Superfly Posted October 30, 2011 Share Posted October 30, 2011 Wondering if anyone just does math on their own without a curriculum in the lower grades? Has it worked for you? I've just completely had it with trying to find a "fit" for DD that won't leave gaps. We started out with Saxon 1 and 2 and they worked okay, but DD started getting bored halfway through 2(and so did I). I switched to R&S. This helped me to realize that DD had a huge deficiency in math fact recall. I much prefer the R&S way of memorizing, but it doesn't have all the other stuff that I think Saxon is better with. So I started combining the two. I just started homeschooling my youngest, and now I don't have that much time to spend with ODD. DD loves the math on time4learning, so I was thinking of just "doing math", and letting her use time4learning to fill in the gaps. I love math and know I can come up with a lot of math activities and games. I just fear I will miss something and regret it later. I guess I'm just fishing for other's who may have experience in doing it on their own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blondeviolin Posted October 30, 2011 Share Posted October 30, 2011 You might want to look into Miquon. At the very least, pick up the First Grade Diary. Sometimes I feel like doing Miquon is doing math on your own...and the FGD is full of good ideas to introduce topics and types of problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janelless Posted October 30, 2011 Share Posted October 30, 2011 I'm not using a math curriculum and my dd is 7. I couldn't find one we liked so we're going off on our own. I'm pretty sure I can cover second grade math without too much difficulty. Not sure about next year yet, but for this year we're "winging" it...ok not winging it, but we don't have a set curriculum. We used Singapore last year which we didn't like and I noticed huge gaps, so this year we're filling in the gaps and doing our own thing. Well I may like Singapore it wasn't working with my dd and no learning was being done. This year is going better. Janelle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Superfly Posted October 30, 2011 Author Share Posted October 30, 2011 You might want to look into Miquon. At the very least, pick up the First Grade Diary. Sometimes I feel like doing Miquon is doing math on your own...and the FGD is full of good ideas to introduce topics and types of problems. I don't have any experience with Miquon, but it does look similar to how I would like to teach the concepts. From looking at the workbooks online it seems I would need to go all the way back to the beginning? I guess this is part of my frustration with the idea of trying to switch to another curriculum. I don't want DD to feel like she is starting over again. I just want her to love math again instead of groaning at the mention of it. Since the books are so cheap I may just pick one up to give it a try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmilyGF Posted October 30, 2011 Share Posted October 30, 2011 Russian Math doesn't start until second grade. I sometimes dream of half-way doing RightStart with my daughter (who picks up a lot on her own) and then doing Russian Math when she can do all the reading on her own. Math is something you need comfort in and general exposure to. You could use Kitchen Table Math and then go through chapter by chapter as you desire to "fill in gaps." I like SWB's idea to take a test from another curriculum every once in a while. Emily Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted October 30, 2011 Share Posted October 30, 2011 I think you could absolutely do math informally in the early years and then something like Practical Arithmetic later on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted October 30, 2011 Share Posted October 30, 2011 The Story of an Experiment: No Formal Math Before Third Grade Very interesting. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laundrycrisis Posted October 30, 2011 Share Posted October 30, 2011 I abandoned Singapore with DS1, used Spectrum workbooks for a while, then had him start Dreambox, then Math Whizz. Now I'm starting Miquon for DS2 so I'm doing some Miquon-ish things with DS1 as well but at his level, having him do Timez Attack, and will cycle back to the Spectrum workbooks when he's ready to go back to them. Basically I watch him use the online programs and when I see that he is having a hard time with something, I work on that with him for a while and then have him go back to the programs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KristenR Posted October 30, 2011 Share Posted October 30, 2011 I think you would benefit with Miquon. Even if you don't purchase the workbooks but just read the First Grade Diary and get ideas. Your dd might not feel like she is taking a step back when you start implementing with more manipulatives like c-rods. That being said we love the workbooks here - they are so different that your dd might not realizing that she is "starting over". I posted a few blog posts about our switch from Saxon to Miquon. Maybe you can look them over and get an idea about how it works... Best of luck to you and your kiddos in whatever you decide! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.... Posted October 30, 2011 Share Posted October 30, 2011 Yeah, I totally think you could do early math without a curriculum. :thumbup1: Have you seen the Kitchen Table Math books? http://www.amazon.com/Dr-Wrights-Kitchen-Table-Math/dp/0982921101/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1319979750&sr=8-2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halcyon Posted October 30, 2011 Share Posted October 30, 2011 (edited) We use a variety of resources. I consider SM my spine, but to be honest, we move around using different resources, including miquon, games, LOF, MM, card games, mini books with addition and subtraction facts, word problems and living math books. Edited October 30, 2011 by Halcyon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybear Posted October 30, 2011 Share Posted October 30, 2011 I know there are some people who do a completely living math approach, but I can't remember who.:glare: I'm hoping they will see this and jump in, as I'm on the fence about this myself. It always seems to me like it would be a lot of work on my part, but very doable. :bigear: to others.......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coralloyd Posted October 30, 2011 Share Posted October 30, 2011 (edited) You might be interested in the Living Math site http://www.livingmath.net/. ETA: I use a mix of this, MUS, Mathgamesk-5 http://mathgamesk-5.com/, Ray's Arithmetic http://www.mottmedia.com/pages/publications.asp?Pub=rays, and Kitchen Table Math Edited October 30, 2011 by coralloyd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Superfly Posted October 30, 2011 Author Share Posted October 30, 2011 Thank you all for the feedback. I'm checking out all the links. I have been trying to move towards CM for most subjects and I love the idea of doing living math. I tend to stress myself out with all the formal curriculum. I'm trying to relax and use the curriculum as a resource instead of being a slave to it. I know I can do this...I just need to take a deep breath and relax. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted October 30, 2011 Share Posted October 30, 2011 One thing I didn't see linked or mentioned that you could also use is the RightStart games. And there are lots of other math games out there as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybear Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 Here is a previous helpful thread. http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=303855&highlight=living+math Also, do a search "living math". You will find more. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SorrelZG Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 The Story of an Experiment: No Formal Math Before Third Grade Very interesting. :) Thank-you for sharing this. I enjoyed reading it today although it left me deeply curious about what has happened in the 75 years since. Obviously there was no sweeping and lasting change. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 Thank-you for sharing this. I enjoyed reading it today although it left me deeply curious about what has happened in the 75 years since. Obviously there was no sweeping and lasting change. Educrats were too busy keeping the status quo.:glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birchbark Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 Have you looked at Math On the Level? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birchbark Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 The Story of an Experiment: No Formal Math Before Third Grade Very interesting. :) Thanks for posting this. AMAZING. I love this quote: "The problem seemed very simple to these children who had been taught to use their heads instead of their pencils." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Down_the_Rabbit_Hole Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 :bigear: We just started this, not using a curriculum for math. I am using an Abeka 2 book just to keep me informed of what things my dd should be doing this year, sort of a check list type of thing. Our library has a great selection of math books to pull fun ideas from and I am going to use these to get ideas to get skills across as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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