. Exponents had 4, Scientific notation has 4 (I think) which we are working on again today.

WOW, all Math was like that.... YIKES! He hates math and struggles with it, and I still prefer T4L over workbooks.

Glad it just isnt me!!
Thanks Kelly!

[cknmiss24]

We are new to homeschooling this year and my son's situation is unique to the veteran homeschoolers....as I am giving him a crash coarse - refresher coarse for 7th grade and in a few weeks will put him on a SERIOUS schedule for 8th grade curriculum.

I think the suggestion to hand your son a math text book and try that for a while is spot-on! since we are new to T4L, my son is perfectly satisfied with the way the math is for 7th grade...b/c he doesn't know any different. He is doing 5 to 6 bubbles a day...like I said, refresher coarse. He loves the automated guided tour-type lessons. And I love the fact that I can slow him down or speed him up when I think it's necessary!

So hang in there!

[Zanyan]

My 8th grade daughter is doing the 7th grade math program this year. She has used textbooks, including Math Stepswhich is really a full pre-algebra program, Singapore Primary, and Houghton Mifflin. She has also used the online program ALEKS. She hates any and all math programs, including Time4Learning Grade 7 (she never tried the "Monkey Math" program). However, this is the first program she has used in which she is actually retaining the information, so it does work with her learning style however much the monotonous voice drives her crazy! Some of the lessons throw so much stuff at her at once (factions, decimals and percents being one) that we slow down, and I make up worksheets for her to practice skills before she goes on. Some lessons she learns quickly and has done so much of in the past (order of operations for one) that if she does well on Quiz 1, she skips the reteaching through Quiz 2. It makes it more difficult to keep track of where she is in the program, but it is more motivating for her.

We have a scheme that goes like this: If she passes Quiz one with a 90%, she gets to skip the rest of the unit. If she gets an 80%, she has to do the rest of the unit, but I don't step in to help. If she gets 70% or less on Quiz one, I sit with her through the lessons and give her extra worksheets as needed until she learns the lesson. She does not want me to help her, so she's learning to focus more on the lessons and during Quiz one.

[hearthstone_academy]

Zanyan, I really like your plan. It's great that you both know exactly what's required. Way to go!

[aandwsmom]

We are liking it better but it still isnt monkey math. The rule is, we HAVE to listen to her drone for the 1st 2 lessons and then after that.... we can skip her talking and go straight to the problem and work quickly thru it. This is as long as he gets the work. But, usually the 1st lesson or 2 is teaching it, then the rest are review and quizzes.
And my Mom thinks he was doing great on it, which is high praise coming from her since she is a retired 6-8th grade teacher.
Definitely will NOT do workbooks! YUCKO!