Kindergtn. math...

[stephanie]

DD 6 started out this school year with Saxon K, but I thought it was a little too easy for her so I started combining it with Saxon 1. She can understand most of the concepts, but has just now started to slow down a bit in her comprehension. I was wondering if it would be safe to mainly work on skip counting,time, money,concepts of add/sub. informally instead of doing the workbook? I was thinking about focusing on her add/sub facts since she seems to be learning them so easily now. I've always been a 'by the book' kind of girl so this would be stretching it for me. So what do ya think? Will she be ok to pick up in the middle of a 1st grade curriculum next year if I just toss the workbook out? She can tell time to the hour, identify her coins and count some of them, days of the weeks/months, and she knows her numbers. She also knows her doubles facts, +1, -1,+0, and -0. Thanks!

[ArwenA]

I think that would be fine! Taking some time to explorer and play with math is fun and beneficial. Workbooks are great but sometimes we've got to think outside the box. (I'm trying to understand that with science.)

[Beth in Central TX]

This is exactly the kind of approach laid out in Ruth Beechick's An Easy Start In Arithmetic for Grades K-3. She says that home is the best environment to learn real-life arithmetic and doesn't suggest any type of workbook approach through 3rd grade. She gives you mastery goals for each grade, and many of her activities are game-based.

[stephanie]

This is exactly the kind of approach laid out in Ruth Beechick's An Easy Start In Arithmetic for Grades K-3. She says that home is the best environment to learn real-life arithmetic and doesn't suggest any type of workbook approach through 3rd grade. She gives you mastery goals for each grade, and many of her activities are game-based.

Beth, is there a site online where I can see those goals for each grade? I'd love to check it out. I've been working on integrating a more CM approach to our schooling as well. Thanks

[Beth in Central TX]

Hmmm...I'm not aware of an on-line site, but maybe someone esle does.

[AudreyTN]

Beth, is there a site online where I can see those goals for each grade? I'd love to check it out. I've been working on integrating a more CM approach to our schooling as well. Thanks

If you join the Basically Beechick yahoo group they are outlined in the files section. I really would recommend reading the book if that's what you intend to do. Maybe your library has it? It's a very good read! :001_smile:

[prairiegirl]

This is what I intend to do with my youngest for her K year. If this goes well, then I will do math without a curriculum for the next year as well and just play it by year. I feel that I have more confidence doing more of a living math approach now that I have done K math twice.


Julia
mom of 3 (8,7,5)

[~Puddins~]

I'm going to also recommend Ruth Beechick's "An Easy Start to Arithmetic". I got it in a set of three (Arithmetic, Language, Reading) and just finished the Arithmetic tonight. Every thing she says makes perfect sense. The "scope and sequence" does not begin until 1st grade. For K she just recommends living math (how many people are at the table, grocery store games, cooking, etc).
If you can find this at your library, I think you would gain a lot from it, I know I did!

[Aletheia Academy]

is just exactly what you have suggested. I have tons of math manipulatives. I also have Classical Math to for Classical Music CD's from www.singnlearn.com (http://www.singnlearn.com). I use these along with flash cards for memorization. I intend to follow with this approach through the K year. It seems to work well here.

[Brenda in FL]

DD 6 started out this school year with Saxon K, but I thought it was a little too easy for her so I started combining it with Saxon 1. She can understand most of the concepts, but has just now started to slow down a bit in her comprehension. I was wondering if it would be safe to mainly work on skip counting,time, money,concepts of add/sub. informally instead of doing the workbook? I was thinking about focusing on her add/sub facts since she seems to be learning them so easily now. I've always been a 'by the book' kind of girl so this would be stretching it for me. So what do ya think? Will she be ok to pick up in the middle of a 1st grade curriculum next year if I just toss the workbook out? She can tell time to the hour, identify her coins and count some of them, days of the weeks/months, and she knows her numbers. She also knows her doubles facts, +1, -1,+0, and -0. Thanks!

This is the approach I took when dd was in K'er. We went quickly thru Saxon K - I combined and/or skipped the lessons where all they did was "play' with the manipulatives. Then I did just the lesson and meeting materials in Saxon 1 - no workbook pages or fact sheets. I took a look at the placement tests and made sure we added in some money and telling time.

When she started first grade - we started right with Saxon 2 and she tested out most of the beginning of the book. We started by doing only assessments (written and oral) but I also did a little meeting time each week and fact sheets daily. I wanted to make sure that new stuff in the meeting time was introduced and practiced if need be during all those lessons we skipped.

Anyway - she was more than ready for Saxon 2, after going thri Saxon K and 1 at a very relaxed pace with no written work.