So I went overboard buying K math curriculum, what order to use Miquon, SM, RS A, MEP

[Nart]

I love math and hope my kids do to, so I went a little crazy buying math curriculum. I bought SM Earlybird A a few months ago. Then I bought Right Start Level A a couple of weeks ago and printed out the teacher's guide to MEP reception. I was so inspired by the math threads last week that I bought Miquon and Singapore Essentials B, and SM HIG and Textbook 1A. My ds is 4 so I figure we have lots of time to explore. My goal is to eventually transition to just Singapore Standards starting in second grade. I didn't want to miss anything in SM so I bought the kinder level and the first half of first grade to make sure we were on track for SM 2A.

 

So now my problem is how to incorporate everything. Do I

A. Do each program separately, ex. MEP Reception first (it seems like the easiest), then transition to RS A (we have done the first 5 lessons and my son likes it so far), then explore with Miquon, then move over to Singapore. That would work in terms of adding written work which he is not interested in doing. (I also can't figure out if he is right or left handed so I am not pushing doing much writing). He will circle or cross out or pick up number tiles, but is not interested in writing a lot of numbers yet.

 

B. Mix in each program. For example, we started using RS A and there is a topic on right and left. MEP Reception lesson 7 has an activity on right and left so mix that in. Or on RS A lesson 2 has an activity on patterns, so I could go to MEP lesson 10 and do that lesson afterward and the do SM EarlyBird lesson on patterns. RS Lesson lesson 6 has a lesson on ordering strips. Instead of cutting out paper strips, what could be better than Cuisinaire Rods from Miquon.

 

C. Or pick two programs that I like the best and put the rest away and see what younger son likes two years from now. Then sell the rest.

Jen

 

Please, please, please no one mention any other curriculum. My husband was really excited with the first two math curriculums, puzzled as to why I would buy a third, and I am not even mentioning to him that I got the SM box in the mail today.

[mom2bee]

Sounds like a bit of a pickle. I wan't to say pick one program and stick with it, or rather, pick on program to "learn from" and then just use others for enrichments/activities. If you have the time, I'd say its worth it going through each program and syncing the lessons/topics etc and making a guide book for yourself...

 

ETA: If you have time. I'd probably go with A.

[Irishmommy]

I vote Miquon and Singapore. Right Start is a great program, but I think it's just too expensive over the long haul. I don't think you'll need more than the two I voted for. Actually, I don't think you'll need more than Miquon, but I like combining it with MM. :)

[boscopup]

All I can say is: :lol:

 

Ok, I've been guilty of this too, and I use Math Mammoth, btw.

 

I'm using RS A with my 4 year old, but will probably use Singapore Essential Math K as well, and I *do* have Miquon here but haven't used it yet (still need to get the first grade diary). I intend to only use RS A and *maybe* B, then switch him to straight MM like my oldest is using. We love MM here (Singapore method, but not a gazillion books to deal with!).

 

I mostly got RS because I needed the manipulatives anyway, and it wasn't much more to get the A set than to get the manipulatives individually. For B, I don't think I'd need the whole upgrade set, so I'll probably try to find the lesson book used. We'll see. It's hard to tell yet if my son will even need the manipulatives or not. My oldest rarely needs them. RS would have been overkill for him. If DS2 is like DS1 next year, I'll just use the Singapore K book and switch to MM for grade 1 math.

 

I tried to not say Math Mammoth too noticeably. :lol: You do know there is a co-op going on, right?

[grace'smom]

BTDT! Here is the order I would go in...

 

SM earlybird a and b combined with miquon

 

When sm is done go to rs a combined with miquon- (combining these is actually a good idea so that you don't finish a too early... We have just completed rs a and we started in sept. Now i am trying to figure out what to do next.)

 

Mep reception- if you use it - might work before all of the above...

 

We tried sm earlybird and ended up only doing 1 semester. It seemed young for dd... But I think the earlybird is a different bird than the rest of Singapore.

[Snowfall]

I think you'll probably get a different answer from everyone. :) If he doesn't like writing, it seems like MEP Reception and RS A would be the best to start with, since neither will require much writing.

[Satori]

I have all those and used them all! (Plus a few more...) I think you purchased the best to start out, or at least my favorites anyway.

 

I'd start with RightStart A and maybe MEP together. Once you've got the great foundation that RightStart gives, ease into Singapore 1A, maybe with Miquon.

 

I did not really like Singapore Earlybird. I have a hard time getting into Miquon, but will make my 4th attempt this month. :) Take into consideration both your child's learning style and your teaching style and you'll discover what works for you best.

Edited March 19, 2011 by Satori

[lovinmyboys]

I have no idea, but I am so glad I am not the only one. I really think I went a little crazy last week. I have been doing RS A and MEP combined so far. I just bought Miquon and MM last week. Plus, I found Saxon K-3 with manipulatives at a garage sale.

 

I plan to do MEP reception and RS A, then start Miquon, then do MM for first.

 

Really, I spend way too much money and time on math compared to the other subjects.

[JeneralMom]

I'm kind of ashamed to admit that I am using my 5th grade tutoree as an excuse to buy the whole Math Mammoth shebang from Homeschool Buyer's Coop. We do have Singapore math and all the goodies that go with it (extra practice, word problems, computer game)

[Christie_P]

I love math and am passionate about math. I went overseas and homeschooled 3 missionary kids about 10 years ago who used Saxon. That was my first exposure and I fell in love with it. The children were not strong in math at all, but greatly improved over the year. This was their first year to use Saxon, and I decided then to do Saxon all the way. So I have had experience and success teaching from Saxon 5/4, 7/6 & 8/7.

 

Fast forward to today. used Saxon K with my 5yo and it was good / fair. Purchased Saxon 1 - read it at night getting ready to begin it soon as we finished Saxon K's last lesson which was Tuesday (and why waste months of precious time?)

 

Anyway, I have dubbed Saxon 1 "Death by Overwhelming Amounts of Review" - tossed it and am ordering Math Mammoth.

 

Here is what I believe - I love math, and my daughter appears to be getting it quite well. But even she got BORED with the same review day in and day out as in "Mom, I know this, can't we move on to something new?" and that was Saxon K. Saxon 1 has triple the review everyday to wade through before you get to that nugget - that one savory bite of something new!

 

SO - some people love it, and the missionary kids I tutored had great success with it - but they were not mathematically inclined and had a weak background. It helped them - they improved - Saxon was a success with them. But if YOU love math, and your child appears to be getting it quite well, is excited about learning new things - then why hamper them with overwhelming amounts of review if that's not necessary? I'd suggest a mastery program like Singapore or Math Mammoth.

 

Just my two cents!

[2squared]

I am utterly in love with RS, and my oldest will be using Level D next year. I have gone through Level A twice now, and will have another dc starting it next school year.

 

My 6yo is a math kid, so I just purchased Miquon thinking he could do some additional exploration and learning on his own. He is half-way through RS Level B and joins in his sister's Level C lessons. I have read Miqon's Teacher's Notes and am halfway through the First Grade Diary. What I have seen thus far of Miquon, RightStart A & B has covered nearly all the same things in very similar ways - just with different manipulatives. :glare: I think the RS approach is deeper, but I'll have to see how the First Grade Diary ends to come up with a final decision.

 

Now I am in a pickle having spent too much money on this program which really doesn't provide new or different. I could let the dc use it for fun, but then I should have three copies of all the workbooks so all my oldest three can explore with it. Well, that would be even more money on a program which isn't more than RS. :confused: Sorry for the vent. I foresee a new set of Miquon on the For Sale boards next week.

 

Anyway, I would pick either RS or Miquon since they are so similar.

Edited March 19, 2011 by 2squared

[grace'smom]

I really like Rightstart too... Yesterday all the neighborhood kids were in the yard and they were playing "school." My DD is the only homeschooled one in the bunch, and she got the answers right for all the math questions the 4th grader was throwing out. The third graders couldn't answer these questions, but my kindergartener could answer them. I didn't think they were that hard, but you have to understand place value to answer them (what's 500 plus 500, what's 60 plus 30, what's 1000 plus 3000, what's 50 plus 50, etc.). It was pretty cool, and really helped me with my "februaries" that have drug into March.

[Guest RecumbentHeart]

I don't have a suggestion, just figured I'd comment that I when I first started reading this thread I honestly thought, "That's not a problem I've had" (because I do admit I have/had them in various areas) and then I stopped to think - my oldest is 5 and I own Saxon K, MEP Reception Year (all printed out and in plastic sleeves and binder), Miquon teacher books and orange, Horizons K, a whole range of math manipulatives, Professor B Level 1 (and in the process of purchasing 2 & 3), Math Mammoth 1-6a, and the reproducible PES Math books for PreK and K which I intended, in my original plan, to use as supplement to simple, self constructed, real life math until we reached first grade. ... so much for that. :glare:

 

I only almost bought RS ... but he's only 5 and there are 3 behind him so there is still time, right? :D

[happyhappyjoyjoy]

I started last June after my DS1 finished K at school. We began w/ RS B. After lesson 24, he wanted more book work. We added in Singapore 1A. I have the HIG, but I don't use it since I 'teach' from RS. He finished RS B in January. We moved on to RS C. He's done w/ Singapore 1B and is finishing Singapore CWP and IP. He wants me to order 2A, but I've decided to incorporate MEP and Miquon after that. I like the idea of hitting concept from different programs, before charging forward. He's already doing RS C as it is.

 

I ordered Singapore Early Bird for DS2 and did NOT like it. I plan on ordering him Essentials the next time I order books from a store that sells that.

Good luck.

[Nart]

Thanks for all the advice, although I really didn't want to hear anything about another curriculum like MM (I keep repeating, "I will not research MM, I will not search any threads about MM). It sound like MEP Reception with Right Start A will work well with some exploration of the C-Rods and maybe some easier Miquon exploration (I am reading First Grade Diaries now). Then we can go further into Miquon and Singapore Math. I am glad I bought SM Kinder Essentials B and SM 1A to see how Singapore Math develops skills. I like that SM starts with number bonds in Essentials B, which goes along with the partitioning of numbers in RS A.

I think that if I am really organized and stay on top of all four curriculums it will give my son an amazing foundation for math. However, if I get too overwhelmed I will just stick with one and do that one completely.

[kathkath]

I think you'll probably get a different answer from everyone. :) If he doesn't like writing, it seems like MEP Reception and RS A would be the best to start with, since neither will require much writing.

 

I was thinking this too. FWIW I also use Math Mammoth and MEP. I would use RSA as a spine and then pull in what looks interesting from MEP.