Math program

[CrunchyMand]

I want to get a maths program for my 5 nearly 6 yr old (would that be K?) and my 10 yr old 5th grader.

 

The few I am thinking of are Math-U-See, Singapore or Math Mammoth.

 

Can people tell me their preferences? I wold like one program that I can stay with throughout the years.

Edited August 9, 2010 by CrunchyMand
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[nmoira]

Have you looked at MEP? I *think* it's free in the UK as well as outside it.

[meet me in paris]

It really depends on your kids, I think.

 

We started out with Singapore... it worked for my older for a few years and helped her get "caught up" since she really wasn't working on grade level when I pulled her out of school. She did hit a wall with it in 5th grade, though, and I started searching for other formats. Tried Teaching Textbooks and that was a big *fail*. My younger one never clicked with Singapore.

 

We started with Math U See for both girls last spring and it's been excellent. I really, really wish we had gone with it from the beginning, but I just didn't know about it. I ordered the free sample DVD and knew immediately that we should try it... definitely get that if you haven't seen it already. It will give you a feel for what the program is like.

 

Singapore is easy to implement - there's a teacher's guide and a work book (and a textbook that I think most people don't use)... it's quick and it's portable. MUS is not that way. It's hands-on and can be a little time consuming. I feel the extra time and energy are worth it after trying the quick and easy and not getting great results. But every child is different and what works for one may be frustrating to another.

[bbrandonsmom]

Hi, we're in the same boat. I'm looking to try Saxon 1st g though, after reading the math section in TWTM. It was one of the ones that went all the way up to high school I think. But this is a learning year for us.

What you can do is look for some assessments online for math. Calvert has one, and some one posted one here (not sure where) of another math curriculum that has a free assessment also. I think ds is between k & 1 for math. He's already grasping from object to numeric, so I think 1st g will work for us, but I have a bunch of K stuff to fall back on if needed.

[Mommy to monkeys]

Between those 3, I would use MUS. Singapore is very conceptual. . .we tried it and ds didn't get his facts down, so he struggled.

Your best bet would be to look through as many samples as possible to get a feel for whether it's right for you. Even if you don't know EXACTLY what you are looking for, seeing the options may help you figure out what you're NOT looking for. For us that was: whole pages of math problems in small print. oy

[Sunshine State Sue]

It really depends on your kids, I think.

 

:iagree:

 

We used MUS from K through Algebra. You may read my review here.

 

MUS was great for us, but it's not for everyone. If the students like color and/or great variety, they will not enjoy MUS.

 

I attempted to use Singapore textbook/workbook in 2nd grade, but it didn't work for us. We supplemented with Singapore's Challenging Word Problems though.

 

If you have access to Cathy Duffy's books, I find them helpful. She helps you determine your child's learning style, then tells which programs are better/worse for that learning style.

 

Good luck in finding what works for your family.

[Crimson Wife]

Your best bet would be to look through as many samples as possible to get a feel for whether it's right for you. Even if you don't know EXACTLY what you are looking for, seeing the options may help you figure out what you're NOT looking for.

:iagree:

What appeals to me in a math program is not necessarily what appeals to you.

 

Math Mammoth has lots of samples available and you can download one of the single-topic "blue" books very inexpensively. From what I've heard, the material in the blue books are very similar to the material in the full "light blue" curriculum so you can get a taste of Maria Miller's style.

 

MUS has the advantage of the DVD instruction but I don't personally care for the S&S and it's not based on the Asian way of teaching math (something about which I feel strongly, especially after reading Liping Ma's book).