Pre-K Math Poll

[zelli21]

Reading the threads I've seen different math curriculums mentioned as good ones to use for Pre-K but just want to see what is recommended highest.

 

Also, which would transition into Mammath Math? I'm leaning towards using this after.

[edeemarie]

My ds3.5 is loving MEP Reception! It really gets him thinking about math things without being too much writing for him.

[SilverMoon]

From your list I've only used MEP Reception. Our experience was positive. She seems to have an innate understanding of numbers already, and enjoyed the chance to apply it.

 

For what it's worth, I only printed the teacher notes. We pointed to the posters on the monitor, or I cut and pasted the images over to Paint for her to draw on them with the computer mouse.

[boscopup]

I've never heard of a PreK math program. Many people use K math programs with 4 year olds (and occasionally 3 year olds). K math is pretty simple - counting, colors, shapes, etc. Math Mammoth has a list of K math skills to have down pat before starting MM1. If you have those (and you don't have to have a curriculum to teach them), you're good to go. MM1 starts with the basics of addition and subtraction, as is typical for 1st grade math.

 

I used Singapore Essential Math K for my current K'er when he was 4. He's now easily doing Singapore's 1A, and I'm sure he'd be fine with MM1A as well (I have it, but I like Singapore's presentation better). I also used a 100-chart to teach him place value, daily adding a number to the chart and adding a straw to our pile of straws to coincide with that number - bundling 10s as we came across them and emphasizing "23 is 2 tens, 3 ones" every single time I mentioned a 2-digit number. We also used money and added a penny each time, swapping 5 pennies for a nickel, etc. This kid has rock solid place value because of the 100-chart use.

 

For true PreK skills (ie, counting to 10, colors, etc.), I used R&S ABC series. The "Counting With Numbers" book was perfect for that. DS2 is one that doesn't always learn things by just living life - he needs a workbook or something to teach him. So while my other 2 kids learned counting to 10 by just hearing me count items as needed, this child needed the workbook. Same goes for colors and other such things. I think most kids can learn PreK skills without any curriculum as long as the parent is involving the child in daily life and talking to them and such. My DS2 was obviously an exception to that, of course. ;)

 

ETA: I saw the poll after I posted. :lol:

[Syllieann]

My 3.5 yo is loving mep reception. He often asks if we can do more math. As mentioned above, the key is that it doesn't require much, if any, writing. He also enjoys the c-rods but isn't quite ready for the math lab sheets yet. I plan to start on those in a couple months when he finishes mep reception.

[Farrar]

It seems to me that unless you've already started something else, there's no reason not to try MEP reception first. Gentle, easy introduction and if you need more, you can always add.

 

I also chose Miquon, but trying to get through much of it would have frustrated my kids at that age. What I really mean is Cuisenaire rods with Mathematics Made Easy or Education Unboxed's early learning videos.

 

I didn't pick RightStart as I don't have experience with it, but I think it would be good too. However, I think everyone considering RightStart early on should start by getting the Right Start games, not the full curriculum. If that turns out to be the best thing, then you know Right Start might be for you. And if it's only an occasional resource, then it's still worth the money, IMO, but then you can make a guess that RS may not be for you.

[Amy Jo]

Ruth Beechick's The Three R's. Cook (convert recipes to different sizes after the basics are down). Count stuff. MAYBE MEP Reception, or some funner pages from Miquon. Life of Fred perhaps. C-Rods if you want. Measuring tools. Compare sizes, costs, etc. Play store. Look up the living math site. Play games like Math War (with a deck of cards, face cards removed). Maybe strategy/spacial games like Blokus (my youngest son could play at 5, but it would depend on the kid - a pre-k might be able to do it).

 

And MM isn't that difficult so don't worry. :P I've used several of their books as supplements. Just open and go. Well written and straight-forward.

[pitterpatter]

Singapore Math Earlybird worked great for my then four-year-old. She's now thriving in 1A Standards. :001_smile: She enjoyed Earlybird and is having a good time with 1A as well.

[Embassy]

Singapore Essentials would be my vote. I like Mathematical Reasoning too.

[my2boysteacher]

My 4 year old loves MEP on the iPad!

[Dealea86]

I didn't vote because we really haven't done enough math with her to make up my mind.

 

That said, MEP makes no sense to me. I keep look at it and looking at it and hoping it'll become clear and I'll love it, but no luck. I hate it. :tongue_smilie:

 

We're using Singapore Essentials, and she enjoys it (though it's been a while since we picked it up, because anything over the first half dozen lessons is a bit over her head). I've got some cuisinaire rods on order, and once they get here I'm going to start doing some games and activities with those.

[Chelli]

Another vote for MEP Reception!

 

Using it with dd4 and it's great!

[Ellie]

For a little preschool-age child, I wouldn't do anything other than things mothers usually do with their children: teach them to count and recognize numerals, help them to match things, help them figure out money and calendars (if they're interested), help them tell time, and so on.

[rgrin]

MEP Reception worked great on the iPad with the Notability app. I printed out the lesson plans and used the iPad for everything he did. It worked out great!

[edeemarie]

MEP Reception worked great on the iPad with the Notability app. I printed out the lesson plans and used the iPad for everything he did. It worked out great!

 

We do the same thing, but I just pull up the lesson plans on the laptop and sit next to ds (I am VERY cheap:))

[MusicMama]

I tried the Singapore Essentials, and it was too writing/color intensive for my taste. I wanted something more activity based for math, I cover art on my own! (I do love the look of the rest of Singapore, not a fan of their Kindergarten materials)

 

I use Miquon with my Kindergartner, and let my preschooler play along. I keep him out of the book as much as possible and play with the c-rods with him. We make stair cases and dinosaurs, build towers of unit blocks and find a "color" block that matches, we place unit blocks on items in a picture and then count them etc. We play uno and he helps me in the kitchen. I firmly believe that a pencil or crayon in his hand is the last thing he needs for math instruction. We touch and manipulate objects, learning that those words called numbers actually stand for concrete objects. I have yet to introduce the written symbols, just working on concrete concepts.

[Holly]

I love Saxon's K program...it's mostly just playing with manipulatives. You could probably do the same thing on your own if you are at all creative. I'm not, so I love having ideas to use! ;)

[thegirlwhopaintedtrees]

From your list I've only used MEP Reception. Our experience was positive. She seems to have an innate understanding of numbers already, and enjoyed the chance to apply it.

 

For what it's worth, I only printed the teacher notes. We pointed to the posters on the monitor, or I cut and pasted the images over to Paint for her to draw on them with the computer mouse.

 

I do the reverse. I print out the posters and read the teacher's notes from the i Pad. My almost 3 year old enjoys snuggling on the couch and talking about the posters.

[Parker Martin]

Mine isn't on here. Kitchen Table Math.

[Aspasia]

We used Singapore Essential Math and it was great. Also planning to move onto MM, so I hope it's a smooth transition. :tongue_smilie:

[Ecclecticmum]

I liked the look of MEP reception, but its just too much for me (goes into the same pile as Rightstart and happy phonics - too much setting up, homemade manipulatives and fiddly bits :tongue_smilie: )

 

For "Preschool" and as a primer to Grade 1 Maths, we are going to be using the Cuisenaire (argh, need to learn how to spell that, no matter how I fix it, it still comes up with the red squiggly!) Exploration and Discovery Book, which is sort of a Miquon Primer. We use Singapore Maths STDs Edition a year behind (but Eve might end up using it on grade level) so we do SM STD Earlybird & Essentials A in Kinder & B in Grade 1, then Level 1 in Grade 2. I may add some MEP reception sheets as well. Overall I love Miquon, Singapore & MEP lol. But Singapore is our main, Miquon is our intro to the concept and MEP is just worksheets every now and again.

 

For Math Mammoth i think the one out of those 3 that would work with would be MEP.

[kesmom]

Singpore Essentials plus playing with manipulatives and games.

[zelli21]

I'm kinda shocked at the results. Just wondering the reason MEP and Miquon are the top picks (though Saxon is close)??? Is it cost or are they really that good compared to the more expensive options?

 

Do you stick with MEP after Reception or use it as a supplement to something else?

 

I originally dismissed MEP as it didn't make sense but after a bit more reading I figured it out.

 

Thanks.

[DiannaC]

We didn't do a curriculum. The best way my 3.5/4 yr old learned how to count was doing a calendar every day. He learned number recognition and how to count to 30 & then he just put it together and could count to 100 by the time he was 3.5 (maybe he is just gifted mathematically, but I doubt it since my husband and I are not). We did do Letter of The Week curriculum and she has pattern sheets & my son loved it. I really think a lot of early math can be learned hands on without the use of a curriculum. Plus, there are tons of games online and apps to learn basic math (shapes, counting, money, etc).

[kristinannie]

We are using RS A (1-2 lessons per week, usually doing a half a lesson each time) and I will begin using Miquon soon as well. Right now she is playing with the rods.

[shernandez]

We used Critical Thinking Press's Mathematical Reasoning Beginning 1 and 2 from 3-4 years old. At four, we started Saxon Math K. Love both!

[Chris in VA]

Loved Saxon K for my 4yo. It does all the stuff Ellie mentions. Very little writing. Lots of fun. Do the meeting, but don't stress a lot. :001_smile:

 

I'd add in C rods for fun, too.

[Five More Minutes]

We really liked Miquon and Singapore Essential Mathematics (not Earlybird, which was too busy for us). I used Saxon K as a very early preschool math before starting Miquon and Singapore; it was fine and extremely gentle.

 

Were I starting over again, I'd probably look very hard at MEP Reception, too.

[BarbecueMom]

Mine isn't on here. Kitchen Table Math.

 

Kitchen Table Math user here too, though we also play around with C-rods and the abacus.

[Chelli]

I'm kinda shocked at the results. Just wondering the reason MEP and Miquon are the top picks (though Saxon is close)??? Is it cost or are they really that good compared to the more expensive options?

 

Do you stick with MEP after Reception or use it as a supplement to something else?

 

I originally dismissed MEP as it didn't make sense but after a bit more reading I figured it out.

 

Thanks.

 

We do continue to use MEP, but I wait until first to do the next level of MEP. MEP 1 is pretty challenging. I don't think it is for the average K student. We also combine MEP with a Singapore-based math (MIF).

 

That being said, I voted for Reception in your poll because it is such a gentle introduction to math, not a lot of writing.

 

You look at a picture and discuss it. "If three squirrels ran away how many would be left? How many would there be if only two came back?"

 

It is a very easy introduction to mental math plus it's fun. My dd just thinks we're talking about a picture. She has no idea she's actually learning.

 

Just our experience. :001_smile:

[Food4Thought]

For a little preschool-age child, I wouldn't do anything other than things mothers usually do with their children: teach them to count and recognize numerals, help them to match things, help them figure out money and calendars (if they're interested), help them tell time, and so on.

 

:iagree: This is what I was voting for when I voted Other. :) I didn't use a curriculum for K either - just kept a ton of great manipulatives on hand like C-rods, a math balance, LEGOs, geoboards, foam numbers, dice, dominos, and cards.

 

Edited to Add: I use Math Mammoth starting in 1st grade.

Edited July 23, 2012 by Food4Thought