KJsMom Posted June 29, 2010 Share Posted June 29, 2010 I need some ideas for kindergarten math. I don't want to use a full curriculum, I want something informal and fun. We'll get more *serious* in 1st grade. Do you guys have any really great suggestions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twoxcell Posted June 29, 2010 Share Posted June 29, 2010 Well for my dd(4.5 will be 5 Oct.) I'm going to use MEP Y1, and Singapore earlybird 2b(I thought 2a looked too easy). The following year I plan to transition her to Singapore 1a/1b. She could probably handle 1a/1b now, but after talking to dh we decided since she isn't even technically K this year we want to keep it fun and not push her. If she flies through what we are using I can always get 1a/1b early. She loves MEP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FawnsFunnyFarm Posted June 29, 2010 Share Posted June 29, 2010 We are enjoying Funtastic Frogs and Family Math for Young Children... along with McRuffy Press K math (which is colorful and FUN). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desertmum Posted June 29, 2010 Share Posted June 29, 2010 Well for my dd(4.5 will be 5 Oct.) I'm going to use MEP Y1, and Singapore earlybird 2b(I thought 2a looked too easy). The following year I plan to transition her to Singapore 1a/1b. She could probably handle 1a/1b now, but after talking to dh we decided since she isn't even technically K this year we want to keep it fun and not push her. If she flies through what we are using I can always get 1a/1b early. She loves MEP. Hi, sorry for "butting in" but can you tell me if MEP would be would for a wiggly willie type of kid. My son can only sit down for about 10-15 minutes at a time and then he is off! I have read bot Singapore and Saxon are very homework orientated. Is MEP any different? Thanks for the info. :bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted June 29, 2010 Share Posted June 29, 2010 Get the Right Start Math card games set. It'll last you throughout elementary math. Start by playing games from the numeration chapter, then try some of the easier ones listed in the addition, clocks, & money chapters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommee & Baba Posted June 29, 2010 Share Posted June 29, 2010 We're an MEP family too. My Ker LOVED it...so much during her K4 year last year that her K5 year this year she's doing MEP Y1. We're excited for her! MEP is more than 10-15min though. Somedays it's nearly 45min! Otherdays it can only take 15min. Depending on the lesson and how your child grasps it. I know for our children we like to go through all the lesson that they suggest and doing all the extra activities to help them grasp it better until we close our math book for the day. I know for my wiggly 7yr old by the time we were in the middle of her math lesson I'd get the "we almost done yet"..but with my very school driven 5yr old she couldn't get enough and somedays would do nearly 2 - 3 lessons of the YR. Come to think of it..YR is way more speedy than Y1 and up. YR on average took my wiggly dd 30min as to where it took my school driven dd 15min! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twoxcell Posted June 29, 2010 Share Posted June 29, 2010 (edited) oops double post. Edited June 29, 2010 by twoxcell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twoxcell Posted June 29, 2010 Share Posted June 29, 2010 Well I think it would work. There is one worksheet per day, and easy to follow lesson plans. You could adjust it to fit his needs. What I do is look through the lesson plans and then cover the main points with her using manipulatives, dry erase board etc. It does not take us as long as it says, because it is only one child. Then we do the worksheet together. We also have a set of C-rods with an idea book/game cards that she loves doing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted June 29, 2010 Share Posted June 29, 2010 We didn't do an official curriculum for math for K last year. Here are a few of the things we did: * Game: Rat-a-Tat-Cat (it says 6 and up, but there's a modification for younger kids where two cards are shown) * Game: Bzz Out * Lots of games that teach strategy - Sequence for Kids, Royal Rescue, etc. * Puzzles and tannagrams - including Mighty Mind * Some early games with the cuisenaire rods - including a bunch of the shape making worksheets for them (these are available in The Idea Book for Cuisenaire Rods, among other places) * Pattern Tiles * Some games with the abacus * Pretend shopping with play money and catalogs * Play clocks * Dot to dots and number mazes (see http://www.printactivities.com/Mazes.html for the number mazes - they have ones that are 1-100 and also ones that are skip counting) * Lots and lots and lots of math picture books - my kids are especially into stories and books, so we used lots of picture books, including (among many others...) - the Stuart J. Murphy mathstart books - the Greg Tang picture books - Anno's Math Games and other Anno's math books, like Anno's Counting House Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KJsMom Posted June 29, 2010 Author Share Posted June 29, 2010 We didn't do an official curriculum for math for K last year. Here are a few of the things we did: * Game: Rat-a-Tat-Cat (it says 6 and up, but there's a modification for younger kids where two cards are shown) * Game: Bzz Out * Lots of games that teach strategy - Sequence for Kids, Royal Rescue, etc. * Puzzles and tannagrams - including Mighty Mind * Some early games with the cuisenaire rods - including a bunch of the shape making worksheets for them (these are available in The Idea Book for Cuisenaire Rods, among other places) * Pattern Tiles * Some games with the abacus * Pretend shopping with play money and catalogs * Play clocks * Dot to dots and number mazes (see http://www.printactivities.com/Mazes.html for the number mazes - they have ones that are 1-100 and also ones that are skip counting) * Lots and lots and lots of math picture books - my kids are especially into stories and books, so we used lots of picture books, including (among many others...) - the Stuart J. Murphy mathstart books - the Greg Tang picture books - Anno's Math Games and other Anno's math books, like Anno's Counting House I appreciate all the suggestions. These are the kind of ideas that I'm looking for! I have Family Math and have started making file folder games with some of the activities, but I know you guys that have done this already will have great ideas. I planned to use MEP, but my youngest dd probably isn't ready for daily workbook learning, kwim? She is very bright and understands math concepts easily, but isn't a sit at the table and do a worksheet kind of kid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twoxcell Posted June 29, 2010 Share Posted June 29, 2010 It really does depend on the kid. My dd loves school, and is always asking to do it, but she also loves hands on things too. I have Family Math also, and plan to use it with both kids this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrassTiger Posted June 29, 2010 Share Posted June 29, 2010 (edited) I'm not sure this is something you'd consider, but this is what I'm planning on for Kindergarten this fall: http://www.nurtureminds.com/aboutus.htm It isn't a full curriculum, it only teaches how to use the Japanese abacus (not the kid's toy kind). I think it's going to be fun, but she should also learn addition and subtraction and how to do it mentally (using an imagined abacus). We just plan on doing it nice and slowly with a little practice daily. It should be a great foundation for understanding quantities too. I've considered using RightStart A, which I own, but I think I'll wait and do this first. We've also used Math Mastermind Kindergarten, which is ok. She loves it. It teaches patterns using beads and cubes, using spinners, making things with shapes (kind of like mighty mind, but with foam shapes). It's very light. It doesn't get into anything like sums, telling time, measurement or anything like that. It's purely preparatory and each "lesson" is very short, we'd usually do two to four lessons in a sitting. Let us know what you decide! :) Opps...decided to combine my posts...don't mean to spam... She is very bright and understands math concepts easily, but isn't a sit at the table and do a worksheet kind of kid. Then she might enjoy learning the abacus! :) Especially, since it would make worksheets go a lot faster when she gets to them! :) Sorry! Can you tell I'm excited to get started with it??? :lol: * Puzzles and tannagrams - including Mighty Mind We LOVE Mighty Mind! Edited June 29, 2010 by GrassTiger combining posts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrassTiger Posted June 29, 2010 Share Posted June 29, 2010 (edited) Well, apparently we can't delete posts. Sorry! Edited June 29, 2010 by GrassTiger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted June 29, 2010 Share Posted June 29, 2010 can you tell me if MEP would be would for a wiggly willie type of kid. My son can only sit down for about 10-15 minutes at a time and then he is off! I have read bot Singapore and Saxon are very homework orientated. Is MEP any different?Thanks for the info. :bigear: MEP reception isn't scheduled for daily, 45 min math periods in the way that year 1 is. There are 60 lessons for the whole of reception year, as opposed to 175 for other years, and they estimate the lessons will take 30 min. There is no "homework" that I've noticed in R or Y1. You can read the philosophy behind the reception year here. Number one is learning by playing. I think it would work fine for wiggly kids. Mine certainly are. Things change around often, and they schedule a break time each day for stretching, jumping, or whatever, in addition to whatever other breaks you can add in as needed. I planned to use MEP, but my youngest dd probably isn't ready for daily workbook learning, kwim? She is very bright and understands math concepts easily, but isn't a sit at the table and do a worksheet kind of kid. MEP, esp the reception year, is definitely NOT a worksheet program. Reception has lots of games, and very little writing. Some coloring and drawing, and still, not much of that. Be sure to look at the lesson plans and NOT just the student workbooks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradandmeplus2 Posted June 29, 2010 Share Posted June 29, 2010 I think math based on kid's literature is a fun way to do math. Many of them are easy to use manipulatives with. Lots of ideas online too. Marlyn Burns has some great ideas too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairytalemama Posted June 30, 2010 Share Posted June 30, 2010 ...I love Rightstart A. You can go as fast or as slow as you want. There are very few worksheets (you could probably even skip them if you want) and lots of games. We started a couple of months ago and we'll probably stretch it out until the end of the K year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ALB Posted June 30, 2010 Share Posted June 30, 2010 We are loving MEP reception year! I follow the lesson plans really closely, but I didn't actually print anything out. Instead of observing their pics, I just set up a few toy animals or counters or other objects for us to look at. I sketched some of the worksheet type things myself, and I figure out where we can do it orally if possible. For us, that makes it especially conducive to a wiggly little girl! She loves counting real objects (especially if they are her toy horses, etc), and thinks the games are super fun. MEP has also been really good for me to learn how to teach math. I have spent a lot of time with the lesson plans, and now I feel creative and confident to add "mathy" talk into our regular activities. I like its emphasis on discussion for learning. I have noticed a huge jump in her abilities and observation skills since using it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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