Math Mammoth??

[PenKase]

Hello dear afterschooling friends!

Yet another math post....

I've been reading through every Math Mammoth post I can get my eyes on over at the curriculum board. It looks fantabulous. I love how it's described as very user friendly (I am a self proclaimed math phobe...SHHHH, don't tell anybody!) and having all the elements of Singapore Math but with a lot more review.

Are any of you using it in your afterschool or are thinking about using it? Math is a definite focus in our afterschooling and currently DD9 is using SM3A/3B (occasionally skipping around in this level to follow topics covered in school ) with some RSC (mainly the subraction sections as a refresher) with some MM multiplication. DD6 is only using RSB but is loves worksheets and uses to help pass the time while I afterschool DD9. She often complains how RS doesn't have enough worksheets for her to practice. I'm thinking using MM with dd6 will help me catch her up to speed in first grade math at school while continuing with RSB which I love, love, love.

What do you think?

[PenKase]

I just wanted to update and say that my Math Mammoth Light Blue Series CD arrived today in the mail. I'm very excited to get started and see how it goes.

Have a great day!

[Mabelen]

I just wanted to update and say that my Math Mammoth Light Blue Series CD arrived today in the mail. I'm very excited to get started and see how it goes.

Have a great day!

I am thinking about starting in the summer with my 6 yo. She's in Kinder right now and we are just doing some Kumon workbooks at a leisurely pace. Please keep us posted about your afterschool experience!

[PenKase]

Mabelen-Don't you just love the Kindergarten set? The possibilities for wonder seem limitless. I love that my dd6 just loves to learn. I am dedicated in helping her cultivate that motivation.

As far as Math Mammoth.....so far so good. We just completed the Which is More? lesson in the 1A worktext. What's so clever about this curriculum so far is that Maria Miller (the author) comes up with genius ways to stimulate the student's thinking process while folding in review at the same time.

Let me s'plain:

The lesson begins with introducing the greater than, less than concept. She explains, to the student by the way, that "the symbols < and > are like a 'hungry alligator's mouth." Right away, dd totally gets it. She then proceeds with the lesson in which she has to identify the bigger number and then read the numbers using the appropriate symbol.

This is a three page lesson but we "parked" here because it is a concept she has never learned before and I wanted to give her some time to let the information to sink in.

The next day, we review the symbols then she has a go at the next page in the lesson. Here's the brilliance of this program.....not only does she have to figure out which is greater than, less than, and even equal to, she first has to add a set of numbers to determine which is greater than, less than, and equal to. Addition from previous lessons is now being folded in as review.

Did I lose you? Here's what I mean:


In the first page of the lesson she had to do something like this:

"Circle the bigger number. Read using 'less than' and 'greater than' ".


1 < 3


In the second page of the lesson she had to do this:

"Pick a number so the comparison is true."

2 3 4

2+____ < 6



I don't know about you guys.....this just about blew my mind!!

Anyway, all this to say that I am really, really liking this Math Mammoth. Someone on the curriculum boards said that a child won't be able to progress too far in this program without knowing the information. It will become apparent if the child has comprehension or not. I think I know what she means now! At first glance, the program looks easy enough but I do have to say that looks are definitely deceiving. In this case anyway.

Have a good one!

Ciao