Please critique this math plan....

[diaperjoys]

We have four kids, and I'm trying to come up with a math plan that fits each of them:

 

DD, K, 4.5yo - Essentials Math, Miquon Orange (for as far as is comfortable for her; no cracking the whip at this age)

 

DS, 1st, 6.5 - Math In Focus, Miquon Orange & Red

 

DS, 2nd, 8yo - This youngster used CLE this year. It went great for half the year, then once we got into bigger sums/differences (i.e. 13-6 etc.) he began to really struggle & dread math. IOWA scores were terrible. Right now we're going through MIF 1B, trying to improve conceptual understanding. The concept of number bonds has been helpful, but the mastery approach brings tears. For him I'm thinking Miquon, the first four levels, with Saxon 2 for non-traumatic spiral review.

 

DS, 3rd, 9yo - We're in the midst of neuro-psyche testing for this son. He's extremely smart and grasps new material easily, yet if we leave the data for a few weeks it disappears. He also did CLE this year, and did well for half the year, whereupon lessons began to drag out for huge lengths of time. IOWA scores were poor. We're currently going through MIF, which really works nicely for him. I can see his conceptual understanding growing by leaps and bounds (we started in 1A, and we're whizzing through the levels, planning to start 3A in the fall). So, Math in Focus for this boy next year. Maybe [i]Miquon [/i]too to continue to develop the lacking conceptual aspect? I'm troubled by the lack of spiral review with this plan, though, given how he loses data so easily. I'm considering doing Saxon worksheets, even just one side of the worksheet daily so concepts aren't lost??

 

Any and all suggestions are welcome!!!

Edited June 4, 2012 by diaperjoys

[Lots of boys]

We have four kids, and I'm trying to come up with a math plan that fits each of them:

 

DD, K, 4.5yo - Essentials Math, Miquon Orange (for as far as is comfortable for her; no cracking the whip at this age)

 

DS, 1st, 6.5 - Math In Focus, Miquon Orange & Red

 

DS, 2nd, 8yo - This youngster used CLE this year. It went great for half the year, then once we got into bigger sums/differences (i.e. 13-6 etc.) he began to really struggle & dread math. IOWA scores were terrible. Right now we're going through MIF 1B, trying to improve conceptual understanding. The concept of number bonds has been helpful, but the mastery approach brings tears. For him I'm thinking Miquon, the first four levels, with Saxon 2 for non-traumatic spiral review.

 

DS, 3rd, 9yo - We're in the midst of neuro-psyche testing for this son. He's extremely smart and grasps new material easily, yet if we leave the data for a few weeks it disappears. He also did CLE this year, and did well for half the year, whereupon lessons began to drag out for huge lengths of time. IOWA scores were poor. We're currently going through MIF, which really works nicely for him. I can see his conceptual understanding growing by leaps and bounds (we started in 1A, and we're whizzing through the levels, planning to start 3A in the fall). So, Math in Focus for this boy next year. Maybe Miquon too to continue to develop the lacking conceptual aspect? I'm troubled by the lack of spiral review with this plan, though, given how he loses data so easily. I'm considering doing Saxon worksheets, even just one side of the worksheet daily so concepts aren't lost??

 

Any and all suggestions are welcome!!!

 

I think it looks great. I use a combo of Miquon and MM and it works well. If, after MIF and Miquon, your 9 year old is sick of worksheets but you still want more review - you should consider TT 3 or 4 for him (maybe one lesson every other day?). I don't think TT worked well for us as the primary teaching tool but it is fabulous for review because it is 1) VERY DIFFERENT and give my ds a break from worksheets. 2) VERY SPIRAL - so again, great review and different from MM (or your MIF), and 3) VERY INDEPENDENT - Yippee !!!

[Five More Minutes]

DD, K, 4.5yo - Essentials Math, Miquon Orange (for as far as is comfortable for her; no cracking the whip at this age)

Miquon and Essentials are a great combination!

 

DS, 1st, 6.5 - Math In Focus, Miquon Orange & Red

I don't know enough about MIF, other than it's Singapore-like, but I do know that the Miquon / Singapore combo has worked great here. I'd also say that Miquon has been pretty fluid ... I *thought* that we would do Orange and Red in first grade, but she has been jumping ahead to the other books in some topics.

 

 

DS, 2nd, 8yo - This youngster used CLE this year. It went great for half the year, then once we got into bigger sums/differences (i.e. 13-6 etc.) he began to really struggle & dread math. IOWA scores were terrible. Right now we're going through MIF 1B, trying to improve conceptual understanding. The concept of number bonds has been helpful, but the mastery approach brings tears. For him I'm thinking Miquon, the first four levels, with Saxon 2 for non-traumatic spiral review.

If you feel that a spiral program is helpful for review, have you looked at MEP? I'm just wondering if Saxon, which does not approach things conceptually, might end up working a bit against what you're doing building conceptual understanding with MiF? Also, the videos at Education Unboxed might provide a way of building in conceptual understanding in short lessons, to mix things up.

 

DS, 3rd, 9yo - We're in the midst of neuro-psyche testing for this son. He's extremely smart and grasps new material easily, yet if we leave the data for a few weeks it disappears. He also did CLE this year, and did well for half the year, whereupon lessons began to drag out for huge lengths of time. IOWA scores were poor. We're currently going through MIF, which really works nicely for him. I can see his conceptual understanding growing by leaps and bounds (we started in 1A, and we're whizzing through the levels, planning to start 3A in the fall). So, Math in Focus for this boy next year. Maybe [i]Miquon [/i]too to continue to develop the lacking conceptual aspect? I'm troubled by the lack of spiral review with this plan, though, given how he loses data so easily. I'm considering doing Saxon worksheets, even just one side of the worksheet daily so concepts aren't lost??

Math Mammoth might work well as a review program; again, it's a conceptual program, so it would complement your main work. You can print off sheets related to specific topics.