Wildiris Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 (edited) I am looking for math to compliment our online K12 math program. I've looked through a lot of programs--Saxon, Horizons, Singapore, but I hit upon Math in Focus. I'd enjoy hearing your thoughts and experiences with this math program. Math in Focus has several components beyond just the basic student books and TE. Please offer your review. Edited June 28, 2012 by Wildiris link Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wapiti Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 A few threads that might help" Singapore Standards v. Math in Focus? Has anyone used Math in Focus? Does Math In Focus do a good job with mental math? Math in Focus :: Singapore approach For those doing Math in Focus, why MIF and not the original SM? Math in Focus is not working for us Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildiris Posted June 28, 2012 Author Share Posted June 28, 2012 Thank you for the links. I tried search, but I came up with nothing. I'm sure this will help me as well as others. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 I own Math in Focus 5 and have used Singapore PM 1-6. Math in Focus is a slick package. However, I think at its core it's not any better than PM. I'd use PM with the CWP and/or IP books over Math in Focus. If you're already using the K12 program, adding a second full program may be a bit much. You could find that just the CWP or IP will give you what you need. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildiris Posted June 28, 2012 Author Share Posted June 28, 2012 I own Math in Focus 5 and have used Singapore PM 1-6. Math in Focus is a slick package. However, I think at its core it's not any better than PM. I'd use PM with the CWP and/or IP books over Math in Focus. If you're already using the K12 program, adding a second full program may be a bit much. You could find that just the CWP or IP will give you what you need. DD finished the K12 math lessons in less than 20 min. most days including review. She is not a math kid, but she learned very little this past year. She could take the assessments without ever doing the lessons and breeze through 10 lessons. To be fair, there were a few learning gems, but I think she needs some paper and pencil time with the ability to advance forward more freely. From my reading about Math in Focus the TE does a good job of explaining; however, reviewers cite many typographic mistakes. I'll revisit IP. Thanks for the suggestion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icul8rg8r Posted June 30, 2012 Share Posted June 30, 2012 I'm now using Math-In-Focus instead of Singapore Math (US Ed). Math has always been my worst subject and I was struggling trying to teach it to my children. I was frustrated, which made my kids frustrated, and no one was enjoying math, much to the chagrin of my engineering husband. I was about to make him take over teaching math until I discovered Math-In-Focus. The teacher's guides are amazing. They explain it in such a way that math finally MAKES SENSE. There's a small copy of the student page right there in the Teacher's manual so I never get lost or off-track. It must make sense to my kids, as well, because not only is math "clicking", but we are now all having FUN learning math (and yes, I'm learning right along with them!!!). To me, it's worth EVERY cent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildiris Posted July 1, 2012 Author Share Posted July 1, 2012 icul8rg8r~ Thanks for the response. The cost of Math in Focus TE is too off putting to pursue it as a real option. I've looked into buying the TE at Amazon and eBay, but no luck so far. In the end, I am cobbling together Horizons Math for the spiral review with Singapore Standards and Challenging Word Problems. I also found this at Duke Tip Math Pack Quest. This may take the place of Singapore's Challenging Word Problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 My understanding is that MiF is an Americanization of MPH, so that would be why they're similar :) I looked through the 4th grade MiF textbook and the MiF Enrichment book and thought that they seemed a bit less challenging than PM with IP. I'd probably go with MM if I had a student who needed less challenge than PM simply because they're so much cheaper (especially if bought at HSBC). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mystika1 Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 Hi, I called RR today. The person that I spoke to indicated that the TM's have the meat of the program and my dd would only get about 1/2 of the benefit if I chose to only get the text and wb. She suggested that I use Singapore Math Standards with the HIG....that is what I currently use.:tongue_smilie: My dd loathes math and I can't take the meltdowns anymore so I thought to finish our current level of SM and then try and see if MIF might work better for her. Today's math meltdown made me want to pull out my own hair! I am at the point where I just may throw in the towel. She just wants to plug in the numbers and borrow.:eek: I feel like I am fighting a losing battle. I need to try a different approach but...I just hate to make another expensive mistake. Does MIF take a slower and more guided approach? Penny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zarabellesmom Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 For what it's worth... I really I like MIF, but if you aren't having success with Singapore Math, then I don't think you will have success with MIF. They are almost identical. MIF is very well presented . The books are very pretty and textbooksy. My daughter did very well with it, but would have done well with the other too, I think. http://www.hmheducation.com/virtualsampling/index.php You can sample a virtual copy here in my experience. T Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zarabellesmom Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 I bought the TM once and still wish I had that money back... I think so long as YOU can follow along with the book you will do just fine without it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mystika1 Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 I think that I will go ahead and order the level 3 materials without the TM and try it. I have heard that it is more gentle than SM which is really what I am looking for. Thanks, Penny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deerforest Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 DD didn't like Singapore but she likes MiF. It has a lot to do with the presentation. MiF uses pictures of real kids and manipulatives, which she likes a lot more. I also just get the student book, not workbook or teacher edition, and the small number of practice exercises in there are about her limit for workbooks. Our main math is Right Start but we've had fun combining it with Math in Focus and Beast Academy. I buy ours used on Amazon for a fraction of the costs, and they've all been in perfect condition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissKNG Posted July 7, 2012 Share Posted July 7, 2012 I looked at MIF once and thought it takes a slower, more guided approach. It is very sequential and gives out all the steps you need to arrive at the end result. Definitely good for a sequential learner, IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mystika1 Posted July 7, 2012 Share Posted July 7, 2012 Well...I ordered grade 3 just now and immediately after I noticed a review indicating that lots of math errors were found in the grade 5 set. Have any of you noticed any errors? Penny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blessings2all Posted July 7, 2012 Share Posted July 7, 2012 I'm not sure about Math in Focus, but we used Life of Fred Trigonometry one year to supplement our K12 math curriculum. It was pretty funny. Just what my older math-hating dd needed.;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nsharris28 Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 We had been using Right Start for 2 years (level A &B). At the end of B, she failed the assessment, cried at math time, and I dreaded it. I borrowed Math In Focus from a friend and it has completely turned math around for us. Today my daughter actually said "math is easy!" We are using the 1st grade one. I don't even look in the teacher's edition at this point b/c it's just as easy to teach from the textbook and workbook. I do know that it's terribly expensive, though. I'm going to use my friend's this year for Grade 1 and then switch to Math U See. I hope she'll still love math with Math U See! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chelli Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 We had been using Right Start for 2 years (level A &B). At the end of B, she failed the assessment, cried at math time, and I dreaded it. I borrowed Math In Focus from a friend and it has completely turned math around for us. Today my daughter actually said "math is easy!" We are using the 1st grade one. I don't even look in the teacher's edition at this point b/c it's just as easy to teach from the textbook and workbook. I do know that it's terribly expensive, though. I'm going to use my friend's this year for Grade 1 and then switch to Math U See. I hope she'll still love math with Math U See! I'm starting MIF 3A with my oldest this year and I'm still not using the TM. I really don't think it's necessary. I also teach from the textbook and workbook. If all you buy are those two things, then a year's worth of math is less than Math U See. If you find the text book used (Amazon), then it would be even less. One thing I've learned from these boards...if something is working, then don't change it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 My kids use MIF in school. They give us access to online stuff for practice, which is nice. But honestly, I find their material vague and obviously my kids do as well. Even my advanced child who tested out a year ahead in math last Spring. Maybe it's building their math "character" for the future, I don't know. If I were sitting with the kids to see what they were "getting" or not, maybe it would be different. This is the teacher's first year with this curriculum so that could be part of it. I just find it frustrating. My kids are ahead conceptually but making "dumb" mistakes too often. (When I say "dumb," I mean getting stuff wrong that they know how to get right. Like simple addition problems. They will get hard stuff right and then on the next question, get the easy stuff wrong. :confused:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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