fruitofthewomb Posted April 18, 2012 Share Posted April 18, 2012 I have an almost 7 yo and 4 yo. I was thinking about buying one of these to help us with math. I am not very math minded and plan on using MUS next school year. I also plan on buying some c rods and I do have several math-type toys (counting bears, tangram magnets, etc). If you had to choose one or the other which would it be and why? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eloquacious Posted April 18, 2012 Share Posted April 18, 2012 :lurk5: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted April 18, 2012 Share Posted April 18, 2012 They're very different... Family Math is more of a resource book with ideas for activities. KTM is more of a curriculum with a scope an sequence, just using activities closer to the style that Family Math uses. I think Family Math is a bit more user friendly and approachable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fruitofthewomb Posted April 19, 2012 Author Share Posted April 19, 2012 They're very different... Family Math is more of a resource book with ideas for activities. KTM is more of a curriculum with a scope an sequence, just using activities closer to the style that Family Math uses. I think Family Math is a bit more user friendly and approachable. Thanks for the reply-this was the feeling I got when looking at samples of them online but there were only a few pages of each so it was hard to really tell. Did you find either one useful? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Tick Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 I agree with Farrar. Kitchen Table Math is a scope and sequence all the way through elementary math, with one or two ideas for each topic. If you are planning to use MUS, you might want to stick with Family Math (which I'm not familiar with) and books like Peggy Kaye's Games for Math book. Those would give you game ideas for introducing topics and getting kids excited about math using games and conversation. Check your library for other, similar books if you can, that is a great way to start math education! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 I haven't used Family Math, so I can't compare them, but I can definitely say that if *you* aren't terribly mathy, KTM is a godsend. It is a math book for parents/teachers - it takes you through how to teach math, and teach toward a deep conceptual understanding of the topic, not just application of algorithms or rote memorization of formulas. I think it is an amazing resource for a parent who isn't really strong in math, or for a parent that maybe is strong in math, but has no clue how to teach it to a small child! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eloquacious Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 I haven't seen Kitchen Table Math, but I borrowed Family Math from the library and was annoyed that the activities were all over the map. I didn't want to have to search through the whole book to find things we could do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kesmom Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 (edited) I have Family Math but have never implemented it. Honestly what I have liked best is using the ideas at the bottom of the pages of the SM Essentials books. (for prek-K level stuff) Edited April 19, 2012 by kesmom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 Thanks for the reply-this was the feeling I got when looking at samples of them online but there were only a few pages of each so it was hard to really tell. Did you find either one useful? I've played around with Family Math and Peggy Kaye's Games for Math. Both are just okay for me, personally. I feel like they're check out of the library for inspiration books, honestly. It is all over the map, as someone pointed out, but as it's not meant to be a curriculum per se, that didn't bother me. Kitchen Table Math I bought for my ds who is not doing a formal math curriculum, as something to refer back to for scope and sequence to keep him on track. I haven't ended up using it that much though and the price tag was slightly high. I don't think it's something a family doing MUS would necessarily want - not enough fun extra, IMO. The supplemental math thing we've found most useful by far has been the RightStart Card Games - so if I had to recommend one thing to back up a curriculum, that would be it. But that's a totally different sort of direction than this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 I've played around with Family Math and Peggy Kaye's Games for Math. Both are just okay for me, personally. I feel like they're check out of the library for inspiration books, honestly. It is all over the map, as someone pointed out, but as it's not meant to be a curriculum per se, that didn't bother me. Kitchen Table Math I bought for my ds who is not doing a formal math curriculum, as something to refer back to for scope and sequence to keep him on track. I haven't ended up using it that much though and the price tag was slightly high. I don't think it's something a family doing MUS would necessarily want - not enough fun extra, IMO. It's true, I haven't actually used it much in teaching, either. The explanation in MM have been so thorough and incremental (and pretty much how it is explained in KTM) that I haven't needed it . . . but reading through the books when I first started teaching was really helpful in giving me a conceptual understanding of math teaching and learning. KTM is really a book for the teacher, about how to teach, not so much something to use with the kid. At least, in my experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleIzumi Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 I have Family Math. I've never used any of the games. They just don't work in our homeschool flow. I ADORE Peggy Kaye's Games for Math. They work very well for us. The girls love their "math games." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
serendipitous journey Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 (edited) Thanks for the reply-this was the feeling I got when looking at samples of them online but there were only a few pages of each so it was hard to really tell. Did you find either one useful? ... Kitchen Table Math I bought for my ds who is not doing a formal math curriculum, as something to refer back to for scope and sequence to keep him on track. I haven't ended up using it that much though and the price tag was slightly high. I don't think it's something a family doing MUS would necessarily want - not enough fun extra, IMO. The supplemental math thing we've found most useful by far has been the RightStart Card Games - so if I had to recommend one thing to back up a curriculum, that would be it. But that's a totally different sort of direction than this. We have been using MUS with a math-accelerated child. For this case, Family Math is a good summer math-enrichment book; for us, Peggy Kaye's books have never worked (I'd try one from the library -- if you like them, as many do, you'll be set for enrichment!) and I'm purchasing KTM2 now to help us navigate long division. Honestly, to enrich at first I'd try MEP (what we have supplemented with, and are using as a spine now) which is free but you have to print it. Then Family Math or Math Games for enrichment, if you don't want to go the very popular RightStart games route; and Kitchen Table Math if the MUS method isn't working for teaching one of the multi-digit operations. Edited April 20, 2012 by serendipitous journey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leann_in_tx Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 Thank you all for this thread. I have Family Math and have been wondering if I should invest in Kitchen Table Math as well. This was very helpful. Right now I'm leaning towards getting it. I've tried a couple of games from Family Math (my oldest is only 6) and we liked them. And for a week or so my son enjoyed looking at the hundred number charts. (but you can always print those from the internet.) It has a lot of ideas that seem fun to me, but it is obviously intended to reinforce concepts that have already been taught. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kandty Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 Which Kitchen Table Math book would you buy with older elementary kids? I've had them on my wishlist for a while and I think it is time to buy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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