Five More Minutes Posted May 24, 2012 Share Posted May 24, 2012 We are using SM (SE) as our math spine, drawing on the HIG for lessons and using both CWP and IP about a half-level behind. We also use Miquon as Friday fun math (as well as drawing on it for presenting lessons). Recently my daughter has hit one of those mental growth spurts and is really charging ahead in her math understanding. She's also a perfectionist and can have a meltdown if she doesn't get something right away. (We're working on that.) Because of these two factors, I feel that she would benefit from some MEP-style math, which seems to be more puzzle-based. I'm trying to figure out practically how we can supplement with MEP. SM is already a full program. Miquon is a great program. (Am I crazy to think of supplementing with another one?) Here are my questions: Does it "work" to add in a page or two of MEP a day, or would it go more smoothly if we set aside a full math period for it? Will she be fine if I don't do MEP lessons, but just hand her a worksheet to puzzle away on? And what MEP level would be appropriate as a supplement for a student who is in SM 2A? Anyone with experience in doing this? How did you manage it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Five More Minutes Posted May 24, 2012 Author Share Posted May 24, 2012 Bumping for the evening crew ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathryn Posted May 24, 2012 Share Posted May 24, 2012 :bigear: investigating our math options for next year and looking at all three of these as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blondeviolin Posted May 24, 2012 Share Posted May 24, 2012 We actually use MEP as our spine and supplement with SM. MEP is very much puzzle-it-through and SM is more teacher-led. My oldest is just beginning MEP Y2 and has finished up SM 1B. We do chunks at a time. So, we may move through MEP at its planned pace and then use SM as a follow-up during breaks or what-have-you. It works nicely this way for us because my daughter charged through SM, but MEP actually caused her to pause and think, even at the lower levels. (She completed SM1b in less than a month.) You could probably pull the more interesting puzzle-like problems from MEP, but make sure you're aware whether it is expected for the whole class to puzzle through the problem or if it's an individual work problem. MEP introduces a concept using the whole class to think it through before expecting a student to do it alone. In some part, you have to make up for your lack of class as a homeschooler. If you do end up using only certain problems, take a look at the copymasters. They are usually larger forms of what is in the worksheet and may be less visually overwhelming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Five More Minutes Posted May 25, 2012 Author Share Posted May 25, 2012 Thanks so much -- those are helpful ideas! Good to know that I'm right in thinking of MEP as more of a puzzle-ish type of math. I hadn't thought of chunking our way through the programs; that's really intriguing. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhotoGal Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 Wondering the same thing. It sounds like (from reading other posts about MEP) that the lessons are needed - not just the worksheets. But I would love to find a way to work it in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Five More Minutes Posted May 25, 2012 Author Share Posted May 25, 2012 Wondering the same thing. It sounds like (from reading other posts about MEP) that the lessons are needed - not just the worksheets. But I would love to find a way to work it in. I know what you mean! It seems that the lessons are important to making MEP click. I could consider switching to using MEP as our spine, but it seems a lot more mom-intensive than the system I've got going right now. And the system I'm using now is working, so I don't want to rock the boat ... much. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissKNG Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 I just picked out the challenging puzzle questions in MEP when I used it to supplement SM. I would go through the practice book and just circle the puzzle problems I wanted my big girl to do. Then I would just kind of let her work on them during the week in a relaxed, no pressure sort of way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
besroma Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 We supplement Rightstart Math with MEP 1 and SM with MEP 2. We do 2-3 lessons each day. I read over the entire lesson and choose what I want to go over as a "class." I usually can anticipate problems that might trip them up and give a bit of guidance to avoid that. I do not follow all of the lessons exactly as scripted, but I do find much of it to be very valuable. We all really enjoy it. I enjoy teaching it, and do not find it overwhelming at all to add it to our day. It is very easy to look through the pages on the site to see where to start your child. I have a huge binder that I keep the teacher pages in. I printed the teacher pages on heavier weight paper. The kids' pages I printed on regular paper and put in binders for each of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Five More Minutes Posted May 25, 2012 Author Share Posted May 25, 2012 We supplement Rightstart Math with MEP 1 and SM with MEP 2. We do 2-3 lessons each day. I read over the entire lesson and choose what I want to go over as a "class." I usually can anticipate problems that might trip them up and give a bit of guidance to avoid that. I do not follow all of the lessons exactly as scripted, but I do find much of it to be very valuable. We all really enjoy it. I enjoy teaching it, and do not find it overwhelming at all to add it to our day. It is very easy to look through the pages on the site to see where to start your child. I have a huge binder that I keep the teacher pages in. I printed the teacher pages on heavier weight paper. The kids' pages I printed on regular paper and put in binders for each of them. Thanks for these ideas for using MEP daily! Out of curiosity, how much time do you end up spending on math each day? Roughly how much of a math period ends up being MEP-based? And how did you juggle adding in some of the lessons with children who were at different stages? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chelli Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 We use MIF as our main curriculum and MEP as well. We do our scheduled lesson in MIF (2B) and then do one lesson of MEP (Level 2). I usually look over the Teacher Notes and choose one or two of the non-worksheet activities to do, then we work on the worksheet together. This combination takes us about 30-45 minutes. We also do Miquon on Fridays with MIF, but no MEP. MEP is only Monday-Thursday. I know we won't be able to keep this up for all of elementary math (I would love to, though!) because MEP and MIF will get more difficult and take more time, so something will have to give :glare: HTH. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
besroma Posted May 26, 2012 Share Posted May 26, 2012 Thanks for these ideas for using MEP daily! Out of curiosity, how much time do you end up spending on math each day? Roughly how much of a math period ends up being MEP-based? And how did you juggle adding in some of the lessons with children who were at different stages? I don't really schedule a certain amount of time for math. We follow more of a block or loop schedule, which allows us to keep plugging along at a subject when the children are really enjoying it or are really absorbing the material. We have certain subjects we must complete daily, then we take more or less time on those depending on how things are going. My ages range from 4-10, so I am using MEP Reception with the youngest; Miquon, RightStart, and MEP 1 with the youngers, and SM and MEP 2 (with Horizons worksheets as spiral review) for the olders. My children really enjoy math and enjoy the variety of the different publishers. My guess is that I spend about 30 minutes per child leading their lessons and asking questions. The olders work on their worksheets pretty much independently with me there for questions. I do not do all of the scripted "off-worksheet" lessons. Hope this helps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Five More Minutes Posted May 26, 2012 Author Share Posted May 26, 2012 Hope this helps! It did -- thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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