Jenny in GA Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 I started MUS Alpha with my youngest a few weeks ago and remember now why it sometimes drove me crazy. It is boring! The pages and problems are so much the same, and just adding one, adding two ... We both need variety! I dont think i want to dump it for a new math curriuculum (slthough does anyone have suggestions for one that is a little moe ... Fun, with more variety?) Are they are good resources for more "fun" math activities for this age? Im picturing some sort of workbook that covers different first grade math concepts using puzzles, coloring ... Just something with more variety. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josie6504 Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 Well, this wouldn't be a workbook, but Rightstart has a card games package that includes lots of different games to reinforce math skills. They say it can be used alongside any math program. We haven't tried it yet, but I plan to get it soon. I ended up switching to Rightstart comepletely from MUS because my son got too bored with it. So far, the swich is going well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurelia Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 Critical Thinking Press has Math Smarts, which is a workbook with that type of thing. Miquon is definitely more fun with variety, and isn't terribly expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonersl Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 I second the recommendation of Right Start Math Games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alice Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 I like the games in Peggy Kaye’s Games for Math. They are very easy to make yourself and have been very popular with both my boys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chepyl Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 I started MUS Alpha with my youngest a few weeks ago and remember now why it sometimes drove me crazy. It is boring! The pages and problems are so much the same, and just adding one, adding two ... We both need variety! I dont think i want to dump it for a new math curriuculum (slthough does anyone have suggestions for one that is a little moe ... Fun, with more variety?) Are they are good resources for more "fun" math activities for this age? Im picturing some sort of workbook that covers different first grade math concepts using puzzles, coloring ... Just something with more variety. Thanks! We have a board game called Sum Swamp that really helped my son learn his facts up to 6+6. Hee also loved Yahtzee. Monopoly is good for math skills too. He masterd more facts playing those and Bingo than he did using workbooks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbmamaz Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 Forgive me because we kinda skipped first grade math here so i'm not entirely sure what topics are included - but in first grade, i couldnt believe how much my son enjoyed this simple game - we had two dice, and we'd take turns rolling them. then we had to state the math problem they made (2 plus 3 equals 5) and whoever got the highest sum that turn won that round ... we just put down a tally mark. My older son even enjoyed playing it. And it didnt matter if the kid didnt get it right, you help them when they need it. I honestly could not believe how much my kids liked that. i picked up 2 10-sided dice from a comic book shop to extend it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blondeviolin Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 Bored games that use two dice helped my kids learn most of their addition facts to 10. RS does have a game pack. you might consider looking at MEP for enrichment. It has math type puzzles and is free! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blondeviolin Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 Bored games that use two dice helped my kids learn most of their addition facts to 10. RS does have a game pack. you might consider looking at MEP for enrichment. It has math type puzzles and is free! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ecclecticmum Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 Right Start Games (Manipulatives) Kitchen Table Math (Resource Book/Real Life Maths) Math Games - Peggy Kaye (Games/Resource Book) Math on the Level (Living Maths/Real Life Maths) Pattern Blocks & books (Manipulatives) Singapore (with Manipulatives reccommended) (Curriculum & Manipulatives) Miquon (Workbooks, C-Rod/Manipulative Based) Math Lessons for a Living Education (Queen Homeschool) (Living/Story Maths) Living Maths Website (Living/Story Maths) Kumon Maths (Workbook) Family Maths Book Series (Games/Resource Book) Verbal Math Lessons (Oral Lessons) Mathstart Books (Living/Story Books) Sir Cumference Series (Living/Story Books) Learning Links (Games/Manipulatives) Tangrams (Games/Manipulatives) Pentomino (Games/Manipulatives) Attribute Blocks (Games/Manipulatives) Cuinsenaire Rod Activity Books (Games/Manipulatives) Mathtacular and/or Kit (DVD/Manipulatives) Hot Dots Math (Electronic Pen/Game) Math Analogies (Workbook) Tin Man Press (Workbook/Outside the Box thinking) Prufrock Press (Gifted/Workbook) Critical Thinking Company (Logic/Workbook) Koplow Games (Games) Math Bingo (Games) Reader Rabbit Maths (CD-Rom) IXL (Website) Professor B (Software) Tops Science Math (Real Life Maths/Manipulatives) Math Song CD & Workbook (CD/Workbook) Thats about all I can think of right now. I know theres others, but brain did done broken :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 My husband, who tutors math, likes this game for younger children: Math Dash Also see this older thread for some more recommendations. Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OregonNative Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 Another vote for Right Start. The games in Ruth Beechick's The Three R's are great too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleIzumi Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 I like the games in Peggy Kaye’s Games for Math. They are very easy to make yourself and have been very popular with both my boys. :iagree::iagree::iagree::iagree::iagree: Also, MEP math has a lot of logic puzzles and TONS of variety, and it's free--just print it. We use both of these resources in our homeschool and LOVE them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birchbark Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 Miquon MEP math Critical Thinking Co's Mathematical Reasoning books Muggins math games The Verbal Math Lesson The Grapes of Math (this might be better for 2nd gr.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucy the Valiant Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 I'm leading a co-op class this year for math games for 1st graders - our list includes: math bingo (both number recognition as well as addition / subtraction) money games (with real coins) Rack-O Uno (surprisingly educational, IMO, for the younger set) Sequence math flashcards with random activity-cards tossed in (i.e., 2+6, 8+1, do 12 jumping jacks, 3+4, touch your 3rd toe with your 4th finger, etc.) ----> sounds really dumb all typed out, but is very funny and popular w/DS6 & friends, LOL time games with clocks dice games (we modify Yahtzee by playing only the top half or the bottom half, usually) Monopoly memory match / concentration Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hottater Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 I just took a deck of cards, took out the face cards and told ds 1= Ace and we did math wars for greater than less than. We also did flip the card over and who ever could add the two cards flipped faster would get those cards. A lot like war. I would let him win a lot to let him build confidence. We took the mus principles, but used the cards several times along with. I tried him on something else free online, http://www.xtramath.com, he scored good some days but bad on lots of others. I think that the card games was better. There are also the math wrap ups. It's like a key with a string. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orozco Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 I used legos, wrote numbers and operation signs on them and then just played setting up different equations. Also used a plactic pencil case. I filled it with tiny manipulatives, a die, a set of numbers and operation signs, small pencil, and a small notebook. We would roll the die usually two times sometimes three, count out the manipulatives, match the number, add the operation signs, and then record the equation in the notebook. I would change the manipulatives to keep up interest. Some would just be stickers pasted on pieces of cardboard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommyshanti Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 I see a lot of people recommend rightstart for their games, would the game book be good for an almost 8 year old, going in 3rd grade? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morosophe Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 Chutes and Ladders? It actually helps more further on, because you're mostly doing double plus single digit addition, but on the other hand, my son loved it even before he "got there" with the addition, and I think it gave him a little further impetus to learn his addition. Plus, it is another very concrete way to show what adding actually *is*, which can help conceptually. The only negative is that *I* get sick of playing the game really fast. Still, you could look for that at yard sales and/or thrift stores to add it to your arsenal pretty cheaply. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marysbond Posted August 4, 2012 Share Posted August 4, 2012 LOVE this list - we started MUS with my son last year and we absolutely couldn't bear it. He enjoys math and this was killing that. We switched to Singapore and it's been good ever since. I still own my MUS, having a hard time letting it go b/c SO MANY people say it's great. I'll try it again with my daughter when she's older, but I'm not looking forward to it. I do like the look of this list though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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