Caviar Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 My 7yo ds has mastered all his math facts up to 12, should I just continue on with 13, 14, 15, etc..... ? He has them memorized, meaning he doesn't know "why" 12 x 11 = 132, but he just "knows" that that's what it is. He loves math, and all day long will quiz me on my math facts, and he will continually make the questions harder, even though he has no idea what the answer may be. Is there a classic public domain book that focuses on mental math? We are currently working with CLE Math 100, which is fine for helping him understand math, but I can see us skipping a lot of it, as it's not moving fast enough for him. On the other hand, I don't want to move too fast, because I do want to make sure that he's not just memorizing everything, but actually understanding the concepts. Maybe there's a better math program for him? I'm looking forward to your suggestions! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 You might look at Math In Focus. It is really good for mental math and you can usually buy the materials used on-line in great condition. In the meantime, for CLE you could always compress lessons. I never used Grade 1 so I may be off base on how it is organized but with Grade 2 and beyond you could cross out some of the review, do two lessons as one (meaning introduce the new material from two lessons but only do select review from one and skip the rest of the review problems from those two lessons) and just give him the quizzes and tests. Or skip the quizzes and do the tests. If he passes the tests and seems to have not just computational function but conceptual understanding then you just keep moving faster through the material until you hit areas he needs to slow down. Meaning you can pick up the pace without losing anything since CLE builds in a LOT of review. It is not a mastery program. If you miss a section, that section comes up again pretty quickly. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 Nothing cool to add other than hey that's really awesome! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WinsomeCreek Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 Now that I am going through Singapore math with yet another kid, I am again reminded of how much I love the focus on understanding the math picture enough to manipulate numbers. Its great that your kid knows so many math facts! That makes everything easier moving forward. This is a good time to work on concepts, distributive and commutative laws, move the numbers around a lot. I never used CLE, so I can't speak to how it teaches concepts. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverMoon Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 I have a similar 7yo. We used Horizons, which occasionally gets "moves too fast" and "covers too many concepts" reviews, which made it a perfect fit for my math inclined kids. It wasn't moving fast enough for said 7yo. :P She was a full grade ahead, doing multiple lessons a day because it was too easy, until she raced ahead where it was too hard. She yo-yoed/yo-yos between loving and hating math, and her attitude was horrible. This year we're giving Math in Focus a go and so far it's working. It's different enough it doesn't feel like more of the same from Horizons, and every day is different. She's still flying ahead like a runaway freight train, but at least math is pleasant again. :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 Now you should read Liping Ma's Knowing and Teaching Elementary Mathematics to understand why just memorizing "math facts" without mathematical understanding is a superficial approach to math education. Read it. Then find an approach that helps teaches the underlying mathematics behind operations. Not CLE. Bill 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desertflower Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 All good points up above. Here's my 2 cents. I like Singapore math. It explains the "why" in my opinion. I don't know anything about CLE. The home instructor guide is a necessity in explaining the "why". Just fyi, some people feel that the workbook is too easy and do the Intensive Practice book in place of it. Your family may be different. As for mental math. SM does have mental math pages in the end of the Home Instructor Guides. A lot of problems! Hth! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southern Ivy Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 Dang! That's awesome! What I wouldn't give if all of my 4th graders knew that. As it stands, only 5 out of 23 know their math facts...and some of them still struggle with addition/subtraction! :crying: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blondeviolin Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 That's awesome! I'd look at MEP math if you want free. Some of it will be "easy" but you can definitely compact things and adjust as you need to. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caviar Posted October 20, 2015 Author Share Posted October 20, 2015 Dang! That's awesome! What I wouldn't give if all of my 4th graders knew that. As it stands, only 5 out of 23 know their math facts...and some of them still struggle with addition/subtraction! :crying: ***Just so you know, I take no credit for him knowing all his facts already! All I did was sign all my dc up for Xtramath.org and BigBrainz TimezAttack base version. It worked! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hellen Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 If he's just interested in memorizing something, I think knowing all of the prime numbers up to 100 or more will be useful eventually. Memorizing perfect squares could be useful too. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Love My Life x4 Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 Awesome!!! Sounds similar to my 7 year old. She uses Singapore IP + CWP, Math Mammoth (currently 3B) and Beast Academy. She knows her math facts inside and out but also knows the "why" and has managed to make my head spin a time or two as she explained her reasoning, lol. She does Abeka 4th grade math for fun (because she loves to sit and work on math and I needed a math book to just give her to work on that she could do with little instruction in the car, at the other kids practices/games, etc...). She also is working her way through the Key To... series (fractions, decimals, percents), Zaccaro books and Hands on Equations. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 My math adept kids use CLE quite happily (and understand the "why" just as much as the one that used Singapore did). When things get slow, we just speed up - do new parts of two lessons and review from one. Or circle certain problems on the review section. Much of the 100 light unit is learning addition and subtraction facts, so glossing through that and getting to the addition with regrouping (they use the term "carrying", which I know drives some people mad :) ) might be a good idea. It's ok to move up a grade level of needed. My 6 year old is in 207 now. He is getting a solid math foundation. :) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Random Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 If you are only looking for something to supplement CLE 100 level, you might check out MEP. http://www.cimt.plymouth.ac.uk/projects/mepres/primary/default.htm 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Eskn05 Posted October 27, 2015 Share Posted October 27, 2015 Hi, I am new here. What are these abbreviated forms: i) CLE MATH 100 level ii) Singapore IP + CWP Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted October 27, 2015 Share Posted October 27, 2015 Hi, I am new here. What are these abbreviated forms: i) CLE MATH 100 level ii) Singapore IP + CWP Thanks http://www.welltrainedmind.com/board-abbreviations/ IP = intensive practice CWP = challenging word problems Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Eskn05 Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 Thank you, Empress Bee. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Incognito Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 I think Singapore is good at teaching the "why". Beast Academy is very good at teaching "why" as well, but I am not sure if just having facts memorized will get you past the pretest (it starts at a challenging gr3 level). If your child can pass the pretest, I highly recommend BA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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