Looking for suggestions for Math

[Moonbeam Jones]

Hi everyone. I was hoping to get some suggestions for my ds4 who is begging for more math. He is very auditory, but does not like to use pencil nor to color very much because of perfectionist issues. (He doesn't mind handwriting as long as he has the dot outlines.) We started with Saxon K, but I have decided to switch because he picks up the concepts so quickly, I don't think spiral is the right method for him. Right now, I have grouped together similar lessons, but I would like to find and test out a curriculum that I could use through "eighth grade".

I looked at Singapore, but the example pages I saw, the student had to draw birds in boxes to make number bonds or color three balloons - things that would suck the enthusiasm out of math for ds. Why pay for bells and whistles when they would just distract? Is this only in the 1A book? :confused:

I am leaning toward Ray's Arithmetic because I have read it focuses on mental math. I think I could morph the lessons and use the manipulatives I bought from Saxon, which ds enjoys. I just wanted to ask around to make sure I am not overlooking a program. I have looked into MUS, but I have a degree in Math, so it's kind of "my subject" :D and I cannot stand to think about someone else teaching him math.

:bigear:
Thanks,
MBJ

[MissKNG]

I have an possible "auditory-spatial" dd who seems to pick up math incredibly fast. I found the mastery approach difficult to gauge when she becomes bored - she is usually at the end of the unit by the third lesson. She also seems bored going over the same material each time while working through a unit.

We are going to try Horizons Kindergarten math this coming March. It is spiral but once the book gets moving, it's suppose to have a fast pace with advanced concepts (I've read on here about 6 months advanced). I also plan on supplementing with some 1st grade math. I'm going to check out Rod & Staff 1st grade.

On the other hand, you will get rave reviews of Singapore Math as it's pretty popular on this board! I haven't completely ruled it out yet. Just trying a different approach right now instead of mastery.

ETA: my latest blog entry talks about my Horizons/R&S plan a bit!

[LisaDSB]

We started Singapore in 2A and I don't think we've seen any colouring or drawing exercises. I think it must just be in the first level.

[EKS]

When my children were younger and writing/drawing/coloring was an issue, I just wrote for them. Or told them that they could substitute circles or dots or whatever for drawings of birds.

For a kid who loves math, Singapore is a fabulous program. I wouldn't let the drawing tasks in 1A and B to turn you off. Those types of exercise are gone quickly.

[buddhabelly]

I spelled it that way because it will be easier to find the website. (www.rightstartmath.com). Although this isn't mentioned often, I have found Right Start to be a program well-suited for gifted students. I often wonder how frustrating it must be for students with an average ability in math to do some of the lessons that really ask the student to reach and THINK.

Anyway, if she has some grounding in math already, you could probably start with Right Start B. However, after a bit it accellerates quite abruptly, so "A" might also work. Either book begins in a similar fashion, with the child learning to recognize groups of two or three so she doesn't have to count. This is done in a variety of ways: finger taps, holding up fingers, cards with dots, etc. There are a lot of games that are scheduled into the program, and besides the abacus itself is a hoot for most kids. Way after my son needed the abacus, he would grin and go running to get it just because it's so fun to slide those beads and hear them rattle. :)

Your younger one is a little young to play the games with dd now, of course, but that day will come before you know it!

Have fun with your math,

Julie

[Sweetbabe]

Hi all

I think I'm in love with Right Start though Singapore Math is readily available at my place(I live in Spore). Abacus / Kumon mental calculations classes is the current in thing in Spore now. I'm hope two merge both. I'm planning to buy 2nd hand hopefully.Can anyone share the box dimensions and weight of the starter kit eg level B? I'm worried abt shipping :)

[Dinsfamily]

Agreeing with everyone else about Singapore 1A. My ds ended up drawing circles for just about everything. I didn't care. The exercise wasn't about how good his apples, birds, etc. looked. I also let him circle just about everything that asked for coloring. He HATES to color in school. He does like to draw and color in his own pictures, but not during math. There really aren't many drawing exercises. As far as writing, you could always use number stamps or stickers for him until he can write better.

[Moonbeam Jones]

Thanks for all the info about RightStart Math and Singapore! I have to keep in mind that learning is fun! Right now he has a great time using Muck (from Bob the Builder) to sort out linking cubes in order to make his AABB patterns! I don't want to take that away so soon! :D

Thanks for all the alternative to writing ideas. I see no reason why his math learning should wait for his writing, his reading didn't ;) With Singapore, do they use manipulatives also? Is there a major difference between the two editions?

With RightStart Math, what 'elective' manipulatives are really nessary? If I go this route, I hope to use as much from the Saxon pack as possible ;)

MissKNG, I haven't looked past your suggestion, after I post this, I'm off to your blog to read your write up :auto:

Are there not any Ray's people on here? I know there is a yahoo group, but I really don't want to join until I have decided for sure. I was hoping for some sort of feedback.

:iagree:(I really have no reason for the "I Agree" guy, but my son really wanted to put him on my post :D)

Thanks again for taking the time!
MBJ

[MamaSheep]

Have you looked at Math U See?

[MissKNG]

MissKNG, I haven't looked past your suggestion, after I post this, I'm off to your blog to read your write up :auto:


:lol:

We'll probably find our way back to Singapore too! I'm trying to get some sort of good combo going!!

[Halcyon]

My 4 yo DS is really enjoying Horizons K Math--there are some coloring exercises but he often chooses to just circle the correct number rather than color them in. We're considering Singapore 1A in the fall as that is what his brother does...we'll see.

[anabelneri]

Hi all

I think I'm in love with Right Start though Singapore Math is readily available at my place(I live in Spore). Abacus / Kumon mental calculations classes is the current in thing in Spore now. I'm hope two merge both. I'm planning to buy 2nd hand hopefully.Can anyone share the box dimensions and weight of the starter kit eg level B? I'm worried abt shipping :)

I don't have the original box anymore, but it was pretty big, mostly because of the Math Balance. It's about 2 feet long all by itself. If you can find one where you are that would be better, probably. I don't actually think it's totally necessary -- so far (we're only 1/2 way through B) we've only used it a couple times, and it's always been to reinforce a concept that's already been taught. My dd enjoyed using it, but I really think we could've skipped it. Most of the rest of the stuff is much smaller; most of it fits in a shoe box on our self, except for the math games which need their own ziploc bag.

HTH,
Anabel

[Alice]

Another Singapore lover here. My son also hates to color, although he likes it a bit more in the past 6 months or so. He doesn't like to draw what he's told to do, although he does it on his own. I did what others said and either skipped those problems or just told him to put an x or circle the thing instead of coloring. I use the linking unit cubes a lot with Singapore, otherwise I just use what we have around the house if I want to demonstrate something more concretely. Also, if you do Singapore I think the best thing about the program is the harder problems in the Intensive Practice book or Challenging Word Problems book (althouth those are out of print now I believe). The IP book has very hard problems that don't have the same amount of drawing/coloring even at the lower levels.

My son was also ahead in his math ability beyond his handwriting ability. I just wrote the answers for him for a long time as the math was fun for him but the handwriting was painful to him. It's only in the past 6 months that he is able to do the writing part without it slowing him down.

I also like games a lot and recommend the Rightstart games. We love those. I also like Peggy Kaye's Games for Math book.

Another great resource is MEP. http://www.cimt.plymouth.ac.uk/projects/mep/default.htm. It's a free download. I don't really use it as a second full program but print out the workbook. The problems are done in a very different way than anything else I'm used to so really require him to think. I combine that with Singapore. He loves the MEP book, and calls it "fun math" (although he really likes Singapore too and finds it fun).

[ktmo]

My DD 4.5 is using Singapore Early Bird B right now. Like the others, if there is something that she has to draw, she'll just draw circles, sometimes she tries to make them look like birds. I'll also write her answers in for her, or let her use number stickers, depending on the day. She likes writing the numbers. Her coloring is also lacking, and sometimes she'll just fill in a part of the object, but as long as the math is correct, I don't worry.

We do a lot with unifix cubes to help her solve the equations, so she can have something hands-on. It works well.

[Dinsfamily]

:lol:

We'll probably find our way back to Singapore too! I'm trying to get some sort of good combo going!!

Yes...come over to the Singapore/Horizons combo! You know you want to!

[Moonbeam Jones]

With Singapore math, what is the difference between Early Bird K and Essential Math? Also, I didn't think that Singapore was spiral, but in the Early Bird write up it describes introducing new topics in a spiral progression. :confused: Is that only in Early Bird?

[Moonbeam Jones]

Have you looked at Math U See?

I have and initially I was discouraged by the use of video. However, I talked to a friend at church this weekend about MUS and I am going to give it another look. Thanks :001_smile:

[Lori Di]

I work with Math U see and supplement with Singapore! They are both great programs!
:001_smile:

[MissKNG]

With Singapore math, what is the difference between Early Bird K and Essential Math? Also, I didn't think that Singapore was spiral, but in the Early Bird write up it describes introducing new topics in a spiral progression. :confused: Is that only in Early Bird?

Earlybird is NOT spiral...it's mastery. It is broken into units for each topic.

[Moonbeam Jones]

Earlybird is NOT spiral...it's mastery. It is broken into units for each topic.

That's what I thought, I just wanted to make sure :001_smile:

[Kalah]

When my children were younger and writing/drawing/coloring was an issue, I just wrote for them. Or told them that they could substitute circles or dots or whatever for drawings of birds.

For a kid who loves math, Singapore is a fabulous program. I wouldn't let the drawing tasks in 1A and B to turn you off. Those types of exercise are gone quickly.

We did this here as well for Huck and I'm working on 2a with Tom. May I also recommend little stamps or stickers instead of drawing? Both of my boys are not very into arrts and crafts but enjoy changing it up now and again. I also took dictation, particularly for Huck because he was doing math 3 levels above where he was with fine motor skills. I just made a notation at the top of the page for my own record keeping. (Sometimes, looking back at those books, it looks like I did all the work. LOL)

Also, large graph paper or wide-lined paper turned sideways is awesome for keeping columns straight!

HTH

[Jill]

He is very auditory, but does not like to use pencil nor to color very much because of perfectionist issues. (He doesn't mind handwriting as long as he has the dot outlines.)
ok, I will be the one to say I didn't find using Singapore all that necessary. All the color and pretty pictures were not helpful for ds. We did not do any intensive practice books or the supplementary materials so I cannot comment on those.
here's my list from when he was 6yrs and a couple months:
1 - I gave my son a set of flashcards for the car (we have 10 to 20 minute drives to town for shopping and library and errands several days a week) and he could quiz me - similar effect to having the child read through the whole equation. I would get some "wrong" so that he had a chance to read them all the way through.
2 - BlackJack. I forget which educational game site it is but we play BlackJack for addition. for free... or play with real cards.
3 - Learning Resources Board Games. They sell a pack with 4 or 6 games in it including spinners and markers, etc... addition, subtraction, and choice of either...
4 - Monopoly. Our son had to be the banker.
5 - Made up games with dice rolls where the dice get added together.
6 - Hooked on Phonics - Multiplication.
7 - Schoolhouse Rocks Multiplication Rocks songs.
8 - Skip counting on a number line where he draws the "skips" (imagine inverted ocean waves.)
9 - Computer games: Funbrain math arcade at funbrain.com (a little advertising there from pearson publishing); Path O Math puzzles at enchanted learning.com (some pages were free); Math Blaster computer game; Jumpstart computer games.
10 - Quiddler. Yes, you have to spell words but you also have to add up points for 3,4,5,6,7, and 8 card hands.
11 - cuisinaire rods or a manipulative set (or cereal) for exploring grouping and multiplication.

Later in his sixth year, we signed up for EPGY (expensive at the time). We used Aleks (less expensive) too for a bit for the same reason: to minimize frustration with handwriting while being able to advance thru concepts. That was fine for a while but he was having medical issues (celiac disease) so we stopped till we figured out what was wrong. Now (from age 7.5 to 8) he is doing EPGY, we skip through saxon 5/4 for written exercises so he keeps doing more pencil work (I got a set of Saxon books for free...) and we supplement with logic puzzles and exploring whatever concepts he wishes or needs help with Papa in the AM before regular schoolwork starts.

almost forgot I also printed out the MEP stuff and we used it somewhat:
http://www.cimt.plymouth.ac.uk/projects/mepres/primary/default.htm