XPost: Prufrock Press?

[rowan25]

Can anyone tell me anything about Prufrock Press? I stumbled across them by accident and it may be what I've been searching for my whole life. Pros, cons, things to know, stuff to avoid. Anything at all would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[MissKNG]

I have the catalog and definitely plan to give some things a whirl like the Primary Grade Challenge Math and there's a Patterns Curriculum for 1st grade. Order the catalog and check it out!

[LisaDSB]

I have found interesting things there too, but a word of caution: most of the materials are for differentiated classroom learning and contain a lot of "teacher-speak", if you know what I mean. It's the type of curriculum that contains 10 pages of "rubric" for every page of substantive stuff.

I've found that the materials I really like (for example, Primary Challenge Math, as you mentioned) are available more cheaply at Amazon. The things that are unique to Prufrock are more for the classroom. YMMV.

Lisa

[WendyK]

I haven't been impressed with most of what I bought from them. The books are more appropriate for classroom use. The material isn't all that advanced and I'm not sure why it is said to be for gifted students. The books are quite expensive because they can be copied for a classroom. That is a good deal if one has several students, but for one or two students it isn't a good value.

Basically I rate it "nothing special".

The only book I really like is Philosophy for Kids.

[LisaDSB]

I like Philosophy for Kids too, but I think I bought it from Amazon as well. I know how the OP feels, though. You stumble across something like Prufrock and think, "Wow, the answer to my prayers." Then you face disappointment. Again.

Before buying, some of the materials have preview features available. I'd check them carefully and see if they really look as appealing as the title indicates.

[rowan25]

I like Philosophy for Kids too, but I think I bought it from Amazon as well. I know how the OP feels, though. You stumble across something like Prufrock and think, "Wow, the answer to my prayers." Then you face disappointment. Again.

Before buying, some of the materials have preview features available. I'd check them carefully and see if they really look as appealing as the title indicates.
Yes, that's it exactly. I'm so glad there is a place like WTM to come and bounce my ideas! :)

Any thoughts on where to go to find something content appropriate for a 5/6 year old, who works anywhere from slightly above in math to substantially above in language art? Not asking for much, am I?!:lol:

[MissKNG]

I haven't been impressed with most of what I bought from them. The books are more appropriate for classroom use. The material isn't all that advanced and I'm not sure why it is said to be for gifted students. The books are quite expensive because they can be copied for a classroom. That is a good deal if one has several students, but for one or two students it isn't a good value.

Basically I rate it "nothing special".

The only book I really like is Philosophy for Kids.


That is very interesting because based on their descriptions, I thought their materials were for HG or PG kids more so than (suspected) MG kids. Interesting....

[WendyK]

That is very interesting because based on their descriptions, I thought their materials were for HG or PG kids more so than (suspected) MG kids. Interesting....

I'm not sure what HG, PG, or MG is. :D

[MissKNG]

I'm not sure what HG, PG, or MG is. :D

Oh sorry....
MG - moderately gifted
HG - highly gifted
PG - profoundly gifted!

:tongue_smilie:

[WendyK]

I definitely don't see them as being for HG or PG. I think they are barely for MG. I think they are good for accelerated students who enjoy extra work. Of course I have not tried everything they offer.

I've lived in 2 districts in 2 states. Both handle G & T pretty much the same way. They test somewhere around 3rd grade. If one tests high enough they might qualify to attend a once per week (1 hour) pull out program. The Prufrock materials I have tried strike me as appropriate for that sort of thing.

[nmoira]

I answered on the other thread, but I'm reposting here:

I've found their products to be hit and miss. I order promiscuously during their yearly clearance sale ($1 and $2 per book), but end up not using much of this material. Often it's too classroom oriented for our needs. I find though that the previews give a good indication as to the nature of the book.

Here's what we have used and plan to use. I think Prufrock is a distributor, rather than publisher, of the Zaccaro books.

Finished:
Primary Grade Challenge Math (Zaccaro)
Can You Count in Greek? (great fun, combines math and history)
Logic Countdown/Logic Liftoff/Orbiting With Logic (excellent)
It's Alive/It's Alive and Kicking (OK, not amazing)

Working Through:
Becoming a Problem Solving Genius (Zaccaro)
Challenge Math (Zaccaro)

Near Future:
Alien Math (almost out at Amazon, no longer available through Prufrock; an examination of number bases, including basic operations in different systems)
Piece of Pi (looks OK)

[WendyK]

I answered on the other thread, but I'm reposting here:

I've found their products to be hit and miss. I order promiscuously during their yearly clearance sale ($1 and $2 per book), but end up not using much of this material. Often it's too classroom oriented for our needs. I find though that the previews give a good indication as to the nature of the book.

Here's what we have used and plan to use. I think Prufrock is a distributor, rather than publisher, of the Zaccaro books.

Finished:
Primary Grade Challenge Math (Zaccaro)
Can You Count in Greek? (great fun, combines math and history)
Logic Countdown/Logic Liftoff/Orbiting With Logic (excellent)
It's Alive/It's Alive and Kicking (OK, not amazing)

Working Through:
Becoming a Problem Solving Genius (Zaccaro)
Challenge Math (Zaccaro)

Near Future:
Alien Math (almost out at Amazon, no longer available through Prufrock; an examination of number bases, including basic operations in different systems)
Piece of Pi (looks OK)


I'm considering giving the logic stuff a try. DS loves that kind of stuff (and so do I). I do a lot of Logic puzzles for fun and DS often wants to do them with me.

[MissKNG]

I definitely don't see them as being for HG or PG. I think they are barely for MG. I think they are good for accelerated students who enjoy extra work. Of course I have not tried everything they offer.
.


Thanks for that prospective because I thought, based on how they describe the materials, that a kid really needed to be HG or PG to use the books. And it may go over a (suspected) MG kid's head!

But I should have known better because Moving Beyond the Page isn't as amazing as the website made it out to be either. (Though I think their age range recommendations could use some work...maybe that's the reason :confused:)

[WendyK]

Thanks for that prospective because I thought, based on how they describe the materials, that a kid really needed to be HG or PG to use the books. And it may go over a (suspected) MG kid's head!

But I should have known better because Moving Beyond the Page isn't as amazing as the website made it out to be either. (Though I think their age range recommendations could use some work...maybe that's the reason :confused:)

I like the idea behind Moving Beyond the Page, but the materials don't strike me as specifically appropriate for gifted students.

I think a lot of G & T materials are just a little more interesting and unique compared with traditional text books. I know a lot of people hate the concept of gifted programs/schools because they feel like the materials they use in them are just more robust and any kid could benefit form using them. From what I have seen of gifted materials, I agree with that, and can see that argument. They really are just regular materials made a little more interesting and any child could potentially use them and get something from them. I don't think they really address the needs of gifted people specifically (as they purport to do).

But again, I haven't tried a ton. There aren't a ton anyway. I love the WTM methods. They are flexible enough that they can work for anyone. Take history. You can always up the level of the supplemental reading. That's very easy (and inexpensive) to do. Since there are no specific reading programs following WTM, that too is easy to adjust. Just allow the child to read at his level/pace. It is the same with many of the other suggestions.

I guess bottom line is that I've found the greatest success with just putting stuff together myself using living books rather than school textbooks. I suppose it would make my life much easier if there was something out there that was ready to go. I just haven't found it.

[homeschoolchic]

Hi,
We are currently using the following and love all of them. I wouldn't say they are necessarily for gifted kids....I think all kids could benefit greatly from this style of interative hands on study..anway, here is what we have:

I Wonder-K ( this is by far my favorite)-Great for wiggly worm kids, ages 5-6.
Mystery Disease-using for Grade 6
Stock Market-using for Grades 6-7
Mystery River-using for Grade 6
Patterns- Grade 1 ( not using yet)

[sleepymommy]

Hi,
:

I Wonder-K ( this is by far my favorite)-Great for wiggly worm kids, ages 5-6.
)


Could you tell me a little bit more about this series. I looked at the samples, but would like to know more from your description. It looked like there are lots of different materials that need to be used for the lessons, is this something that involves a lot of pre-planning? Does it involve a lot writing by the child? It seems to be more for a classroom, is it easily adaptable to a homeschooling setting? Do I have to start with the first workbook, do they build upon each other? I ask, because we are learning a lot about dinosaurs now and would probably be more interested in the second book.

It does look really interesting and I'd love to hear anything you don't mind sharing about it!:D

[freerange]

open my website www.smartchoice.weebly.com (http://www.smartchoice.weebly.com/)
:spam:

Thank you, but Dh has already cooked my tea.

[MissKNG]

Patterns- Grade 1 ( not using yet)


I'm planning on buying this...what are your impressions of it even though you aren't using it yet? Thanks!

[Jill]

We're using Logic Safari 2 as a daily fun sheet. It has some overlap with the Connections series - I'm holding off on the Connections book we have in hand (level 2 maybe?) since those logic puzzles get larger and funner and tougher! I would not get both if I was to buy any of these again - I would just get whatever their current logic series is. Ds finished Logic Safari 1 a while ago. When I bought 2 I also bought #3 just in case they were to drop or change the series. Logic Countdown has the same types of puzzles so that might be the current series.

He also did Analogies for Beginners which he enjoyed but I don't think it was great and moved onto Thinking through Analogies. We have stopped with that one as it ends up being more of a vocabulary book for ds. It is kind of fun to explain to him what an LP record is of course and other words he's unfamiliar with but we didn't feel like it was giving him much at this time.

I have not tried other titles of theirs.