MEP ????

[kristinannie]

I have actually never looked at MEP. I finally looked at it today and like it. I am thinking of doing reception level with my daughter. Does anyone use another of the other levels? Is it worth doing as a supplement? We already do SM1a and Miquon with my son, but it wouldn't be a big deal to add this in because we only spend about 20 min on math total.

[stripe]

I do. Have you seen the Yahoo group?

 

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mep-homeschoolers/

[nmoira]

My youngest is about 2/3 through Y2, and I have to say that I'm blown away by the "mathiness" of MEP Y1-6 (after using Right Start and Singapore with my eldest). This is not a program for a child (or parent) who doesn't enjoy thinking their way through a problem. On the surface, it seems simple, gentle: Y1 only covers numbers through 20, and Y2 through 100. However, Y1, with it's underlying themes of equality and inequality has the kids solving problems like:

 

3+8 (is four less than) 19-?

 

with ease. MEP has kids doing amazing things even while only using 0,1 and 2. Now in Y2, DD the Younger is finding prime factors like a pro, and solving problems like:

 

4*3=2*?*3 without doing the calculations

 

[but don't worry, there are plenty of problems that require calculation.]

 

It's very strong on mental math. All calculations are done mentally, including 2-digit addition in Y2, until standard algorithms begin to be introduced in Y3.

 

ETA: I start using MEP in concert with Miquon, but it soon be came apparent that MEP doesn't need supplementation (other than Singapore CWP). However, C-rods are useful early on, particularly in Y1.

Edited January 25, 2012 by nmoira

[Zoo Keeper]

MEP year one meshes very nicely with Singapore 1A/B and Miquon orange/red. My two oldest did this combo, and my third boy is working his way through it now. I think these three together make for a very stong base in math for just about any type of learner. We did MEP daily, and worked through one other math (Singapore or Miquon) each day as well. Sometimes this was one session, other times it would be broken up. Depended on the topic and child. :) DO NOT try to make it all line up topically, or you will go crazy. Sometimes one program seems to leap ahead in one concept, but the same concept will come up in the other programs and serve to reteach or review it.

[kristinannie]

MEP year one meshes very nicely with Singapore 1A/B and Miquon orange/red. My two oldest did this combo, and my third boy is working his way through it now. I think these three together make for a very stong base in math for just about any type of learner. We did MEP daily, and worked through one other math (Singapore or Miquon) each day as well. Sometimes this was one session, other times it would be broken up. Depended on the topic and child. :) DO NOT try to make it all line up topically, or you will go crazy. Sometimes one program seems to leap ahead in one concept, but the same concept will come up in the other programs and serve to reteach or review it.

 

 

This is really good to know. This is exactly how I was considering doing it. Thanks!

[Poke Salad Annie]

We use it here and love it. If you have the time, the best part about MEP are the teacher's notes in the lesson plans. We do all of the warm-up problems on the dry-erase which are included in the lesson plans, then start on the practice page.

[Amie]

We're using (and enjoying!) MEP, but I don't have much advice yet as we are only in Year 1. Try doing a search for MEP on these boards and you will find some interesting threads.

[HiddenJewel]

We are about 5 weeks into Year 2. Really, really like it so far.

[serendipitous journey]

... we're in year 2, sort of supplementing MathUSee (but the MUS is on the back burner while we consolidate our long division; I can't figure out if we'll keep doing it). As you move ahead in MEP, if you use the lesson plans the lessons will take longer and make supplementing harder. But if you are willing to pull problems from one of your programs and focus on teaching the other, or maybe alternate days, or if you have a math-loving student and don't have a toddler :) using two full programs could work.

 

I imagine others have made MEP + another whole program work for them, though ... our situation could be due to my very temperamental Button, or my very attention-demanding Bot-bot ;).

[ladydusk]

My little one did Reception last year, and it was perfect for her. It increased in difficulty and scope gently, but it definitely prepared her well and made her think. Reception works on numbers from 1-10 and works in other topics like calendars, seasons, shapes, cardinal/ordinal names, all with the only writing being tracing or copying. It was wonderful.

 

We are almost done with Y1 with my oldest. I've been exceedingly impressed with the same things that nmoira talked about. My son is doing very well with Y1 and I love that problems are twisted around and taught with many differing solving techniques and teaches how to think about math.

 

We also do almost all of the lesson plan portions. Find ways to do the lesson even when it calls for other students in the class (I have some cut-out paper dolls that the kids named, but you could use stuffed animals or army men or ... ) I also have a basket on my desk of "manipulatives." We use cuisinaire rods whenever the lesson calls for paper strips, we use shells or those foamy counters you can get in the Target Dollar Spot. Dominoes and dice are also regularly asked for and incorporated into the lessons. I love that they're learning Roman Numerals and how to use them.

 

The logic problems are probably my favorites, though. They give you differing geometric shapes connected and you have to figure out what each shape represents. The thinking skills required on these lessons is incredible.

 

So far, I've loved both levels of MEP we've done. I'm excited about doing more!

[HiddenJewel]

For those of you who used Reception, did you print out all the Copy Masters? I noticed many of them are full color.

[blondeviolin]

We did SM 1A and then jumped to MEP 1B because of the incremental use of and strong foundation understanding of the teen numbers. We are at week 23 and it is definitely solid. Abby loves it most days she's willing to do math. I have yet to decide if we'll go back and do SM 1B this summer or just jump into MEP 2B. I will admit, the free price tag is nice.

[ladydusk]

I did print all the copymasters, we have a color laser printer.

[HiddenJewel]

I did print all the copymasters, we have a color laser printer.

 

I'm jealous. :)

[ladydusk]

I'm jealous. :)

 

It was a good investment for us. I like purchasing reproducible pdfs (and we use MEP) for curriculum because it is easier than breaking apart workbooks. I like having the color.

[kristinannie]

I don't really understand the copymasters. Are they used for lessons in the lesson plans? I printed out the lesson plans and the practice pages. I am hoping to sit down with them tonight and figure them out!

[ladydusk]

The copymasters for Y1 and older are unnecessary for homeschooling. They are to make overheads or other projections to work with the students so everyone can see.

 

That being said, I did print some of the copymasters for my younger writers because they liked having the bigger spots to write in especially for those logic problems we like so much :)

 

ETA: I wrote a blog post on how we use MEP and my friend Jeanne wrote one too.

Edited January 26, 2012 by ladydusk

[happycc]

agreed =confusion? are they the same as the practice pages?

[kathkath]

love love love MEP

WE are at around lesson 100 of year 2 now, having done year 1. I know spiral learning is often given a bad rap on here but i think it is fantastic in this program.

[HiddenJewel]

agreed =confusion? are they the same as the practice pages?

 

 

I do not use the Copymasters with Y2 as all I need is in the Lesson Plans and the Practice Pages. Now Reception is all Lesson Plan and Copymasters with no practice pages.

[HiddenJewel]

It was a good investment for us. I like purchasing reproducible pdfs (and we use MEP) for curriculum because it is easier than breaking apart workbooks. I like having the color.

 

What does it cost you per page to print in color?

[blondeviolin]

I print the student pages, but we do the rest on the iPad.

[ladydusk]

What does it cost you per page to print in color?

 

Frankly, I've never figured it out. It's a sunk cost at this point. We have the Brother MFC-9320CW (I don't remember what we paid for it, but I don't think it was this much). I don't adore the document feeder, unless the pages are in perfect condition, it'll regularly pull several pages at once.

[Poke Salad Annie]

The copymasters for Y1 and older are unnecessary for homeschooling. They are to make overheads or other projections to work with the students so everyone can see.

 

I use the copymasters on an almost daily basis. They are used as part of the work that is done in the lesson plans, and become *warm-up* work for us. Sometimes I do recreate the charts or whatever on the dry-erase board, but it is much easier to print the copymaster to work from. They are used as work pages just as the practice pages are used.

[ladydusk]

I use the copymasters on an almost daily basis. They are used as part of the work that is done in the lesson plans, and become *warm-up* work for us. Sometimes I do recreate the charts or whatever on the dry-erase board, but it is much easier to print the copymaster to work from. They are used as work pages just as the practice pages are used.

 

What year are you using? I think you must be ahead of us, but as far as I've noticed in Y1, they're pictures from the practice book questions blown up and not from the lesson plan work (which we do almost all of every day)

 

Maybe they've added some things since I printed, they do that occasionally, I'll have to take a look.

[Zoo Keeper]

As you move ahead in MEP, if you use the lesson plans the lessons will take longer and make supplementing harder.

 

This is sooo true. As I posted upthread, we have combined MEP/Singapore/Miquon; this has worked well for Year One/1A and 1B/orange and red books, and Year Two/2A and 2B/blue and green books.

 

Year Three/3A and 3B/ yellow and purple books has been our Waterloo. I've had to slow all three programs down considerably. Maybe it's my oldest who is emotional and having a hard time all around--maybe it's ME and my state of permanent sleep deprivation--maybe it's all the time I need to spend teaching the six year old--maybe it's all the time the four year old wants me to spend with her. Maybe it's all of this...

 

Anyway, I still love MEP, we are still using it, just not in the way I thought we would. :001_smile: It's all good. Just be aware--you cannot do MEP on autopilot very well.

[5Bmom]

We did Reception for exactly half a year... 30 lessons. It was a little too easy for my four year old, who is also workbooky... So we moved to a K curriculum. I will use Reception for my three year old starting in a few months. It will be perfect for her as she needs a slower pace and NO workbooks. It really is a great program... But the printing gets tedious and cistly. This time I will have it done, and bound, ar the copy center in town.

[Poke Salad Annie]

What year are you using? I think you must be ahead of us, but as far as I've noticed in Y1, they're pictures from the practice book questions blown up and not from the lesson plan work (which we do almost all of every day)

 

Maybe they've added some things since I printed, they do that occasionally, I'll have to take a look.

 

Well, we probably should be in Year 5, but we've been moving along a little slower in order to allow certain concepts to *sink in*, so we're in Year 4 here. I probably started using the copymasters daily once we started Year 3, as I do think I remember drawing some of the charts and puzzles on the board prior to that year.

 

No, I don't think they've added anything. Since you're working in Year 1, you probably already know about the work towards the end of the year. Those lessons get kind of taxing after awhile, but do keep going, as you will pass through them and onto more interesting material. (I'm speaking of the numbers strip lessons here.) Those lessons I did print the copymasters for, as it was much easier, and more fun to color the number strips in copymaster size.

 

I only wanted to add my experience, as much of the lesson plan work in the successive years uses the copymasters for the *class* lessons. I teach that part of the lesson from the dry-erase and they are then worked on the copymasters.

Edited January 26, 2012 by Poke Salad Annie

[Poke Salad Annie]

As you move ahead in MEP, if you use the lesson plans the lessons will take longer and make supplementing harder.

 

Yes, this is absolutely true! We're still doing supplemental work at night with a vintage text I own, but those days of doing MEP and CSMP together are going by the wayside.

[ladydusk]

Since you're working in Year 1, you probably already know about the work towards the end of the year. Those lessons get kind of taxing after awhile, but do keep going, as you will pass through them and onto more interesting material. (I'm speaking of the numbers strip lessons here.) Those lessons I did print the copymasters for, as it was much easier, and more fun to color the number strips in copymaster size.

 

I actually gave up even looking at the copymasters, but you're right they would help the number strip questions a lot (I *love* the number strip questions because they make my kids think about how those numbers work, I'm so mean.) We also haven't been coloring those, so that's a great idea too. Thanks!

[stripe]

What year are you using? I think you must be ahead of us, but as far as I've noticed in Y1, they're pictures from the practice book questions blown up and not from the lesson plan work (which we do almost all of every day)

 

Maybe they've added some things since I printed, they do that occasionally, I'll have to take a look.

 

There are some pages in the copymasters that are not in the students' workbook pages. I selectively used them. Sometimes I duplicate it on paper/ whiteboard, other times I print as is. I did use some copymasters instead of the book in Y1 because they were larger.

 

The number strip stuff in Y1B drove me bonkers and made me leave MEP for a month. I used Math Mammoth. I finally just skipped about 2 weeks or something and proceeded.

 

Btw I used parts of Y3 of the old "new math" stuff from U of Chicago I think as a diversion between Y2 and Y 3, and that was kind of fun.

[blondeviolin]

There are some pages in the copymasters that are not in the students' workbook pages. I selectively used them. Sometimes I duplicate it on paper/ whiteboard, other times I print as is. I did use some copymasters instead of the book in Y1 because they were larger.

 

The number strip stuff in Y1B drove me bonkers and made me leave MEP for a month. I used Math Mammoth. I finally just skipped about 2 weeks or something and proceeded.

 

Btw I used parts of Y3 of the old "new math" stuff from U of Chicago I think as a diversion between Y2 and Y 3, and that was kind of fun.

 

 

What is this number strip section of 1B of which you speak? We jumped into 1B almost from the beginning and are smack in the section that goes over number bonds and the teen numbers. I haven't seen such section yet unless you are referring to the parts of these lessons where the child is to build whatever number is the focus of the week. :confused:

[nmoira]

The number strip stuff in Y1B drove me bonkers and made me leave MEP for a month. I used Math Mammoth. I finally just skipped about 2 weeks or something and proceeded.

We used C-rods for the teen lessons instead of strips, and either abbreviated or skipped those parts of the lessons after DD "got" it.

[nmoira]

What is this number strip section of 1B of which you speak? We jumped into 1B almost from the beginning and are smack in the section that goes over number bonds and the teen numbers. I haven't seen such section yet unless you are referring to the parts of these lessons where the child is to build whatever number is the focus of the week. :confused:

That. After Y1a, it's a bit less than exciting, especially after the second iteration.

[anabelneri]

We're in Year 3 and have been using some of the copymasters since sometime in Year 2. We probably only need a third of the activities, but it's a lot more than back in Year 1.

 

At this point we're doing both the workbook and copymasters on the iPad. That is working so, so well.

 

:)

[Rivka]

We love MEP, for all the reasons that nmoira talked about. I am consistently impressed at how deeply the lessons make children think, and how the program begins to build essential pre-algebra skills starting in Year 1. My daughter loves the variety of problems and puzzles.

 

We are finishing up 2b now - she's got about four more weeks of lessons left. I really want to do Beast Academy when it comes out, but I will hate giving up MEP - we might try to do both, I suppose.

[stripe]

That. After Y1a, it's a bit less than exciting, especially after the second iteration.

 

After 12 or so, it was so boring. Neither of us could take it.

[blondeviolin]

After 12 or so, it was so boring. Neither of us could take it.

 

Ah! We are doing 12 currently. We've been doing those parts with c rods as an intro. It's been painless this way.

[stripe]

As Moira said, compared to the fun and thinky first part of the year, it's dull. I have seen several people online say the same thing (both here and elsewhere), so if it does get boring, just skip some of it and know it improves.

[nmoira]

As Moira said, compared to the fun and thinky first part of the year, it's dull. I have seen several people online say the same thing (both here and elsewhere), so if it does get boring, just skip some of it and know it improves.

 

We didn't skip much, though I started to break lessons up and intersperse math between other subjects. There are a number of intimidating looking grid colouring exercises, some of which can be done without calculation. I've seen some complaints about these, but I found the number of questions in these exercises to be comparable to Singapore.

[leeannpal]

I am very interested in starting MEP next year with my daughter. I love the look of it, but I have no idea where to start her. She will have finished 3rd grade math in a private school. her math grades are good, and, for the most part, she knows her math facts through multiplication. So, how would I figure out where to start her in MEP?

[Zoo Keeper]

I would try 2B, and then go on to 3A; MEP requires the student to really apply those math facts in different ways. She will be stretched, but (hopefully) not overwhelmed.

[stripe]

There are a number of intimidating looking grid colouring exercises

Yes, that's the one! My son hates coloring so that section was a deal breaker!

I am very interested in starting MEP next year with my daughter. I love the look of it, but I have no idea where to start her. She will have finished 3rd grade math in a private school. her math grades are good, and, for the most part, she knows her math facts through multiplication. So, how would I figure out where to start her in MEP?

I just saw this on MEP's website

http://www.cimt.plymouth.ac.uk/projects/mepres/primary/default.htm

There are learning objectives and an overview for each of Years 1 -3 ; this is a useful addition to their website.

 

I also recommend joining the MEP yahoo group.

[blondeviolin]

As Moira said, compared to the fun and thinky first part of the year, it's dull. I have seen several people online say the same thing (both here and elsewhere), so if it does get boring, just skip some of it and know it improves.

 

I wonder if this is why I'm getting some resistance about math. She can solve problems to twenty at this point so I was disinclined to say it is too hard. Maybe she just is feeling like it's too repetitive...

[AngelBee]

Taking notes...

[nmoira]

I wonder if this is why I'm getting some resistance about math. She can solve problems to twenty at this point so I was disinclined the to say it is too hard. Maybe she just is feeling like it's too repetitive...

For the ones that say "colour one digit odd sums" a certain colour, etc., you can spice it up by asking if they can come up with an answer without doing a calculation. Also, keep in mind that some of the exercises, even on the worksheets, are meant to be a collaborative effort. These are indicated in the TM.

[blondeviolin]

For the ones that say "colour one digit odd sums" a certain colour, etc., you can spice it up by asking if they can come up with an answer without doing a calculation. Also, keep in mind that some of the exercises, even on the worksheets, are meant to be a collaborative effort. These are indicated in the TM.

 

I do try to remember this, which is why I sit and work through some problems with her. She's not feeding off 10 other students and their ideas...it's just her and Mom.

[stripe]

I had my son do only some of them. It was just overwhelming otherwise.

[Ohmobile]

can u share the name of the MEP app for the iPad? I'm a MEP newbie fanatic and even more thrilled with it that there's an app to go with!

 

thx so much!

[TXBeth]

For a child who is just finishing Singapore 2a, would you all recommend starting with MEP Y1 or Y2? I haven't decided whether to switch or just add MEP to what we are doing.