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What's so good about MEP?


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I've tried to search and read some of the treads on MEP, based on a recommendation for my 4 yr old daughter. I'm not finding enough information on it, and the actual website is ...information overload :confused:

 

Can you tell me the pros and cons? And if you've done it, how do you find the content and structure?

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I've been doing MEP Year 1 with my son who just turned 5. We worked very slowly last year and just picked up the pace about a month ago so we are still at the beginning (about Lesson 20). It's perfect for my son who loves numbers and math but is still pretty young and doesn't have great writing skills.

 

I love it. Each lesson has a nice mix of oral/active exercises, written exercises and thinking exercises/games. There is continuous review but not overly done (one oral and one written usually) so it reinforces without causing boredom. I like how the concepts are explained in many different ways so if a child doesn't understand it at first, presenting it a different way may help it to click. I do sometimes take the written exercises and copy them larger onto another piece of paper to make them easier for my son. Even doing this, it usually only takes me a few minutes to get everything I need together for the lesson and each lesson takes about 15 minutes so far. (I did do the massive filing system so I have everything printed out already).

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We've used it off and on. It's a different approach to math than any I've ever seen. I haven't used the first lessons yet, but perusing them... they seem to incorporate a lot more moving around and random counting than, for instance, the Singapore math I'm using with my youngest.

 

MEP, in general, seems to give kids a full grasp of numbers before it introduces new ideas and things to do with those numbers. Dd is using MEP 9 and it started this year with learning binary, adding/subtracting/multiplying binary, and now she's just working outside of base ten all together. By the time we finish the first unit her idea of numbers will have changed drastically and that, imo, is really the basis of MEP. It's not the same old stuff I learned in school, it's about seeing numbers in a completely different light.

 

I wish I could be more clear...

 

MEP teaches numbers and math, like a really good phonics program teaches reading. By the time they've worked through a few lessons numbers are old hat.

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I've tried to search and read some of the treads on MEP, based on a recommendation for my 4 yr old daughter. I'm not finding enough information on it, and the actual website is ...information overload :confused:

 

Can you tell me the pros and cons? And if you've done it, how do you find the content and structure?

 

Are you looking at Y1 or the Reception year (I think that is what it is called). We used some of the Reception materials this year with my 5 yr old. I thought it was a great intro into math. She looked at pictures and I asked questions about how many people, animals, trees, etc... were in the picture. She also had to trace lines. She learned directions and 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc...

 

We only went to lesson 30 but she learned a lot from it. The only problem for her was that they didn't go past counting to 5. They also had some beginning math facts.

 

Kelly

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Hi,

 

There is a lot of info on the MEP site. I would suggest you look only at the Reception year lesson plans (there are no workbooks for Reception). This is the section you should look for:

 

Reception

Lesson Plans for

Lessons 1 to 10 [197]

Lessons 11 to 20 [174]

Lessons 21 to 30[242]

Lesson Plans for

Lessons 31 to 40 [182]

Lessons 41 to 50 [185]

Lessons 51 to 60 [205]

 

You will also need to refer to the posters (look for the link called 'The Poster Collection for Reception, Year 1 and Year 2') which you can refer to on the computer, if you don't want to print them out.

 

We have done some Reception lessons and some Year 1 lessons and my dd has enjoyed both. We like that the activity pages are clean and simple, that there are activity breaks interspersed in the lessons, and that it is easy yet introduces advanced concepts early in year 1.

 

Search this forum for more MEP info.

 

HTH

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Just a few clarifications

 

kwiech -

Are you looking at Y1 or the Reception year (I think that is what it is called).
I'm not sure what age/yr 1 is in the states. But in Australia, our kids must start formal schooling by the age of 5 - she'll be 4.5 when she starts Kindie next year. My daughter has never done a formal maths program, so I just wanted a starting point.

 

lionfamily1999 - from your post, it seems like MEP really goes into details like Mammoth Maths. If so, that's what I'm looking for.

 

dottieanna29 -

We worked very slowly last year and just picked up the pace about a month ago so we are still at the beginning (about Lesson 20). It's perfect for my son who loves numbers and math but is still pretty young and doesn't have great writing skills.
that's how I would like to start out. However, I'm not sure my daughter loves numbers because we've never sat down and looked at a formal maths program together.
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I'm not sure what age/yr 1 is in the states. But in Australia, our kids must start formal schooling by the age of 5 - she'll be 4.5 when she starts Kindie next year. My daughter has never done a formal maths program, so I just wanted a starting point.

 

I think the Reception materials would be great for your dd. We did the first 30 lessons and then moved on to something else but I enjoyed doing those 30 lessons with my dd. It was a gentle start to math.

 

Kelly

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What is different about MEP is that almost every exercise in the Student Book takes thought. A child can't just get used to doing problems in the manner set up by a publisher and move through them thoughtlessly.

 

They must engage their minds. This challenge tends to make the work fun and intriguing.

 

And the Lesson Plan component keeps interactive learning an integral part of the math education, so it isn't all workbooks.

 

Bill

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One thing to note, reception year in the UK (which is where the curriculum on the MEP website orginates) is 4 year old kindergarten. MEP Year 1 is the equivalent of what we call kindergarten in the US. Although one could use Reception year or Year 1 with a 5 yo effectively, reception year is more preschool type skills and Year 1 is more traditional K skills. My 4yo is using Year 1 currently with no problems at all. My 4yo niece in the UK (dh is British) is in Reception year and her school uses MEP reception year (of course)

 

I absolutely love MEP. It makes them think outside the box and draw connections that I have not seen other math programs do. I love the mix of activities in each lesson and none of them seem like busy work, they all have a purpose and are well thought out.

 

The site is a little daunting at first but you will soon get the hang of it. I would suggest choosing the year you wish to use and look at the first set of lesson plans for that year. Look at the first lesson and see what posters and/or student pages are needed for that lesson. See what manipulatives you might need. Year R and Year 1 often include "counting songs" but gives no specific suggestions for songs. I just google counting songs and we sing a few (10 little Indians, One Two Buckle My Shoe, 5 Fat Sausages, 10 Green Bottles are a few we've done so far)

 

I wish I had discovered MEP when my older kids were little. I plan on using MEP all the way through middle school at least with my current 4yo.

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The whole question of "levels" is a matter of (unsolvable) debate.

 

From my perspective MEP 1 is roughly on the level of difficulty of Singapore 1. We used both in Kindergarten, but many (most) parents use these on "Grade Level" and some use them a year behind Grade Level.

 

Working with Cuisenaire rods and which (of two rods) is "greater" or "less than" and then expanding that exercise to "how much greater of less than" is an invaluable skill to work on prior to starting MEP 1 IMO. The MEP style inequalities which include "the difference" in small type are very easy for a child who has a "concrete" understanding of the concept, rather than facing an abstract symbol as a starting point (not that there isn't some work on this in the Lesson Plans, but still...).

 

Bill

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The whole question of "levels" is a matter of (unsolvable) debate.

 

From my perspective MEP 1 is roughly on the level of difficulty of Singapore 1. We used both in Kindergarten, but many (most) parents use these on "Grade Level" and some use them a year behind Grade Level.

 

Working with Cuisenaire rods and which (of two rods) is "greater" or "less than" and then expanding that exercise to "how much greater of less than" is an invaluable skill to work on prior to starting MEP 1 IMO. The MEP style inequalities which include "the difference" in small type are very easy for a child who has a "concrete" understanding of the concept, rather than facing an abstract symbol as a starting point (not that there isn't some work on this in the Lesson Plans, but still...).

 

Bill

 

:iagree:

 

I took my ds7 through most of Miquon Orange and SM 1A before using MEP 1, and MEP 1 gave quite a lot to "chew on" while reviewing the info learned in SM1A.

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I didn't have time to insert a quote earlier but my comments on levels were mostly referring to the poster that said her 5yo daughter had a problem with Reception year because it only covered counting up to 5. It might have been better for her daughter move up to Year 1 which is actually designed with 5yos in mind. I completely agree with using whatever works for your child, regardless of the number on the cover. That's why I use Year 1 with my 4yo instead of reception year. She is definitely beyond the concepts presented in reception year already.

 

I've seen many people confused about why Reception year seems rather light for K. Many Americans don't realize that reception year in the UK is not the same as what we call kindergarten in the US. Reception year is preschool and the MEP curriculum, which was designed in the UK, accurately reflects that. It covers traditional preschool concepts while Year 1 covers things that are traditionally covered in American 5yo kindergarten though sometime much differently than they are presented in America.

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We are currently doing Reception year (on lesson 25). My dd had finished Earlybird A and I have to say that I am enjoying MEP so much more than EB.

 

Pros for MEP:

No cutting and pasting.

Not entirely scripted, but it does contain enough questions to understand what you should be doing with each picture.

Very visual.

 

We are also throwing in some Rightstart A, but we are only at about lesson 8 there. My dd consistently chooses MEP over Rightstart, although she does really enjoy the geoboard and the abacus.

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I didn't have time to insert a quote earlier but my comments on levels were mostly referring to the poster that said her 5yo daughter had a problem with Reception year because it only covered counting up to 5. It might have been better for her daughter move up to Year 1 which is actually designed with 5yos in mind. I completely agree with using whatever works for your child, regardless of the number on the cover. That's why I use Year 1 with my 4yo instead of reception year. She is definitely beyond the concepts presented in reception year already.

 

I've seen many people confused about why Reception year seems rather light for K. Many Americans don't realize that reception year in the UK is not the same as what we call kindergarten in the US. Reception year is preschool and the MEP curriculum, which was designed in the UK, accurately reflects that. It covers traditional preschool concepts while Year 1 covers things that are traditionally covered in American 5yo kindergarten though sometime much differently than they are presented in America.

 

I agree on all points. We started MEP (after a grounding in Miquon) at 4 and stretched it through along Kindergarten along with Primary Mathematics (Singapore) 1A/1B.

 

I just know there are many parents on this forum who don't favor starting math programs of this sort in Kindergarten. And I would say some of the materials in MEP 1 are more challenging than those found in a typical American math program. For me that is a "good thing." I do think the MEP levels are roughly on par in terms of challenge with Singapore (although there is more burned of thought in MEP excluding the Singapore IP books).

 

The "levels" thing is complicated by many factors including the readiness of children and the predispositions of parents.

 

Bill

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MEP's worksheets in and of themselves are great, but (as several people mentioned before I looked at them) the real "meat" is in the lesson plans. There are logic problems, mental math skills, and a lot of valuable instruction included in those pages, don't look past them! They also have helps for some of the trickier worksheet pages.

 

My kids love MEP. My husband, a computer programmer, is totally impressed with the lessons and output he's seeing from the interesting problems in MEP.

 

My daughter (and son, but M-girl is further along) is working through Year 1. We're almost halfway through Year 1. In the last lesson, not only did she have to find equalities and inequalities of these problems:

 

2+#=7-1 (where the # was represented by a "hand")

2+#>7-1

2+#<7-1

 

*and* they started to teach her how to show her work.

 

I'm ecstatic with MEP.

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I do sometimes take the written exercises and copy them larger onto another piece of paper to make them easier for my son. Even doing this, it usually only takes me a few minutes to get everything I need together for the lesson

Check out the copymasters -- they have many of the exercises you probably are rewriting, already big and easy to read.

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I think MEP is fabulous because it requires the students (and even the teacher :)) to think; think about the relationships between numbers, think of more than one way to find the answers; to think outside the box and understand, not just plug in someone else's thoughts about math.

 

The teacher's notes are well worth the few extra minutes of your time; lots of hidden gems in there. I also like that the worksheet is not too long; a good balance of challenging without overwhelming.

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Check out the copymasters -- they have many of the exercises you probably are rewriting, already big and easy to read.

 

I have looked and sometime they are just what's needed. Other times there will be one of something where multiples are needed. Example - we had a recent problem with rabbits, cabbages, carrots and flowers. There was one picture of each in the copymaster. Rather than print out multiples of the copymasters, I just did the problem up in Word using clipart. For me it was easier and quicker. Most of the problems I rewrite aren't things in the copymaster, just ones where I want to give him slightly more room to write so there will be a bunch of ovals laid out in a circle with < > or = between. Some will have items drawn in, some won't. It's real easy for me to just grab a piece of paper and copy it larger for him. In the beginning, I let him do some things with stickers or stamps. We aren't having too much of a problem with this anymore but it helped in the beginning.

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