when switching math programs....

[mom2Hh]

I'm considering switching from RightStart to Math in Focus.  My 8 yr old is almost done with RightStart level C.  A friend loaned me Math in Focus 3A and B.  I've started looking at 3A and see that my son has already learned the first several sections of the book "the RightStart way".  I gave him a problem or two from the Math in Focus book that I knew he knows how to do in his own way (from RighStart) but he had a big reaction to it saying he had no idea and couldn't do it.  When I explained a few things he was able to do it.  But I' wondering... should he learn how to do it the Singapore way too?  Or if he can do the math his way is that fine, and I shouldn't be concerned if he's not able to do it a different way?  One example would be that Math in Focus uses number lines and in RightStart there has not been any use of number lines.  Plenty of other examples too.

 

also- if anyone happens to know how the two programs line up after completing Right Start level C I'd love to hear about it.  Where to start in Math in Focus...

 

 

[TeaCookiesBears]

Hopefully others with more experience will chime in but I can tell you that I use Rod & Staff with dd8 along Singapore math. I did this because I wanted her exposed to both math styles (procedural and conceptual) and she has responded well to this probably because it gives her variety.

[boscopup]

I wouldn't worry too much about which method is used, as long as he understands what he's doing.

 

That said, I would explain what a number line is and how it works. I wouldn't require a kid to use the number line to add/subtract if they can do it in other ways. But number lines will show up again as X-Y-Z axes in higher math, so a basic understanding of number lines is a good idea, imo. They're pretty easy to learn though.

 

I've switched math curriculum multiple times, and I typically give a placement test for the new curriculum to determine where to start. Does MiF have a placement test? If they don't, I'd probably just use the Singapore Standards placement test, as that would likely be "close enough". I believe the two curricula are similar in scope and sequence (someone please correct me if I'm wrong about that!). Wherever the child places, there will likely be some things that they've done and some things they haven't. You can skim through the stuff they know well. For example, when I switched my oldest from Math Mammoth 4B (we went through the first chapter) to Singapore 4A, we skipped the place value section in the beginning of 4A. We had already done place value that year, and my son had zero problems with place value. It just wasn't necessary to do it. I instead skipped over to the parts we hadn't done in MM yet.