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My Inner Junkie needs another Math Program...


TKDmom
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Ok, I have managed to convince myself that I need to get a different math program for ds(4). My other two are using SM, and it's working great. But he is different from them. I'm not sure I can put my finger on it. He's a morning person, while the rest of us are night owls. As a baby, he'd smile at strangers, while others would just stare/glare. He's always jumping up and down, instead of sitting to read books or watch tv. He doesn't seem to be getting 100 EZ lessons, although my others were reading by the time they were where he is in the book.

 

I know most of these things are at all relevant to math. But I just get the feeling that what works well for my first 2 may not work at all for him. And I'm getting myself all worked up that if I don't pick the perfect math program for him by the time he starts K, I'll ruin math for him, FOREVER!! (I know I'm being silly and melodramatic :D). He'll be done with Earlybird math before he actually starts K, and I cannot imagine him starting 1A at that point. Unfortunately DH remains unconvinced that I should buy another program when I've already got the SM math books.

 

So, reading all the threads recently on Miquon and RS, I want to try BOTH of them. :D What's a girl to do? Miquon is inexpensive enough that I could justify getting it. RS looks like it may be too teacher-intensive for me, but I already have their math games and it looks like a really good program, too.

 

Any advice?

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I love RightStart for both of mine, one of which is/was alot like your son. That said, if I had the chance to try it over again, I'd try MEP first before going to RightStart. I don't know how it would have gone because the one thing I really love about RS is that its scripted, but that's just me. MEP is free though.... :)

 

Good luck,

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He'll be done with Earlybird math before he actually starts K, and I cannot imagine him starting 1A at that point. Unfortunately DH remains unconvinced that I should buy another program when I've already got the SM math books.

 

 

My big girl finished Earlybird in January and I don't want to start her on SM 1A until the fall. So we are filling the gap with Horizons K. I think it will be a nice transition between EB and 1A for my younger math student. We started Horizons on March 1st (used Reader Rabbit K-1st Math book between EB and Horizons) and she is doing extremely well with it. The books aren't super expensive either and you don't need the TM.

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Miquon and Singapore mesh really well together.

 

:iagree:

 

Especially if he's the kind of boy who could rather solve it himself than sit for a demonstrated lesson.

 

Miquon really shifts the burden/fun of problem-solving onto the child, and though the use of manipulatives (especially the C Rods) gives them an age appropriate (4 year-old) means of working through mental challenges.

 

Bill

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SpyCar, could you once again list the Miquon books you recommend purchasing when starting? thanks!

 

I would get all 3 Teacher's books (First Grade Diary, Notes to Teachers, and Lab Annotations) and at least the Orange book (the first student set of lab-sheets) if you didn't want the whole bundle of student books.

 

Bill

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Since you're already doing Singapore, I don't know how much the full scripted RS program would add over and above it. I would recommend looking into the unscripted Activities for the AL Abacus instead.

 

Another couple of programs to look into are MEP and CSMP.

 

 

If I were to buy RS, I wouldn't continue SM with him. I have seen the AL Abacus book, but I'd forgotten about it. That may help me get more milage out of the Abacus that I got with the Math Card Games, without getting the whole program.

 

I'll have to look into MEP again, too. :001_smile: I had printed out a few lesson plans from the readiness year to see what they were like (ridiculously easy), but I ought to go ahead and look at the other years. Year 1 is for K, right?

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Miquon and Singapore mesh really well together.

 

Miquon really shifts the burden/fun of problem-solving onto the child, and though the use of manipulatives (especially the C Rods) gives them an age appropriate (4 year-old) means of working through mental challenges.

 

 

I just need a few more votes to nudge me toward clicking the "Buy now" button. ;) I know Rainbow Resource Center sells these, but I'm inclined to buy from Sonlight (because I get free shipping). Unfortunately SL doesn't have the First Grade Diary or Notes to the Teacher. Where would you recommend buying Miquon from?

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I just need a few more votes to nudge me toward clicking the "Buy now" button. ;) I know Rainbow Resource Center sells these, but I'm inclined to buy from Sonlight (because I get free shipping). Unfortunately SL doesn't have the First Grade Diary or Notes to the Teacher. Where would you recommend buying Miquon from?

 

Somewhere that does have the First Grade Diary and Notes to the Teachers ;)

 

I believe Christian Book Distributors stocks these. I think Rainbow does too.

 

 

Bill

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Ok, I have managed to convince myself that I need to get a different math program for ds(4). My other two are using SM, and it's working great. But he is different from them. I'm not sure I can put my finger on it... He's always jumping up and down, instead of sitting to read books or watch tv. He doesn't seem to be getting 100 EZ lessons, although my others were reading by the time they were where he is in the book.

 

 

WOW! I could've written that! My 3rd child is using Rod and Staff math 1 and doing so well with it. I keep trying to have him work a little bit of Singapore but he's just not ready for it... it may never work for him, but I keep trying just the same.

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I'll have to look into MEP again, too. :001_smile: I had printed out a few lesson plans from the readiness year to see what they were like (ridiculously easy), but I ought to go ahead and look at the other years. Year 1 is for K, right?

 

In the UK (from what I understand) MEP 1 is kindergarten. I see it as pretty similar to Singapore 1 in terms of level. Some say Singapore is "advanced" so it all confuses me. We started MEP 1A in pre-school and recently started 1B,

 

Great program!

 

Especially good if you can do the "lesson plan" activities. I have to pick and choose, given time constraints. But what a gem of a program(me).

 

Bill

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I'll have to look into MEP again, too. :001_smile: I had printed out a few lesson plans from the readiness year to see what they were like (ridiculously easy), but I ought to go ahead and look at the other years. Year 1 is for K, right?

 

I think MEP can be deceptive, in that in may appear to be easy. It begins that way, but quickly leads to challenging and thought provoking problems. I have used it with both math-bright and math-average children, and have been especially pleased with the problem solving strategies and different ways of thinking required, particularly with a child that doesn't "get it" right away.

 

I have seen tremendous improvement and confidence as a result of using MEP.

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