Mt. Pleasant Classical Academy

This morning I took my two dogs for a walk around the neighborhood while Michael rode fast by us.  He has quite an exercise program and is very dedicated to it.  Routine, he likes that.   It was hot on our walk, and humid, and I don’t do well with either.  Brutus really doesn’t do well in the heat so when we returned home I filled our kiddy pool with water and while watching them splash and frolic in the water together I walked around my yard.

I love walking around my 2-acre yard, looking at the 120 trees that I planted as little sticks six years ago, marveling at their growth, standing now two or three times my height, and many with trunks that are too wide for my hands to grasp around.  I admired the Blue Spruces that were the size of my palm when I planted them and are now close to my height.  My how things grow and change.

On my little journey I stopped at the spot where my little azalea bush was planted, covered under tall weeds, I started pulling.  I pulled at the weeds and some came out but others stayed in.  I pulled at a huge clump but it wouldn’t budge one bit, but I knew just what to do.  Separate, break the clump into smaller chunks and pull again.  Soon all the weeds were gone and my little azalea bush was uncovered, clear as could be.  Such a little thing but it is hardy.

All this made me think about Mark’s math program.  Mark finished Singapore 6B this spring and should be starting their New Elementary Math book (NEM 1).  Instead he is working his way through the first four books of Key To Algebra (KTA) by Key Curriculum Press before starting NEM 1.  I discovered this series with Michael and now highly recommend it as an introduction to Algebra and as a supplementary material. 

KTA attacks algebra just like I attacked those weeds this morning.  It breaks procedures into little steps, makes them very manageable for the students to grasp and conquer.  Mark is half-way through Book 2 and often this week I heard this from him—mind you this is a kid who for the last six years has never, ever said this about a new math concept that he was introduced to just a few minutes before:

“Mom, this is so EASY, can I just skip this?”  and then I hear the Staples Easy Button going off again and again as he completes problem after problem.  Music to my ears.