Do you use the SM test books?

[justLisa]

Ok so I went from MM, to SM because I like the HIG and I really thought we needed a change (we have used MM exclusively since 1st). The test book is huge, like the same size as the textbook and workbook. Do you do EVERYTHING? DS is pretty accelerated in math. He really prefers to do just enough to prove he knows it, and we are fine with that. DH always worked this way in early math. So the problem with SM, is DS is VERY put off by the pictures/character like quality of it. DH is annoyed by it as well. Not so much in the textbook, but in the actual workbook.

 

We used it only for a short time, so we were just filling in gaps/differences with MM and moving pretty quickly through the parts we did. I never got to the test book, however just this morning I was looking through it and it is very plain looking. Does anyone use the tests instead of or more than doing ALL of the problems? It seems funny that I am considering a book or not based on little birthday cakes around the problems but seriously, it is a huge concern DS has LOL.

 

Or maybe I should stick with MM for good this time.....

 

I just really like SM as far as the scope and sequence, and all the tiny steps of MM sometimes confuses. I don't always like the presentation of it.

 

I wish there was only 1 to choose from

[justLisa]

I've never seen/used the test books. I use the text, workbook, and CWP books. Some years I've used the IP books.

 

 

I didn't even know I had them until today (where is the bag over head smiley) LOL. They were still in the box.

 

There are so many, it's basically like a plain worksheet for each chapter/topic. I don't think you could use everything AND the tests that seems like an awful lot?

[PhotoGal]

I didn't order the test book at first, but then ds really wanted tests for some reason. :confused:

 

It is a big book, but I think it has been a good review. It seems more challenging than the workbook. He usually gets everything right in the workbook, but has made a few errors on the tests. It is a good way to double check that he got everything I think.

 

Though taking the tests is time consuming, so I'm trying to decide if we are still going to do the workbook and IP and tests. Sometimes I pick and choose questions in the workbook so he doesn't have to do them all.

 

My ds really likes pictures, so I don't have a solution for you there. :) The CWP doesn't have much pictures so you could try that along with whatever main curriculum you choose.

[Dana]

I got the Extra Practice books for 3 and 4. My son needed extra practice with long division in particular. I don't think the EP books have enough extra problems though, so I've been also using Spectrum workbooks.

 

I've bought materials for 5 and decided to try the Tests book instead of the EP books. I think that'll work a bit better for us.

 

I don't intend to do all the tests. In some cases, I may not use any tests. I think they may be a useful reference and provide some extra practice at a similar difficulty level to the text.

 

If the cartoon characters are an issue, you might cover them up with a post-it before starting any of the work.

[Trez]

We do use the tests here. I especially llike to have the boys do the cumulative tests as they help me to determine the amount of retention between the different chapters.

[boscopup]

I just switched to Singapore. I didn't get the tests. There is so much practice in the textbook, workbook, IP, and CWP, that I don't think we could possibly even fit tests in. As it is, I plan to use the reviews in the workbook as tests.

 

What level are you in? The grade 4 books don't seem to have as many birthday cake type illustrations.

[justLisa]

Oh this is good to know. I'm ok with MM for now. We are basically using it to get through some concepts/units as quick as he needs and he is catching on fast. We will be done with the 3rd grade of MM this year, not sure how long it will take, but maybe next year I can use SM again or once we get to 4. This will NOT be a problem for DD as she is all about pictures. DH basically wants him to just have his multiplication down and memorized. DS already has the concept, and can apply multiplication he just doesn't have all the facts memorized yet if that makes sense.

 

I have the entire MM series through 6. Maybe I'll use it maybe not, it was cheap anyways. I really like the money and clock sections for sure.

 

So since you have switched from MM to singapore in 4 what are the big differences in from 3 and 4? I mean if I spend the rest of this year gearing him up for SM4 I wonder if that would work? I cannot see using just MM for the long haul, because REALLY need the HIG LOL. I like the organization of SM. At some point, DS is going to out smart me, and though DH is the math genius he his not available as much as I am obviously.

 

Maybe i'll try to search the threads.

[boscopup]

Oh this is good to know. I'm ok with MM for now. We are basically using it to get through some concepts/units as quick as he needs and he is catching on fast. We will be done with the 3rd grade of MM this year, not sure how long it will take, but maybe next year I can use SM again or once we get to 4.

 

We did long division in MM4B before switching over to Singapore 4A. There is a bit of review in SM that we already covered (place value, multi-digit multiplication), but the rest seems to be new. Since SM teaches long division in 3A, you have to make sure that's covered before you start SM 4A.

 

This will NOT be a problem for DD as she is all about pictures. DH basically wants him to just have his multiplication down and memorized. DS already has the concept, and can apply multiplication he just doesn't have all the facts memorized yet if that makes sense.

Does he like 5 minute drills? My son loves them, strangely enough. I used these: http://www.math-drills.com/multiplication.shtml - the section for Multiplication Facts to 144. You just give them the sheet, which is 100 problems focusing on ONE table (like the table of 4's), and give them 5 minutes to do however much they can do. I told my son up front that it was ok if he didn't finish all the problems. I also told him that if he was stuck on one, to skip it and move on. Our first one was the table of 3's (I skipped 2's), and he skipped all of the 3x8 variations. Well, let me tell you, by the end of going over the answers orally and me asking him each one that he skipped, he knew 3x8. :D They have multiple versions of these drills if you needed to practice more, but once was enough for my DS, as he mostly knew them and was just a bit fuzzy on a few here and there.

 

We had tried XtraMath.com, but the typing was too difficult for him, and that stressed him out. While he is generally pencil-phobic, he's fine with using a pencil for math, so the 5 minute drills worked great. He usually got somewhere in the 50's or 60's correct, since he didn't ever get to the last 3-4 lines (10 per line), but that was ok. We were trying to beat the current score, not necessarily make it to 100.

 

So since you have switched from MM to singapore in 4 what are the big differences in from 3 and 4? I mean if I spend the rest of this year gearing him up for SM4 I wonder if that would work? I cannot see using just MM for the long haul, because REALLY need the HIG LOL.

I explained going from 3 to 4 up above. I really like the HIG too! I'm mathy, but some things I never knew "why". For example, I have always known the trick to add the digits of a number, and if they are divisible by 9, then the number is divisible by 9. In fact, that's how I remember my table of 9's in the first place. :tongue_smilie: I never knew how to prove that this was the case though. The HIG explained it really well. If you have 469, it becomes (4x99)+4+(6x9)+6+9=(4x99)+(6x9)+4+6+9. Well, you know the first 2 are divisible by 9, so for the whole number to be divisible by 9, the last 3 numbers added together need to be divisible by 9. 4+6+9=19, so 469 isn't divisible by 9, but 468 would be.

 

They had explanations and proofs for all of the single digit numbers, even the ones that aren't taught to the student in this level. It was teacher information. Love it!

 

Don't know if I really answered your question well. We have only JUST started - did 2 lessons last week (on our break!). We jumped into factoring, since we'd already done place value in MM. I've been looking through the books though (have 4A and 4B textbooks and IP, but no 4B HIG or WB yet... just 4A in those). It looks good, and the work seems comparable to MM. It just doesn't have the tons and tons of problems working those inbetween steps to learning something. DS doesn't need all those incremental bits, which is why I'm finally giving SM a try. ;)

[justLisa]

This IS helpful tonight for sure. I agonized over switching, because I am really not one to curriculum hop, but I just couldn't go on with MM without at least trying. Seriously, the ONLY problem, is some of the darned pictures. I am considering telling DS to just get over it LOL. OR, DH had the idea of just printing out a plain paper of all the problems, or rewriting, however with his writing where it's at, I'm pretty sure having DS re write them would be a total flop.

 

I agree about the many steps in MM, it's just too much and has held him back most of his math career thus far. I prefer the scope and sequence of SM but then again you can always change MM order. He's a strange kid, but a bright one, and I don't want to ditch a great curriculum because he doesn't like pictures.

 

Maybe it's just me, but it seems like ANY math text we use has too much repetition. There is NO WAY he would do all of the textbook AND workbook problems. As of now we are doing tests, because for some reason he likes them.

[missmoe]

I find them to be excellent review--especially the cumulative tests. We don't do all the test.

[boscopup]

Maybe it's just me, but it seems like ANY math text we use has too much repetition. There is NO WAY he would do all of the textbook AND workbook problems. As of now we are doing tests, because for some reason he likes them.

 

Many of the math curriculum are made for schools, so there will be more problems in those (I remember my public school teachers assigning half the problems - we never did ALL the problems). And MM, well, she says you don't have to do all the problems, so we didn't. :D I just made a judgement call each day to determine how much to do.

 

In Singapore, we're going over the TB problems orally at the white board, then I'm giving him the workbook problems to do on his own. So far, that hasn't been too much (though the first day, we actually did 2 lessons, and that was on the verge of too much, but not quite). In a different math session, I'll have him do IP/CWP, alternating days. Since we're still in the first unit of SM, I'll use IP3A and CWP3 this week to review long division, since he just learned it a few weeks ago (and surprisingly, he had NO problem remembering all the steps from day to day... I think multi-digit multiplication took him longer to remember the algorithm?). I won't have him do all the IP/CWP problems. I usually pick and choose, then we do all the Take the Challenge ones.

 

I don't plan to do all the Practice problems in the TB, but might use them on occasion. We'll just see how it goes. I like that the WB has cumulative reviews in it, and they seem to review pretty often. You work for a week or two and BAM... you have a cumulative review already. The later reviews seem to be a million pages long, so we'll have to spend a few days on those probably.