If you finish a curriculum early, do you...

[mo2]

go on to the next, or wait until the next "school year?"

For example, we finished up Singapore Primary Math 1A. We're not going on to 1B because I've decided to switch to MUS. We have 3 months of our year left. Would you go ahead and order and begin MUS, or wait until the next "year?"

[Pongo]

I continue math through the summer on a light 3 X a week schedule. When they finish any math book , I jump into the next one. Then during our summer break we do math 2 x a week. This way when the school year starts we do not have any review and we can go full speed again.

[Tiffani]

I would go ahead and start it. Which level will you be on? Alpha? You'll find that there's times you can speed up and times you'll be glad you're ahead b/c it might take you more than a week on one lesson. (It took us more than a week on some of our fraction lessons last year.) Is 1B supposed to be finished the same year as 1A?

[Marie in Oh]

I have a ds finishing Delta and starting Epsilon, a dd finishing MUS Gamma and starting Delta, and a dd finishing Alpha and starting Beta. They usually do about 1.3 books a year.

[GVA]

Unfortunately a lot of skills can be lost over the summer, especially for younger children. For some people that's not a big deal, but I've always had mine keep plugging away on their current program or do a review program so skills aren't lost.

My younger one will finish her book next month, and I'm giving her the same level in a different curriculum to work on over the summer because I don't want to advance her, but I want her to stay sharp. My older one is behind of where I'd like him to be (and what he's capable of), so he'll just plug away.

[Verena]

It depends...
If I feel like the dc would benefit for some time to pass so that things "solidify" in his/her brain, then I'd say wait. I probably wouldn't wait 3 months to start the new book, but I'd wait maybe one month.

Having said that, only with my oldest did I have the benefit (and energy even) to go on to the next book mid-year. As dc #2 also started school, the whole juggling schedule thing has gotten to where I only make sure we finish core subjects by late spring/early summer (our end of the school year mark).

[mo2]

I would go ahead and start it. Which level will you be on? Alpha? You'll find that there's times you can speed up and times you'll be glad you're ahead b/c it might take you more than a week on one lesson. (It took us more than a week on some of our fraction lessons last year.) Is 1B supposed to be finished the same year as 1A?


Yes, 1B is supposed to be done the same year as 1A. 1A took us WAY too long because dd just didn't get it. I think she'll do better with MUS.

[Cadam]

Core subject we keep going. Content subject/ our unit study waits until Fall.

Core for me is Latin, and math (phonics for new readers)

[Jennifer in NH]

Year round math here too! DD is just finishing singapore 2b and we are starting 3A in 2 weeks. We may not do it everyday in the summer but I do agree that not needing review is nice, as is having extra time when she just doesn't get it for awhile!

Personally, I would go ahead and order your new program and try to ease into it. If you go slow now, you may be surprised that you can catch up fairly easily.

[Michelle T]

be

[Riverfront Headmistress]

Yes we do continue. In mid-June through early September we begin a "light schooling" of three days a week in math and grammar. This way, skills are not lost.

[5wolfcubs]

Which MUS are you going to be starting? If Beta or above, I'd say start now...so that you can take it a bit slower as needed. Actually, if Alpha, then start now too -- you'll move a bit quicker probably which will allow you to take Beta slower if/when you need too.

My other suggestion was going to be to wait until your "new school year" and spend the rest of the year reading fun math books from the library and using some skill sheets from the internet once or twice a week.

[Plaid Dad]

We keep going with core subjects, although I will sometimes use a review workbook if I feel that dd needs to shore up certain skills before moving on. For other subjects like history, I tend to wait for the beginning of the next official school year (July 1st for us) and supplement with library books or outside activities in the meantime. We're about done with our history text and dd will be taking a short class on explorers at the local library.

[susie in tx]

We keep on with whatever we are doing. My girls love to finish a book, because they love to start the new ones. Or maybe I love to finish the books, and they catch my enthusiasm...

[Narrow Gate Academy]

With 3 months left, we would move on to the next book as well. I definitely like having the flexibility to slow down in math when needed.

[PinkInTheBlue]

I'm a move-on-to-the-next-book kind of person also. I only tell the boys what grade they are in based on their ages. Based on completion of books they are all over the spectrum. Also, we do not stop for summer, so we'd definitely just keep moving to the next. One other point, if you stop math now and do not start school/math again until the Fall, your child will have forgotten massive amounts of what he/she learned, imo.

Just my thoughts

[Elm in NJ]

Everything else usually waits for the beginning of our school year.

Elmeryl

[one l michele]

We continue skill subjects through the summer, but take small breaks during the year when we need to. For content, we are staggering and going with lighter days since we'll still finish on time.

[Myrtle]

I would go ahead and start it. Which level will you be on? Alpha? You'll find that there's times you can speed up and times you'll be glad you're ahead b/c it might take you more than a week on one lesson. (It took us more than a week on some of our fraction lessons last year.) Is 1B supposed to be finished the same year as 1A?

Yes.

Bear in mind thought that in Singapore the kids don't begin Primary 1 until January of the calendar year in which they turn seven!

I started my daughter in P1 when she was five and I just finished up 1A with her a few days ago. I write the date that the kid begins the workbook on the on its cover along with the date they end and it came to exactly 368 days for her to finish 1A. We'll keep plodding along and I'll keep giving her extra practice in whatever it is that she needs more of.

To the original poster, I've always regretted letting the kids take too long of breaks in math. I end up not only losing the two months over the summer in which they did nothing but then I lose another six weeks as we review what they had already learned once before.

[Mom2legomaniacs]

I always continue on into the next book. They work at their pace with their skills. If they finish early, then on we go.

[Jenny in Atl]

Depends of the subject but with math we keep going! We school year-round and math is one subject we never take more then a couple weeks off of.

[ThelmaLou]

I only keep going with math. But with other subjects I take advantage of the extra time to squeeze in other non-core subjects that I want my kids to brush up on. My ds#2 should finish his math and grammar by mid to late April. He'll move into the next math book, but we'll play catch-up on history, critical thinking, etc... in place of grammar.

[Suzanne in ABQ]

Same here. For math -- move on.

For grammar, we wait.

[WendyK]

we follow a rear round schedule so I keep going

[WTMindy]

just keep swimming, just keep swimming (line from Finding Nemo) :D

[prairiegirl]

I go on to the next--especially if it is math.


Julia
mom of 3 (8,7,5)