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MEP or Rightstart?


AnaShoo
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I am going to be homeschooling my two kids, one in K and one in 2nd (he's been in public school) this coming school year. I've figured out a basic curriculum for them, but math is stumping me hardcore.

 

As some background, I'm fairly weak in math. I was homeschooled, and when I was about 12 or 13, my mother pretty much just brought home books and things, then left me to my own devices. I stopped doing math at that point because it overwhelmed me and English is definitely my thing. As a result, I had to take a remedial course in college before I could enroll in Math 101. I got As in both classes, and liked them well enough, but had to have a roommate who was good in math tutor me quite a bit in Math 101. So, I'm shaky and worried about having to teach it, but I'm also very adamant that my kids do not have to struggle to learn it after the fact like I did.

 

I've been looking at Rightstart because my boys love games, and we use games to teach a lot of other things informally at home. They absolutely work. I also like the concept of the the program. I really don't want something heavy on worksheets because I am concerned they will learn to dislike math doing it that way, and so will I.

 

I've been looking more at MEP lately, though, and am intrigued by it. The biggest issue is that I don't feel as if I have the background to adequately understand either program and if it will work out for us.

 

Anyone have experience using both, or know whether or not the teaching will be terrible for me with MEP because of my weaker background in math?

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I've used RS B and some of C with my elder child and am using MEP with my younger. They're both strong programs, but IMHO, MEP requires a confident teacher from the get-go, whereas with RS, you can work ahead and master the material without worrying you're missing underlying concepts. I strongly recommend working through the material yourself. I think you would benefit from the scripting and presentation of RS, at least through the end of Level B (at which point you can either stay with the program or move to Singapore or Math Mammoth with ease).

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I have used Right Start B & C with my oldest and my 2nd is currently using RS B (in combo with Singapore 1B). I also used MEP Reception and almost all of 1A with my 2nd.

 

I love, love, :001_wub: RS B. It provides such an excellent foundation in math. I really liked MEP Reception but MEP Yr 1 wasn't my cuppa. It has some very interesting puzzle type problems but I couldn't tell whether or not my DS was actually making any progress in math.

 

With RS, I can very easily tell that my student is progressing in his/her math skills and by the end of B the child is adding two 4-digit numbers with regrouping/carrying. In contrast, MEP spends the entire Yr. 1 on sums up to 20. I just couldn't quiet that little nagging voice of doubt wondering if he was actually getting anywhere with MEP vs. spinning in circles (very interesting circles, but circles none-the-less).

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This is another vote for RightStart, and it comes from a fellow English person (degrees in English and I edit for a living). I got through math OK in high school and college but never enjoyed it.

 

Well, I love RightStart Math and so does my son! I was most worried about teaching math, since it's the subject I'm the least comfortable with. I've got a Wiggly Willy son who hates worksheets, which was the primary reason I chose RS. We just finished Level B last month and are now in Level C. C does have more worksheets than B but not nearly as many as most programs, from what I understand. And we both still love it.

 

My son couldn't even add 1 to any other number when we pulled him from ps halfway through 1st grade. Fast forward a year, and he can add any two-digit numbers together in his head, going well above 100 for the total. And he has no problem doing four-digit addition on paper. He *gets* math now in amazing ways and is so proud of his abilities in an area where he was confused and lost before.

 

I guess I'm the RightStart cheerleader around here, but I just can't say enough good things about this program! Oh yeah--the scripting seems perfect to me. Not word for word, but scripted enough that I know just what to do throughout every lesson. And I only caught two typos throughout all of Level B--109 lessons :lol:

 

Best of luck!

Christina

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With RS, I can very easily tell that my student is progressing in his/her math skills and by the end of B the child is adding two 4-digit numbers with regrouping/carrying. In contrast, MEP spends the entire Yr. 1 on sums up to 20. I just couldn't quiet that little nagging voice of doubt wondering if he was actually getting anywhere with MEP vs. spinning in circles (very interesting circles, but circles none-the-less).
I'm fairly sure there's been enough examples in the recent MEP threads for you to know this is a gross simplification of MEP Y1. By all means stop using any course that makes you feel uncomfortable and tell us why you did so, but in another thread you admitted to not having seen exercises MEP users have used as examples because you only did the first half of Y1 with your child (though even Y1a does some pretty cool work with inequalities).

 

Sorry for going OT. I still think RS is the best choice for the OP.:001_smile:

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Not to mention Liping Ma sings the praises of an indepth study of numbers <20.

 

I feel like I'm having deja vu all over again on this topic.

 

I speak as someone whose math education in pricey private schools consisted of doing tall sums of long numbers. This was always my memory of math and my mother recently unearthed my old work that proved it. Possibly even more boring than I remembered! I am quite sure MEP is exponentially more interesting, although it may be about "small" numbers. Small but mighty, that is.

 

RS is very nicely done. The good thing about MEP is that you can look at it for free and decide for yourself.

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Thank you everyone for chiming in! I appreciate it greatly. I have looked at MEP online, and really liked what I saw for Reception, but just could not figure out how well I'd be able to handle teaching it farther on, especially since a lot of it talks about classroom type responses, etc. that I know I'd have to either skip or change for my kids. I can do that with any reading/phonics/writing program with ease because I have a good sense of what I want them to know and where to go with that, but math, no way.

 

So, RightStart sounds like it will probably be far better to start with. Maybe I'll supplement with MEP if it seems like we need something else to go along with it. Despite my freak out about choosing the right program, I'm actually looking forward to teaching math. I feel kind of like I missed out on something in that department, so it will be nice to relearn it all myself.

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If you want to take math slower while building a strong foundation, MEP is a good choice. RS has some great concepts but its topics jumped too quickly for my dd. So we stick with learning numbers 1-20 inside and out before moving on to numbers 1-100 and then to 1-1000.

 

Even though MEP has worksheets, they are very interactive and games coincide nicely.

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Thank you everyone for chiming in! I appreciate it greatly. I have looked at MEP online, and really liked what I saw for Reception, but just could not figure out how well I'd be able to handle teaching it farther on, especially since a lot of it talks about classroom type responses, etc. that I know I'd have to either skip or change for my kids. I can do that with any reading/phonics/writing program with ease because I have a good sense of what I want them to know and where to go with that, but math, no way.

 

So, RightStart sounds like it will probably be far better to start with. Maybe I'll supplement with MEP if it seems like we need something else to go along with it. Despite my freak out about choosing the right program, I'm actually looking forward to teaching math. I feel kind of like I missed out on something in that department, so it will be nice to relearn it all myself.

 

... I agreed with the RS suggestions earlier, and still do, but thought I'd mention that adapting to a single student has been incredibly easy for us. If the work is for a whole class I just take turns with Button; and for some problems, I have him only do a portion of the examples. The one bit of advice I have if you do start supplementing with MEP is to read the Lesson Plans at least the day ahead. That is sufficient to give you a feel for the main goals, and for what you'll need to teach them explicitly that day, for you to proceed flexibly.

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:iagree: We're using MEP and I really like it, but I'm strong in math and I find that I have had to think seriously about how to present some of the concepts. You can always add problems from MEP later.

 

Can you give more detail about this? I've been interested in pairing MEP with our Math Mammoth but the idea of it being difficult to implement scares me off a bit.

 

My DD does OK in Math Mammoth but the challenge pages are difficult for her. I thought MEP might give her more practice at the challenging stuff and a bit more spiral for review... and it's free, LOL. But I don't want to do it if I'm just going to get frustrated later and throw it out. I don't like jumping around with curriculum. I'm halfway to just getting Saxon out of frustration.

 

We did Rightstart A but the level of scripting and jumping from activity to activity was too much for us. MEP looks like it would be a nice step down from the constant activity change in RS but it would still be a bit more fun than Math Mammoth. Math Mammoth seems to be working, but I do feel like DD forgets things that we haven't gone over in a while. I'm looking for a tiny bit of spiral to go along with MM and help cement things in better.

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So, RightStart sounds like it will probably be far better to start with. Maybe I'll supplement with MEP if it seems like we need something else to go along with it. Despite my freak out about choosing the right program, I'm actually looking forward to teaching math. I feel kind of like I missed out on something in that department, so it will be nice to relearn it all myself.

 

RightStart is really great for learning how to think about numbers yourself. I've learned so much myself. I feel like I'm finally really understanding math. It sounds like a great fit for you and your kids.

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I'm fairly sure there's been enough examples in the recent MEP threads for you to know this is a gross simplification of MEP Y1. By all means stop using any course that makes you feel uncomfortable and tell us why you did so, but in another thread you admitted to not having seen exercises MEP users have used as examples because you only did the first half of Y1 with your child (though even Y1a does some pretty cool work with inequalities).

 

Sorry for going OT. I still think RS is the best choice for the OP.:001_smile:

 

I just really don't get all the hype over MEP as THE BEST MATH PROGRAM at the elementary level. The hype over AOPS at the jr./sr. high level I understand, even though I don't think it's the right "fit" for the student of mine who is at the right level for it. I see AOPS, and am very impressed by what it covers. I don't feel that way about MEP.

 

Yes, it has interesting puzzle type problems, but when I compare what it covers in 1A/B vs. Right Start B or even Singapore 1A/B, I find myself wondering "yeah, it's a lot of cool math work, but is he actually getting anywhere with all of it?" After half a level of RS or Singapore, I can tell that my student has gained a lot of ground. After half a level of MEP 1, I couldn't. If it's such an amazing program like proponents claim, shouldn't I be left feeling confidence rather than doubt about it?

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I just really don't get all the hype over MEP as THE BEST MATH PROGRAM at the elementary level. The hype over AOPS at the jr./sr. high level I understand, even though I don't think it's the right "fit" for the student of mine who is at the right level for it. I see AOPS, and am very impressed by what it covers. I don't feel that way about MEP.

 

Yes, it has interesting puzzle type problems, but when I compare what it covers in 1A/B vs. Right Start B or even Singapore 1A/B, I find myself wondering "yeah, it's a lot of cool math work, but is he actually getting anywhere with all of it?" After half a level of RS or Singapore, I can tell that my student has gained a lot of ground. After half a level of MEP 1, I couldn't. If it's such an amazing program like proponents claim, shouldn't I be left feeling confidence rather than doubt about it?

 

 

It goes back to what you are calling progress. Some of the logic and thinking patterns taught in MEP may not be observed until further down the path (like several years). MEP also allows a student to spend time learning the foundational topics so they are second nature. The scope and sequence of many other programs (including RS) don't always allow the time or teaching to do that (without a lot of supplementation) and the student can end up only retaining a surface understanding.

 

If a student intuitively understands math, MEP in the lower levels might seem too slow and maybe isn't a good fit. Although he/she would still benefit from the mental challenges and brain growing that occurs and the extra time spent on the "lower" math isn't going to hurt him/her in the long run. But I can see how it would be hard to see the value of MEP when comparing topics covered instead of depth covered. And intangibles are always hard to quantify.

 

Another part with MEP is that it can be hard to see that the little oral and board exercises in the TG that could be easy to skip may play a big part in progress. I know I made that mistake.

 

Not saying you need to go back to MEP but possibly showing that just because you don't see progress doesn't mean it is there, especially if you only used a program for a short time.

Edited by HiddenJewel
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I just really don't get all the hype over MEP as THE BEST MATH PROGRAM at the elementary level.

I don't think anyone said that, at any point, in any thread. You have continued to insist that, after one semester that you are more of an expert and have a deeper understanding of MEP than others do because you didn't like it. Okay. I tried using a combination of Japanese and Singaporean maths mixed in with RightStart. It didn't produce as much as a semester of MEP in terms of deeper mathematical thinking. Frankly it didn't produce much of anything. But I don't think you'll find much evidence of my saying that those programs are ineffective.

 

If it's such an amazing program like proponents claim,
First of all, I am not sure I would call myself a "proponent" of MEP. I am someone who is using it with her children. I like it. That doesn't mean I, or any of the other parents who use it, think it is the only or best program for everyone.
shouldn't I be left feeling confidence rather than doubt about it?
No. How would one semester's work tell you an entire, multi year program is excellent? If a kid has a blah first semester of French in first grade at an immersion school, would that mean that they should throw in the towel completely?

 

And maybe your lack of confidence would be constant, no matter what program you use. I see plenty of HSing parents on this board agonizing over whether their plan is "rigorous" or whatever enough for their child, so I think your concern is par for the course. I think being too smug might backfire.

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I just really don't get all the hype over MEP as THE BEST MATH PROGRAM at the elementary level. The hype over AOPS at the jr./sr. high level I understand, even though I don't think it's the right "fit" for the student of mine who is at the right level for it. I see AOPS, and am very impressed by what it covers. I don't feel that way about MEP.
Who said "best" or even recommends it for everyone? I've said it's the "mathiest" program I've seen because it is. Nobody here has yet seen the AofPS elementary program, so you're comparing a MEP (in which you did half Y1) to Beast Academy of which you've seen a handful of sample pages and the TOC for the third grade year.

 

Yes, it has interesting puzzle type problems, but when I compare what it covers in 1A/B vs. Right Start B or even Singapore 1A/B, I find myself wondering "yeah, it's a lot of cool math work, but is he actually getting anywhere with all of it?" After half a level of RS or Singapore, I can tell that my student has gained a lot of ground. After half a level of MEP 1, I couldn't. If it's such an amazing program like proponents claim, shouldn't I be left feeling confidence rather than doubt about it?
This speaks to your needs as a teacher, and fit is as important for the teacher as for the student in a homeschool situation. MEP is not a good program for a parent who needs to see constant progress measured by easily quantified markers (even though multiplication/division facts, prime factoring, and some cool reflection work are covered by the end of Y2). The Lesson Plans do give an indication of what the child should be able to do independently and what should be considered class work (i.e. don't worry about having to help the child, not all kids will have mastered the material by that point), but progress on underlying concepts is harder to measure until you see on your child's face that the lightbulb moment has happened. Example after example have been given in MEP threads in which you've participated showing the work our kids are doing, but you persist with the "only sums within 20" line.
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And maybe your lack of confidence would be constant, no matter what program you use. I see plenty of HSing parents on this board agonizing over whether their plan is "rigorous" or whatever enough for their child, so I think your concern is par for the course. I think being too smug might backfire.

 

For me personally, I had been HS long enough by the time I tried MEP with my 2nd child (4 years, 5 if you count pre-k) to know that a general lack of self-confidence in my ability to teach 1st grade math wasn't the issue. I didn't have difficulty teaching MEP 1, just difficulty seeing the point of all the activities beyond them being merely interesting.

 

I tried MEP because DS wasn't ready for RS A at not-quite-5. MEP Reception was free and I had heard all sorts of raves about MEP over the years. I actually really liked MEP Reception and for a pre-k/easy k program I do think it is sufficiently rigorous. DS seemed to be doing well with MEP Reception so that's why I decided to continue on with Yr. 1 instead of starting RS at that point. DS was young enough that I don't regret spending the time going through 1A with him, I just feel that MEP is rather overhyped.

 

If parents are considering using MEP and they hear nothing but how amazing and challenging it supposedly is, they just might wind up feeling a bit let down by the reality. I know I sure was :(

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Who said "best" or even recommends it for everyone? I've said it's the "mathiest" program I've seen because it is. Nobody here has yet seen the AofPS elementary program, so you're comparing a MEP (in which you did half Y1) to Beast Academy of which you've seen a handful of sample pages and the TOC for the third grade year.

 

When I mention being impressed by AOPS, I mean at the pre-algebra level and up (that's why I said earlier at "jr./sr. high level"). BA looks good from the sample chapter but only the authors know at this point what the full program is going to be like.

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I just really don't get all the hype over MEP as THE BEST MATH PROGRAM at the elementary level. The hype over AOPS at the jr./sr. high level I understand, even though I don't think it's the right "fit" for the student of mine who is at the right level for it. I see AOPS, and am very impressed by what it covers. I don't feel that way about MEP.

 

Yes, it has interesting puzzle type problems, but when I compare what it covers in 1A/B vs. Right Start B or even Singapore 1A/B, I find myself wondering "yeah, it's a lot of cool math work, but is he actually getting anywhere with all of it?" After half a level of RS or Singapore, I can tell that my student has gained a lot of ground. After half a level of MEP 1, I couldn't. If it's such an amazing program like proponents claim, shouldn't I be left feeling confidence rather than doubt about it?

 

You keep repeatedly making this MEP/Singapore comparison, but when I pointed out that by the end of Year 2, MEP has kids way ahead of Singapore in multiplication and division, you just ignored that part of my post. Is it important to be ahead in facts? Or not?

 

From your posts about math, it seems as if you take a "back to basics" approach which really emphasizes learning math facts quickly and learning to understand and apply standard algorithms. In the discussions about MEP, it seems as if you're just passing over what people say about the deeper elements of the program, such as the complex multistep problems and the development of algebraic reasoning skills.

 

You keep mentioning "interesting puzzles" as if they're only fun brainteasers or neat tricks. It makes me wonder whether you realize what skills are being developed through the puzzles. All of the "same shape equals the same number" puzzles, for example? They're teaching kids to solve a system of equations. Are there systems of equations in Right Start B? How about Singapore 1? Does it even matter? Or is it more important that they memorize more addition and subtraction facts, more quickly?

 

As I've said before, it's totally fine to value a no nonsense, back to basics approach that focuses on learning facts and understanding and applying algorithms. If that's your approach, you're right, MEP is not a good fit for you. If you phrased your comments as "MEP didn't work for me because I like to see a more quick and straightforward path through basic arithmetic in the early years," I don't think people would be as annoyed.

 

It goes back to what you are calling progress. Some of the logic and thinking patterns taught in MEP may not be observed until further down the path (like several years). MEP also allows a student to spend time learning the foundational topics so they are second nature. The scope and sequence of many other programs (including RS) don't always allow the time or teaching to do that (without a lot of supplementation) and the student can end up only retaining a surface understanding.

 

Who said "best" or even recommends it for everyone? I've said it's the "mathiest" program I've seen because it is. Nobody here has yet seen the AofPS elementary program, so you're comparing a MEP (in which you did half Y1) to Beast Academy of which you've seen a handful of sample pages and the TOC for the third grade year.

 

This speaks to your needs as a teacher, and fit is as important for the teacher as for the student in a homeschool situation. MEP is not a good program for a parent who needs to see constant progress measured by easily quantified markers (even though multiplication/division facts, prime factoring, and some cool reflection work are covered by the end of Y2). The Lesson Plans do give an indication of what the child should be able to do independently and what should be considered class work (i.e. don't worry about having to help the child, not all kids will have mastered the material by that point), but progress on underlying concepts is harder to measure until you see on your child's face that the lightbulb moment has happened. Example after example have been given in MEP threads in which you've participated showing the work our kids are doing, but you persist with the "only sums within 20" line.

 

:iagree::iagree:

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I just really don't get all the hype over MEP as THE BEST MATH PROGRAM at the elementary level. The hype over AOPS at the jr./sr. high level I understand, even though I don't think it's the right "fit" for the student of mine who is at the right level for it. I see AOPS, and am very impressed by what it covers. I don't feel that way about MEP.

 

Yes, it has interesting puzzle type problems, but when I compare what it covers in 1A/B vs. Right Start B or even Singapore 1A/B, I find myself wondering "yeah, it's a lot of cool math work, but is he actually getting anywhere with all of it?" After half a level of RS or Singapore, I can tell that my student has gained a lot of ground. After half a level of MEP 1, I couldn't. If it's such an amazing program like proponents claim, shouldn't I be left feeling confidence rather than doubt about it?

 

There are people who feel doubt & switch to different programs with Singapore, and with RightStart, and with Saxon, and with every math program out there. If it's not a good fit for you, that's absolutely fine! But that doesn't mean it's not an amazing program. We just ditched Singapore (for MEP and Miquon). That doesn't mean there's a serious problem with Singapore causing my doubt, frustration, & eventual abandonment. It's just not the right math path and style for us right now. Doesn't make the people who rave about it wrong. They just have different needs than we do.

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All of the "same shape equals the same number" puzzles, for example? They're teaching kids to solve a system of equations.

You're on to something. I saw something in a math recreations type book aimed at older kids, involving plums, bananas, and apples, and it dared the kid to solve it. My kid's been doing those for quite a while in MEP. This is not, I think, typical. And my son was looking at something the other day with math stuff on the cover that said "2x+1=5" and he casually said, "so x=2". He's in 3a.

 

So, I think it promotes deeper thinking for my kids.

 

But that is me, and these are my kids. I have people to discuss math education with and have my own ideas about what I value in math. A lot of the "easy" stuff, like why and when a+ b = b+ a, we studies in advanced math classes in college. So it does depend on your idea of what math is.

Edited by stripe
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I used the US edition of Singapore and it is my first love in math programs, but it does make logical leaps at times. Still wish I had a math lover so I could do Singapore all the way through.

 

Right Start in general does not. It directly teaches everything and has quite a bit of review.

 

Heather

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Can you give more detail about this? I've been interested in pairing MEP with our Math Mammoth but the idea of it being difficult to implement scares me off a bit. ...

Math Mammoth seems to be working' date=' but I do feel like DD forgets things that we haven't gone over in a while. I'm looking for a tiny bit of spiral to go along with MM and help cement things in better[/quote']

 

Just saw this --

 

Well, Button is accelerated in math and we started MEP recently. In glancing through the worksheets to place him, I saw an apparently complex problem (in year 3) that involved a system of 4 math statements, using shapes as variables -- the sort of system of equation mentioned by PPers. I pegged it as very frustrating for Button and dropped down to Year 1 to start him. It turns out that, if I had just worked through the lesson plan with him, he would have been able to solve the problem perfectly adequately. The lesson plan gave preparatory exercises and also some more context for what the teacher should expect from the student. Year 4 has ended up being a good fit for him.

 

That said, you could supplement with MEP in the early years, but by 3 & 4 (and prob. 2) it takes a significant time commitment. It will not be a "tiny bit" of anything, as far as I can see. I have about 1 hour of time each day to work one-on-one with Button without distractions, and MEP takes that whole hour so I do not do it every day (MEP lessons are designed to take about 45 minutes, I think, but Button's pretty young and we lose some time to lack of focus, running obstacle courses, etc. :)). I'm trying to find a nice fit between teaching the full plans and presenting just the worksheets sometimes; and sometimes I manage to get DH to do half an hour in the morning before he goes to work since he likes MEP a lot. So incorporating it is still a struggle for me personally.

 

ETA: I do constant little reviews with Button for bits of math he forgets. This is most important when they're little, and their minds are so flexible ... he forgot how to do multiple-digit addition and subtraction for a while there. If you have a feeling of what's important, and review it weekly -- even just 2 or 3 problems, or 5 minutes on time or money -- that may fit your goals better.

Edited by serendipitous journey
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From your posts about math, it seems as if you take a "back to basics" approach which really emphasizes learning math facts quickly and learning to understand and apply standard algorithms. In the discussions about MEP, it seems as if you're just passing over what people say about the deeper elements of the program, such as the complex multistep problems and the development of algebraic reasoning skills.

 

I think this is the first time I've heard Singapore or Right Start being described as "back to basics" rather than "conceptual". The reason I chose Right Start when I very first started HS is because I wanted a program that emphasizes conceptual understanding rather than the kind of rote memorization and plug-n-chug that I had growing up.

 

If I wanted "back to basics" I'd probably be using Saxon or another very traditional math program. I do, however, want a conceptual math program with a scope & sequence that allows me to have confidence that my student is actually making progress in math rather than spinning in circles.

 

I think we'll just have to agree to disagree about whether or not MEP lives up to its hype. :)

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We're the opposite - MEP gets done everyday and SM if we feel like it/I think it's necessary :)

 

It's not so much replacing MEP with another math on those days, but replacing math with another subject, since I have the one hour of prime-time; WWE reading & narration questions cannot be done with the baby awake around here, for ex., and we're giving history and science short shrift but Button really enjoys them so I try to fit them in ... that said, today we DID spend the hour on MUS fractions which he is loving right now :D.

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When I mention being impressed by AOPS, I mean at the pre-algebra level and up (that's why I said earlier at "jr./sr. high level"). BA looks good from the sample chapter but only the authors know at this point what the full program is going to be like.
I did miss that. Are you using AofPS with your eldest?
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I cannot imagine the Other Side will easily swallow "hype" :lol:!!! Maybe "reputation"?

Seems to me it's a bit of a niche player here...could we say "exotic reputation," or is that too double entendre-y?

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I think we'll just have to agree to disagree about whether or not MEP lives up to its hype. :)

 

All this kind of wording may do is make people fail to take your input seriously. You think MEP is worthless thus you do not acknowledge the fact that other students are learning a lot from it. You would be given more credibility if you addresssed MEP as "It didn't work well for me because its scope and sequence moved too slowly. However, we did only use it for a semester so I may have missed something."

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I love MEP so much that I might even pass on purchasing Beast Academy. (Though I have to admit that series is tempting). The OP said she was weak in math. I would be very hesitant to recommend it for a parent who doesn't generally feel comfortable with math. I tend not to recommend it to people for just that reason. I would wholeheartedly recommend it to a math geek mom who wants to share a love of math with her kids though.

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You may want to take a look at CSMP math. We used MEP Reception year and part of Year 1 and while I liked reception as a gentle introduction I did not like year 1 as much (albeit we didn't get very far in it).

 

CSMP is also a program that takes a different approach with math and it is also free. See if the lessons are scripted enough for you and if you like the flavor. It may not appeal to someone who feels that math is their weakness.

 

FWIW, we do RS B, CSMP, Miquon, Singapore, and Math Mammoth (in order of importance).

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