Just recieved Math Mammoth...I think I hate it...

[fairy4tmama]

So we just received level 3b light blue and I hate it...I am hoping DS will like it but our first day with it was mediocre! This partly because he already knows some of the material and I was trying to figure out how much to skip, and he is just generally resistant to something new.

So here is what concerns me:

 

The pages are so full they seem overwhelming to both DS and I.

 

The print and problems seem like fairly small print.

 

So far the explanations (text) seems confusing to DS (maybe he will get used to her style?)

 

Each lesson seems really long. I get that its a mastery program and DS likes and thrives on repetition but I wish there were more natural stopping points within each chapter.

 

Help me like this program! I need something open and go right now. Ideas, advice?

[North Coast School]

We tried Math Mammoth at the beginning of first grade. We worked on it for four weeks and got completely overwhelmed--BOTh of us. Switched to Saxon...then finally found our way to Singapore Primary and haven't looked back since.

 

We also like Life of Fred for fun!

[iafrmgrl77]

We actually did MM for a couple of years. At the end of that couple of years, DD had retained very little and cried every time we did math. Switched to CLE and haven't looked back! I started DS on MUS. He hated it. Switched to CLE and haven't looked back! I think with these next two we will just start with CLE! Lol!

[justLisa]

I use MM as extra practice when needed while using SM.

 

HOwever, I did use MM for almost a year just to accelerate DS, and we did not always do every problem. I used just highlight the number/letter of the ones I wanted him to do.

 

I just looked at my 3b...take page 19 for example

 

1. count on by hundreds. I would only have him do one line

2. b. and f. , or one from each set

3. same as 2.

 

Then, if he got them all right, great, carry on. If not, then keep that sheet for the next day, and do one more problem set from the area which was missed, plus new work. This way you are not drilling the same thing to death in the same day, while still getting to new material. I like the mastery approach, but doing the same thing a million times in one day is not necessarily better. Your brain needs to "sleep on it."

[ktgrok]

It is designed so that you are supposed to do only about half the problems. We often do less than that. So don't assign all of them! Do just about half, then if he doesn't do well you can do the others the next day, after going over it again.

[TheAutumnOak]

I have used it this year with my K, first, and 5th graders...It seems simple to me and I liked it very much at first, but my boys are really having a hard time with it...Especially my first grader...I just don't think he is ready for the algebraic setup the program has...He can do the math, but has a hard time understanding the instructions and the early algebra...I have the CD and will still use it in the future for some practice problems if I need them, but we are switching to Rod & Staff math...

[Farrar]

I think it's an amazing program because it explicitly teaches multiple strategies for problem solving in a slow, incremental way. It makes kids practice everything in multiple ways and gives a lot of structure yet builds to a deeper understanding of the material.

 

I don't think it's for every kid though... I have one ds using it, and the other not. I think the number of problems, the layout and the lack of color can seem intimidating or off putting to some kids. I think when a kid gets it that the incremental nature of the problems can be really tedious and can even undermine a child's understanding by making them feel like there were extra steps they missed or like they must not have understood it.

 

What we do that really works is to read the explanations together and then do "buddy math" (that's a suggestion from the Let's Play Math blog) for many, if not most pages. Ds and I alternate working the problems. When I work a problem, I talk out exactly how I did it. The fact that MM has a good many problems makes it ideal for this method, I think. When ds clearly gets it, we move on and don't do too much extra practice from the page.

[Clear Creek]

One of my curriculum purchase regrets for the same reasons that you listed. And I bought the download, so I can't even recoup any of my money. I have tried numerous times to use it as a supplement, and it just doesn't work for my children. I don't get the magic that it has the reputation for. Not at all. If I had tried to teach my children from this exclusively, they would be in public school by now, no joke. 1st grade would have been an utter failure.

[warneral]

I felt we were a bit bogged down by it this year but my mathy and non mathy children both really grew in math understanding and mental math skills. I think next year we will do fewer problems as sometimes they would both make mistakes only because of fatigue! I wish (since she offers worksheet generators and other links) that she could streamline the program down to about 2/3 of the qty of problems

[ljswriter]

We bought the light blue 2B to remediate her over the summer (while we're waiting to order MUS with next term's charter funds). She HATES MM, and I can't say I'm in love with it, either. I got it because I thought the worktext concept would be useful.

 

Thankfully, I'd also picked up a Right Brain Math download from CurrClick and she's really enjoying that, but it's only got multiplication facts and we really needed to cover some other, more basic concepts. I wish it was easier to find other Right brain stuff.

[mamakimberly]

I also highlight the pages-- they do 30-40% of the problems per page. If they miss one, they correct the problem AND do an additional problem of that type.

 

This method has 2 purposes for us- 1. It gives them extra remediation if they need it on a certain topic while avoiding boredom from too many of the same kind of problem. 2. It encourages them to work hard the FIRST time so they don't have to do additional problems due to lazy errors.

 

YMMV.

[sagira]

I also highlight the pages-- they do 30-40% of the problems per page. If they miss one, they correct the problem AND do an additional problem of that type.

 

This method has 2 purposes for us- 1. It gives them extra remediation if they need it on a certain topic while avoiding boredom from too many of the same kind of problem. 2. It encourages them to work hard the FIRST time so they don't have to do additional problems due to lazy errors.

 

YMMV.

 

I really like this idea. I've been having ds do all the work (sometimes 2 pages) However, sometimes we also buddy up and he tells me how to do one problem, then he does the other.

 

I can understand how it's not a good fit for some, but hate it? :confused: Maria has put a lot of work and effort into it, and the "big idea" explained then broken down into details method resonates greatly with ds8 and me.

Edited May 29, 2012 by sagira

[ByGrace3]

I think not every program is for every child. I happen to love MM. Is my dd thrilled with it? Well, no, not really. But I am convinced she wouldn't be thrilled with any math program. She likes games and I use RS Games thrown in often, it keeps the "I hate math" at bay. I very much like the multiple ways of presenting math concepts, the conceptual base, the mastery aspect, and the mental math, oh and the price! All in all it works well for us.

 

This weekend looking at it compared to singapore, (the MM was black and white, while I print in color) I can see how it would look overwhelming, but Singapore would NEVER work for dd. DD needs to do EVERY problem in MM, so I appreciate the plethora of problems there. If your dc gets it easier, it is easier to cross some out than add some in. . . so I am thankful! :001_smile:

[ezrabean2005]

We are starting out with MM and we are about a week into it. I've been setting a timer for 30 minutes and that's how long DS will work on problems. Then there are a few we'll do together that are more challenging. The new mental strategies for addition have slowed us down right now, but the jury is still out to see if it will click or if we're better off with another system.

 

The mastery has been a good change from Abeka's spiraling though. That was much more upsetting to DS than the new methods in this book.

[3peasinapod]

We started in MM at the beginning of this year with a then 2nd and 3rd grader. I was exactly at the point you stated with our 3rd grader. I wanted to cry, and she WAS crying. We would move on to the next chapter, and she would forget the chapter before, and on and on. It was an absolute horror for her. She is not mathy. We changed her to CLE, and she retains nearly everything, and there are no more tears (complaining, yes, but no tears).

 

OTOH, my 2nd grader is just now finishing up MM2B after starting on 1B last July. I LOVE it for her, and there are no tears for me or her! I love that she is getting deep layers of math over and over again. She can turn numbers around and around in her head with MM, the way she wants to. DD9 did not want to do this, and frankly I'm not sure if she ever would have understood the MM way. The low-key colors and black and white are perfect for DD7, as if she has a lot of color, she will write and make up stories about every.single.picture on the page, making math time too long. One thing that I noticed is I do not like MM sections on volume and weight. Yuck! Too many words for me to sort through with her. I wish that section was a little more cut and dry, ready for the student. Also, the time sections don't seem to be enough for her. I am going to use the worksheet maker to make more of those for DD7. BTW, this girl who loves MM seems to be quite mathy. I will show her the example, work through one problem, and I see her eyes light up like a light nearly every time. She loves the challenge of finding the answer to the puzzle. Interesting, she has loved puzzles since she was a toddler.

 

Sorry so long!

[3peasinapod]

I also wanted to say that for our last DD, who is 5, we will start her in CLE because I'm so afraid of it being the same as with DD9 and getting behind or having holes because of changing curricula if we start MM and it be a bust again. I believe it is for mathy children, but I don't know if she's mathy yet. :confused: I will continue MM with our middle DD, though, I guess until it doesn't work. Hopefully we will just finish up the whole series. :001_smile:

[Chrysalis Academy]

The low-key colors and black and white are perfect for DD7, as if she has a lot of color, she will write and make up stories about every.single.picture on the page, making math time too long. One thing that I noticed is I do not like MM sections on volume and weight. Yuck! Too many words for me to sort through with her. I wish that section was a little more cut and dry, ready for the student. Also, the time sections don't seem to be enough for her.

 

 

I agree with both points above - the lack of distraction is great for a very distractable kid. And, although I have loved using MM 4 this year, we skipped the Time & Measurement & Geometry chapters, intending to come back to them at the end, and we've just started through that now. I'm not crazy about the T&M chapter either, and the MM4 geometry looks really dull - my plan with that is to skip most of the geometry in 4 and do the Geometry chapter from 5 first next year (it's much of the same information, only deeper and more interesting presentation, I think), and to pair this with the Geometry and Perimeter/Area chapters of Beast Academy.

 

Like I said in a different MM post today - you are the boss of the curriculum, it's not the boss of you. MM lends itself to being deployed flexibly.

[Kuovonne]

The low-key colors and black and white are perfect for DD7, as if she has a lot of color, she will write and make up stories about every.single.picture on the page, making math time too long.

 

LOL! Unless I'm sitting right next to DD, she doodles all over her MM pages. She'll draw pictures of Disney princesses and fairies making comments about the problems. Aurora in the left margin points to a problem and says "That was a HARD one!" Ariel swims in from the top and days "Too much math!". Tinker Bell strokes her chin while gazing at a problem and says "Concentrate ...". Belle sits on a stool with a book and says "I'd rather be reading." Vines wrap around the right margin where another fairy says "Oooh, I got that one!".

[Runningmom80]

Interesting. We just started mm after switching to Singapore, and we love it. Ds likes the way its explained, and we find it easier to learn while doing the problems as opposed to doing the "lesson," and doing the workbooks after. We've only been using it for a week, so hopefully this doesn't change. I will say that we tried it a couple months ago, for a day, and hated it. This time I made a deal with ds that we had to try it for a whole week. He liked it the first day. I think he was closed minded about it the first try, coming from Singapore with all the cartoons. :)

 

 

I love the switch from 5 books to worksheets especially! :D

[crazyforlatin]

I really like this idea. I've been having ds do all the work (sometimes 2 pages) However, sometimes we also buddy up and he tells me how to do one problem, then he does the other.

 

I can understand how it's not a good fit for some, but hate it? :confused: Maria has put a lot of work and effort into it, and the "big idea" explained then broken down into details method resonates greatly with ds8 and me.

 

:iagree:

 

Maria has done a tremendously fine job of teaching concepts incrementally, so that even a child who may not think she is good in math will understand numbers. I do have to agree with the smaller font size, insufficient white space, but I've made it work for us. I write for DD. It's one of the best purchases I've ever made - easy to accelerate several grades in one year yet containing clear instructions, sufficient problems for practice with a child who needs extra time thinking about certain concepts. Maria is very responsive to emails and her passion for getting kids/parents to understand math is evident. It's one of the most open and go math programs. You could go with SM, which I also use, and it does have large type, lots of space to write answers, but it also means you would have to deal with more books per year.

[Bloggermom]

I bought it through the latest co-op deal, but haven't even used it. We are really enjoying Teaching Textbooks.

[fairy4tmama]

Wow, thanks for all the replies! I checked this thread mid morning before we did lessons and was able to put some of your suggestions to work today and we really liked it today! I used a hi-lighter to mark the problems I wanted him to do and he jumped in saying repeatedly that he really liked this new book. What a relief!

 

I think we were both in curriculum shock, as we have been doing a very math journal heavy style this year but due to current health issues I needed something with no prep. DS loves math and catches on quickly but he is a total perfectionist and I think farrarwilliams really hit the nail on the head with regard to my son

I think when a kid gets it that the incremental nature of the problems can be really tedious and can even undermine a child's understanding by making them feel like there were extra steps they missed or like they must not have understood it.

 

Hopefully this will be less of an issue as we move into concepts we haven't covered yet.

 

Thanks a bunch!

[livingmydream]

Oh no! I was thinking of getting one for my daughter who does RS math and most workbooks freak her out. I have a friend who hated it too. I wanted to like it a lot of people seem to like it... I don't know...

[umsami]

What we do that really works is to read the explanations together and then do "buddy math" (that's a suggestion from the Let's Play Math blog) for many, if not most pages. Ds and I alternate working the problems. When I work a problem, I talk out exactly how I did it. The fact that MM has a good many problems makes it ideal for this method, I think. When ds clearly gets it, we move on and don't do too much extra practice from the page.

 

I love this! Great idea!

[Halcyon]

Interesting. We just started mm after switching to Singapore, and we love it. Ds likes the way its explained, and we find it easier to learn while doing the problems as opposed to doing the "lesson," and doing the workbooks after. We've only been using it for a week, so hopefully this doesn't change. I will say that we tried it a couple months ago, for a day, and hated it. This time I made a deal with ds that we had to try it for a whole week. He liked it the first day. I think he was closed minded about it the first try, coming from Singapore with all the cartoons. :)

 

 

I love the switch from 5 books to worksheets especially! :D

 

This is us too. We switched from SM in Jan and my boys are totally fine with it. I like the multiple approaches of MM. Yes, we do skip some sections, but really, learning many approaches is such an asset. Me? I love the single worktext!

[Halcyon]

Interesting. We just started mm after switching to Singapore, and we love it. Ds likes the way its explained, and we find it easier to learn while doing the problems as opposed to doing the "lesson," and doing the workbooks after. We've only been using it for a week, so hopefully this doesn't change. I will say that we tried it a couple months ago, for a day, and hated it. This time I made a deal with ds that we had to try it for a whole week. He liked it the first day. I think he was closed minded about it the first try, coming from Singapore with all the cartoons. :)

 

 

I love the switch from 5 books to worksheets especially! :D

 

This is us too. We switched from SM in Jan and my boys are totally fine with it. I like the multiple approaches of MM. Yes, we do skip some sections, but really, learning many approaches is such an asset. Me? I love the single worktext!

[Lune]

 

Maria has done a tremendously fine job of teaching concepts incrementally, so that even a child who may not think she is good in math will understand numbers. I do have to agree with the smaller font size, insufficient white space, but I've made it work for us. I write for DD. It's one of the best purchases I've ever made - easy to accelerate several grades in one year yet containing clear instructions, sufficient problems for practice with a child who needs extra time thinking about certain concepts. Maria is very responsive to emails and her passion for getting kids/parents to understand math is evident. It's one of the most open and go math programs. You could go with SM, which I also use, and it does have large type, lots of space to write answers, but it also means you would have to deal with more books per year.

 

:iagree:

[Joyful_Journey]

I think the success of MM really depends on the child. My 6th grader did fine with it (as with others, I only assigned half of the problems), but it completely bombed with my first grader this year. My 4th grader is somewhere in the middle. He can do it, but he doesn't love it. Personally, I really like the mastery approach and how thorough it is. For my younger two kiddos, they really need something more visual and hands-on though.

 

We did RS for many years, but I needed to switch over to something a bit more independent since three kids in RS was too teacher intensive for me! MM was more independent and still taught the "why" behind math, so it seemed like the perfect program to transition from RS. Unfortunately, it is becoming obvious that my younger two need the visual/hands-on learning that RS provided. I'm thinking that MUS may be the answer for me since it gives the visual/hands-on experience while offering more opportunities for independent work. My middle one also needs more review thrown in which MUS appears to offer.

 

I'm so tired of switching math curriculum! This next one better work for us.:willy_nilly:

[SunnyDays]

We also bought this through the last co-op deal. At the time we were using CLE and I wanted to supplement with something more Asian/conceptual style. I loved the idea of the worktext as well, rather than having multiple books. DS unfortunately really disliked the format. Even knowing he could skip problems, he has serious issues with visually cluttered pages.

 

When we decided to change from CLE, we pulled it out again... still not happening. We went with Singapore.

 

MM is a good strong program, and Maria seems like an incredible teacher. But, like all things, it isn't for everyone.

[3peasinapod]

LOL! Unless I'm sitting right next to DD, she doodles all over her MM pages. She'll draw pictures of Disney princesses and fairies making comments about the problems. Aurora in the left margin points to a problem and says "That was a HARD one!" Ariel swims in from the top and days "Too much math!". Tinker Bell strokes her chin while gazing at a problem and says "Concentrate ...". Belle sits on a stool with a book and says "I'd rather be reading." Vines wrap around the right margin where another fairy says "Oooh, I got that one!".

 

:lol:

[....]

Hi, I have about 3 grade levels of MM. Like the other posters said, we only do about half the problems. Also, if my daughter already knows how to do something, we just move on. I also don't print out everything. Every couple of weeks, I print out what I want to use.

 

Another strategy that helps for when they get overwhelmed...we have a dry erase board hanging in our school room. I don't even show them the MM worksheets. I just post problems on the dry erase board. I either have her "walk me through the problems" or she completes the problems and I check her answers.

 

Only one of my kids uses MM (I have 4 kids). She also uses several other math "things" (Singapore CWP, a LOT of Life of Fred, etc). The MM worksheets are a great way for her to get some extra problem-solving practice in. Especially with long division (rolling my eyes), she just needed to work 300 problems to get that down. :glare: MM was great for that!