I finally gave in and bought Beast Academy... How's everyone else liking it?

[TKDmom]

I ordered Beast Academy and it arrived on our second day of Singapore 3A's introduction to long division (the lesson that makes me want to throw SM across the room).

 

We were in the middle of our math lesson with ds practically banging his head on the table not understanding long division, when the mailman rings the doorbell... and there's BA! :D I immediately put SM away and set him to work on BA. We've been doing it for almost 2 weeks now.

 

It's really nice that it starts out with geometric shapes (instead of the "real math" that we were so frustrated with). BA makes ds's brain hurt. ;) He wants to give up halfway through each page because the problems are challenging, but I've been coaching him through it and when we look at the answers, we find things that both of us missed. In other words, I think it's perfect for my little perfectionist who's used to "getting" everything easily. It's challenging without being overwhelming.

 

For those of you who have actually gotten farther than polygons, how's it going? Are you still loving it, or has the "shine" of a new curriculum started to wear off?

Edited September 12, 2012 by bonniebeth4
Clarification

[TKDmom]

Surely there are still some people still doing BA. ;)

 

I'd love to hear how it's going...

[mom2boys030507]

My son is still really enjoying and we are also banging our heads against the wall learning long division in Singapore 3A. I am finding these two math programs to be great to go between.

[Rivka]

We just finished the first chapter of 3c and are still going strong. I love it. Some of the practice is too easy, but some of the problems are just delightful.

[FairProspects]

We just finished the first chapter of 3c and are still going strong. I love it. Some of the practice is too easy, but some of the problems are just delightful.

 

:iagree:This is exactly my opinion as well. There are just too many easy problems (and too many problems in general for a slow processor, I suspect they are trying to slow down fast math kids). But, there are also some great "aha" type fun challenges. We are sort of all over the sequence - some is a review, some is new, some I only make ds do half the problems, some we do together because it is so hard, etc. I do feel BA has gone very in depth in the topics they cover. The tricky part will be placing ds at the end since some of the problems have easily covered 4th grade topics in other sequences.

[Soror]

We just started, we are only about 2 weeks in or so. I'm finding it complimenting RSD well. Ds really likes it he says. I like the variation in difficulty. I think it trains them to think well and I love the fact that they can cement an idea with such thorough practice and not repetitive drill, that is just so wonderful. We are getting the definitions of everything down cold because the problems require you to know it well, even though in total we've done very few actual problems. I think it is quite genius. Although, at some points really tough!

[Down_the_Rabbit_Hole]

We are enjoying it but only just finished polygons. Dd is not mathy and we work through this together. I sent an email out to AOPS because even though we are working through it together, dd will still get some problems wrong. I was curious if we should just put it away or master the work or keep going as is. This is the reply I got back...

 

Those counting problems are tough! If she is enjoying Beast Academy, retaining what she's learned, and willing to try difficult problems, then it sounds like it is working just right.

 

If you have only been through the first chapter, we have heard quite a few people mention that it is the hardest chapter in the series so far. The skip-counting chapter should be easier.

 

Part of the philosophy here is that if you are not getting problems wrong, you ought to be trying harder problems. You usually learn more from the problems that you try really hard on and get wrong than the problems you breeze through. Encourage her to keep at it, let her know that missing problems is an important part of learning, work through the solutions to problems she misses, and mix in other resources to keep her spirits up if she gets frustrated.

 

Thanks!

-Jason Batterson

 

 

[....]

Between my 4 kids, we've used lots of math curricula... Beast Academy is one of the best math programs we've used. In my mind, it ties in 1st place with Math Mammoth. :thumbup1: I have no complaints. I hope my son is able to follow BA to pre-algebra.

 

Down the Rabbit Hole: that 1st chapter of 3A is REALLY difficult. Some of the perimeter/area problems were rough, too. Even I had to look at the answers. :D

[Down_the_Rabbit_Hole]

Between my 4 kids, we've used lots of math curricula... Beast Academy is one of the best math programs we've used. In my mind, it ties in 1st place with Math Mammoth. :thumbup1: I have no complaints. I hope my son is able to follow BA to pre-algebra.

 

Down the Rabbit Hole: that 1st chapter of 3A is REALLY difficult. Some of the perimeter/area problems were rough, too. Even I had to look at the answers. :D

Thank you, thank you, thank you. Confessing this is a relief. I LOVE math and am good at it. I am working through the AOPS books for fun. However, I have been tripped up by some of the questions in BA...I was beginning to doubt my math skills. I think it was the way I was taught, I am noticing AOPS makes me think differently when doing math, more logical.

[SFM]

Thanks for this. My son just started Beast Academy, we just got it in the mail and he even went to sleep with the guide he was that enthralled by it, we are excited about using this program. We use Singapore and Miquon currently and he is so into comics I thought, what the heck? So here we are, giving it a shot.

[Soror]

We are enjoying it but only just finished polygons. Dd is not mathy and we work through this together. I sent an email out to AOPS because even though we are working through it together, dd will still get some problems wrong. I was curious if we should just put it away or master the work or keep going as is. This is the reply I got back...

 

Those counting problems are tough! If she is enjoying Beast Academy, retaining what she's learned, and willing to try difficult problems, then it sounds like it is working just right.

 

If you have only been through the first chapter, we have heard quite a few people mention that it is the hardest chapter in the series so far. The skip-counting chapter should be easier.

 

Part of the philosophy here is that if you are not getting problems wrong, you ought to be trying harder problems. You usually learn more from the problems that you try really hard on and get wrong than the problems you breeze through. Encourage her to keep at it, let her know that missing problems is an important part of learning, work through the solutions to problems she misses, and mix in other resources to keep her spirits up if she gets frustrated.

 

Thanks!

-Jason Batterson

 

 

 

Thanks for sharing that email, it is good to know! I've not known all the answers so far either and we try the hard ones but don't always figure them out.

[Leav97]

 

Part of the philosophy here is that if you are not getting problems wrong, you ought to be trying harder problems.

 

 

 

I think I love the AOPS people. My DD is having to stretch a little and learn that sometimes it takes a little effort to learn something new.

 

We're just starting ch 3. CH 1 was HARD.

[TKDmom]

I think I love the AOPS people. My DD is having to stretch a little and learn that sometimes it takes a little effort to learn something new.

 

:iagree: My 8yo and 11yo were discussing BA vs. other math programs, and their conclusion was: "It's hard. But at least it's hard and fun, not hard and boring." :D

 

I have struggled to find a program for my dd11 that is both engaging and hard, with enough practice but not too much "boring" repetition. I got AOPS pre-algebra for her, but she's not ready for prealgebra. And I have no idea if she'll ever be ready for AOPS. :001_huh: At least she's having fun reading through her brother's copy of BA.

[Alte Veste Academy]

OP, BA is still the best thing I've ever bought for elementary math. :001_smile:

 

Thank you, thank you, thank you. Confessing this is a relief. I LOVE math and am good at it. I am working through the AOPS books for fun. However, I have been tripped up by some of the questions in BA...I was beginning to doubt my math skills. I think it was the way I was taught, I am noticing AOPS makes me think differently when doing math, more logical.

 

Yep. I was good at math too...if good at math means memorizing rules and following algorithms to get the right answer every time with absolutely no regard for conceptual understanding. Oh. Uh. Maybe I was not actually good at math. :lol: Well, I am really quite good at arithmetic anyway. :tongue_smilie:

 

I also find myself having to look up answers. This is the first program I have ever used where I have to have the answer key at the ready at all times. I've learned that about half the time, I can't just glance over and say something is right without checking to be sure I'm right first!

[Roadrunner]

We finished 3B and we are taking a one week SM break before starting on 3C. It's wonderful and it's visual. Yes, there are lots of easy problems, but there is plenty of challenge as well. This is the program that gets everybody excited around here! My husband, who was very skeptical about starting a 7 year old on it, is now completely on board and marvels at accomplishments.

 

I don't feel like they are spoon feeding kids. Take multiplication for example. It was a torture with SM. First learn how to multiply 2s and 3s, next semester learn how to do 5s ..... Oh we need to wait till third grade to finish multiplication table. We were bored to tears. My son learned his multiplication facts in about a week. I wish we had BA with its drill sergeant when we were learning those tables.

I can't wait to see how they explain fractions.

My only confusion was about long division in 3C, but I got it figured out as well.

[rokaie]

Thank you for all this informations, I just ordered Beast Academy, but it is too early for my son who is still finishing SM 2B, I'll wait, but I'm so curious!

Edited September 12, 2012 by rokaie

[Rivka]

Part of the philosophy here is that if you are not getting problems wrong, you ought to be trying harder problems. You usually learn more from the problems that you try really hard on and get wrong than the problems you breeze through. Encourage her to keep at it, let her know that missing problems is an important part of learning, work through the solutions to problems she misses, and mix in other resources to keep her spirits up if she gets frustrated.

 

Thanks!

-Jason Batterson

 

:001_wub::001_wub: Jason Batterson is my secret Internet boyfriend, and I don't care who knows it. :001_wub::001_wub:

 

Okay, but seriously: I have come to believe that this is one of the most important principles in education. Work that isn't hard enough is not just a waste of time; it's actively destructive to children's future success. They come to think of "being good at math" (or worse, "being smart") as "instantly knowing the right answer." Then, when they inevitably hit a wall at some advanced level, their whole academic self-image is shaken.

 

I love Beast Academy for many reasons - the humor, the cute characters, the extremely clear explanations, the great story problems, the diverse practice pages - but the biggest reason why I love it is that it's hard, and it celebrates the fact that it's hard, and it models, through the characters and their advice, that hard math is a good thing and not a sign of failure.

My 8yo and 11yo were discussing BA vs. other math programs, and their conclusion was: "It's hard. But at least it's hard and fun, not hard and boring."

 

:iagree::iagree: Your kids have it exactly right!

[Tress]

Okay, but seriously: I have come to believe that this is one of the most important principles in education. Work that isn't hard enough is not just a waste of time; it's actively destructive to children's future success. They come to think of "being good at math" (or worse, "being smart") as "instantly knowing the right answer." Then, when they inevitably hit a wall at some advanced level, their whole academic self-image is shaken.

 

I totally :iagree:.

 

So can we now get the AoPS people to translate Beast en their pre-algebra into Dutch?!?! Because I don't know if I can get my dd8's English reading skills up enough for pre-Algebra next year. Sigh. I so so want her to use AoPS! And my dd6 would love Beast next year.

[FairProspects]

Ok, so s/o of the hard problems thing, does anyone accelerate or skip parts of BA?

[Mama2two]

I agree with the first chapter of 3A and I also confess to looking at the answers! We are still in 3A, but loving it!

[Rivka]

Ok, so s/o of the hard problems thing, does anyone accelerate or skip parts of BA?

 

Yes. I try not to do it often, because I'm always aware that we're going to run out of math before the next volume is released. But we just skipped the first three pages of the division chapter outright. The next two pages I had her actually do, as a review, but if there's more simple division that comes up we will probably skip it.

 

There were also a couple of places in the variables chapter where she told me it was too easy, and I had her do the last two problems on the page. Our deal was that if she got them both right, she didn't have to do any of the others.

 

Beast Academy has actually been a revelation to me, in terms of how little repetition may be needed to learn a concept. When we run out of BA and go back to MEP, I'm going to be a lot more thoughtful about which problems I assign.

[Beth in SW WA]

Between my 4 kids, we've used lots of math curricula... Beast Academy is one of the best math programs we've used.

 

I hope my son is able to follow BA to pre-algebra.

 

:iagree:

 

Dd8 loves it. She is taking the 3A class via Athena's Academy (following a few months off & on of us doing it on our own). Yesterday Aly had a chance to show off her mad mult skills to the class. Confidence-building for sure. After a fascinating and somewhat challenging intro to Beast, now they are skip-counting. :tongue_smilie: Oh, well. She enjoys every moment of her Beast class. Headmistress Athena is wonderful!

 

Beast is easy, then hard, then easy, then hard. Not typical but we love it anyway.

[Roadrunner]

Ok, so s/o of the hard problems thing, does anyone accelerate or skip parts of BA?

 

Yes, we skipped over all the pages with simple problems in multiplication and skip counting. We will probably do the same with division.

However, we did all of geometry type problems even if they were easy, only because they were completely new to us.

I think for new concepts their blend of easy/hard and the amount is just perfect.

[Allearia]

We have not been doing it long but we love it. Chapter 1 was so hard my son got frustrated at the end, so he is enjoying the chapter 2 skip counting being so easy. We are doing some of the Singapore challenging word problems as well so it is nice to have a mix of easy and hard as some other posters have said.

[crazyforlatin]

We're half-way done with Beast 3c, but DD already knew long division and solving variables with HOE, so in that sense, I knew what I was getting when I bought it, but she just had to have it. She's young enough to actually be in love with the characters. If anyone here has AoPS Pre-A, I think it's actually possible to assign a child a few of those easier problems along with Beast. It will probably take more time for each problem, but in our case, DD will get more out of it than some of the problems I have her do in our other curricula. Too bad Pre-A doesn't have the same Beasts.

[crazyforlatin]

Beast Academy has actually been a revelation to me, in terms of how little repetition may be needed to learn a concept. When we run out of BA and go back to MEP, I'm going to be a lot more thoughtful about which problems I assign.

 

I think that's the whole point of AOPS. Yes, it has been a revelation to me too! I can talk about these things all day with you all.:D

 

But when a kid spends 6 hours on an AOPS problem, well....:lol: That's what I've read on the logic board.

[FairProspects]

Ok, I clearly need to tell my box-checker self to chill and allow ds to skip more.

[Mélie]

Ok, I clearly need to tell my box-checker self to chill and allow ds to skip more.

My son is the box-checker here. We haven't skipped a problem yet.

 

We're just about finished skip-counting, and it's going well so far!

[tammyw]

I ordered it a while back (when it first came out) and haven't really done anything with it. The problem is I have no idea how I should incorporate it with what we're already doing (or if we should). My dd9 has just started on Singapore 4a. We already spend an hour a day on math, four days a week. Just wondering what benefits we might see by adding this in also?

 

The other option is for me to save it for my ds6 who loves math and is already 1/2 of the way through Singapore Math 1a (and it's super easy for him). He's definitely a mathy-kid and dd9 is already a bit worried he's going to catch up to her :)

[TKDmom]

I ordered it a while back (when it first came out) and haven't really done anything with it. The problem is I have no idea how I should incorporate it with what we're already doing (or if we should). My dd9 has just started on Singapore 4a. We already spend an hour a day on math, four days a week. Just wondering what benefits we might see by adding this in also?

 

 

For fun maybe? My dd11 is sitting next to me reading her brother's BA for bedtime reading. :001_huh: This child hates math. I dropped Singapore for her when she hit 4A, because it had become such a battle. I don't know where she would be in the SM sequence anymore, but she's nearing pre-algebra, and learning new things from BA. It's kind of surreal. I just asked her if she wants her own BA workbook and she responded, "I was just trying to figure out how I could ask you for one.". :001_huh::001_huh: Seriously?? I just wish they had more levels out so she could go through them at her own pace--she gets the answers in about half the time ds8 does. Obviously it's not new concepts for her, but it presents them in a different way and makes her think, and she likes it.

 

This is the reason I started this thread--my kids' attitude seems too good to be true and I'm wondering when the "shine" will wear off.

Edited September 13, 2012 by bonniebeth4

[Diviya]

I'm using Beast with my dd8. She's just finishing up SM6A. The way we use it is for a break. She'll take a week and just wallow in Beast. Then we go back to Singapore. I feel it's been very worthwhile, not least because she wants to do it totally independently. I think she is only about halfway through B. but we have been off for the summer and just started back up this week.

(and we took a detour with Greek Code Cracker today - fun!)

[Down_the_Rabbit_Hole]

I ordered it a while back (when it first came out) and haven't really done anything with it. The problem is I have no idea how I should incorporate it with what we're already doing (or if we should). My dd9 has just started on Singapore 4a. We already spend an hour a day on math, four days a week. Just wondering what benefits we might see by adding this in also?

 

The other option is for me to save it for my ds6 who loves math and is already 1/2 of the way through Singapore Math 1a (and it's super easy for him). He's definitely a mathy-kid and dd9 is already a bit worried he's going to catch up to her :)

I do 2 main math curriculums with dd, one oral and one written 4 days a week. BA is added on Fridays or as an extra during the week. i wasn;t sure if just using it one day a week (sometimes 2x a week) would be enough or she would retain the last weeks work, but she is retaining the material and enjoys the break from the boring math. Maybe make it a one day thing or let your son have at it to try solo.

[Earth Angel_79]

OP, BA is still the best thing I've ever bought for elementary math. :001_smile:

 

 

I also find myself having to look up answers. This is the first program I have ever used where I have to have the answer key at the ready at all times. I've learned that about half the time, I can't just glance over and say something is right without checking to be sure I'm right first!

 

:iagree: Best math purchase ever!! We love it!!! I'm so glad others are saying some of the problems are difficult for even them, because based on other threads of BA I was getting the vibe it was "so easy".....thought maybe I was the only one. Maybe everyone was just talking about those easier problems and not the double (sometimes single :tongue_smilie:) starred. We've done Miquon and CWP 2 & 3 and Beast Academy just challenges you to think in a totally different way. DS8 has never loved math, but it is easily the first thing he would pick up to do now ..... unless he's reading a Dr. Who book. ;) LOL