Has anyone tried making MM more spiral?

[Aconnolley]

My 6yo dd did MM1 last year. Even with the review pages, she forgot things that she didn't see for a while, like clocks. I am going to try to mix it up more this year to have her doing a little of several different chapters each day, or at least every couple days. (while doing addition, I'll incorporate some measurement or clocks etc.)

 

My older kids had the same issue with MM. (MM 3 & 4) I also found that certain topics were really hard and time consuming for them, like mental addition and subtraction, (the mental math was SO good for them though) while other topics were less mind taxing and took less time. When we were in the difficult topics I started having them do one of their 2 pages from an easier subject. This did mess with the cumulative review a bit, but I just crossed off the things that they hadn't covered. They still didn't retain well.

 

I'm switching math programs for my older two, but I am determined to make MM work for my youngest. She is mathy and MM is great for her. I am thinking that I will pick a page from 3 topics at a time (addition, measurement, and clocks etc.) and continue that way, combining as I go and throwing in cumulative reviews. Maybe I'll split it into small sections and have it spiral bound or something. Has anyone tried anything like this?

 

Thanks!

Angela

[ByGrace3]

:lurk5:

[Critterfixer]

:bigear: Listening and thinking about it. I've been using Saxon 1 and am going to make the shift to MM. One of my DS will probably not need as much review, the other will need to review and probably should drill from time to time. While I think I will have plenty of time to teach one on one with MM, I know I can't do a full Saxon lesson with the one and have any puff left to teach MM to the other, so MM will need to be flexible enough to be "spiralled" for the child who needs it.

My plan for the moment is to avail myself of the worksheets that can be generated by MM, abject thievery of MEP materials (free--I'm not really going to be thieving them), and I'll probably sub in Ray's Arithmetic (also free).

I'm going to borrow a bit from Saxon in that I will likely continue The Meeting prior to the lesson for both. They both love having the Meeting. Since it has always involved calender work, money, patterns (both number patterns and shape patterns) and clock-work, graphing, etc, and some flashcard drill on already learned facts, number sense stuff, etc, I think that will build in a spiral aspect for us. Since we are doing earth science too, I'll probably build in thermometer and rain measurements as well.

[Persephone]

I am going to try to mix it up more this year to have her doing a little of several different chapters each day

 

This is what I do with Math Mammoth, because this way we are:

1. Mixing subjects that are harder conceptually for my dc with those that are easier.

2. Keeping several subjects fresh in dc's mind.

 

I am an afterschooler, not a homeschooler, however. I am interested to hear if others do the same thing with MM.

[Momling]

What I do is to start each math session off with a brief review of everything that I'm afraid my kids might forget. I give them 5 or 10 easy questions to help remind them...

Like today for my older daughter, we did a long division problem and a reducing fractions problem and then I asked how many oz in a lb and how to write 24 as a roman numeral... It's all pretty random and aimed particularly at what I know she is likely to forget.

Alternatively, you could add something like Evan Moor daily math review or Math Minute or some other mixed math review to keep up skills before focusing on the lesson.

[3peasinapod]

:bigear:

 

I need to do this with Math Mammoth too. The problem is, it sounds terribly complicated to me to make worksheets and try to pull together review of concepts reviewed.

 

What do you all think of using the Blue series books to review concepts such as money, clock, geometry etc.? I like the idea of Evan Moor daily review, though. I'll check into that.

 

It seems to me that 1 page per day of MM so far is all the girls can handle. When do you do the review pages? Once a week? Twice a week? Any thoughts on exactly how to pull this off.

 

My brain is overloaded now with other things, and I can't seem to wrap it around all of this right now.:001_huh:

[ChrissySC]

There are cummulative review sheets. Did you download? Else, consider the green or gold for review as well.

 

I don't think it is so much the spiraling as it is the mastery and review as well. :)

 

Something to think about.

[boscopup]

I need to do this with Math Mammoth too. The problem is, it sounds terribly complicated to me to make worksheets and try to pull together review of concepts reviewed.

 

The only concepts you should need to review are time/shapes/measurement/money, because those aren't interwoven with the other topics. Just take a page of each of those chapters and hand them one however often you think they need it, rather than doing those chapters altogether. Those chapters are usually not dependent on the other chapters (check the Foreward to see which chapters are independent).

 

The rest of the chapters build on themselves. For example, once you get past single digit addition, you start double digit addition, which uses single digit addition, so you don't have to review single digit, kwim?

 

Also, make sure you're reviewing those needing-review topics in real life, as they're easy to do that way. If you go to the grocery store, have your child weigh the produce you're buying. If you're rearranging your furniture at home, have your child measure spaces to fit stuff. If you see an analog clock anywhere, ask them what time it is on that clock (or install an analog clock in your home!). If you purchase an item, have your child tell what change you'll get back. These things are just so easy to weave into your daily life if you just remind yourself to look for those opportunities. :)

 

If your girls can't do more than 1 page per day, you might look at the number of problems you're assigning. I assume they're new to MM? Start out by assigning about half the problems in a section that has a lot of drill in it. If you need more practice, you can come back later and do the rest of the problems, or you could use the problems they didn't do as daily review on the white board at the beginning of math. Lots of options. :) If they don't need the practice, you can safely skip those problems, never to return again. :D You might find that your DDs are gradually able to do more and more. My son could only handle a page when we started, but now he can do 3 (he does one section per day). You can also break it up, doing one page in the morning and one page in the afternoon. I think to get done in a year, you're going to need to do 2 pages a day at least some of the time.

[Stacie Leigh]

I noticed that she has a series arranged by topic instead of grade level and I'm thinking of getting some of those and interspersing them as needed. For instance, we will do extra work on borrowing and carrying.

[boscopup]

For instance, we will do extra work on borrowing and carrying.

 

Shhh... don't tell Bill that! You just used two bad words! :lol:

[3peasinapod]

The only concepts you should need to review are time/shapes/measurement/money, because those aren't interwoven with the other topics. Just take a page of each of those chapters and hand them one however often you think they need it, rather than doing those chapters altogether. Those chapters are usually not dependent on the other chapters (check the Foreward to see which chapters are independent).

 

The rest of the chapters build on themselves. For example, once you get past single digit addition, you start double digit addition, which uses single digit addition, so you don't have to review single digit, kwim?

 

Also, make sure you're reviewing those needing-review topics in real life, as they're easy to do that way. If you go to the grocery store, have your child weigh the produce you're buying. If you're rearranging your furniture at home, have your child measure spaces to fit stuff. If you see an analog clock anywhere, ask them what time it is on that clock (or install an analog clock in your home!). If you purchase an item, have your child tell what change you'll get back. These things are just so easy to weave into your daily life if you just remind yourself to look for those opportunities. :)

 

If your girls can't do more than 1 page per day, you might look at the number of problems you're assigning. I assume they're new to MM? Start out by assigning about half the problems in a section that has a lot of drill in it. If you need more practice, you can come back later and do the rest of the problems, or you could use the problems they didn't do as daily review on the white board at the beginning of math. Lots of options. :) If they don't need the practice, you can safely skip those problems, never to return again. :D You might find that your DDs are gradually able to do more and more. My son could only handle a page when we started, but now he can do 3 (he does one section per day). You can also break it up, doing one page in the morning and one page in the afternoon. I think to get done in a year, you're going to need to do 2 pages a day at least some of the time.

 

Yes, we are new. We've been doing it for about 3 weeks. I noticed that we would have to do more than 1 page per day, so I was wondering how people were doing it. Thanks for the great tips!

 

I do try to incorporate practice in everyday life, and I need to have it on the back of my mind more. I don't even use cash anymore :001_huh:, so I am going to have them count their money in their piggy banks.

[ByGrace3]

I noticed that she has a series arranged by topic instead of grade level and I'm thinking of getting some of those and interspersing them as needed. For instance, we will do extra work on borrowing and carrying.

 

just another thought, if you have the MM download there is a worksheet generator. You can just make new worksheets to review from that. I think this is our plan. . .

[ChrissySC]

just another thought, if you have the MM download there is a worksheet generator. You can just make new worksheets to review from that. I think this is our plan. . .

 

 

:iagree:I use this too.

[wapiti]

:iagree: I missed it for months, LOL - it's in the supportive materials folder, titled "Make_Extra_Worksheets_grade". It is perfect for adding in extra review.

[Aconnolley]

Thanks, everyone, for the ideas. :001_smile: I can't really imagine adding more than 2 pages a day. My kids in MM 3 & 4 would sometimes be completely spent, and I would be too by the time they finished 2 sheets. I frequently had to sit with them and help them through the whole lesson, especially with the word problems. I did cross off a few problems, but as it was, things were't sticking that well for my oldest. It seemed like intensely focusing on something like a fractions concept for a few days and then not seeing it again for many days just didn't work for him. He seems to need constant repetition to make things stick. In his case, I decided that MM just wasn't a good fit and I am going back to a spiral program. I love the way that MM teaches and, I am hoping that when my 6yo gets to the higher levels that it will not be so overwhelming to her since she has used it all along.

 

Like a PP mentioned, the main topics that are not constantly reviewed are the measurement, money, and clock type topics. For my DD starting MM 2, I think that I will just insert these periodically as I go. For example, I will start at the beginning, but instead of doing three pages of addition in a row, I'll do one followed by one clock page,then one addition with a measurement page. That way her two sheets every day consist of one regular topic and one time/measurement/clock type topic. I will probably just alternate clock and measurement until she finishes one, then switch to money etc. The end of chapter reviews would just come after the last page of a chapter. The cumulative review, would be based on where she was with the main topic.

 

I'm thinking of splitting this into 4 spiral notebooks or maybe a three ring binder, so I can keep everything straight. I hope that it will make more sense after I print the whole thing out. I will split it into chapters and the separate from there. I really hope that this will be enough so that I won't have to add extra review. Of course, topics come up in daily life, but I am trying to take some of the review pressure off of myself since I have my plate full of that with my older kids. :tongue_smilie:

 

I wish that I could know how this will work without trying it. Nothing like making my kid a guinea pig. lol I don't want to mess her up. She is my one child who actually LIKES math! :001_smile: She was frustrated last year though, when she couldn't remember some topics on the cumulative review and end of year test.

[3peasinapod]

Thanks, everyone, for the ideas. :001_smile: I can't really imagine adding more than 2 pages a day. My kids in MM 3 & 4 would sometimes be completely spent, and I would be too by the time they finished 2 sheets. I frequently had to sit with them and help them through the whole lesson, especially with the word problems. I did cross off a few problems, but as it was, things were't sticking that well for my oldest. It seemed like intensely focusing on something like a fractions concept for a few days and then not seeing it again for many days just didn't work for him. He seems to need constant repetition to make things stick. In his case, I decided that MM just wasn't a good fit and I am going back to a spiral program. I love the way that MM teaches and, I am hoping that when my 6yo gets to the higher levels that it will not be so overwhelming to her since she has used it all along.

 

Like a PP mentioned, the main topics that are not constantly reviewed are the measurement, money, and clock type topics. For my DD starting MM 2, I think that I will just insert these periodically as I go. For example, I will start at the beginning, but instead of doing three pages of addition in a row, I'll do one followed by one clock page,then one addition with a measurement page. That way her two sheets every day consist of one regular topic and one time/measurement/clock type topic. I will probably just alternate clock and measurement until she finishes one, then switch to money etc. The end of chapter reviews would just come after the last page of a chapter. The cumulative review, would be based on where she was with the main topic.

 

I'm thinking of splitting this into 4 spiral notebooks or maybe a three ring binder, so I can keep everything straight. I hope that it will make more sense after I print the whole thing out. I will split it into chapters and the separate from there. I really hope that this will be enough so that I won't have to add extra review. Of course, topics come up in daily life, but I am trying to take some of the review pressure off of myself since I have my plate full of that with my older kids. :tongue_smilie:

 

I wish that I could know how this will work without trying it. Nothing like making my kid a guinea pig. lol I don't want to mess her up. She is my one child who actually LIKES math! :001_smile: She was frustrated last year though, when she couldn't remember some topics on the cumulative review and end of year test.

 

This is a good idea. Not only will there be built-in review, but the 2 pages per day required to finish the curriculum would be less intensive, as clocks, measurement, time, etc. seem to come more easily. It gives them a mini break from all the brain power needed for the actual lesson. Great!

[gracyomalley]

First I LOVE MM and my kids learn best from it of anything we have done - that said, it is intense and not independent work in our house much of the time! I don't try to accelerate them in it in any way, but this last year we did MM and TT(a year or two ahead in TT - ie dd is presently doing TT5 and MM4, ds did TT7/MM5). This gave them the spiral in TT and the more challenging and conceptual math in MM. We were able to do a year of each in a calendar year - and usually that's maybe 3 TT lessons and 2 full MM a week - but I didn't do every MM sheet - I pick and choose what I want them to really get...don't make them do the review from each program, for instance, and for fractions we did 3/4 of MM 5 and all of TT 7.

 

My youngest is doing great with just MM - presently finishing up MM3A at age 6. He does 2-3 pages a day, and it takes about an hour. He likes math and I or Grandpa work right with him, ( mostly for focus, but also to make sure he gets it). Part of that is his natural math gift - but I also think part of it is having done MM from MM 1. (he did Saxon 1 and half of 2 first). I think if I had started MM with him when he didn't know his facts already and was ready for the mental math it would be slower going. The olders also back-tracked when going into MM - as you can see above.

 

However, I think the older two would not do well if I threw a weights and measurement test at them right now - but I wouldn't do well with quarts and such either!!! We just reveiw that as it comes up - I know they will know their metrics (which make sense, after all), and time (which you use daily) and that will be what they will need for upper level science and math. Geometry also gets "forgotten" briefly - but comes back easily. You know, over all mastery just makes more sense to me. If I didn't have to work part time I'd just do all MM until pre-algebra - but I need them to have some math they can do more independently, and TT fits that bill (saxon would too, but the drudgery killed us all....)

 

My advice would be do some spiral or drill and slow down MM as you need to - but I do keep coming back to how good it really is. DD just did the long multiplication in parts lessons from MM4 and said "its hard, but more exciting..." and amazed me at how much she can do mentally...and she "hates math". When TT started her on long division she "got it" but kept saying she didn't because they didn't teach "why" you do the proceedure - she'll understand it better (despite getting all the answers right now) after we do it in MM 4 - I am sure.

 

Unfortunately, it seems they learn better when we really teach them - too bad, I would get more baking done otherwise!!!

Erin

[Aconnolley]

This is a good idea. Not only will there be built-in review, but the 2 pages per day required to finish the curriculum would be less intensive, as clocks, measurement, time, etc. seem to come more easily. It gives them a mini break from all the brain power needed for the actual lesson. Great!

 

That is what I am hoping for. :001_smile: I did a little of this out of necessity with my older kids last year because the mental addition and subtraction pages at the beginning of the year were taking them FOREVER each day. (they hadn't done much mental math before that) I just made one if the pages be from an easier chapter. We wouldn't have made it through chapter one without doing that. I did a little mixing through the rest of the year, but not as much as I plan on doing this year.

 

Angela

[mystika1]

Hi,

I do the following now and it seems to be working. Everyday of the week I do two pages from the addition and subtraction book and I have a schedule for the rest split up. Monday is time...Tuesday is Money...Wed. is Fractions...Thursday is Geometry and Friday is Place Value and Measurements. I just do a page from the chosen book. This way we touch on each topic weekly while covering addition and subtraction daily. I can add more if needed.

 

HTH,

Penny

Edited June 29, 2011 by mystika1

[Melinda S in TX]

We have the digital version and I print and bind it myself with all the tests and reviews in the appropriate place. I give my children the A and B books at the same time. The different sections (geometry, time, measurements, etc) are marked with a postie note. When we do a lesson, we start in the A book and go through the different sections until I have assigned enough work for the day. That may mean they do one page of addition, half a page of time, and a few problems of measurement.

 

When we first started with Math Mammoth I used the books from beginning to end. My children couldn't remember without more review, but I loved MM. This was my "make it work solution". More review for them and the curriculum I wanted to use. This "spiral" approach has worked well for us.

 

Blessings,

Melinda

[Aconnolley]

 

When we first started with Math Mammoth I used the books from beginning to end. My children couldn't remember without more review, but I loved MM. This was my "make it work solution". More review for them and the curriculum I wanted to use. This "spiral" approach has worked well for us.

 

Blessings,

Melinda

 

I'm so glad to hear that it worked for you! That gives me more confidence to proceed. Thank you so much for sharing. :001_smile:

 

Angela