singapore or math u see-which do YOU like

[pjssully]

 

I am trying to decide between these two options. i know they are very different but i haven't yet figured out which my 9 year old daughter would feel most confident in. she has lost a lot of her confidence, due mainly to me switching curriculum just because it gets hard. She can get frustrated easily. She did singapore last year and got through 2A, but seemed to hit a block when the mental math came in 2B. She understands multiplication and knows a lot of her facts. However, she hasn't done much division, fractions, weighing stuff or graphs and stuff like that. She has tried Math u see in the past but thinks it babyish> I think it would be good for her and i think i could get her to do it, but my husband thinks maybe going with singapore, which she does like, would be a better fit since she feels like she is not good at math. Also, if we do singapore 2B next year, i feel like she will be SO far behind where other 4th graders are! She worries about this too-i am sure that i have passed this worry onto her. So yes, i have made some mistakes with her, feel bad but need to find one thing that we can stick with for the WHOLE year. I have also thought about Horizons, which is colorful and might appeal to her. I have used Horizons with her older sister, and her twin brothers used it last year. Not sure what i will do with them, yet, but mainly i need to get a handle on what i should for my daughter.

thanks for any input!

pam

 

 

[Twinmom]

Can I suggest another option? Try sticking with Singapore and supplementing with Math U See in areas where she is weak. Feel free to slow down whenever she struggles in Singapore, adding in some supplements from Math U See, or even just their free, make them yourself worksheets you can get on the website. Works for us here...I have three kids using Singapore and one using MUS, so it's also pretty convenient. She may have just hit a spot that was tough in Singapore that you can work through carefully and slowly, then move on. It's more important that she eventually "get" it than that she work on grade level, IMO. You could also try some of those extra practice booklets from Singapore if need be.

 

I'm all for jumping programs if it isn't working for a child, but you are right...jumping too much can cause gaps. See if supplementing works for you before you try completely abandoning Singapore. If you've already got Horizons, maybe you could supplement with that instead of MUS. Just a thought.

[Mom2GirlsTX]

I would find fun ways to practice her multiplication facts, and do so very regularly. Both MUS and Singapore are very well respected programs, some people use them together. I would keep the Singapore and use MUS for the concepts she has trouble with.

If you will do a search of Singapore in the search engine, you will find that it is not uncommon at all for kids to show 2 years behind in Singapore Math when they are starting. I personally would not switch programs again, and since you have Singapore I would continue onward with it.

I know that with one of my daughters, the only way I can get her to "learn" math is to work on it very consistently, even through all the drama she puts out about she can't do it. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other with her with math. Singapore is a great program, I love it. I think MUS is a great program and I have used them both, so you ultimately have to decide which is best for your child, but don't let the 2a or 3 a or 4 a get to you, just work where your child is at and keep going forward. She is only 9, if you get a grip now on her math you are really fine.

[fractalgal]

I am trying to decide between these two options. i know they are very different but i haven't yet figured out which my 9 year old daughter would feel most confident in. she has lost a lot of her confidence, due mainly to me switching curriculum just because it gets hard. She can get frustrated easily. She did singapore last year and got through 2A, but seemed to hit a block when the mental math came in 2B. She understands multiplication and knows a lot of her facts. However, she hasn't done much division, fractions, weighing stuff or graphs and stuff like that. She has tried Math u see in the past but thinks it babyish> I think it would be good for her and i think i could get her to do it, but my husband thinks maybe going with singapore, which she does like, would be a better fit since she feels like she is not good at math. Also, if we do singapore 2B next year, i feel like she will be SO far behind where other 4th graders are! She worries about this too-i am sure that i have passed this worry onto her. So yes, i have made some mistakes with her, feel bad but need to find one thing that we can stick with for the WHOLE year. I have also thought about Horizons, which is colorful and might appeal to her. I have used Horizons with her older sister, and her twin brothers used it last year. Not sure what i will do with them, yet, but mainly i need to get a handle on what i should for my daughter.

 

 

 

 

 

thanks for any input!

 

 

 

 

pam

 

 

 

I am not familiar with MUS, although many people on this board have said great things about it.

Singapore 2B would be more like what a 3rd grader would do. At age 9 that would be about right. It would be better for her to build her base now than to struggle in junior high and college.

What I did for my 8 year old (who will be 9 in Februrary) daughter was Saxon 3 combined with Singapore Workbook 2B. Others that I know have used Singapore CWP to supplement with programs like MUS or Saxon.

I would encourage you to do a lot of drill if you use Singapore alone [and use the Singapore supplemental materials]. The drill builds confidence and solidifies the student knowledge of the basics.

Saxon is a solid program with plenty of repetition and is a more spiralling approach which may work well for her. The problem is that Saxon is expensive and time consuming for K-3. I personally think it is worth the money and the extra effort.

I think Singapore is good, too. It is more of a mastery program. For this reason it is good to occasionally quiz your daughter from the previous sections to see if she is retaining it. It is easy for children to forget things they haven't seen for awhile.

[hsmom]

Just a suggestion have you tried to find games and such to supplement what you are already using? Like my son loves Mythmaticalbattles! (http://www.mythmaticalbattles.com/ ) He also loves to use http://www.rainforestmaths.com as an extra practice. There is tons out there. Just an idea.

[Twinmom]

I second Rainforest Maths! My kids love that for extra practice. In fact, when DD has been especially frustrated, I've let her just do RM for a couple of days to chill out, then back to the books. It is a colorful, very visual site that clearly shows the why and what of most things. My kids love it.

[Jen500]

I would stick with Singapore, especially because she likes it. It's better to build a good conceptual foundation in math than to push on to another program just to be at a certain grade level. Do you have the HIG for extra tips and exercises in teaching the mental math? Also, the supplemental books are very good. My boys enjoy the Challenging Word Problems, and this fall we're going to try the Intensive Practice book too. The extra books are only about $8 each.

[Sunshine State Sue]

I have used Math-U-See and supplemented with Singapore's CWP. I love the combination. However, I think the ladies who suggested using Singapore (since dd enjoys it) and supplementing with MUS where she needs extra help have the best idea.

[terrij]

I have used Singapore for four of my children and it is a solid program, but I am considering using Math U See this year with my two younger two (or at least supplementing with it). I can see how the two would work well together.

 

Do you know that you can get a DVD from MUS that explains the program? I just received mine and it is very helpful in making this decision.

 

God bless,

Terri

[Sue G in PA]

Mu ds10 uses MUS (just started) and loves it. He's really learning his facts. But, I'm not really sold on it as a long-term program. We are supplementing w/ Singapore for him and I'm switching my other younger dc to Singapore. I'll always have MUS to supplement them if they need it. I, too, think MUS and Sing. are good together.

[CoffeeBean]

I don't think I'd do challenging word progblems with a kid who is struggling. I'd stick with singapore since she likes it and supplement with MUS or Saxon. My kids thought MUS was babyish too. Saxon is a lot of staright forward practice. If you can find the right level and combine it with singapore they would provide the practice. However, fun drills on the computer or one of those hand helds from walmart you can do on car trips really makes doing math facts doable.

 

CoffeeBean

[KarenNC]

I have a child who is very advanced in reading/language arts, more on grade level or in certain sections even below that in math. We use Singapore. I have found that we hit "snags" periodically in Singapore, primarily because she "gets" language so easily that she expects math to be the same and really balks when she doesn't immediately understand how to do something (happens in other areas as well, so for her it isn't unique to this math program). From what I have heard, this isn't uncommon, especially in kids who are advanced in some area. Our experience may not be what you have at all, but maybe something I have done will give you some ideas.

 

Things are slowly getting better now as she matures, but I was getting *lots* of drama whenever we hit a section that was harder for her--crying, head under the blanket, "I can't do this, I will never be able to do this", total evident inability to do any part of the question at all including pick up a pencil and copy it down, etc.). For my daughter, this represents a lesson that she is simply going to have to learn (because I did the same thing)---that not everything comes easily and that one can indeed learn strategies to approach things that are harder rather than giving up, having a tantrum or avoiding them altogether. Yes, there are reasons to switch curricula (and I have done so in other areas, particularly phonics when she was younger), but for her, she and I like the overall program well enough, it is needing to learn to get through the rough spots.

 

When we got to 2B (which we just finished), if we hit a spot that was particularly problematic, after trying for a bit I might skip ahead and do the geometry section or graphing or something that came more easily to her, then come back to the problematic part. That seemed to help and give it some time to "gel" and things were a bit better when we came back. Also, I will slow down, require fewer problems a day, maybe bring in an alternate way to work on that skill (we downloaded the "clock" section of Math Mammoth, for instance, and did that for a while because time is a big roadblock for her for some reason) or played computer games related to the skill. Even the different workbook situation (like Math Mammoth) seemed to help us get past the initial kneejerk reaction to that section of the Singapore book.

 

Typically, after pushing her a bit through the initial rough spot, she is quite quickly saying,"I'm pretty good at......" and proud of her accomplishment *sigh*. Couldn't we have gotten there with a simple "I don't know how to do this" and just worked through it? I am beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel on that one, though as she gains emotional maturity (at least until we get to puberty....hah!):banghead:

 

I switched to the standards edition of Singapore this year for level 3 for the additional built in review, more frequent review and some additional re-teaching of earlier concepts. I am hoping that this will be helpful for us.