Math for DD4

[Esse Quam Videri]

We just finished SM Essentials A and I was going to buy B but I'm now reconsidering. This girl is very much a hands-on learner, so I was thinking something with more manipulatives may be better. I love SM and will likely use it when we get to 1A, but am really open to K math options. Perhaps Miquon or Rightstart? WWYD?

[ladydusk]

MEP. You can bring in manipulatives quite a bit.

[Esse Quam Videri]

Does MEP offer suggestions for manipulatives, or is that for me to implement on my own?

[OSUBuckeye]

Cuisenaire rods, which are traditionally associated with Miquon, can be added to MEP. So when a kid is calculating 4 +3 = , they discover it through the colored rods. Additionally, you can change a problem of 3 pictures + 2 pictures into adding real-life teddy bear counters or Lego men or touchable fake flowers or cheerios. Seeing the problem on a white board is also a fun method (although expect only circling or line-drawing as their contribution, not necessarily full number writing).

 

Miquon would be a great program. There's been a lot of great threads on how to make it work and (educationunboxed.com ) has a lot of great Miquon videos from a member here, too.

[Tanikit]

MEP does use a lot of manipulatives if you follow the actual lesson plans and not just do the worksheets. A lot of MEP is in the lesson plans so you should be following them anyway.

[Heidi]

I'm sure you already know this, but for those who haven't seen Essential Math, there are suggestions at the bottom of each page on how to teach the concept using manipulatives. I'm assuming you want more than that though.

[Esse Quam Videri]

Yes, I like the suggestions in Essentials, but for some reason the program is just not growing on me. I used the out of print U.S. edition earlybird with my other two, though I probably wouldn't choose it now either. I am thinking DD4 may not learn as easy as my other two, or learn in a different style than either of them. So I am really just looking to give her a very solid foundation while also keeping her interest and having fun. I do need some hand holding with the manipulatives because I didn't use them too much with my others. We just introduced C-rods this year, and I like what we've done with them so far. What program/style do you think is better for a child who is a more traditional/average learner?

[Heidi]

Traditional: R&S math is pretty traditional and would give her a solid foundation, but like all R&S products, fun isn't included. And it doesn't explicitly call for manipulatives from what I remember.

 

Hands on fun, with a solid foundation, I would say look at math u see.

 

I don't know anything about miquon or rightstart, so I can't comment on those.

[Chris in VA]

Both Saxon K and 1 are filled with manipulatives. Would your child like to play "store" with stuffies? Make applesauce? Use pattern blocks? They don't just use "math manipulatives," they use other objects, too.

 

Of course, you can always supplement with math games and other manipulatives. More Than Counting and its sequel are both interesting math supplement books for preschool/K. Adding a die or a pair of dice to any manipulative makes it a game--or combining fine motor skills with math (sorting erasers, using sequence cards, counting and sorting fake gems in a sensory bin...) or cooking or measuring--these are all ways to add fun to a traditional curriculum.