Novafan Posted February 6, 2008 Share Posted February 6, 2008 Actually, I think I understand the difference between the methods. But not knowing the available curricula, can someone tell me what these are: Right Start Math Singapore Math CLE TIA! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debra in CO Posted February 6, 2008 Share Posted February 6, 2008 I'm not going to be much help. I've seen all three of these programs labeled both ways... I think it really depends on whose definitions you use. Honestly, I think both Right Start and Singapore fall somewhere in the middle. I don't know much about CLE. These two have more concepts per year than a traditional mastery course, with the idea of going deeper each time. But they have far fewer topics per year than a traditional spiral course, and they spend more time on each topic. But that's just *my* opinion... Debra Mom of five, ages 1-10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie in GA Posted February 6, 2008 Share Posted February 6, 2008 Mastery - you camp out on a topic until you have "mastered" it. Then you move on. Some mastery-based curricula do have review sections, but you won't otherwise return to a topic once it has been taught. Spiral - Topic #1 - learn/master a few things, Topic #2 - learn a few things, etc. etc. Then, go BACK to Topic #1 and add more skills, and do the cycle again. Each time around the "spiral" you are adding another layer of knowledge/skills to those previously learned. Incremental - this is a "super spiral." You do one little thing in Topic #1, and then move on to #2, #3, etc. You will spiral around more often with this approach. The programs I know about are: Singapore - mastery Saxon - incremental/spiral Math-U-See - mastery Rod & Staff - looked like mastery or very loose spiral (just looked at it, haven't used it) I don't know about the other programs you mentioned. We'll see what others have to say. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzanne in ABQ Posted February 6, 2008 Share Posted February 6, 2008 How can this be? Do you mean that you do addition in first grade and never do it again? I'm sure you don't mean that, so could you (or someone) elaborate? How can MUS never spiral? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathie in VA Posted February 6, 2008 Share Posted February 6, 2008 The way I tend to think of the difference is in how they intend to utilize review. With a spiral or incremental program (ex Saxon), if the student doesn't understand the concept completely (ie they can sort of do it, but they don't have it down cold and thus might not remember how to do the next day) it is okay. They will get more chances to really 'get it' daily as it is included in the review. In a mastery program, the student will do a fair amount of problems on the current new lesson. This will be enough problems to really get it. They will probably do some more the next day to ensure they have it. The next lesson usually builds on the last one, so as they are mastering the new lesson they will be utilizing their skills from the old lesson but won't have specific problems just for review. This is how it works in our math program (Mastering Mathematics). Some mastery programs will have review problems at the end of a chapter or unit (like Lial's BCM). If you think about it, math really does build on itself. Even when we already mastered addition and were up to multiplication, we had to remember and utilize our addition skills to do muli-digit multiplication (433 x 232). And subtraction is used in long division. Word problems are a great place to combine basic math skills without a page of review. But I really think the difference is in how review is viewed (either as a means to master the material or as a memory refresher of skill already mastered). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siloam Posted February 6, 2008 Share Posted February 6, 2008 How can this be? Do you mean that you do addition in first grade and never do it again? I'm sure you don't mean that, so could you (or someone) elaborate? How can MUS never spiral? I don't know about MUS, but RS is mastery. It covers up to 9 digit addition before starting subtraction. RS does have built in review though, so you do brush up on it now and then, but no new concepts are introduced. Singapore is a combo. 1st grade you cover single digit addition, single digit subtraction, and single digit multiplication. 2nd grade will do all those with double digits. Third grade I think does do triple digit of the first two...not multiplication that I remember, it also covers division and measurements of all kinds. The whole program periodic reviews of the current year. From what I hear Horizons will spiral topics in the same year, which is why some people consider Singapore mastery. Heather Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie in GA Posted February 6, 2008 Share Posted February 6, 2008 Yes, that is true. Thanks for catching that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie in GA Posted February 6, 2008 Share Posted February 6, 2008 As Kathie stated, (but in different words), you will always use "lower level" skills when doing higher ones. So although you'll never return to addition as a learning topic in a mastery program, you will be using it again many times to do problems with subtraction, multiplication, fractions, etc. And in many mastery-based programs, you will also have review problems from previous units added on to the end of the exercises. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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