Anyone using Galore Park maths?

[Amber in AUS]

How do the grade levels line up? Are you and your DC liking it? What program did you come from?

 

Thanks

[Laura Corin]

Hello

 

I used SY Maths with Calvin and Junior Maths with Hobbes. Galore Park maths tends to run ahead of what would be done in state/public schools, because it's used in selective private schools. For reasonably bright kids who don't struggle with maths, using at age level should be fine. Both boys came to Galore Park from Singapore Maths. I can't remember what levels they had reached, I'm afraid, but it was pretty much standard progression through SM followed by standard progression through GP. The book ages are (roughly)

 

Junior 1: age 7-8

Junior 2: age 8-9

Junior 3: age 9-10

SY 1: age 10-11

SY 2: age 11-12

SY 3: age 12-13.

 

I'm happy to answer any questions you may have. I did use a bit of extra review because GP maths tends to drop topics and then pick them up again a year later. For some kids that might be fine, but Calvin, in particular, looked rather startled when the topics came back again, as though he'd never seen them before! I can recommend review materials if you like.

 

FWIW, both boys sailed through their private school entrance exams. Hobbes didn't get any questions wrong. Calvin (to his horror) was put in the top maths set, where he actually did really well. GP gave him a solid background.

 

Did they like it? Calvin was pretty indifferent to it - but he just doesn't have any interest in maths. Hobbes liked it. There are lots of exercise questions, and certainly the author of the SY books advised me not to use them all. I used to just set the odd numbers and add in the evens later if necessary.

 

Laura

[Amber in AUS]

Thank you :)