Math Without (Many) Manipulatives? Any options for 1st grader?

[Smithie]

My ds and I plodded about 3/4 of the way through the crazymaking Saxon Math K the year he was four. I enrolled him in a K12 virtual charter school for kindergarten, and he's finished their K-level course and is working on the 1st grade level.

 

We both loathe manipulatives in most situations. We have an abacus and he has 10 fingers and that's all that he seems to need most days. If we need to use a clock, some coins etc. to learn about time and money that is no big deal, but when the linking cubes come out the atmosphere at this kitchen table gets very tense very fast.

 

What curriculum do y'all suggest for a kid who likes math and seems to grasp most mathematical concepts quite easily, but who really prefers a no-frills worksheet approach to his math lessons? I know it sounds crazy to talk about a 5 y.o. who likes worksheets, but I swear, he does!

[stripe]

I don't think MEP requires many manipulatives, but I also don't think it's exactly a worksheet-based approach to math, more like a puzzley approach.

[MissKNG]

I know it sounds crazy to talk about a 5 y.o. who likes worksheets, but I swear, he does!

 

I have a workbook lover who grasps math concepts easily as well and we are using Horizons K right now. We will then move to Singapore 1a. Both programs can be used without manipulatives, we really don't use any.

 

There have been some recent threads about Horizons:

 

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forum...=Horizons+Math

 

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forum...=Horizons+Math

 

Horizons does move at a fast pace and I've read that it's about 6 months ahead of most math curricula once you get moving. The second book has more of a beginning 1st grade feel to it.

[melmichigan]

CLE only uses money and a clock that I have seen so far. :)

[cillakat]

What curriculum do y'all suggest for a kid who likes math and seems to grasp most mathematical concepts quite easily, but who really prefers a no-frills worksheet approach to his math lessons? I know it sounds crazy to talk about a 5 y.o. who likes worksheets, but I swear, he does!

 

Singapore.

[nmoira]

I don't think MEP requires many manipulatives, but I also don't think it's exactly a worksheet-based approach to math, more like a puzzley approach.

For most lessons, about half the material is from the TM and the other half from the worksheet. A single worksheet is done each day. When you evaluate it, be sure to look at both TM's and the worksheets to get an idea of how lessons would go. There aren't many manipulatives. The most common would be the number strips (you can substitute Cuisenaire Rods) to show partitioning, but this is a very small part of the program and they're generally used as a one-time visual aid rather than for calculations.

 

Singapore might be the ticket. While the HIG's have lots of manipulative based teaching activities, many kids can bypass these altogether (it's still worth getting the HIG's though).

[rdolphingirl]

CLE only uses money and a clock that I have seen so far. :)

:iagree:

 

CLE is great, but does move a bit quick for most K'ers.

However if your child has completed a couple of K programs already then it might just be what you need. It does start off very basic (numbers/easy facts) but gets into other things quickly.

You can see (and even print) sample lessons from each lightunit (10 per yr) on the CLE site. Also you could order just a few LUs to try it out.

If you child needs a bit slower pace, or the facts presented in families/houses/groups, then I would recommend R&S.

CLE is spiral, or what some call incremental. While R&S is Mastery with some review. Both start at the beginning, and are made for the child who is just starting formal learning, so the beginning would probably be review in either for a child who has done a K program. This can be good though as it will allow the child to get used to the new format while doing some easier work to start off.

 

HTH,

[EKS]

In general, Singapore lessons don't require manipulatives.

 

Also, if the problem is with him doing the manipulating, as it is with my kids, you could simply use manipulatives as demonstrations, with you doing the manipulating. Sometimes kids get bogged down in orchestrating the motions.

[hmschooling]

Math Mammoth uses pictures in place of manipulatives. You can use the pics to teach with manips or you can just use the pics. It's also easily made independent for a good reader that can read and follow directions. I do highly recommend at least using basic manips (even snacks and random items) to TEACH the concept even if he doesn't use them for doing his work. Kids that age benefit from concrete methods, even when we don't realize it. I seriously thought my DD was doing awesome in math b/c she could breeze through her work, didn't need manips,....no we're filling gaps and using manips to get her truly understanding the math beyond the page.

Edited March 20, 2010 by hmschooling

[Corraleno]

It sounds like the Math Mammoth Light Blue 1A book would be great for him. It's a worksheet format, but with lots of visual illustrations of the concepts and very clear explanations. Or you could use the Blue Series books and just alternate pages from the different topics (Addition, Place Value, Time, Money, etc). Inexpensive, easy for the parent to implement, independent for the student, and very thorough.

 

Jackie

[StephanieZ]

You can do Singapore with little or no manipulatives if you wish.

[mom4him]

CLE only uses money and a clock that I have seen so far. :)

:iagree:We love it.

[stripe]

For most lessons, about half the material is from the TM and the other half from the worksheet. A single worksheet is done each day. When you evaluate it, be sure to look at both TM's and the worksheets to get an idea of how lessons would go.

I don't envision either MEP or Singapore as a "hand the kid the worksheet and walk away" sort of program. I don't know if that's exactly what the OP was looking for, but, since I don't/wouldn't use this approach to math, I am not the best person to suggest this sort of program. But I think if someone likes quietly doing math puzzles, MEP might be fun, because some of the problems are like this.

[Lovedtodeath]

Math Mammoth and Horizons would both fit well. Make sure you give a placement test, or talk to someone not just trusting that you would know what grade level to use. I like Math Mammoth because it uses an abacus and really explains the concepts. I wasn't very happy with Horizons.

[Dinsfamily]

Singapore.

 

:iagree:My ds is similar and Singapore is a great fit. We haven't used any manipulatives through 1B. Horizons might be good, but the pages are very busy. I will say that I've been suprised by how much my ds likes Miquon. It does require Crods, but he really likes them. Until the Crods, he was usually opposed to manipulatives unless it had to do with $$ :001_smile:.

[jclinton]

Singapore - but I have to share my idea for manipulatives with dd when she needs to "see" something - we use M&M's. It's a fun twist on math and sometimes she wants to use the manipulatives even when she doesn't need them cause she likes to eat them! Besides - M&M's taste better than fingers any day... LOL

JoAnne

[pryde55]

My 1st grader really loves the Singapore Math workbooks. She did 1A/1B & finished it in February. She has started 2A/2B. You can purchase the connecting cubes, but we didn't use them at all. Singapore encourages mental math. You can also opt to include Intensive Practice for more challenge & application of the concepts learned. The textbook is in color, so it is inviting to look at. The workbook and Intensive Practice are b/w.

[mystika1]

:iagree:

It sounds like the Math Mammoth Light Blue 1A book would be great for him. It's a worksheet format, but with lots of visual illustrations of the concepts and very clear explanations. Or you could use the Blue Series books and just alternate pages from the different topics (Addition, Place Value, Time, Money, etc). Inexpensive, easy for the parent to implement, independent for the student, and very thorough.

 

Jackie

[Poke Salad Annie]

I don't envision either MEP or Singapore as a "hand the kid the worksheet and walk away" sort of program. I don't know if that's exactly what the OP was looking for, but, since I don't/wouldn't use this approach to math, I am not the best person to suggest this sort of program. But I think if someone likes quietly doing math puzzles, MEP might be fun, because some of the problems are like this.

 

Yep, I agree with this. Now, to throw something else into the mix, I'm currently hawking CSMP (Comprehensive School Mathematics Program) which has been archived for free by some of the staff at Buffalo State. The mini-computer, a really odd sort of abacus, serves as the manipulative there.

[Lovedtodeath]

Do you think that Math Mammoth could be used as the main program with Singapore as a supplement (mainly for the color?) and use only the Singapore workbook?

[Corraleno]

Do you think that Math Mammoth could be used as the main program with Singapore as a supplement (mainly for the color?) and use only the Singapore workbook?

 

You could certainly use Singapore for extra practice with MM ~ but if you're using it "mainly for the color," the Singapore workbooks don't have any color. I have the US edition and I've looked at the samples for the Standards edition, and they're all B&W.

 

The Singapore textbooks have color; you could probably use those as workbooks, but they don't have that many problems in them, so I'm not sure you'd gain much by using it as a supplement. Do you print MM in color, or just B&W?

 

Jackie

[Lovedtodeath]

LOL! I am ill-informed about Singapore apparently. I print MM in color.

 

I was thinking to when DS starts math, maybe thinking MM would be boring for him when he first starts out.

 

I was not planning to supplement MM with DD. It is working great!

Edited March 23, 2010 by Lovedtodeath

[courtney.byrum]

LOL! I am ill-informed about Singapore apparently. I print MM in color.

 

 

We have Standards 2b and I can attest to the workbook having no color. The textbook has color but the workbook is b/w only.

[Smithie]

Thanks for the all the great advice!

 

"I don't envision either MEP or Singapore as a "hand the kid the worksheet and walk away" sort of program. I don't know if that's exactly what the OP was looking for..."

 

The OP is most definitely NOT looking to walk away from her 6 y.o. while is learning math. ;) But I'd rather talk to him than wave around manipulatives, as he gets bored and leaves the table.

 

I had been planning to start Singapore in first grade, but the list of "manipulatives used" on the ordering page freaked me right out. It was almost the same as the Saxon list! If other moms here have used Singapore without manipulatives, then I feel better about that.

 

I am also going to go ahead and order Math Mammoth light blue workbook. I need to see this program for myself.