New EPGY Users...opinions

[Cee Cee]

I took the plunge and signed up for the EPGY group that was forming. We just started. I'm not sure what I think. My ds likes it. To me, it looks more like review. The actual teaching in the program seems so minimal. As review, I like it. As far as explanation of new concepts, the jury is out.

Any new users have opinions?

Cee Cee

[melmichigan]

I can't say much until I can set the grade level up for my DD. It put her at 4.5 when she should be in 6th. She says it's way to easy. I know many GT kids don't follow the grade levels they recommend, even with it being EPGY. (I'm hoping to be able to adjust the grade levels this week.) I hope others will chime in, I'm curious how they see things.

[Cee Cee]

I wasn't sure what to do, either. My ds was put in 4.5. However, he has already started 6th grade math via BJU. I figured the program would just jump right up as he would be getting all of his problems correct.

However, he did a few sessions and he's been getting around 85% getting used to the program and entering numbers incorrectly (he just turned 9 this week).

The problems will be fun for him. He likes anything math. However, if I do not see real teaching, meaning teaching with an explanation of the hows and whys...not just the computation explanation...I will definitely be disappointed.

This is the program I am planning to use as our primary. I have no problem, however, teaching a small daily bit of math myself.

Cee Cee

[Blessedfamily]

Our grade level needs to be adjusted too. I think it just sets a level based on birthday. DD is finishing Singapore level 3B with CWP and IP, but EPGY put her in Kindergarten because of her age. Oy!!!! She's laying down on the sofa clicking the mouse with her toes. :lol:

She's at 99%, but only because she missed one getting used to using the mouse. Now she tries to race the man teaching by answering before he talks.

Same thing with the grammar. One lecture taught about "time words" and dd said, "Time words? Mr., are you talking about adverbs?" She almost got several questions incorrect yesterday because it asked for all the adjectives in a sentence. DD highlighted the articles(a & the), which are adjectives, but 2nd grade doesn't cover that, so I told her not to mark those.

The writing is good for her though. We covered that a little, but not in great detail.

But never mind all that! She's having fun, and hopefully we can get her bumped up. She's done a few sessions a day because she's on vacation, and is up to 1.5 as of yesterday. If I can't get her bumped up, she'll work her way up, but I'd like to keep her attitude towards it positive, not bored.

[Blessedfamily]

I wasn't sure what to do, either. My ds was put in 4.5. However, he has already started 6th grade math via BJU. I figured the program would just jump right up as he would be getting all of his problems correct.

However, he did a few sessions and he's been getting around 85% getting used to the program and entering numbers incorrectly (he just turned 9 this week).

The problems will be fun for him. He likes anything math. However, if I do not see real teaching, meaning teaching with an explanation of the hows and whys...not just the computation explanation...I will definitely be disappointed.

This is the program I am planning to use as our primary. I have no problem, however, teaching a small daily bit of math myself.

Cee Cee

I agree. The teaching isn't as thorough as in Singapore math, and we'll keep that as primary.

[Jill]

I remember that grade setup thing, the program definitely ramps up when you get the level corrected. Then you have to figure out how to navigate into the individual lessons when you do want to review them which took me a little while.
I found the level of teaching to be just enough for my son who as a general rule wants to move ahead as quickly as possible - not that he always _can_. When he did hit a bump, we did sometimes have to find some other source for instruction or work on it together. That was usually when neither of us could really understand the way EPGY was presenting some material in Sets which was not something I recall. So we redid lessons, used their glossary (useful) and thought thought thought.

[Cee Cee]

Our grade level needs to be adjusted too. I think it just sets a level based on birthday. DD is finishing Singapore level 3B with CWP and IP, but EPGY put her in Kindergarten because of her age. Oy!!!! She's laying down on the sofa clicking the mouse with her toes. :lol:

.


So, how do we adjust the grade level?

Cee Cee

[Cee Cee]

I remember that grade setup thing, the program definitely ramps up when you get the level corrected. Then you have to figure out how to navigate into the individual lessons when you do want to review them which took me a little while.
I found the level of teaching to be just enough for my son who as a general rule wants to move ahead as quickly as possible - not that he always _can_. When he did hit a bump, we did sometimes have to find some other source for instruction or work on it together. That was usually when neither of us could really understand the way EPGY was presenting some material in Sets which was not something I recall. So we redid lessons, used their glossary (useful) and thought thought thought.


So, you can repeat a lesson?

Also, when there is a section that they are missing problems...how do you know what to review? Is there a way to see the actual missed problems so that I know, for instance, to work on ratios or proportions? Do they ever show the solution or just tell them that the problem is incorrect?

I really want to like this program. However, I want to know what he is missing if we need to instruct more on those areas.

Also, how do we make the sessions longer than 20 minutes? I'd prefer 30 minutes.

Cee Cee

[melmichigan]

Ok, some of these question I can answer. To find out more about what your child is missing please go to this website

http://epgy.stanford.edu/district/seminars.html

and click on how to view reports at the bottom of the page. This will walk you through everything you need to know about the reports and how to read them, what information they contain, and what to do with it.

As to adjusting the grade:

I just wanted to post and let you know that we are all in the same situation. My DD is signed in for 4.5 when she is in 6th. The program automatically starts everyone a half a year behind based on age, like mentioned, to make sure there aren't any missed concepts. As to changing grade levels:

I have tried to contact EPGY repeatedly in the last week. Marie is in Vancouver at a conference and unavailable until Monday August 17th. I am scheduled for a webinar on the 20th of August to learn how to run the program. I received a call back from someone else at EPGY yesterday and they only gave me the same message.

Once I get the training from EPGY, changing the grade levels and material covered is supposed to be point and click simple but is done on our end, not in a screen you will have access to. It will require you to email one of us and we will adjust it.

I am very sorry for the delay. Had I realized this would be a problem for so many of us I would have waited to send out the emails with registration information, and would have waited another paycheck to enroll myself.

I also wanted to add that I am still trying to get a hold of someone else at EPGY while Marie is gone to see if this can be resolved any sooner.

[Blessedfamily]

So, you can repeat a lesson?

Also, when there is a section that they are missing problems...how do you know what to review? Is there a way to see the actual missed problems so that I know, for instance, to work on ratios or proportions? Do they ever show the solution or just tell them that the problem is incorrect?

I really want to like this program. However, I want to know what he is missing if we need to instruct more on those areas.

Also, how do we make the sessions longer than 20 minutes? I'd prefer 30 minutes.

Cee Cee

From what the confirmation email from Maria said, the SSA's will be able to adjust session length too.

[Blessedfamily]

So, you can repeat a lesson?

Also, when there is a section that they are missing problems...how do you know what to review? Is there a way to see the actual missed problems so that I know, for instance, to work on ratios or proportions? Do they ever show the solution or just tell them that the problem is incorrect?

I really want to like this program. However, I want to know what he is missing if we need to instruct more on those areas.

...
Cee Cee

To replay a lesson, I-

went under either math or grammar
then view reports
then session calendar
Click on the day that your dc did the session that you want to replay

You'll see the list of sessions for that day and pie graphs showing how they scored. There's a button to the left to replay that session.


If you want to see which particular area they missed problems in, do the same steps to get to reports, but instead of viewing the session calendar, you can view Concepts Summary.

[Blessedfamily]

Ok, some of these question I can answer. To find out more about what your child is missing please go to this website

http://epgy.stanford.edu/district/seminars.html

and click on how to view reports at the bottom of the page. This will walk you through everything you need to know about the reports and how to read them, what information they contain, and what to do with it.

....

Very helpful. Thanks.

[Pamela H in Texas]

Just to let y'all know that assuming that what y'all are doign is the same program exactly, that your student can move at their own pace. We put my daughter in the 3rd grade level (she was almost 7). I knew that was a little low but there were gaps and the need to learn the program. She did all of 3rd-6th in that first quarter.

That to say that if your kid is 6th grade in level but starts at 4.5, they could still finish through 6th, 7th, maybe even more if that is what is best for them individually. A little review and practice probably won't hurt. It won't be long term if they don't need it.

Again, this is just our experience. We went through EPGY itself and it was 10 years ago. But I hope that helps.

[fractalgal]

I took the plunge and signed up for the EPGY group that was forming. We just started. I'm not sure what I think. My ds likes it. To me, it looks more like review. The actual teaching in the program seems so minimal. As review, I like it. As far as explanation of new concepts, the jury is out.

Any new users have opinions?

Cee Cee

My plan with my daughter is to use EPGY as a Friday enrichment program only.

I have other math curriculums that I plan to use, and I prefer her central math programs to have more interaction with me.

[melmichigan]

Just wanted to direct eveyone to the new post on EPGY. The level of instruction has been changed across the board. So there is now more instruction for each topic. If this proves to be to much for your child please let me know and I can change it. This isn't a one time change but I wouldn't want it to happen to often either.;) Figure out what works best for your child.