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Copyright 2006 Julie Shepherd Knapp
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Copyright 2006 Julie Shepherd Knapp.  All rights reserved.
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The Homeschool Diner's Guide to
Homeschooling by Subject
Math for Homeschoolers


Options for Students Who Are Gifted in Math

by Julie Shepherd knapp, copyright 2006


Resources designed with gifted students in mind, such as logic,
problem-solving, critical thinking, and advanced topics...


Having a child who is gifted in math can seem to be both a blessing and a
burden.  On one hand, it is amazing to see a young child "absorb" new math
concepts and refreshing to see them gleefully speed thru his or her math
workbooks.  On the other hand, it increases your responsiblility as a parent
and home educator -- you need to "keep up with them" and be sure they
are being challenged and learning new things.  

What is the perfect math curriculum for a gifted child? There is no one
answer that fits all!  The perfect curriculum is the one that best meets your
child's learning style, ability level, and educational goals.  To find the best fit
for your child, you'll need to get to know him or her from a math
perspective.  
Take the time to figure out his or her current level of math knowledge.  Find
out whether your child learns better with workbooks, manipulatives,
computer resources, fun or creative alternative approaches, or a
combination of these.  

You'll need to find the right balance of new material and repetition for your
particular child -- giving them enough practice to master a topic, but not so
much practice that they lose their desire to do math at all.   You'll want to
find additional (extra-curricular) resources that spark their interests and
intrigue them -- ways to keep their joy in math alive and kicking.  

I have plenty of options in the Diner
Math section and some extra resources
listed below to choose from.  Just dig in --and take a look at what is
available :-)

Some of you may also want to learn more about how to properly teach math
concepts and how to explain new concepts so that your child will have a
better understanding of the material.  If you are not a "math person" yourself
you will probably be wondering if you are going to be able to do this...
but please...   
Don't Panic
I have gathered resources just for you, here --  Help Me Teach Math!  

        You CAN do it! :-)






Resources

Prufrock Press -- (k - 12) a large selection of math enrichment materials

Challenge Math by Edward Zaccaro -- (1 - 8) fun kid-friendly books use
cartoons and illustrations to explain concepts needed to solve math
enrichment activities and discover the connections between math and
science  -- "Primary Grade Challenge Math"  (grades 1-4) and "Challenge
Math for the Elementary and High School Student" (grades 4-8)

The Number Devil and The Number Devil Software -- a boy dreams of
interesting math patterns and problems

Math History and Mathematicians Pages -- learn about the history of
math, math in art, etc. from these free online Living Math lesson plans

Mathematics, A Human Endeavor by arold Jacobs -- a great textbook for
exploring math concepts and for those less interested in math (it is
considered to be generally interesting)

For All Practical Purposes by COMAP -- a textbook used for Math for
Non-Majors in college, great extra-curricular read and calculation practice

The Heart of Mathematics by Edward B. Burger -- a textbook used to
teach Math for Non-Majors in college, also a great extra-curricular read for
middle schoolers and high schoolers

Calculus by and for Young People by Don Cohen -- a book, videos, and
other resources for teaching calculus to kids 6 and up

Jacobs Homework Assignments and relevant Living Math Reading
List to accompany and enrich a course in Harold Jacobs Algebra, free
online from Living math

Math Literature and Extra-Curriculuar Topics for Algebra and Upper
Level Math -- annotated bibliography of enrichment  from Living Math

High School to Adult Math Literature and Extra-Curricular Topics --
from Living Math

Gelfand Corespondence Program (grades 8-12) Offered thru Rutgers
University, text book based correspondence courses,   recommended as
supplementary program for serious (high-achieving) math students

Institute for Mathematics and Computer Software (eiMacs) (grades
6-12) -- interactive online math courses and enrichment courses in logic,
critical thinking and problem-solving

APEX Learning -- (grades 6-12): standards-aligned online math courses,
AP math courses, and AP Exam Review, other subjects available

The Art of Problem Solving  (grades 6-12) -- designed for strong math
students who want to develop advanced problem-solving skills, uses virtual
classrooms

AwesomeMath -- (grades 8 - 11) provides student math enrichment during
the school year through a series of correspondence lectures and problem
sets. Also offers a math summer camp.

Explore the
Distance Learning Options for Gifted Students section of
the Diner to find information on
Talent Searches and University-sponsored
programs for gifted youth, such as  EPGY, CTY, Tip, and CTD Learning
Links

Let your Child Explore
Extra-Curricular Math Topics in the Diner's
Online Enrichment Ideas - Math section

Explore
 Math Curriculum  options and find links to the most popular
programs and
Alternative Math Resources.  


For Parents

The Calculus Trap by Richard Rusczyk from The Art of Problem Solving

Knowing and Teaching Elementary Mathematics: Teachers'
Understanding of Fundamental Mathematics in China and the United
States (STUDIES IN MATHEMATICAL THINKING & LEARNING) by Liping
Ma --  with this book you will be able to really answer your child's questions
about borrowing/regrouping in subtraction, why we invert and multiply to
divide... and many other important basic concepts in arithmetic.  You won't
have to say , "That's just how it is done, so memorize it!", like  
your teacher
probably said to you.  Especially helpful for students who must know the big
picture of *why* to understand (
whole-to-part and visual-spatial
learners).  Essential for children who show a lot of interest or ability in math
(math gifted) to give them a firm foundation of understanding.  

From a review --"...Adding more `higher math' to our training really would
not help us teach arithmetic. We lack deep knowledge of "fundamental
mathematics".... what we need to do is to dig deeper ... to discover that
there is much more to understand about such fundamental concepts."
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