momto3boys Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Hi, I'm very new to the forums and homeschooling as a whole. I have 3 boys-oldest just turned five last month, 3.5, and 6 months. Currently my 5 year old and 3 year old attend an academic preschool a couple afternoons a week. In a few months we will move and we have decided that I will homeschool after that point and continue through the fall when my oldest would have started kindergarten. My oldest is advanced in some areas, doing 1st grade level math at preschool (double digit addition, etc.) and is a beginning reader. He is very bright and precocious but socially/emotionally very much a young five, perhaps even on the immature side. I have decided to continue with the Ordinary Parent's Guide, Funnix, Starfall, and BOB books for his reading. We'll practice writing without a set curriculum, he's doing well with that now. My big challenge has been narrowing down a math program. I have been looking into SM, MUS, and RightStart and I'm leaning towards RightStart, which (of course) seems to have the largest start-up cost. I like the way these programs teach mathematical thinking and how they are manipulative based. My question is if I go with Rightstart do I need the entire starter kit or would I be better off buying the books and getting the manipulatives elsewhere (I already have a regular abacus as example) or should I just go with the kit? Also are there any other similar programs I should consider before committing to RS? Thank you!! Its all very overwhelming! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PentecostalMom Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 :bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KristenR Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 You didn't mention Miquon so I just wanted to throw it out there. I can not stress enough how amazing this curriculum has been in our home. I started out attempting Saxon math which just was not a fit for either myself or my oldest daughter. I switched to Miquon after some research and friendly advice on this forum. I have never looked back. It's been an amazing experience. That being said, I do Miquon in tandem with Singapore Math. I love the Singapore style of teaching and Miquon works beautifully paired up with it. The two programs compliment each other and work together in a way that leaves me feeling confident. (If you knew me you would know how big a statement that is- I have NEVER been confident in math in all my life.) I did a blog post about Miquon that might interest you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bokons Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Take a look at MEP math. It's free! http://www.cimt.plymouth.ac.uk/projects/mepres/primary/default.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frugalmama Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 We really like MCP math - it's simple and workbook based, and fairly cheap. You don't really need the teacher's books for the k-3rd levels - I've referred to them maybe once in 2 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momto3boys Posted February 3, 2012 Author Share Posted February 3, 2012 Thank you everyone! Miquon was one I was interested in but most everything I read about it had it supplementing another program which made me a bit apprehensive. I'll check out those other links too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
letsplaymath Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Thank you everyone! Miquon was one I was interested in but most everything I read about it had it supplementing another program which made me a bit apprehensive. I'll check out those other links too. Miquon does not need a supplement, but it is different enough from "normal" school math to make some people nervous. For the rest of us, who know it's a fine program on its own but supplement anyway, I guess we're just math program junkies. :D If you were to do Miquon alone, be aware that the workbooks are only part of the program. Most of the program is just playtime -- free play and directed exploration both. Lots of ideas at the beginning of each section in the Lab Notes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Jen* Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 For my DS we really liked SM and Miquon together. If you want to keep him from getting to far ahead I would work with Singapore and Miquon together. My DS was like yours at 5. We started with SM 1a (standards edition) and Miquon at the same time. The combination has kept his mind occupied and kept him from flying through math. He really has a mastery of all the concepts in SM 1 and 2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KristenR Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 For my DS we really liked SM and Miquon together. If you want to keep him from getting to far ahead I would work with Singapore and Miquon together. My DS was like yours at 5. We started with SM 1a (standards edition) and Miquon at the same time. The combination has kept his mind occupied and kept him from flying through math. He really has a mastery of all the concepts in SM 1 and 2. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Thank you everyone! Miquon was one I was interested in but most everything I read about it had it supplementing another program which made me a bit apprehensive. I'll check out those other links too. I will add to the voices of those who suggest you consider Miquon. It is one of the programs the develops an understanding of what I call "whole-parts" math, others include Singapore, RightStart, MEP, and Math Mammoth. Where Miquon, in my estimation, really shines is is making a child's first math exposure a hands on experience. It aims at creating a "big picture" understanding of the whole-parts math model through play, including the playful interaction with Cuisenaire Rods. By playing with rods, and through guided discovery, children naturally learn that a "whole" value can be broken into different combinations of parts. For example a "5" can be "4+1" or "3+2" (among other options). This idea that whole values can be split into parts is the foundational understanding upon which the whole-parts math model is built. In Singapore math they use pictorial representations of the "whole" value and the "parts" in a form they call "number bonds." The rod play is the exact same concept as number bonds, it is just done in a more "developmental" way that allows the child to prove these relations to him or herself using tangible manipulatives. This provides the "concrete" step in the concerte>pictorial>abstract progression of understanding that Singapore math (and many other math programs and math educators) advocate. Though use of C Rods Miquon-style children also intuitively learn (intuition followed up with explicit reenforcement) that the sum of parts makes a whole, and that the a whole less a part leaves a "difference." The interrelationship of addition and subtraction (followed soon my multiplication) is developed from the outset in ways that are fully comprehensible to young minds, and lessons are presented in a fashion where the child can "prove" answers themselves. This can make math much more satisfying that an approach where the learning is all teacher-led and the child is the passive partner. Lest it be misunderstood that Miquon is a program that allows a parent to just walk away and leaves a child to figure out math by themselves, such is not the case. For success with Miquon it takes a dedicated parent who re-educates him or herself in how to teach using this method, and knows when to step back and be a watchful encourager and when to bring in direct instruction. It is not a program that will appeal to all people. But for those of us it resonates with it is an almost magical experience to watch how young children can grasp the big picture of the math model using very playful means, and how successfully that understanding is embedded in their minds. Many of us who use Miquon (myself included) do use other math programs. This is in part because the Miquon experience excites a passion for the subject in both parents and children. The other whole-parts math programs listed above all have their strengths and can extend the basic model learned in Miquon in their own ways. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momto3boys Posted February 4, 2012 Author Share Posted February 4, 2012 I will definitely look into Miquon more, I already have a SM 1A text (unused so far) i bought on a whim so perhaps I will go ahead and try Miquon with that. Thank you all so much for the advice/guidance, I'm very nervous about finding a good balance of encouraging my son's academic interests while not pushing him beyond his level of readiness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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