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SM-Miquon: to continue the combo or not (2nd gr)


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Good morning! I have a 6-1/2 yo DD (made the 1st gr. cut-off by 2 wks) who is quite advanced in math. We started with SM-EB when she was almost 4 and she whizzed through all 4 books in about 6-7 mos. Last year she moved to SM-PM and did 1A-1B. She also went through Miquon Orange and Red, and SM-CWP-1 in 9 mos. or so.

 

This yr. she is doing 2A-2B, Miquon Blue & Green, and CWP-2. We usually do a unit in PM, then do the CWP, and then cover the same in Miquon. She completely understands the PM units long before they are done, and I wonder if I should continue to add in Miquon (I started with Miquon as a way to slow her down, but in all honesty I think it is nothing more than busy-work for her).

 

I guess that I should also add that we have never covered a topic that she did not immediately "get". She usually understands after 1-2 examples. DD refuses to use manipulatives and does everything in her head. She has a difficult time writing down her steps, however, because her steps are completely unconventional. She borrows from here, adds it there, subtracts a few things here and ends up adding them back in there, but she doesn't always make sets of 10 like SM teaches.

 

The other day, she had the problem _____ - 18 = 54. She solved it by turning the 54 into a 58 (by taking away 4 from the 54 and adding the 8 from the 18). So now she had ___ - (10+4) = 58. Then she took 2 from the 4 and added it onto the 58 to make 60. Then she took the other 2 and added to the 60 to make 62. Finally she added the remaining 10 to get 72. HUH??? And she did this all in about 10 seconds, LOL!

 

So, what do I do? Drop Miquon since DD clearly understands the concepts being taught, or keep it just to ensure that she is learning all that she should. Keep CWP, add in IP...what???

 

Also, one more question, please. I am the type to make sure that DD does every single page in every single book. She never balks, so it's not much of an issue, but I wonder if it would be better to just move on as soon as I see that she gets it.

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I will leave her unconventional solving methods for others to comment on....

 

She completely understands the PM units long before they are done....I guess that I should also add that we have never covered a topic that she did not immediately "get". She usually understands after 1-2 examples. .....I am the type to make sure that DD does every single page in every single book. She never balks, so it's not much of an issue, but I wonder if it would be better to just move on as soon as I see that she gets it.

 

My youngest daughter is similar to yours in this aspect. She rarely finds math (or anything, actually) to be a challenge. She is finishing up 4B right now, doing 3 to 4 exercises each day.

 

For 1-3rd grades, I held her to doing just the one year of work, plus extra problems from CWP. She didn't complain, but it was obviously all very easy to her, and I really ought to have let her move more quickly through the material. Now I let her complete just half of the problems before moving on. Doing more than that would be just busy work. When she wraps up 4b, we'll move right into 5a, plus add IP and CWP for a challenge.

 

So I vote for moving on when the material is covered.

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I can't comment on Miquon, but I highly recommend the Singapore IP books and Primary Challenge Math. I usually have DD skip the workbook and go right to the IP unless she could benefit from the extra drill, as when learning multiplication facts. Most IP problems are more challenging and engaging than the ones in the workbook.

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Her method of calculating is similar to mine. And it's similar to what my daughter does. However, in my daughter's case, she wasn't born with it. Singapore was a big fiasco for her. So was Défi Mathématique.

MUS taught her how to calculate like that! (and pooh! on math facts! LOL :D)

 

That said, I would keep your daughter in Singapore, drop Miquon, and accelerate. My son hit a wall with 4A, where more than one step was required. That slowed him down a bit. He was 8 (possibly 7) when he was in 4A.

 

Go as far as she can go. Then let her mature when needed. Don't be afraid of speed. Honestly, math isn't rocket science when you've got a math-head.

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My son is now 7.5 yrs and I did the same thing. For some reason I felt like he HAD to do every page of his Singapore. Then, because he was whizzing through it so fast I bought Singapore Intensive Practice (which was a total waste of time for him-just busy work). So then I tried Challenging Word Problems (which was more challenging, but he still whizzed through it). SO then to make sure that he really was getting everything (I guess I just couldn't believe that he could do everything so fast), I bought Miquon. He like Miquon because it is fun to him. But after all that I realized that he really, really does get it. He would understand concepts that I hadn't even taught him. Maybe he saw it somewhere, or just figured it out, I don't know. But he understood all about adding fractions (for example) before I taught him. What was really funny was I was refreshing my knowledge about adding fractions so *I* wouldn't get it wrong (and tell him the wrong thing) and when we got to that section he said, "I already know Mom". He got everything right and in no time! He also never complained (he never does) and ALWAYS does math in his head.

 

Just this past week I decided that enough was enough. Everyone keeps telling me that he is gifted, and I am starting to think that he IS acelerated. I probably wouldn't have thought that except for his litle sister, who at 6 yrs old takes a LOT longer than her brother did to get a concept (not that I compare them, really). With her I have to do every exercise in Miquon and Singapore and only then does she get it. He was totally the opposite.

 

Anyway, what I did was have him take the placement tests at Singapore.com. So now I am skipping through what I *know* he knows. I hope that he will be more challenged. He has always enjoyed math (I swear he does math equations in his sleep!) and by not making it always so easy for him, he won't develop bad habits like giving up if it's hard.

 

HTH!

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at least as an option for your dd if/when she gets stuck in PM or simply tired of it. If she doesn't want to do it, I can't see forcing the issue. But, maybe she'll want to later on.

 

My first dd did Miquon along with the PM series until she finished Miquon around 4B/5A and then finished out the PM series (at age 10).

 

My second ds got bored/didn't like Miquon somewhere in the 3rd book (and around 2B/3A of PM) and so dropped it for a while focusing on just PM. Now, however, he just finished PM 5B, and is 8 in 3rd grade, and I am presently bribing him to wrap up the Miquon books for a few months instead of going straight to 6A (which he is eager to do, being on a math tear recently). I don't like to "hold them back" but I'm in no hurry to do algebra with him as we have all the time in the world and would like another year or so of maturity if at all possible, so I'd just as soon he do something else to slow down/review/practice before moving on to 6A since that gets us just one level away from the big "next thing"/algebra step.

 

I second/third the motion for the IP books as a way to slow down/review as well. We've typically used those in between levels . . . as in when finished with 4A/4B workbooks, spend a couple months on 4A/4B IP as a review/refresher/etc before moving on to 5A. We don't do it every time but as needed, when I think some extra review might help solidify things. (We also use IP as our "vacation math" when we're on trips and I don't want to have to teach much but want math going on.)

 

One nice thing about Miquon along with PM is that it gives my dc a choice. . . If they don't feel like one, they can just do the other. . . invariably, within a week or so, they're ready to go back to whatever it was that was sticky in the other book and it is always EASY after having a week to settle w/no pressure.

 

Stephanie Z

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  • 2 weeks later...

TY all so much! I'm sorry it took me awhile to get back here. I think I will have DD finish out the 2B / CWP-2 / Miquon that we have going right now, and when she moves to 3A I will drop the workbook in favor of IP. I'm not sure if I'll keep her in Miquon or not. We only have two books left and I'm tempted to complete the series, but DD probably would do just as well if we dropped it. Less for her to do, that's for sure!

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  • 2 weeks later...

OK - I am ready to plan math for next year and just re-read through all of the posts on this thread. I am still a bit uncertain and wonder if you'll bear with me while I hash this out a bit more.

 

Would you all suggest

 

  1. dropping the WB in favor of IP, or
  2. adding IP to the WB?

I thought I would drop the WB and just have her do the IP, plus the CWP, but now I wonder if I should get all three (dropping Miquon).

 

Ugh - I can never decide anything...

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Would you all suggest
  1. dropping the WB in favor of IP, or

  2. adding IP to the WB?

 

Since the workbooks are inexpensive, I would recommend purchasing text, workbook, IP and CWP. The IP doesn't line up with the text the way the WB does, and, for some topics, it's best to complete that section of the text before starting the IP. If you find when working through the problems in the text that a little extra practice is needed (DD needed extra time for multiplication facts), it's handy to have the workbook.
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I personally would not recommend doing the workbook, IP, CWP and Miquon for a child who is "getting it" easily the first time. That really sounds like overkill. I've never looked at the more advanced books of Miquon (started the first book with one son), so I really can't comment on its value.

 

I guess if money is not a big issue, get all the Singapore books (text, wb, IP, CWP), BUT don't make her do every problem in every book. If the concepts come easily, I often skip half the problems for my ds. If money is really tight, I'd make a choice and either get wb or IP, but not both. I've never bought the IP books so I can't really comment on those either.

 

Good luck,

Jean

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I guess if money is not a big issue, get all the Singapore books (text, wb, IP, CWP), BUT don't make her do every problem in every book.
That's worth emphasizing. I do have DD do all the IP, but that's usually having done none of the workbook. Even with CWP, she only does the Challenging Problems.
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Hi Laurie :)

 

I think it would be fine to drop the Miquon. I feel bad, because I'm the one who convinced you to buy it! I would hold on to the books though, and *if* DD has trouble with something in Singapore, you can always pull them back out. Or you can keep them for "fun" during a week off from Singapore.

 

Blue has some unusual ways of solving problems too! He still ends up at the same answer (very quickly), but sometimes I will say "tell me another way you could have solved that" just to be sure he can do it the "normal" way too. Of course, sometimes he will purposely create an even more off-the-wall way, but my goal of making him view it from another angle is still accomplished. *grin*

 

FWIW, here is our plan for math:

 

We are finishing up 2B, doing only the textbook and IP. We go through the whole chapter in the text, working most of the practice problems and review. Then at the end of the chapter we switch over to IP and work through the same chapter in it. We do math 2 or 3 days per week, for 20-40 minutes each time and it will have taken us about 4 months to get through 2B. I know more time is recommended for this age, but he "gets" math easily, and rarely misses a problem so I know it's enough for now.

 

I have looked through 3A/B, and I don't foresee anything that will trip him up too much. Other than doing multiple digit multiplication, most of the concepts covered are just more in-depth of what he did in 2A/B. When we get to 4A though, I think I will go ahead and get the workbook to have on hand because it just seems so much harder. Of course, I thought the same thing about 4-digit subtraction when we were starting 2A and he breezed through it! ha ha.

 

It is good to "see" you around! I don't post much, but when I read your post I just had to reply. Hope you are all doing well!

 

:)

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I have looked through 3A/B, and I don't foresee anything that will trip him up too much. Other than doing multiple digit multiplication, most of the concepts covered are just more in-depth of what he did in 2A/B.
DD had a bit of trouble with the long division because she intuitively understood what was going on and could mentally calculate the answer, but had problems moving back a step to show the work. I think it will actually be easier for her with multiple digit divisors because she won't be working it out in her head as quickly.

 

FWIW, the best drill I found for mental math at this level was the computer game Cluefinders 3rd grade. DD has never used a calculator and doesn't have the patience to step back and write things down when playing a game, so she did all the math questions (and there are a lot) in her head.

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Hi Laurie :)

 

I think it would be fine to drop the Miquon. I feel bad, because I'm the one who convinced you to buy it! I would hold on to the books though, and *if* DD has trouble with something in Singapore, you can always pull them back out. Or you can keep them for "fun" during a week off from Singapore.

 

It is good to "see" you around! I don't post much, but when I read your post I just had to reply. Hope you are all doing well!

 

:)

 

Colleen - don't feel bad! I have enjoyed Miquon, and in fact the day after I posted, DD#1 had a total meltdown and couldn't even subtract 20 from 40, LOL! We switched right over to Miquon and have been doing that for a week with zero difficulty. I'm still not sure about next year, but will likely finish out Miquon and add in IP.

 

Hope to see you soon!

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