Should I switch to Beast Academy? Can you share your BA routine?

[TheAttachedMama]

Hi, Everyone,

 

First, can I vent a little bit about math this year?  (If you came to share your beast academy routine only, Feel free to skip my vent and go below the line.   ;)  )

 

I have used Singapore math from Earlybird to level 4B (standards edition), and I have loved it.   My original plan was to finish off 5A/5B and then start AOPS pre-algebra next year.   However, I feel like level 5A is just...different somehow....And not different in a good way.    I've had a couple of minor hiccups this year in math---and I can't decide if I should stick things out.  (Maybe things get better?)  Or if perhaps this is a sign I should make the switch to AOPS earlier?   

 

Hiccups in Math this year:

1)  The divisibility rules:   The divisibility rules for the numbers 1-10 are covered briefly in an introduction in the HIG.  Not in a lesson...in one of the chapter "introductions" written to the teacher.   The HIG makes no indication that you are supposed to teach these to your children in any of the lessons.   It even has a note in the introduction that says something along the lines, "in case your children are interested, here are the divisibility rules."   Now, these rules are not impossible to learn, but it does take some work to learn them.   However, with no indication that I should begin teaching them to my children at this time and with no time given to learn them,  the child is just supposed to start applying them in order to solve some problems.   For example, in one problem, the child must know that 4 is a factor of 92 in order to solve one of the problems.   Do most kids just know this without having to divide 4 out?   I don't.   There also seem to be quite a few problems where you need to know that 3 is a factor in order to solve them.   Again, the divisibility rule for 3 is not that hard, but a little indication that we should know these would be nice.

 

"OK," I thought.  "No big deal.  They probably should have these rules memorized anyways.  (I've been meaning to get to that!)   I will just start reviewing them each day before class until they have them down."   So I did, and happily moved on.   (That was my first minor annoyance.)   

 

2)  The distributive property:   The VERY next unit, they introduce the distributive property for the VERY first time.   And...within that first lesson, the child is supposed to start applying the distributive property in their head with mental math.  (Without writing down any work.)  There is even a note that said something along the lines, "the child should feel that the distributive propery is intuative and therefore should  not be required to write down any steps.)

 

I felt like this was poor instruction and most children probably require more scaffolding.   (For example, before I started teaching my child strategies to multiply large digits mentally, I made sure they understood WHY the strategies worked.   And before that, I made sure they understood how to multiply numbers on paper really, really well.)   But within one single lesson, they are taught the distributive properly and expected to apply all of the steps.  

 

Again, I can hang out on this unit and do what needs to be done before we move on.  But, I am annoyed that I have to modify the program again.

 

3)  Appendix Supplements?

Related to point 2, another thing I have noticed is all of these extra appendix supplemental worksheets.   The authors of the HIG obviously foresaw that the way concepts were presented might cause a problem for some children.   So they have started including all of these extra "appendix" pages for additional instruction and practice in some of these strategies.   (sort of like workbook supplements.)   

 

Personally, I really hate the appendix pages.   I'm used to the scheduled mental math, and I have found ways around using those.  But I wasn't prepared to make my own worksheets for these other appendix topics.   Maybe I am getting lazy in my homeschool careers...but really, I feel like Singapore could step up their game in this department.  Can't they provide a pdf?  Or even an extra book I could purchase for these appendix problems?   I am teaching to two children, so they cant exactly share my appendix in my HIG.  (and I hope to reuse these HIGs with future children.)   And I don't have any easy way to photocopy all of these appendix pages.  

 

 

All of these things are minor hiccups.   I know with some extra instruction and practice, we can find a way around these things.   If a few of you tell me that things get better, I am more than willing to stick it out and do what needs to be done.   BUT--if the whole year is filled with "minor inconviances", math becomes a drag...you know?  

(On a side note:   I remember being sort of annoyed with how long division was originally taught in Singapore math.  I remember a few of you encouraged me that you felt the same way, and I should just stick it out and things would get better.   WELL, I stuck it out and things DID get better.   And I am glad I did because Singapore has been one of my favorite resources.)   

 

So I am wondering, does Singapore 5A/5B get better?   Am I just off to a rocky start in math this year?   Perhaps my kids are just rusty or needing extra practice as math gets more difficult?

 

In another thread, someone asked if my daughter could be making mistakes in math because she was bored.   I dismissed that idea, but started thinking about how she is the type who loves a challenge in math.   She likes to puzzle through a problem.   So maybe there is something to that?   I don't know.

 

Anyways, this leads me to looking longingly at Beast Academy.... 

In fact, for math today, I may have given my children one of the placement tests.   

 

----------------------------------------------

(The line you can skip too if you don't want to hear me vent about math.   Trust me...I get it and am not offended! hahaha )  

 

Beast Academy Questions:

 

What is your daily routine for beast academy?   Specifically, do you read the guide WITH/TO your child?  I feel like I would need to in order to help them, right?  (And, this might be a dumb question, but how exactly do you read a graphic novel aloud?)    

 

Hypothetically, How would you approach BA if you were teaching two children at once working at about the same level?   

 

How do you assign problems?  And do you work side-by-side with your child, or assign and check?  Do you assign an entire practice page per day or use a time limit?  (If you use a time limit, how do you encourage them not to waste their time?  For example, if you had a child who was easily distracted?) 

 

Also, looking at the samples, I am thinking it might be good to start the day with some type of review?  Maybe an evan moore daily math page so skills do not get rusty?   I worry that there aren't very many scheduled reviews in BA.   What grade level of Evan Moore would correspond to the later 4th grade BA books or the early 5th grade books?  

 

 

Edited September 25, 2017 by TheAttachedMama

[kiwik]

I have only done one but we read it aloud by choosing several characters each and reading it like a play.

[TheAttachedMama]

I have only done one but we read it aloud by choosing several characters each and reading it like a play.

Wow! That is a great idea.  With three of us for "parts", we could probably do that easily.  My kids are hams, so I bet they would enjoy that.   Thanks for the tip.

[silver]

I read the guide aloud to my child. She typically reads along with me (in her head), so she's not confused about who is talking. If she didn't read along with me, I'd point to the character that was speaking or do voices. 

 

The guides will have occasional stop signs that have the student stop and try to do a problem. Then the guide goes on to explain how to do the problem, demonstrating problem solving using the beasts working together. They also use that to explain why a solution works. All my kids love BA, so sometimes they all stop their work and sit with me. When that happens, only the child whose math it actually is does the stop sign problems.

 

As for daily work, I have her work by timer, not page. For her that is 30 minutes of focused work. Some days that means only 2 pages get done. Some days she gets 6+ pages done. It depends on the topic and how early in the chapter it is (earlier pages tend to be easier). I don't think she's on pace to finish 4 books a school year doing it this way, but I'm OK with that, since BA goes right from level 5 to PreA. If guide pages are read during math time, I sometimes will count that in the 30 minutes, and sometimes I won't. I sit next to my kids during math and redirect them when they start spacing out, talking to siblings, etc. I also do this to be able to check math work immediately, giving feedback after each question. 

[Jackie]

We're on our fifth BA book, using it as our primary curric.

 

DD adores the guides and takes them to bed to read. When she starts a new practice book, she "earns" the next guide to read for pleasure. (So, when she started 4A Practice, she was given 4B Guide.) Therefore, by the time we get to a topic in Practice, she has voluntarily read the Guide multiple times and has the concepts rattle around in her brain. I only read a section with her if she's having trouble applying a concept. When we do this, we each read certain characters aloud and do voices.

 

I assign by time. She does 25 minutes of math per day, picking up wherever she left off. Some days are completely independent, some days I'm at her desk with her. This is determined more by her ADHD and anxiety than the math itself. Today she got three problems done. The day before, two problems. Multi-digit multiplication seems to be really testing her organizational skills! Most chapters go notably faster. She did get level 3 done within one year, with similarly wildly uneven pacing.

 

Part of our morning routine includes one quick worksheet. Sometimes these are Kumon workbook sheets of math review to practice and maintain fluency. The grade levels match up - Kumon is straightforward, without the puzzle aspects, so she's really just practicing fluency with the algorithms with this piece. Because DD loves variety, we take 1-3 weeks between each chapter to work on alternative mathy things.

[TheAttachedMama]

Thanks, everyone.   Can anyone explain how I place my child in BA?  Do I work backward through the placement tests or start with the 3A test and work forward? Both kids were going into Singapore 5A----BUT, I gave them the BA 4A test, and only one of them passed the BA 4A assessment test.  (And he got the minimum number correct!)  I looked over some of the level 3 BA placement tests and realized that there is some stuff I am pretty sure they wouldn't know how to do.  Specifically the algebra stuff.   So I am not sure if they would pass all of those level 3 tests or not.

 

Also, what does the hive say about combining them?   Let's say, hypothetically, that my older son places in book 4A while my daughter places in book 3C or 3D.    Is it worth splitting them apart in math if that are *that* close?   Should I just place them both in the lower book?  Or have two separate maths?

 

To make matters more complicated in my mind, I actually own all of the level 3 Beast Academy books.   I could actually just go through those books tomorrow and skip all of the placement tests.    Should I start them both in book 3A to make sure they don't have any gaps?  On one hand, it would give them both review from different angles of topics I covered in Singapore.  On the other hand, I am starting them two grades lower in math.   How will they ever catch up?   Will I be making a HUGE mistake doing that?  

 

Sorry for so many questions.  Math is just a really important subject.   I don't want to mess this up!  ;)

[shawthorne44]

I was reading a Kate Snow's blog post about BA and she said that the BA placement exam is too difficult to be useful.   Those weren't her exact words.  

On the other hand, some of those level 3 problems make me really think and I have a math minor.  

Edited September 25, 2017 by shawthorne44

[8filltheheart]

I don't own the upper level BA books, just 2a, so this comment is from the perspective of a mom who had 2 older kids jump into AoPS without difficulty after using Horizons for elementary school.  I would not drop your kids down 2 yrs in math in order to make BA work.  I would figure out a way to supplement Singaport (or maybe look at MiF) and make it work.  BA is in no way worth going back 2 yrs in math.  (Honestly, I don't think AoPS is either.  There is more than 1 way to forge toward a solid mathematically understanding.)

 

FWIW, I own MiF 4,5, and Course 1.  I don't  remember any leaps, but my kids have also learned the things you mention in Horizons so I am very familiar with the concepts.  I just tend to teach my kids vs. relying on the textbooks, so my memory of MiF might be flawed. 

[Miss Tick]

My kids are in charge of doing the reading when it needs to be done, I'm juggling too much during math time to be reading anybody's math out loud. The practice books have their own stand-alone instructions, so if dd doesn't understand the approach we just look there. We do math for a while, like 45 minutes? I'm there to keep people focused, answer questions, and check problems. BA is hard to schedule because some of it is straight forward and some is tricky and you can't always tell ahead of time.

[Jackie]

As for placement, you would generally give placement tests in order starting with 3A and start them at the level below where they can't pass. I disagree with the statement that the placement tests are too hard and actually find them rather easy compared to what is covered in each level.

 

I don't know what grade your kids are in, but BA is designed to go straight from grade 5 to pre-Algebra, which is one year less elementary math than the majority of programs. That saves you a year in the schedule right there.

 

Additionally, I would guess they wouldn't need much/all of level 3. If you choose to start there, flip through the workbooks and assign selected problems. No point having them fill out pages of single digit multiplication charts if they already know them, for example.

[YodaGirl]

I can tell you what we're doing.

 

We've done MiF for almost the entire time we've homeschooled. DD is in 5th grade and doing 5A/5B MiF. I had planned to go from 5A/5B to AoPS, but I don't think that's going to happen. DD placed borderline into BA 5. Since it was going to be a supplement, I wanted something on the easier end of challenging. I went ahead and bought BA 4, and I'm so glad that I did. BA also suggests that an average grade 5 student should probably begin with BA 4.

 

So, the idea is to do MiF 5 w/ BA 4 this year and MiF Course 1 w/ BA 5. We'll do AoPS Pre-Algebra in 6th grade.

 

My son, on the other hand, is a different story. He completed MiF 1A/B last year in K, but he's not as strong as I wanted. So, we're doing MiF 1A/B Extra Practice workbooks with BA 2 as the books are released. The plan is for him to start AoPS Pre-Algebra in 5th grade.

[TheAttachedMama]

I can tell you what we're doing.

 

We've done MiF for almost the entire time we've homeschooled. DD is in 5th grade and doing 5A/5B MiF. I had planned to go from 5A/5B to AoPS, but I don't think that's going to happen. DD placed borderline into BA 5. Since it was going to be a supplement, I wanted something on the easier end of challenging. I went ahead and bought BA 4, and I'm so glad that I did. BA also suggests that an average grade 5 student should probably begin with BA 4.

 

So, the idea is to do MiF 5 w/ BA 4 this year and MiF Course 1 w/ BA 5. We'll do AoPS Pre-Algebra in 6th grade.

 

My son, on the other hand, is a different story. He completed MiF 1A/B last year in K, but he's not as strong as I wanted. So, we're doing MiF 1A/B Extra Practice workbooks with BA 2 as the books are released. The plan is for him to start AoPS Pre-Algebra in 5th grade.

Thanks!  How do you schedule your day (or week) with two math programs?  

[fralala]

I agree that if your kids have been successful this far with Singapore, going back to BA3 (except for just fun supplementation or the challenge problems) might not be ideal.

 

Did you know you can look at MIF's complete teacher's guide online? (You are asked to give some personal information in order to access it.) If this is only a temporary hiccup in Singapore, that might get you over the hump. I've not done 5A, but I do know that my third grader was ready to do Beast 3A after Singapore 2B. Since BA contains problems that can be challenging even for adults, it can be appropriate to send kids back to it for enrichment and enjoyment, but they will still be solidifying concepts that your kids have likely already mastered.

 

With that said, I'm a huge proponent of doing Beast Academy on its own since it's what changed my third grader (who was rushing through her work, making silly mistakes, and complaining "This is boring") from a math complainer to someone who tackles problems with excitement. She prefers to read the Guide on her own or we read silently side-by-side, stopping and talking things over before turning the page, and then to do problems with me at her side. I don't have any hard and fast rules about time spent, but I look at the problems and try to decide where good stopping places might be-- there is often a natural flow (as with Singapore and other well-designed programs!) where the questions actually build upon each other and deserve to be done together. And my daughter's behavior can also point to good stopping points!

 

Ideally, I would love for my kids to do BA together. But my older one is devastated when her younger sibling gets things before her. I don't want it to be this way, and think the age gap shouldn't be so meaningful, but I respect my older daughter's feelings and the kids take turns babysitting and playing while I do math with the other one. I think BA has great problems to work on with a partner, but for now, I have to be that partner.

[Mavy]

My fourth grader went from Singapore to Beast this year. He completed 4A, but then wanted to switch because he likes a math he can read the teaching on his own and figure out the lesson himself(this child adored Miquon). He started in 3B,because I already had it on hand, and has zoomed through it. He is independent with it, so I do not really have a schedule to share. My husband was a math major, and has conversations with him every now and then to make sure he is retaining and understanding everything.

[EmseB]

For pacing in Beast I just have him do 45min of math per day. Some days he works on a couple of challenge problems for 30 minutes of that time, sometimes he flies through a few pages. I want him to get the idea that some math problems take a lot of time, not that he should get a certain number of problems done in a certain amount of time.

[SeaConquest]

We do an hour per day of Beast, which usually works out to around 2-3 pages. My son dawdles.

[SeaConquest]

Also, just wanted to add that BA Online will be out in 2018. My son is beta testing now, and loves it. It will make it much easier to handle with two kids.

[YodaGirl]

Thanks! How do you schedule your day (or week) with two math programs?

My 1st grader, we read about 1/2 a section a day in the guide book. Once it's time to work in the practice book, we do 1-2 pages a day.

 

I have no idea how long it will take us to progress through it, but since we are doing two programs, I want BA to be light and fun.

[YodaGirl]

Also, just wanted to add that BA Online will be out in 2018. My son is beta testing now, and loves it. It will make it much easier to handle with two kids.

Have they said how much it's going to cost?

[coastalfam]

So, we use BA as a supplement. I LOVE it, but worry that as a stand alone it would not have enough review for my one son who is doing it so far. Our math spine is MUS--a mastery approach. I like doing both because I feel like MUS gives DS a very basic and understandable breakdown of math skills (and only takes a few minutes), and I feel like BA gives him an opportunity to apply and expand those skills in a challenging way that is fun for him. I go through BA with my son, or, honestly, I would not know how to help him with the practice problems (boy am I re-learning a lot of math!). We read it together, and I get him started not he practice problems, and I check in with him frequently, as the problems are difficult and he can get off track without some coaching. One idea is to lay aside Singapore for a bit to see if time and maturity might get you over the hump, and try Beast Academy as a stand alone in the mean-time to see how it goes. I really don't think your kiddos would loose any skills. Like I said earlier, my only concern is there is not enough review for my son who uses it (it probably has plenty for my up-and-coming Beast user, DS3), or I would totally use it as a stand alone curriculum. As it is, we use it four days a week, and we do at least one page of the practice guide, or as many as he wants to do. He has been known to take it to bed with him at night with a flashlight. :)

[SeaConquest]

Have they said how much it's going to cost?

I imagine that it will be free, like Alcumus. I bet if you email them, they will know for sure.

Edited September 27, 2017 by SeaConquest

[eternallytired]

Okay, I haven't used Singapore 5A/B, but I'm here to pitch in with a BA routine from someone who's got two kids working it at once (though not exactly the same place).

 

I read the guides aloud to the kids.  They LOVE it, since I made a voice for each character.  In fact, no matter who I'm officially reading to, all three snuggle on the couch to listen in.

 

ODS actually started BA a year before DD.  The first fall, I assigned him pages and he got through 3A-3C.  Then we took a math hiatus for that spring (don't ask).  We started up again last fall with him in 3D and DD in 3A.  Last year I took the advice of those who suggested giving a set amount of time.  This did not work so well for my kids; they took time to make their numbers into cartoons, got lost in thought, and were otherwise not especially motivated to get much done.  DD made it through all of level 3 in a year, but ODS (who, granted, has ADHD) only finished 3D-4B--and that was with me pushing heavily at the end.  I've since taken a hybrid approach: for each chapter, BA estimates that a student will take about 12-15 days.  Thus, I went through and numbered the workbook pages for each chapter with 1-12 (about 2-3 pages per day).  I told the kids that these were their guide numbers.  They should aim to get about one numbered set of pages done per day, but it was okay to get a couple pages behind.  This seems to work better.  They keep their noses to the grindstone, and I tell them when they should be wrapping up for the day; they quit or do a couple problems more according to how much they've accomplished.

 

I'm not sure how your kids are, but my DD (middle kid) is SUPER competitive.  I purposely held her back from starting BA so she couldn't easily compare her performance to her brother's.  (She is also very math-anxious, despite being very capable, so I figured a little more maturity couldn't hurt.)  If your kids have this problem, too, I'd recommend staggering when they start, having your faster kid begin first (if you have one; my ODS computes faster than DD) so they don't catch up to the other one.  I found when I tried to keep them together that they had different sticking points, so inevitably if one needed more time for a concept, the other was ready to move on.  Ultimately, I decided it would be less frustrating all around (if a bit more complicated) to separate them so they could each progress at their own pace.  If yours are nicely keeping pace with each other with no issue, then you can ignore this paragraph and celebrate your good fortune!

 

We're using BA for our only program, and so far I've been very pleased with how it works.  It has plenty of practice for my mathy kids, and though there isn't official review, a lot of math builds on itself, so I haven't really felt a lack on that front.  (And if you're concerned, something like Prodigy can be a fun way to keep reviewing concepts.)

[reign]

I'm also doing Beast with more than one kid. My 5th and 4th are working through 4C. Though they have already read all the guides independently for fun, we take time to read them aloud together. Each of us has a couple characters we read for. Then each girl works through the workbook while I stay at the table. Due to concentration problems for my oldest and anxiety/perfectionism in the other we were unable to combine them until this past summer. They had a hard time with Beast 3 but since starting Beast 4 things have been easier, which allows them to finally work at the same time. This is a huge time saver for usSometimes they do a page from MM6 for extra review.

 

My youngest is using Beast 3a and MM4a right now. She does the readings with me (she isn't a great reader) and works in the workbook for a page or two. She does MM independently.

 

We also have dreambox for review and complete about 5-7 lessons a week.

Edited September 27, 2017 by reign

[shawthorne44]

Have they said how much it's going to cost?

 

FAQ says that they haven't decided yet

[kiwik]

I imagine that it will be free, like Alcumus. I bet if you email them, they will know for sure.

No it isn't free. I emailed and they said probably a subscription with a similar cost per year as buying the books. It is supposed to include online access to the guides.

[LMD]

We do beast as our main math here. Well we did until dd finished all the books before I could buy the newly released ones (she finished 5A, is nearly finished with prealgebra, but when she heard I was getting 2A for her brother she begged for the rest of level 5...)

Ds in 4th grade is nearly finished with 3D. I'm not at all worried about that. He is bright but easily frustrated. He does on average 2 pages of the practice book a day, more if they're easy problems. We've had days where we do one double star problem and end up doing it together on graph paper. Though this child often struggles more with over thinking the simple problems and easily 'seeing' the answers to the starred ones - no way to tell how it will go! So I don't really plan it out, but I am with him or just nearby as he works. We probably do between 30-40min daily, maximum.

I really love beast academy. I'm very happy with what I've seen.

[AmandaVT]

I read the guide aloud to my child. She typically reads along with me (in her head), so she's not confused about who is talking. If she didn't read along with me, I'd point to the character that was speaking or do voices. 

 

The guides will have occasional stop signs that have the student stop and try to do a problem. Then the guide goes on to explain how to do the problem, demonstrating problem solving using the beasts working together. They also use that to explain why a solution works. All my kids love BA, so sometimes they all stop their work and sit with me. When that happens, only the child whose math it actually is does the stop sign problems.

 

As for daily work, I have her work by timer, not page. For her that is 30 minutes of focused work. Some days that means only 2 pages get done. Some days she gets 6+ pages done. It depends on the topic and how early in the chapter it is (earlier pages tend to be easier). I don't think she's on pace to finish 4 books a school year doing it this way, but I'm OK with that, since BA goes right from level 5 to PreA. If guide pages are read during math time, I sometimes will count that in the 30 minutes, and sometimes I won't. I sit next to my kids during math and redirect them when they start spacing out, talking to siblings, etc. I also do this to be able to check math work immediately, giving feedback after each question. 

 

This is how we do it, though we read it like a play like a PP. It makes it fun. We do all lessons buddy style. What works really well for DS is: he writes the steps and answer to one problem as I explain how I figured it out and then we switch. He walks me through figuring out a problem and I write the steps and answer down. Sometimes I "can't figure one out" so he has to help me work it out. :-) 

[Cake and Pi]

No it isn't free. I emailed and they said probably a subscription with a similar cost per year as buying the books. It is supposed to include online access to the guides.

 

Lame sauce.

[Cake and Pi]

My oldest did BA 3-5 as his only math.  DS#2 did BA 3 as a supplement to other math programs stretched out over 2 years, and DS#3 is doing BA 3 and BA 2 as it's released in between stints of RS D this year.

 

What we do:  

 

I read the guides aloud with character voices while pointing to what I'm reading.  As the stop signs come up, we stop and work the problems together-ish.  I aim for Socratic-style helping.  I set a timer for the practice book with my oldest two, but I may need to do something different with DS#3.

 

My kids have each used the workbooks differently.  DS#1 did BA 3 independently, asked me to read the problems to him in 4, then started asking for help with problems in 5.  I took this to mean he needed more direct instruction, so I started working the example problems on the board.  This reduced his requests for help.  In BA 5 there were many challenge problems that we ended up working together on the board, too, but like with the problems from the guide, I tried to just ask questions until he figured it out.  DS#2 does best if I actually sit with him for his entire math time and read the examples, instructions, and questions aloud to him.  DS#3 reads the guide by himself, then wants me to read it to him, but we don't really do the stop-sign problems because he has all the answers memorized from reading it himself.  Then he disappears with the practice book and does whatever he feels like whenever he feels like it.  He hasn't gotten to a point where he's really being challenged yet, so I'm not sure what things will look like once it's harder for him.   I imagine I'll end up helping him with problems on the board like with DS#1?  He probably won't want to be read to.

 

Thoughts on placement:

 

I think it depends on your kids' ages/grades for how you place them.  If they are young to be starting 5th grade math, I'd start somewhere in BA3, maybe just doing the challenge and otherwise unusual/interesting problems from 3A and 3B (but the shapes chapter is probably worth doing in it's entirety).  If they're at grade level, then BA 4 might be a better fit.  

 

My DS#1 finished RS E (4th grade math) before starting in BA.  I put him BA 3, but started with book C.  So he went "backwards" a year and a half when switching to BA, and I am happy we did it that way.  He moved very quickly through BA 3 and the first half of BA 4, slowed a little on the second half of BA 4, and then slowed to a "normal" pace in BA 5.  He outpaced BA 5's production by a tiny bit, so I had him go back and do the challenge problems from 3B.  Altogether, it took him 2 school years, with some non-standard extra breaks, to do 3B-5D.  I think having already done 4th grade math in another program really helped smooth out the transition to BA.  He was able to focus on learning to problem solve before many new concepts were introduced and it was a big confidence boost to boot.

 

I would advise against *trying* to keep your kids together for BA.  I guess if it happened naturally, that'd be fine and maybe then they could try to work together on some of the more challenging problems (assuming one doesn't dominate the process).  However, I've found the pacing to be incredibly uneven and unpredictable, and my boys have not zoomed through or stumbled on the same problems.  Between the three kids, I've seen 18 pages blown through in 40 minutes, and I've seen a 3- or 4-problem page worked on for two straight weeks.  If you're worried about competition or hurt feelings when one is able to progress faster than the other, I like the suggestion above to either start your faster kid a few weeks earlier or at a point farther in the series than your slower kid.

[MamaWho]

My 9 year old is in his second year of BA.  I like to read with him because then we stop and do the "try it" questions on a white board together.  It lets me know that he understands what we have just read.   I point to each character as I read their lines.  I use my regular voice for some, but the pirate obviously gets a pirate-y voice, and I use couple other voices for some of the distinctly different characters. 

 

He does math for about 45 minutes a day, which includes any reading time.  He can usually do a chapter in about 3 weeks this way.  We supplement with xtra math for fluency practice, and he plays prodigy on occasion.  I feel like this is absolutely enough math for a child who understands math concepts fairly quickly.

[kiwik]

Lame sauce.

I was hoping for cheaper since I can't resell a subscription. But I guess I wouldn't have to pay postage. It depends on the terms and exact amount I guess.

[shawthorne44]

I was hoping for cheaper since I can't resell a subscription. But I guess I wouldn't have to pay postage. It depends on the terms and exact amount I guess.

 

And how cool it is, and how many problems it has.   .   

 

 

One thing from reading the description it sounded like it had ... I forget what it is called but that there is AI in the background that figures out where the understanding needs work, and gives more problems in the weak area.  There is some worth in that.   

[Cake and Pi]

And how cool it is, and how many problems it has.   .   

 

 

One thing from reading the description it sounded like it had ... I forget what it is called but that there is AI in the background that figures out where the understanding needs work, and gives more problems in the weak area.  There is some worth in that.   

 

It does look wicked cool, and the adaptive presentation of problems could be amazing.  It's just that when you have multiple kids, and have already bought the whole series, and have a kid who tends to gobble up curricula, it adds up.  My pocket book is getting sore just thinking about it.

[shawthorne44]

oh, yeah, totally.  Already have the book would be a no-go for the online version for me.   Not to mention having more than one kid.  

it seems like it might be nice though for maybe a month at the end of the series.   As a sort-of review of the year's worth of books.   

[daijobu]

Can I just add that my favorite voice is the pirate Captain Kraken?  

[bolt.]

What is your daily routine for beast academy? Specifically, do you read the guide WITH/TO your child? I feel like I would need to in order to help them, right? (And, this might be a dumb question, but how exactly do you read a graphic novel aloud?)

 

Hypothetically, How would you approach BA if you were teaching two children at once working at about the same level?

 

How do you assign problems? And do you work side-by-side with your child, or assign and check? Do you assign an entire practice page per day or use a time limit? (If you use a time limit, how do you encourage them not to waste their time? For example, if you had a child who was easily distracted?)

 

Also, looking at the samples, I am thinking it might be good to start the day with some type of review? Maybe an evan moore daily math page so skills do not get rusty? I worry that there aren't very many scheduled reviews in BA. What grade level of Evan Moore would correspond to the later 4th grade BA books or the early 5th grade books?

I'm working through BA in an accelerated pace with a preteen in her first year of homeschooling. She's in grade 7, working in 4A, and definitely learning from it (not reviewing). I don't think the 'grade levels' correspond with traditional school grades. I think they are more like "the youngest age you can successfully teach the concepts if you want to" not "what kids usually learn in those grades". (Or is a strong understanding of exponents with some algebraic expressions the norm for grade 4?)

 

Daily routine: we start each unit with reading the first chunk of the guide, then we work though the practice problems for a reasonable time frame -- sometimes it's a lot of easier questions, sometimes a smaller number of harder questions. (Our pace is 2 units per 3 weeks, about 5 weeks per book.)

 

Reading the guide: We each take a few voices and do a bit of informal reader's theatre style reading.

 

Multiple children: I'd probably do the guide reading together, then split them into two spaces to work semi-independently while I bounced between them. I'd aim for the same completion level, but one would probably finish earlier than the other, unless their math skills were identical.

 

Work style: I work side by side and even do a share of the questions. I do every second question if my student is struggling, every third or fourth one if things are fine, and I 'wander off' to load the dishwasher if she is on a roll. I work my problems as a 'demo' and require her to pay attention. I try to work slowly enough that she will anticipate my moves and feel smart.

 

How much: since I work with her, it's easy to tell when enough is enough. We either do plenty of easy work, or a shorter amount if strong effort is required. I press as much as seems kind-but-firm without any adherence to pages or timeframes.

 

Time wasting: I am working on re-focusing and avoiding distraction. I tell her when it is happening and I help her centre her attention an her work. Wasted time means we spend more of her time getting a reasonable amount of work done, so it's not an advantage to her. If she is seriously off-focus, I send her outdoors for a recess and she usually comes back ready to work.

 

Review: this hasn't been an issue, possibly because we are accelerating, so there isn't much time to 'forget' things, or maybe because she is an older student. I'll have to watch in case she needs review as we go on.

Edited October 2, 2017 by bolt.