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Singapore VS Beast Acadamy


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Hello! My oldest son and are pretty much have our first year at home under our belt and I'm looking towards "next year" and thinking of tweaking our math choice. He will be 8 next month in June and did Kindergarten and 1st grade at a private christian school in town. They used A Bekah for alot of things although I don't know what Math curriculum they did. This year in "2nd" grade we started Singapore SE in 1B and have finished through 2A and are planning to continue and start our 2B books today. When I originally looked for Math curriculum I was suggested either Singapore or to check out the Beast Acadamy (which I really liked but they didn't offer 2nd grade yet). While Singapore has been a good fit for us so far and he is bright and grasps Math very well with it I am wondering if Beast Acadamy would be an even better fit. I think I want to use the Art of Problem Solving in the upper grades but know I can transition from either SM or BA at the point needed. 

 

For other reference we are in MCT's Grammar Island (which he LOVES and begs to do), SWO book B, and did Cycle 2 of CC last year with our local CG and plan to continue this next cycle. 

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DS8 is finishing his first year home (2nd grade). He did Singapore 2A&B, and finished in April. We started Beast Academy 3A at the beginning of the month, and he is nearly finished. He *loves* BA, so he will continue with Beast Academy during the summer, hopefully finishing 3B and starting 3C by the end of August. I am planning to use Singapore 3A&B as his primary text next fall and continue to let him work through BA as he pleases. 

 

I will buy the 2nd grade texts as they are released, but I probably won't buy the workbooks (unless he ask).

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Both.  They complement each other well.  Just be aware that Beast is accelerated.  I use it behind Singapore with my mathy kid...though sometimes I use it concurrently.  

 

DS8 is finishing his first year home (2nd grade). He did Singapore 2A&B, and finished in April. We started Beast Academy 3A at the beginning of the month, and he is nearly finished. He *loves* BA, so he will continue with Beast Academy during the summer, hopefully finishing 3B and starting 3C by the end of August. I am planning to use Singapore 3A&B as his primary text next fall and continue to let him work through BA as he pleases. 

 

I will buy the 2nd grade texts as they are released, but I probably won't buy the workbooks (unless he ask).

 

I hadn't thought of using both but that actually sounds like a good idea for us. He grasps things quickly and if I don't keep up with him gets bored and then we have problems. From what I'm seeing online of 3A I think it's something we are ready for but I'd wait til we finish 2B in Singapore. They are scheduled to release the 2A in august so I guess we could even start there and just see how fast he moves through it. 

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We eventually got ahead of the publication pace of Beast Academy.

 

I really like BA, but feel Primary Mathematics (Singapore) does a better job systematically building the "nuts and bolts" skills of elementary math, while BA's strong point is to provide depth and challenge.

 

We used both. For my kid, at least, BA would not have served a replacement for PM, but was a great complementary resource.

 

Bill

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Beast is great as a supplement for one specific type of kid.  I have one really mathy kid who thrives off being challenged to the point of frustration.  He hasn't hit anything in Singapore yet that wasn't incredibly easy.  I need to slow him down.  Beast does that.  There is very little review or practice, which is fine for this particular kid.  Beast builds depth and understanding through thinking hard.  It's perfect for my son!  He still uses it a year behind where we are in Singapore though.

 

I would NEVER use Beast with my other three kids.  They would be frustrated and decide they hated math in about 3 minutes.   :)

 

 

 

 

 

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We eventually got ahead of the publication pace of Beast Academy.

 

I really like BA, but feel Primary Mathematics (Singapore) does a better job systematically building the "nuts and bolts" skills of elementary math, while BA's strong point is to provide depth and challenge.

 

We used both. For my kid, at least, BA would not have served a replacement for PM, but was a great complementary resource.

 

Bill

 

Yes, exactly.  Beast is great but it assumes an accelerated understanding of the process of math and does not necessarily teach it explicitly.  It's great for kids that just intrinsically know math concepts, as it doesn't really waste much time there, instead choosing to expand breadth and depth.

 

Some of it is "gimmicky" parlor math, but the intention is to challenge. 

 

Like you, I could not use it as a stand-alone.  

 

 

 

Beast is great as a supplement for one specific type of kid.  I have one really mathy kid who thrives off being challenged to the point of frustration.  He hasn't hit anything in Singapore yet that wasn't incredibly easy.  I need to slow him down.  Beast does that.  There is very little review or practice, which is fine for this particular kid.  Beast builds depth and understanding through thinking hard.  It's perfect for my son!  He still uses it a year behind where we are in Singapore though.

 

I would NEVER use Beast with my other three kids.  They would be frustrated and decide they hated math in about 3 minutes.   :)

 

Don't discount Beast for your others!  My eldest son is my mathy kid and he just gets math.  He enjoys the challenge, and NEEDS that challenge to keep him interested.  He adores Beast and is sad they don't have it for Pre-Alg.  

 

My other three are less mathy to varying degrees.  With one of them having significant math-related learning disabilities.  All three enjoy Beast.  I do not assign it to them, and I have not given them any of the work pages.  They just enjoy reading the book.  Eventually, as they get a bit older, I'll probably start assigning some of it, just to see how they do and if they like it.  

 

No pressure...just for fun.  If it works, great.  If not, no big deal.  They are plenty challenged with Singapore.  

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We eventually got ahead of the publication pace of Beast Academy.

 

I really like BA, but feel Primary Mathematics (Singapore) does a better job systematically building the "nuts and bolts" skills of elementary math, while BA's strong point is to provide depth and challenge.

 

We used both. For my kid, at least, BA would not have served a replacement for PM, but was a great complementary resource.

 

Bill

 

:iagree: :iagree: :iagree: :iagree: :iagree:

 

I know BA claims to be a complete curriculum but I don't think it is nearly as comprehensive as Singapore. If you want to increase the challenge level of Singapore for a bright child, add in the Intensive Practice books.

 

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How is SM 2 going? The thing about SM 3 is that for us, it became a little tedious and repetitious after mastering SM 2. It certainly didn't require a full year. This is why it's so tempting to switch to Beast for 3, to go deeper for that year that doesn't have a lot of challenging new concepts being introduced in SM. You could take a look at SM 3-- scope and sequence, table of contents, online samples-- and see what you think for your child.

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How is SM 2 going? The thing about SM 3 is that for us, it became a little tedious and repetitious after mastering SM 2. It certainly didn't require a full year. This is why it's so tempting to switch to Beast for 3, to go deeper for that year that doesn't have a lot of challenging new concepts being introduced in SM. You could take a look at SM 3-- scope and sequence, table of contents, online samples-- and see what you think for your child.

 

Singapore 3 has a whole bunch of new concepts (multi-digit multiplication, multi-digit division, fractions, area/perimeter/volume). Are you maybe thinking of SM 2? That doesn't have that much more than SM 1.

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I have never used Singapore Math with my own kids, but I do use Beast Academy. Even though a particular concept (like multiplication) might be on grade level, what they do with that concept is far beyond what I have seen in typical 3rd grade work. I use it as a problem-solving curriculum and love it, even when it makes my son cry on occasion (and that was on a 3rd grade problem after finishing 5th grade math in another curriculum). 

 

That said, I am glad he learned his basic facts and algorithms in another separate curriculum because they don't do drills or review. While they might build on previous concepts, I am realizing that I need to pull out the main ideas we have learned in different sections and regularly review them with practice problems so that he can remember what he has learned. I know that they are coming out with an online version in 2018 and am curious to see if they will provide more reinforcement in that area.

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