:iagree:It is so hard to find a math program that works for each individual child. If you found it, don't switch! Singapore Challenging Word Problems is an inexpensive book that doesn't take much time, if you want to include more mental and challenging problems. I am not familiar with MM, but perhaps that is already filling in just fine!

This was my favorite one when I taught ps kindergarten. However, I can't remember if it is too geared to a classroom setting or if it would work with a single child. It is full of great activities.

Oh. I understand. So they aren't weekly spelling lists then? Because I saw spelling a couple times within a week I think or maybe I'm confused?

I am interested to know also. Level 3 is coming up next and I was looking it over and wondering this exact same thing.

I just started this week with 101 in LA. I would say thus far I haven't really needed the manual. But admittedly I am completely confused on the spelling. I see spelling words in the teacher guide, but no activities and I don't see it in the LU. So I may not be the best judge of the best way to complete the program.

Thanks! I feel much better about this adventure, knowing that it won't prevent my youngers from still "playing" with numbers and understanding them as they grow in math.

I have not worked on memorizing basic addition/subtraction facts with my kindergartner. Instead (through Rightstart) we have focussed mostly on how numbers work and can be taken apart and put back together to make addition easier. However, as we move out of Righstart B I really would like him to have more facts memorized. I know from threads here that many just memorize them naturally through the games and use, but thus far my ds hasn't. So we are going to do flashcards and bingo, etc. Here is the thing, my almost-5 year old is going to want to do it to. He loves memorizing stuff. Probably the 3 year old will be interested also. Will the younger children miss out on constructing/deconstructing numbers if they have facts memorized? Or do you think they will still get as much out of Rightstart and miquon even if they have many facts memorized?

I was reading through this thread just thinking, I don't understand; this is going so well for us. Then I saw your post and looked to see what lesson we are on. . .63. :001_smile: Guess we didn't really hit the mid-book trickiness quite yet! But now I'm sure to preview ahead of time so I can be sure to fully understand what is going on before I teach it!

Thank you!

I was just looking at Living Memory yesterday and I couldn't find a link to pdf, just the printed copy.

The questions about fitting in 2 curriculums or even supplementing get more difficult as the children get older and the curriculums get longer. I was spoiled this year being able to do so many different things. Next year the choices are more challenging!

You are most excellent in my mind right now! I totally forgot I already own that book! I put it away when I went ahead and bought the full program for RS A & B. I was just mulling over whether I wanted to buy rightstart c, but it is soooo way out of the budget if I'm buying most of singapore 2, plus I don't have time for the full program. But now that you mentioned "Activities for Al Abacus", that is the answer!! I can use the al abacus book instead of rightstart c as we move into SM 2! I'm so thrilled right now! :001_smile: Perfect!

Thank you for your explanation of how you use the various components of SM. The HIG is something I definitely wish I could preview before purchasing. Perhaps I will spend some time looking over the scope and sequence of SM 2 to see if I already have ideas on how to present that information. As for the workbook or just IP, I just don't know. I have it all this year and we have used pieces of each but nothing in its entirety. It seems like a waste of money, and yet, each piece has its value. Thank you again for your thoughts.

Thank you for taking out the time to respond. I agree with the main point of your post. We have been using Rightstart A and now B as our main curriculum, with occassional miquon, but for the most part the abacus is a better "click" with me than the rods. We have also been doing SM 1a/b when it is information that is not being covered in RS. If the HIGs are packed with ideas (like RS) that will give me more creative and concrete ways to present new concepts, then I will happily purchase them. The teaching/playing portion of math is the best part of the lesson! Really, the main point of my original question, is to see if there is a way for me to cut down on the pencil/paper work in the program, so that we don't get bogged down in that, especially since I want to add in a supplemental program. I am thinking of skipping buying the regular workbooks, and just doing the "pictorial" learning from the text, and then using the IP and CWP for the practice portion. I felt that in levels 1a/b the text has been a bit redundant for my child; although I don't know if that will be the same as we move to level 2?

Thank you! This is helpful.

Based on these responses I think I will purchase the textbooks for us to work through the exercises orally, (skip the workbooks since they seem a bit repetative with the textbooks), and get the IP and CWP for the pencil work. And I'll skip the HIGs for this level. Thanks for giving advice everyone!

Thank you for all these responses. Looks like most of you do not use the HIG at level 2.

Do you think I can just apply the same techniques we used in Rightstart to teach the math (instead of getting the HIGs)? Base ten blocks, the abacus, number balance, etc?

Thank you for your responses. I don't know whether to invest in the HIGs or not now. However, I still need to cut down on the pencil work. Maybe I need to get the CWP, IP, and the workbook, but just mix up what we do and not feel compelled to do every page!

Thank you for this. I DO want to streamline. I'm going to have to go back and relook at the CLE LA100 and see what it covers to figure out where I want to scale back.

We did Rightstart A and B this year as our spine and supplemented with Singapore 1a/b. This was an excellent combination for us. I plan to use this combination with all my children. I have no "grass is greener" envy of any other curriculum. That was THE perfect math start for my ds. Next year we will go to Singapore as our spine, knowing we have such a great foundation built in RS.

This is my current plan for first grade also. . .FLL1, WWE1 (alternating days), ETC, and CLE LA 100. Did you feel it was redundant for you this year? I was kind of excited for the line-up!

We love FIAR. We have finished vol. 1 and we are on to vol 2. I would definitely buy the books. There are activities all over the internet to do with the books that would make good supplements; however, most of the thinking and discussion, art, literary elements, etc are not things that are found in worksheets or notebook pages. I haven't used the cookbook so I can't speak to that. As for the Bible supplement, I saw it and it didn't appear that there was much there. I have done better just tying that element in on my own.

Bottom line question: If you had to drop one of the components of SM 2a/b what would be the first to go? We are using Rightstart B this year and I have been supplementing with singapore 1 a and b. Next year I plan to use singapore 2 a/b as our spine, but I will be supplementing with other math programs. I don't want have two much workbook work. What should I get from 2 a/b? I plan to definitely get the HIG because it is our spine. I'm confused on whether to get the textbooks AND the workbooks AND the IPs AND the CWP, or could I leave out the workbooks on the intensive practice? Or maybe it is better to just drop off the textbooks? This year we honestly hardly ever look at the textbook. I usually teach the material and we then move right to the workbook. I'm not sure where to "cut corners" so to speak so we have time and energy for other math things.

Thank you. This is sound advice and I'm going to go with it!