Homeschool Blog

Exploring Creation with Physical Science, by Dr. Jay Wile, will be our choice for our 8th grade son next year. This year our 9th grade son used this book for his home school science and he loved it. And, as the person helping my son to review for tests, I enjoyed the book as well.

Homeschool Physical Science Book

This is a creation-based text, but even so, I think even die-hard evolutionists would find a lot that they would like in this text. What sets this text apart from other creation-science texts is its scientific approach on topics. Wile often points out that virtually all scientists, regardless of their underlying religious beliefs, interject their own bias into their conclusions. For example, on the subject of plate tectonics, Wile points out that some creation scientists exhibit their own unscientific bias by dismissing plate tectonics completely. Wile, on the other hand, does not dismiss plate tectonics outright, but rather offers an explanation for how plate movement could have been accelerated during a cataclysmic event such as a great flood.

The experiments are outstanding! They use ordinary household items (no expensive homeschool science supplies) and are easy to follow.  Also, they include very insightful followup questions. In one very simple experiment on water polarity, both water and cooking oil are allowed to flow out a small hole in the bottom of a Styrofoam cup.  A comb that has been electrically charged with static electricity (from the student’s hair) is brought near the stream of water (or oil). The student then notes that the stream of water is deflected toward the comb but the oil is not. The book then discusses the polar atomic structure of water vs. the non-polar structure of oil as a way of explaining the results. Then, followup questions are asked. Here is one: “Chlorine gas is a molecule compound of two chlorine atoms bonded together with a chemical bond. Is this molecule polar? Why or why not?”

In addition to the experiments, there are many great illustrations and explanations. As someone that has a minor in chemistry and degree in a chemical engineering related field, I must confess that I learned a few things as I helped my son. What Wile almost miraculously does here is teach advanced topics in chemistry, physics, and earth science at a level that a typical 8th grade child can comprehend! I would highly recommend this book for any jr. high science homeschool curriculum!

You can get Exploring Creation with Physical Science at Amazon.com or at ebay

The ratio of Flims to Flams was 5 to 8. If a total of 156 were present, how many of them were Flams?

Calculate 5x - 1/2 if  2x+3 = 19.

Simplify (6r²st³ - 9rs²t²)/(3rst).

My son got all three of these problems correct, the first two being a bit bizarre ( in my opinion) for Algebra I.

But, my son is a failure in math!  Yes according to Christian Liberty Academy  in the CLASS program, my son’s score of 68 out of 100 is an F!  We kept a copy of his test and I graded it. With partial credit, as appropriate, he got 79%. With NO partial credit he gets 69%! Tell me how they get 68%?  We have our son enrolled in the CLASS program (for now at least) where we mail in his tests, they grade them, and after completing all classes, he graduates from their school, diploma and all. I have contacted CLASS on this test and contested this exam, but have not heard back - it has been nearly a week.

I do not approve of a  system that fails students in areas they have talent in, as Christian Liberty Academy CLASS program has done here. They seemed to have missed an important aspect of education - finding what the student does correctly is equally important as finding what the student does incorrectly.

I am not some kind of educational revisionist. And I don’t oppose homeschooling nor Christian home schooling. Also,  I believe in upholding high standards. But as a student in engineering, graduate level mathematics, and an instructor of mathematics through the college calculus level, I have never, ever, witnessed a standard where absolutely no partial credit is given on a short answer test!

We will be ending our participation in the Christian Liberty Academy and the CLASS program, except for perhaps use of their science books. To be fair, their 9th grade science book is perhaps the best 9th grade science books I have used with the kids. (It is from a Christian perspective by the way) We will continue to use this book for our other kids at grades 8 and/or 9. The experiments using household items are insightful and the content is comprehensive, yet at a level that an 8th or 9th grade student can comprehend.  As far as their Saxon Math goes, Saxon Math is not my 1st choice at grades 9-12, and Christian Liberty has found a way to make it even less preferable.

Saxon mathematics is perhaps the most popular series for homeschoolers. And it is used in many public schools as well. Saxon mathematics is famous for its emphasis on review and introduction of new skills in small increments. To see how they do this, go to Saxon Math site. But is it the best choice? Here is my short answer:

Yes, for grades K-6. Maybe or maybe not for grades 7-12.

Grades K-6 . . . Yes!
For grades K-6, the constant review is fantastic. At these grade levels, the students are practicing skills and picking up number facts. Saxon does an outstanding job in accomplishing both these objectives. For example, in my daughter’s Math 4/5 book, Lesson 35 deals only with multiples of 0,1,2 and 5. Of the  exercises in the lesson, only 4 exercises address this new skill with the majority of the exercises covering review skills. If the child has a difficult time initially with a skill, they eventually catch on because the skill is included as a review exercise again, and again, and again! So if the child has a hard time long dividing, don’t worry, you can work on it some more in the review exercises that will follow in future lessons. The Saxon books incorporate handy number concepts that help the student to proficiently perform arithmetic operations.  For example, they not only teach multiplication, they teach multiplication patterns.

Not only is my daughter using Saxon, my three older sons used it as well, with great results. Another nice feature of Saxon for homeschoolers at grades K-6 is that if they are falling behind, you simply slow down and cover only half the book one year and cover the second half the next, or start again in the next year at the halfway point of the book moving at half the pace. The constant review insures that you will always review skills from the first half of the book. My daughter will be spending another year to finish the Math 54 book.

Grades 7-12 . . . Maybe, Maybe Not
For grades 7-12, the K-6 model simply does not work as well. The reason for this is that at the higher levels of math, the Saxon model does not allow sufficient time to develop more complex concepts.

Let’s look at a typical 8th grade topic: Positive and Negative Signed Numbers. The student will need to spend some time learning the rules for adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing positive and negative numbers. This is typically accomplished with an entire chapter in a traditional 7th or 8th grade pre-algebra math text. Yet Saxon briefly introduces it in Lesson 64 of Saxon 8/7 and does not address it again until Lesson 73 with some topics in Geometry in the lessons in between! And with respect to reviewing this concept, positive and negative numbers will be used in virtually every unit that follows, up through advanced calculus! So there is review already built in, in a natural way and there is no need for the Saxon model! The same idea applies to most other topics covered in the algebra and pre-calculus series; topics and skills learned will be repeated again and again. That is how traditional mathematics works - new topics, skills, and concepts are built upon previous topics, skills, and concepts. And this deductive building  of ideas becomes more pronounced and complex as students get to the calculus level and beyond.

I am not alone in this assessment of Saxon used in the higher grades: According to a blogger at Homeschool Math Blog, Saxon Math jumps around in topics tremendously.  According to Rocky Mountain News, Saxon Math does not logically unify the way they state mathematics should. And Paula’s Archives cite several references that state that Saxon Math is not good prep for higher math and engineering.

Personally, I do not believe a child is doomed if they use Saxon Math at grades 7-12, but rather, I am stating that for a student with average or better than average ability, a traditional curriculum may be a better choice. And, for the student (or homeschool parent) that really struggles with math, Saxon may be the best choice. In fact, I will probably have my oldest daughter use Saxon in the higher grades.

What are Good Alternatives to Saxon?
You can obtain an entire precalculus curriculum, at no cost, by stopping at your local community college. They have old editions that they no longer use or desk copies that they no longer use - they will be more than happy to give them to you as these copies accumulate in their offices. Obtain a traditional curriculum that includes DVD lessons, teacher’s edition, and solution manual and you will have the resources needed to help both you the teacher and your student get through the higher algebra courses. See my previous blog post on Teaching Homeschool Math for more details.

My 9 year old daughter, (to be 10 in May) is having a tough time with math. Specifically, she has difficulty with her multiplication tables and she also is not getting some simple subtractions like 11-4 consistently correct. As a result, she has a difficult time with any multiplication problems involving two digit numbers and also has problems with subtracting 3 digit numbers. She just does not have these multiplications and subtractions committed to memory.

So I am having my daughter do extra work to learn these products and differences. Flash cards would work fine, but you really need two people to do these effectively and sometimes that is not always convenient. So instead of regular old flash cards, I am having my daughter play the Math Blaster Game in the following way:

• She plays the Trash Zapper game at Level 2 for Subtractions and also Level 1 for Multiplication. In this activity, she must type in the answer to the given problems in subtraction and multiplication. So this game functions exactly like a flash card game.
• She plays the Math Blaster game at Level 2 for Subtraction and also Level 2 for Multiplication. In this game, she is given a problem, and she must choose from 4 given answers. This helps reinforce her skills and perhaps adds a bit more fun to the activity.

The result has been that my daughter’s memorization of these subtractions and multiplications is improving, slowly but surely.

And don’t let any “expert” tell you otherwise. It is absolutely essential that a child memorize basic addition, subtraction, and multiplication facts before they can proceed onto division, fractions, decimals, and operations with signed numbers. So get the Math Blaster Game or use these Free Printable Math Flashcards to make sure your son or daughter learns these necessary number facts.

Our oldest son has been enrolled in the CLASS Christian Liberty Press Academy Home School program this year, as featured at CLASS Christian Liberty Press Academy. I thought I would do a review on homeschooling system since this has been on my mind as of late.

First the Positive Aspects

• The curriculum is fairly rigorous. Our neighbor’s kids use this curriculum and one of their children is now pursuing a PhD in Chemistry at the University of Minnesota!
• Many state colleges and universities will accept your child with a diploma from CLASS. In many respects, the Christian Liberty Press diploma is the equivalent of a diploma from a private high school.
• They will grade your students exams, thus providing some extra accountability. Then, they send the results back to you.
• This curriculum requires the student to provide comprehensive answers with all steps shown on math exams. My son was showing work on problems in an organized and complete manner comparable to what a (good) college student would show.
• This Christian Liberty Press homeschool curriculum will force your child to adhere to a schedule in order to submit tests on time and complete the given curriculum in the given school year.
• Their curriculum covers all the subjects well. Christian Liberty Press has graduation requirements much like most public schools would have.
• The science experiments provided are nice. They involve use of common household items, so you do not need to invest in some pricey kits.  My son like the science curriculum a lot.

The Negatives

• Their mathematics texts used are by Saxon.  Although I think Saxon does a wonderful job at the K-6 grade levels, they fall short as students progress through the Algebra and Pre-calculus series. Saxon is all about skills where as Pre-calculus and Calculus is about deductively building mathematical concepts in a logical manner. Saxon’s “shotgun” approach falls short in that regard. I have heard this same complaint voiced by many math teachers. (I have a Master’s Degree in Applied Mathematics with experience in teaching math by the way).
• Their mathematics tests sometimes feature irrelevant questions. For example, at the Algebra I level, the CLASS written exams asked a question similar to “What number is 3 1/2 of  4 5/7 ?” My son, who is very strong in mathematics, got a B on his first exam because he missed such irrelevant questions. Not good education in my book!
• Their Bible curriculum stresses Old Testament facts and figures. Nothing wrong with studying the Old Testament, but when they require mass memorization of trivia for tests, rather than test on content, it seems counterproductive.  My son is not doing well in Bible at this time. Also, our neighbors were not too fond of their Calvinistic stand they seemed to take within the curriculum.
• You must make sure your child knows the proper format for answering exam questions. I am not suggesting you give them answers - I am saying they must know all the work or steps to be shown. This can involve a bit of time on your part.
• There is a lot of bookkeeping, test administration, and prep involved. My wife did all of this, and this has been the busiest year she has ever had homeschooling.
• This is not an accredited school. Still, students can get accepted many state universities as noted above.

Summary

If your child is a self-starter and does not always need to know “why” they are learning a particular topic this curriculum will probably work. And your child will get a diploma and will probably get accepted in many state colleges and universities. More importantly, a child completing this CLASS system will be academically prepared and better accustomed to the rigor and deadlines associated with college education.

If you child has difficulty learning something “just because”, and/or is very strong willed, this curriculum may not work well. We are seriously considering enrolling my oldest son in the Wisconsin IQ Academy. This would free up some time on our part and give us more time to oversee our son’s education as well as supplement it with activities in Science, Art, and Music. I believe the CLASS Homeschool curriculum would work well for our middle son, as he is very self-disciplined in his school work, often beginning his school work at 6AM in the morning, doing all that is asked (and more) without question.

According to the Home School Legal Defense Association, German law allows parents that homeschool their children to be jailed! Recently, a father and mother were sentenced 90 days in jail, but their sentence was overturned just this last Christmas Eve. Still they expect further prosecution (persecution). In still another case, a homeschool family in southern Germany was threatened with fines equivalent to $70,000 US Dollars!

In another case, described at the Dvorak Uncensored blog, a 17 year old homeschooled girl was sentenced to the Child Psychiatry Unit!

Glad I live in America!

Homeschooling is not for every family, but for those that choose to homeschool, children are generally happy with the arrangement and choose to remain in a homeschooled environment. Some of the advantages include:

• Kids have a flexible schedule. Children can work ahead if there is a known absence like a dentist appointment or family trip in the future.
• Often, there are organized homeschool activities where kids can participate with other home schooled children.
• Kids usually will play with other homeschooled children either in late afternoons or on weekends.
• Homeschooled Kids don’t have to ride on the bus for as much as two hours each day.
• Often, parents, grandparents, or other extended family will have specialized training or education that they can use to teach children specific classes. For example, a grandparent might have a degree in history and thus teach history in-depth, or a mother may use her music training to teach piano.
• Parents and children can watch science and history programs together as part of their curriculum.  Learning seems to carry more importance to the child when they see their adult teachers learning along side them.

An article on the Take Root and Write Blog discusses why children are thankful to be homeschooled.  Many of the reasons cited on the blog parallel the items I listed above: kids like the flexible schedule, they like being around their family, they learn a wide variety of subject matter,  and they are able to socialize with other kids through organized activities.

Did you know that many YMCA’s have programs set up for homeschoolers?  For example, the South Sound YMCA offers a twice a week phy ed program for homeschoolers. The South Sound classes are divided into 6-8 and 9-13 age groups, and parents are invited and encourage to participate as helpers. The South Sound program features swimming pool and gymnasium activities.

The Greater Charlotte YMCA features homeschool physical education activities for both the K-4th and 5-9 grade levels with age-appropriate activities.

These are just two examples. You can search the internet, or easier yet, call your local YMCA to see if they have some program set up for you. Or if they don’t have a program, get some of your homeschooling friends to all request a physical education program and maybe they will start one.

Math Blaster In Search of Spot

Sometimes oldies are really goodies. That is the case with Math Blaster In Search Of Spot. I got this CD ROM based game with my very first Windows 3.1 computer as a freebie. My son, now 15, used to play this game back when he was about 5 years old to do addition of numbers with sums 10 or less. Now, 10 years later, both my 6 year old and 9 years old daughters play Math Blaster to help with their addition.

We lost the original CD but I was able to order another for a few dollars plus shipping at ebay at this link.

Math Activity - Click To Enlarge

What Makes This Math Game So Great Is . . .
You can easily create custom files for different levels. You can set up a file so that all sums are less than 10, or greater than 20. I have a special file for my 6 year old such that all sums are 10 or less and I have a file for my 9 year old such that sums are all bigger. Also, you can control difficulty by simply selecting different levels. Besides addition, there are operations of subtraction, multiplication, division, decimals, fractions, percent and more.

Math Activity - Click To Enlarge

On the first activity, Trash Zapper, the student must type in answers to the problem, but the space ship format and the fun activity of zapping trash make this drill activity enjoyable for kids. Other activities involve estimation and matching answers to problems via space travel. This program, very small in size, may be loaded on to your hard drive from the CD and may be run directly from your computer.

My 6 year old, after about a month, is now almost to the point where she has memorized all sums less than 10 and soon we will move up to some slightly larger sums. And she often wants to play this game without any prompting. My 9 year old has improved her skills as well.

You can get Math Blaster at ebay at this link for as little as a few dollars. It is well worth the small price.

MathTV Review
The videos at mathtv.com may be the best thing that ever happened to your math curriculum!

These videos are short 1-3 minute videos featuring solutions to math problems shown by as many as 4 different instructors, often including a solution in Spanish as well! So you have your choice of instructors for each problem. There are practice tests available as well as homework help if you subscribe. The subscription costs only $35 per year - quite a bargain since a homeschool family could use this service for courses for in Basic Math, Prealgebra, Algebra, Precalculus, and even Calculus, all for a single fee. This would also make a great supplement to any public school classroom or serve as help for daily assigned homework.

The movies are in Adobe Flash, so all that is required is a free Adobe Flash Player, a standard plug-in included on most any new computer, or available as a free download.

See more info at http://mathtv.com/about.htm.