CSMP users---Can you add your thoughts here?

[Poke Salad Annie]

We're just getting started with CSMP and are adding it into our math rotation. This morning there was so much interest in the worksheets from the UPG material, I just kept printing, and he kept working through them all---asking for more and more. I love that he is loving math right now. Between MEP and CSMP, two programs full of puzzles and thinking skills, math has been a very positive part of our day.

 

So, if you are using CSMP, would you please share which part of the program you are using, and how it works in your home? Many of the people posting here are looking for a math program, and I think it would be great if we could share what we enjoy about this wonderful, free resource.

 

We are using the Third Grade Entry Supplement, and have just finished our first week. So far the mini-computer is a hit, the arrows lessons have been fun, and Eli's Magic Peanuts has given us something to *chew* on (pardon the pun).

[Tracy]

:lurk5:

[Poke Salad Annie]

I'm giving this a bump this morning. I wanted to add that I looked over two books I had mentioned on another thread, Modern Mathematics by Papy, and Logic in Elementary Mathematics by Robert Exner. Unfortunately, both of these books are written for a much higher level of mathematics---most likely algebra I (the Papy book), and algebra II (the Exner book). I also looked at the Graph Games book by Papy. It is a very cute introduction to the arrows and strings which are used in CSMP. I would say it is a picture book for math which introduces some of the processes used in CSMP.

 

I read over several of the lessons we have ahead, and I can't see a negative so far. I do understand that the use of calculator is a negative, but the way in which it is used is not to find answers, but rather to show patterns. My child already understands these patterns after working with MEP, but was surprised to see them show up as a pattern on the calculator. I see many things in the future lessons which appear to bring out topics which might not be covered in MEP, or possibly approached in a different way. So far, this program seems to fit well with MEP, and if we weren't already so happy with MEP, I would use CSMP as stand-alone.

 

My thoughts about the programs we use are that MEP is a great *puzzle* math program, and CSMP is a kind of *games* math program. They both require thinking skills from the child. Neither seems to be a simple work this problem, then the next of addition, subtraction, etc. For the skill of mastering facts, we still use the Strayer-Upton text in the evening, working over a page or two as we have time.

[Poke Salad Annie]

Updating this thread...

 

After looking through the program several times, it seems the biggest area of concern is how to get a quick overview or understanding of how it runs. I think I finally have a grasp on how to get there.

 

If you go to the materials section of the program site, you find the choices for Primary or Intermediate work. Clicking on Primary will bring up the sections for work to be completed for Kindergarten through Third Grade. If you choose the "First Grade" selection of Lesson Plans, that brings up the now well-known and very intimidating 700+ page teacher's guide. I'm still not sure, but I think this may well be a guide that carries through to all three grades---I still have not made it through all 700+ pages yet to be certain.

 

The discovery for me was---and I wanted to share this---is that in order to find out how the program works, what goes with what, which materials are needed, etc., you only need to read over the "Lesson Description" of each section (Upper Primary Grade Part I, II, III, or IV). Basically, these lesson descriptions all seem to cover the same material, with extra descriptions added for new material to be covered in the later lessons or grade work. So, you could print the 40 page guide (front and back, this is only 20 pages--not too bad) and get an understanding of what the program entails. That is not overwhelming, and I think it gives a great overview of how to set up a schedule or plan for using the program. A schedule for one semester is included in each part (UPG I, II, III, and IV), so that plus the Lesson Descriptions should help to make sense of this program.

 

I hope this is of some help to anyone here using the program. We are finding it to be a lovely addition to our math time. I hope some of you may too.

[Already Gone]

We are finding it to be a lovely addition to our math time. I hope some of you may too.

 

This thread is certainly helping me wrap my brain around it a bit more. Thanks so much. Would you say, though, that you are finding it a necessary addition to your math program? I ask because I'm quite, quite happy with MEP so far and don't want to get into the "grass is always greener" pattern, especially this early on (but I have terrible problems resisting cool new shiny toys. . . ). Is there something--in terms of content--that CSMP is covering that MEP does not? Or would you say the primary difference is puzzles vs. games? I don't mean to sound dismissive of that difference, by the way. But so far my guy is having enough fun with MEP for that alone not to warrant adding in more stuff.

[AngelBee]

Can someone link CSMP please? :)

[newlifemom]

Updating this thread...

 

After looking through the program several times, it seems the biggest area of concern is how to get a quick overview or understanding of how it runs. I think I finally have a grasp on how to get there.

 

If you go to the materials section of the program site, you find the choices for Primary or Intermediate work. Clicking on Primary will bring up the sections for work to be completed for Kindergarten through Third Grade. If you choose the "First Grade" selection of Lesson Plans, that brings up the now well-known and very intimidating 700+ page teacher's guide. I'm still not sure, but I think this may well be a guide that carries through to all three grades---I still have not made it through all 700+ pages yet to be certain.

 

The discovery for me was---and I wanted to share this---is that in order to find out how the program works, what goes with what, which materials are needed, etc., you only need to read over the "Lesson Description" of each section (Upper Primary Grade Part I, II, III, or IV). Basically, these lesson descriptions all seem to cover the same material, with extra descriptions added for new material to be covered in the later lessons or grade work. So, you could print the 40 page guide (front and back, this is only 20 pages--not too bad) and get an understanding of what the program entails. That is not overwhelming, and I think it gives a great overview of how to set up a schedule or plan for using the program. A schedule for one semester is included in each part (UPG I, II, III, and IV), so that plus the Lesson Descriptions should help to make sense of this program.

 

I hope this is of some help to anyone here using the program. We are finding it to be a lovely addition to our math time. I hope some of you may too.

 

Thank you. I have been watching the videos to get a bead on this program, but still have questions.

[Poke Salad Annie]

This thread is certainly helping me wrap my brain around it a bit more. Thanks so much. Would you say, though, that you are finding it a necessary addition to your math program? I ask because I'm quite, quite happy with MEP so far and don't want to get into the "grass is always greener" pattern, especially this early on (but I have terrible problems resisting cool new shiny toys. . . ). Is there something--in terms of content--that CSMP is covering that MEP does not? Or would you say the primary difference is puzzles vs. games? I don't mean to sound dismissive of that difference, by the way. But so far my guy is having enough fun with MEP for that alone not to warrant adding in more stuff.

 

I don't think it is a necessary addition to our math studies, but it is certainly enhancing our days with math. I agree, don't get caught up in the *grass is greener* thoughts. I only suggest this program, as it is somehow linked to the IMACS (gifted program), and that it was put together by a group of mathematicians to make a child think, not just rote memorize a list of facts. Since we won't be using the IMACS program, this is as close as I can get to what could be included there. In fact, some of the topics and work from the program (IMACS) itself comes from sections of CSMP.

 

MEP is a very solid, stand-alone program. If you are happy with it, don't worry with extra work. I would spend the time making sure you are going over the lesson plans as written, as that is an integral part of that program, and helps the child to think the *MEP way*, so to speak.

[lovemykids]

I don't think it is a necessary addition to our math studies, but it is certainly enhancing our days with math. I agree, don't get caught up in the *grass is greener* thoughts. I only suggest this program, as it is somehow linked to the IMACS (gifted program), and that it was put together by a group of mathematicians to make a child think, not just rote memorize a list of facts. Since we won't be using the IMACS program, this is as close as I can get to what could be included there. In fact, some of the topics and work from the program (IMACS) itself comes from sections of CSMP.

 

:iagree:

We enjoy CSMP as a nice little addition to our math studies. It does not replace anything that we use and we really don’t get around to it all that often. But my kids love it!

[Already Gone]

I would spend the time making sure you are going over the lesson plans as written, as that is an integral part of that program, and helps the child to think the *MEP way*, so to speak.

 

Hee. No worries there. I'm more or less obsessing about the lesson plans, which I think are quite, quite brilliant.

 

We enjoy CSMP as a nice little addition to our math studies. It does not replace anything that we use and we really don’t get around to it all that often. But my kids love it!

 

Okay--good to get insight from both of you. I think I'll just continue to drool over it in my spare time and glean ideas for the future, but stick with MEP in real life. As it were. :)

[Poke Salad Annie]

When I described CSMP earlier as *games*, I think I did an injustice to the program. It is not truly games, but maybe it is more of a novel approach to teaching the subject of math. The arrow lessons (to me, JMHO) seem to mesh well with the *jumps* on the number line in MEP. The mini-computer work is very enjoyable, and I have found myself in my spare time tinkering around with it. I am using it as part of the MEP lessons to check work.

 

More than anything, I hope to share our experience with CSMP with others so that they may also share their own experiences here. This is a fun math program that sneaks up on you, and the play (work) with the mini-computer is just good fun (and a really neat way to see a number displayed on an odd sort of abacus using a small number of manipulatives ;)).

[Poke Salad Annie]

Hee. No worries there. I'm more or less obsessing about the lesson plans, which I think are quite, quite brilliant.

 

Okay--good to get insight from both of you. I think I'll just continue to drool over it in my spare time and glean ideas for the future, but stick with MEP in real life. As it were. :)

 

If you wanted to add in any part of CSMP just for fun, you could make a few of the mini-computers and play with those. You could also print off some of the workbook pages to let your child work with the arrows lessons. The strings lessons are nice for set theory work. You could probably get all of that just by reading the background as I described earlier, then just using it as a *play* time math workshop.

[lovemykids]

Hee. No worries there. I'm more or less obsessing about the lesson plans, which I think are quite, quite brilliant.

:D

 

 

Okay--good to get insight from both of you. I think I'll just continue to drool over it in my spare time and glean ideas for the future, but stick with MEP in real life. As it were. :)

 

You should take your child or children to the drooling fest, perhaps they will get excited, as did my children, and that will inspire you to add it in to real life. You can just do a little; it’s not an all or nothing program, from my perspective.

Have fun! ;)

[Poke Salad Annie]

You should take your child or children to the drooling fest, perhaps they will get excited, as did my children, and that will inspire you to add it in to real life. You can just do a little; it’s not an all or nothing program, from my perspective.

 

Have fun! ;)

 

:iagree:

 

Just yesterday we were working with one of the Eli's Magic Peanuts lessons. I had spray painted some little stones and marked them with a ^ to look like the *checkers* or markers used in this program (to represent negative, or *magic* numbers). My little guy said (very enthusiastically), "This is so much fun!". I agree, we are having a lot of fun with CSMP. In fact, it is the most requested thing we do each day, even moreso than MEP which has been in first place for quite some time.

 

As I read over the upcoming lessons, I am more and more impressed with what we will be covering. I don't need any expensive manipulatives (made my mini-computers, and bought a pack of stones from Dollar Tree for the *checkers*), and it is pretty much pick-up-and-go. I ordinarily don't like a scripted program, but this one is really appealing to me. I haven't had any trouble figuring out how to implement this, though I will admit that I looked at it a few years ago and could not make heads or tails of those crazy-looking arrows. Now they make perfect sense to me, and I'm finding it easy to teach. If nothing else, I would recommend working with the mini-computers, the arrows, and the strings lessons. You could do that, then print off the worksheets only and have plenty of fun with this great program.