Good math curriculum for quirky, "MCT" type kids who gets bored easily?

[Jenny in GA]

After using MUS for my second child for few years, I'm wondering if it's not a good fit. She is probably gifted, pretty good at math, but does not like a lot of repetition. She's the kind of kid who hates doing workbook exercises, especially when they are all similar.

She also does not like to do her work alone, although I know that can't always be helped. She doesn't need "help," she just likes working with me, a la MCT.

 

I've thought of switching her to Singapore, but from what I've heard, I'm afraid I personally wouldn't do well with it.

 

Any suggestions, either for a switch or supplement? Does Life of Fred sound like a better fit? MEP? Any other ideas?

[Jenny in GA]

Oh, I should have mentioned she is nine and halfway through MUS Delta.

[Rosie]

My first thought was Singapore. Why do you think you wouldn't do well with it? The mental math? The bar diagrams? All the books to juggle? Knowing the reason would help us advise you better!

 

My kids are the same way - they could do it on their own many times but they like having me right there with them. I just view it as quality time. So, we often do math side by side on the couch. We do Beast Academy this way, Primary Grade Challenge Math, Singapore Textbook, read living math books together. At the table we do Miquon, Singapore Workbook, and CWP. And we also do work at the white board sometimes, which they seem to like a lot - this is more for exploring new topics and trying to figure out how to do really hard problems together.

 

I think Singapore would be the best fit. Math Mammoth is meant to be self-taught, though I suppose you could sit there with her and read it to her, but it also goes slowly - probably too slowly for a gifted math student (unless you're willing to cross out a lot). Miquon is great, but it's only through 3rd/4th grade, though I wouldn't hesitate to use it as a supplement for an older child. I haven't used MEP, so can't help there! I have Life of Fred Apples and Fractions (and I've gone through half the Trig book).... and wasn't super impressed - it was just... alright - but you'll find people who swear by it. Singapore doesn't have a lot of repetition so it sounds like the best fit to me.

[edeemarie]

I think MEP sounds like a great fit! There is a great variety of problems, but not too many, and she will need you there with her to go through the lesson plans. I am so impressed with how thorough MEP is. I intended on using it as a supplement, but it has become our main math curriculum. I an waiting for some c-rods to arrive and then we will add in some Education Unboxed videos too:) You can always try MEP and see if you like it since it is free. Just make sure you follow the lesson plans and don't just try to do the worksheets.

[Jenny in GA]

I think MEP sounds like a great fit! There is a great variety of problems, but not too many, and she will need you there with her to go through the lesson plans. I am so impressed with how thorough MEP is. I intended on using it as a supplement, but it has become our main math curriculum. I an waiting for some c-rods to arrive and then we will add in some Education Unboxed videos too:) You can always try MEP and see if you like it since it is free. Just make sure you follow the lesson plans and don't just try to do the worksheets.

 

 

Thanks, that helps.

Is there a placement test for MEP? Is 4A considered beginning of fourth grade??

[Jenny in GA]

My first thought was Singapore. Why do you think you wouldn't do well with it? The mental math? The bar diagrams? All the books to juggle? Knowing the reason would help us advise you better!

 

 

 

Yeah, basically all that! :001_smile:

I get the impression that it takes the teacher/parent a fair amount of work and juggling to be able to "learn how" to do Singapore, and I'm just not up for that right now. And I can't stand juggling lots of books in one program.

[Rosie]

Yeah, basically all that! :001_smile:

I get the impression that it takes the teacher/parent a fair amount of work and juggling to be able to "learn how" to do Singapore, and I'm just not up for that right now. And I can't stand juggling lots of books in one program.

 

 

Mental Math: Try these videos. (I'll be redoing the subtraction ones within the next week or two, though, because I've discovered a better way to teach it to kids who are slower at picking up math concepts.) Learning mental math this way is what opened up my eyes to truly understand our number system. I got A's in school but never really understood what I was doing. Now I do.

 

Bar diagrams: Try this website for a good intro. I highly recommend learning to do these. They made everything so much more clear to me than algebra ever did!

 

Juggling Books: If I were in your position, I'd try doing just the Textbook and Challenging Word Problems book as our main program. This is kind of what I'll be doing with my 8yo this year. Then add in a bunch of fun stuff like Beast Academy, living math books, Life of Fred, Penrose books, Sir Cumference books, Primary Grade Challenge Math, Mathematicians Are People, Too, Family Math, .... whatever looks good and you can afford. For a kid who is math intuitive, I think it would be worth a try to just use the textbook (Standards edition as it has more review in the textbooks than the U.S. edition) and CWP would go over the topics again in a more challenging way.

 

 

Another note - if you do decide to go to Singapore, go through my mental math videos with your dd FIRST and practice for a few weeks before she takes the placement test. She will test further along that way and you won't waste as much money on books where you don't need half the info.

[edeemarie]

Thanks, that helps.

Is there a placement test for MEP? Is 4A considered beginning of fourth grade??

 

There really is not a placement test, unfortunately. I think people usually just pick a spot and try it out and move from there. Year 4 is 4th grade, but I believe the grade levels are a bit ahead of normal. We came from a traditional math and briefly used Saxon (my ds placed between 5/4 and 6/5) and I tried to start my ds in year 3. It was a bit much for him since it was such a different approach to math than he was used to so we backed up to year 2. Now he just does multiple lessons a day (at least 2 and sometimes 3 or 4) and is doing very well.

[Crimson Wife]

The higher level LOF books are good (not terribly impressed by what I've seen of the elementary ones though), and if your child is able to do long division then she could start Fractions.

 

The Murderous Maths books from the folks who do the Horrible Histories series might also make a fun supplement for your student. Ray from Del Sol books is doing his next order on September 30th and is selling the 12 book set for $97.45.

 

My DD doesn't like math practice either but I do require a certain amount of it from her. She did Singapore PM textbook + Intensive Practice + Challenging Word Problems but not the regular workbook.

[deerforest]

My almost 8-year old DD sounds like yours, and we have done a lot of what Rosie suggests with books and mental math.

 

I actually use a ton of things for math... living math books, manipulatives, Beast Academy, Math in Focus, Hands on Equations, Right Start, documentaries, videos, etc.

 

She despises worksheets. She hated Singapore but tolerates Math in Focus, but just the student text but not the workbook. She's not a fan of Math Mammoth but will tolerate a few for practice.

 

I basically take a multi-prong approach to her math. Her conceptual understanding is much higher than her computational skills, and I'm okay with that.

 

This time last year she claimed to hate math, and that really bothered me because she had a fabulous conceptual understanding and just hated practicing. That's when I decided to take the approach I have now. Granted, it is a ton of work for me. I am always pulling tidbits from different programs, and I'm sure people will tell me I'm doing it wrong and I should just stick to one program. But, she thrives on the variety. If she is stuck understanding something in one way, I switch it up, and the light bulb goes on.

 

A few weeks ago she thanked me for changing how we approached math, and she told me, "Last year I hated math because I thought there was only one way of doing things. Now I see that there are a lot of ways, and I might discover something even mathematicians haven't!" That was all the reinforcement I needed that my approach was working for her.

 

She adores your girls, Rosie. So, thank you for those videos! :001_smile:

[Shelsi]

My ds (also an "MCT" type kid lol) is enjoying doing Beast Academy as a supplement to MUS (he's also doing delta). It's just a nice way to change things up I think.

 

You said she doesn't like a lot of repetition...do you just mean on each individual worksheet or she doesn't like doing all the worksheets in a lesson? I do have my ds complete 2 of the review worksheets but other than that he just needs to show me that he's mastered the concept for the lesson and then he can move on. So sometimes we only do 2 worksheets a lesson and sometimes we do all of them and then if he still needs practice I make up my own for him. Mostly though I'd say he does about 3 total worksheets per lesson on average.

[dbmamaz]

The higher level LOF books are good (not terribly impressed by what I've seen of the elementary ones though), and if your child is able to do long division then she could start Fractions.

 

The Murderous Maths books from the folks who do the Horrible Histories series might also make a fun supplement for your student. Ray from Del Sol books is doing his next order on September 30th and is selling the 12 book set for $97.45.

 

My DD doesn't like math practice either but I do require a certain amount of it from her. She did Singapore PM textbook + Intensive Practice + Challenging Word Problems but not the regular workbook.

 

Very similar to where i am with my almost-9-yo. We read the first 2 murderous maths, did all of Primary Grade Challenge Math (aimed at gifted kids like MCT, and cute/fun), LOF fractions, and partway through decimals. He hates curriculum but i find random worksheets sometimes are better for 'practice'. Right now we are using Kaleidoscope math (from scholastic express, i got the PDF during dollar days) for motivating practice problems - just straight arithmetic, but since he hates writing anything down, i'm please that I found something he does willingly, if only a few problems a day. after all, its summer!

[stripe]

Marilyn Burns' Math for Smarty Pants and The I Hate Mathematics! Book are fun supplements and very quirky, and written to the kid.

[Nicholas_mom]

A few weeks ago she thanked me for changing how we approached math, and she told me, "Last year I hated math because I thought there was only one way of doing things. Now I see that there are a lot of ways, and I might discover something even mathematicians haven't!" That was all the reinforcement I needed that my approach was working for her.

 

 

 

Wow, Deerforest -- that's wonderful!!! I like to change things up for my ds, too. He seems to like it better than doing the worksheets over and over again. I am going to try Singapore Math and I have MUS Delta and Epsilon and LOF books and some MM and Living Books! I, too am concern because everyone here says stick to a program and use supplements.

 

It is so nice to hear you have a confirmation from your dd that she is getting and liking math!

 

The problem is ---- I can't figure out WHICH math program to use as my main program. So, we are starting with Singapore Math this year. :tongue_smilie:

 

To the OP--- my ds is similair to your dd and I am all ears to learn more!

[Tracy]

I haven't used MCT but have drooled :drool5: over it enough to know a bit about it. We are using CSMP, and I think that what attracts me to MCT is the same thing that attracts us to CSMP. Almost everything is taught through a story, and all instruction is interactive between teacher and student. The worksheets are optional.

[Halcyon]

My youngest sounds like yours. We started with Singapire, and then switched to MM. He likes a lot of variety, so we add in Beast Academy and CWP. He likes math games, so we play Speed! and the Right Start math games quite a lot. He also likes Dragon Box. We have kept MM as our spine, but I skip stuff he knows, and right now, we've moved on from multiplication over to time, and we're going to double back to multiplication at the beginning of next year (he was getting bored filling out all the tables in MM and I decided he needed a break).

 

I think variety is the key, but keeping a spine.

[Jenny in GA]

You said she doesn't like a lot of repetition...do you just mean on each individual worksheet or she doesn't like doing all the worksheets in a lesson? I do have my ds complete 2 of the review worksheets but other than that he just needs to show me that he's mastered the concept for the lesson and then he can move on. So sometimes we only do 2 worksheets a lesson and sometimes we do all of them and then if he still needs practice I make up my own for him. Mostly though I'd say he does about 3 total worksheets per lesson on average.

 

 

She understands math concepts almost immediately and can do math in her head that I have trouble doing. So after she does a problem or two, she wants to be done. She absolutely hates being given a page or two of worksheets and being sent into another room to go work on it.

 

She generally hates "fill in the blank" kind of stuff, which is why MCT works well for her.

 

Thanks for all the suggestions; I order Beast Academy and Life of Fred Apples yesterday. (Curious what we think of Fred elementary, as the reviews seem to be really mixed.) Also requested the Math for Smarty Pants from the library.

[mc26]

This sounds just like my DS. He positively despised Math Mammoth. He loves LOF (and MCT), he enjoyed CTC's Math Detective and Balance Math. He liked all the Sir Cumference Books (not a curriculum, but a nice supplement). For daily review, he does the Math Minute books. Primary Grade Challenge Math is hit or miss with him because he generally has a lot of trouble with word problems.

I think he would like Beast Academy and may bite the bullet when C comes out.

[EKS]

I recommend Singapore. If you want to get up to speed with it before attempting to teach it, I highly recommend the book Elementary Mathematics for Teachers. It teaches teachers how to teach math the "Singapore way." Also the HIGs will help with specific lessons.

[dbmamaz]

Apples? i am curious why you would have chosen apples . . . its very early elementary level . . .

[katemac]

We like RightStart Maths. It tends to get more drills in the upper levels, but the fair amount of games keep their enthusiasm high.

 

We did Singapore Primary Maths 4B before Summer break. It was good a dose of speedy Maths. But because I feel that some foundation is not as solid as I wish, so we switch over to RS D. I thought it might be way too easy. But DD said she's learning new things. The games work better than any drills.

[Jenny in GA]

Apples? i am curious why you would have chosen apples . . . its very early elementary level . . .

 

 

You're supposed to begin at the beginning, no? I thought that was what they and others suggested, since it's a story. I imagine that if we like it, we'll go through it quickly.

 

I had tried her in Life of Fred Fractions, and she cried and said it was too hard. So I figured we'd try the elementary books.

[dbmamaz]

Honestly, i havent seen the elementary ones. He has kinda written them in strange order. I mean, the pre-algebra books came out just 2 years ago, and then the elementary series. i think its ok to skip some. I'll be curious to hear what you think, but i've heard of several people who said the first 4 books altogether only lasted them maybe a month? they are very very light.