I give up... Tell me about easy math!!

[elizabeth rose]

Went through singapore math 6 with my oldest dd. Switched at 6 because it was SO HARD. I am not a math person. Now I am using Singapore with my younger two, and my 9 year old is in 4A. We are struggling. She doesn't remember how to do long division from when they taught it in 3, so we are reviewing that, but the lessons just seem to make leaps we aren't ready for. I use the home instructor guides. Is there an easier math for a kid who is never going to be a math whiz? I have considered Teaching Textbooks, and am wondering about Rod and Staff. I don't want to spend a lot of money, I don't have it. Maybe I should just stick with singapore till middle school. Help please!

[Susie in MS]

I have used TT for high and like it, but it is the more expensive of the two. I have used R&S 1 and 2 and have 3. So I have no experience with the levels you are interested in. Have you seen the samples? My dd and I couldn't handle SM.

[elizabeth rose]

thanks, I'm going to check out the samples. I just need something straightforward. All these diagrams and pictures are making us bonkers.

[JudoMom]

My middle son is using Rod & Staff 5 this year and he likes it. It's a good, solid math program. I've used Saxon with my other boys, but it just wasn't a good fit for him when we started 6/5.

[wapiti]

for leaps, I would suggest simply supplementing with MM on the topic of long division (or even switching to MM if you like it and it goes well; one step at a time though - see if it works for you). Similar to Singapore with fewer leaps. To try it out, consider getting a very inexpensive Blue topic book. I think the whole set is on sale right now, but I would try it first.

[boscopup]

Math Mammoth or CLE would be my recommendation.

[North Coast School]

Have you thought about going down to 3A and 3B in Singapore. We HATED Saxon, too, and Singpore just seemed so much more straightforward. it moves fast, though. maybe ging back a few workbooks would help. Plus they are cheap, so if she has trouble with those, too, you aren't out a million bucks.

 

For FUN MATH, read Life of Fred with all your kids. Mine love it and it has lots of great concepts!

[elizabeth rose]

Have you thought about going down to 3A and 3B in Singapore. We HATED Saxon, too, and Singpore just seemed so much more straightforward. it moves fast, though. maybe ging back a few workbooks would help. Plus they are cheap, so if she has trouble with those, too, you aren't out a million bucks.

 

For FUN MATH, read Life of Fred with all your kids. Mine love it and it has lots of great concepts!

 

We have all the levels of singapore, so I could go back to 3, the thing is, she did them last year! She is 4th grade and just starting 4A, I don't think she would feel good about going back to 3b. Life of Fred is a good idea. Thanks.

[elizabeth rose]

My middle son is using Rod & Staff 5 this year and he likes it. It's a good, solid math program. I've used Saxon with my other boys, but it just wasn't a good fit for him when we started 6/5.

 

Did you have trouble going into a new program with him? i'm afraid if I switch her, they will assume prior knowledge of things we may no have covered or she may not have retained. Does R&S explain things really clearly? Thanks!

[boscopup]

Long division is a common sticking point for kids that age, regardless of math program. Maybe get the division topic of MM Blue for some more step by step instructions, then come back to Singapore?

[elizabeth rose]

So many of you seem to like MM. that's math mammoth, right? I've never even seen it, I'll have to check it out. I did use our What your 4th grader needs to know book, to review the long division section. that helped a lot. It just seems that she cannot remember the steps.

[boscopup]

Practice the process by having her divide a really long (even) number by 2. Then she won't have to think about the facts as much and can concentrate on the process itself.

[SilverMoon]

Did you have trouble going into a new program with him? i'm afraid if I switch her, they will assume prior knowledge of things we may no have covered or she may not have retained. Does R&S explain things really clearly? Thanks!

 

 

R&S math does explain concepts clearly, and breaks them down into steps. I've used all but two of the levels now. The TE has a scripted plan for you to teach the new concept on a whiteboard (this is "optional" starting with the 4 book), a short quiz on older concepts, a copy of the student page, all the answers, and often a tip for catching common mistakes. The student pages starting with the 4 book have the new concept explained in the book, followed by a small "class practice" set to do with the teacher to check for understanding, followed by a larger set of work based on the new concept. After that there is a word problem set, and a review of older concepts. The old concepts are brought back in the review sections often enough to keep them fresh.

 

Those "optional" teacher presentations weren't optional for my struggling math student. He depended on that interaction and discussion to grasp the new concepts, and then he could do the rest of the lesson largely independently.

 

There are no placement tests for R&S, but you can see samples on www.milestonebooks.com (a distributor). If something was highly important in the last book, it will most likely be taught again in the next book, but they'll spend a little less time on it before moving to the next one.

[elizabeth rose]

R&S math does explain concepts clearly, and breaks them down into steps. I've used all but two of the levels now. The TE has a scripted plan for you to teach the new concept on a whiteboard (this is "optional" starting with the 4 book), a short quiz on older concepts, a copy of the student page, all the answers, and often a tip for catching common mistakes. The student pages starting with the 4 book have the new concept explained in the book, followed by a small "class practice" set to do with the teacher to check for understanding, followed by a larger set of work based on the new concept. After that there is a word problem set, and a review of older concepts. The old concepts are brought back in the review sections often enough to keep them fresh.

 

Those "optional" teacher presentations weren't optional for my struggling math student. He depending on that interaction and discussion to grasp the new concepts, and then he could do the rest of the lesson largely independently.

 

There are no placement tests for R&S, but you can see samples on www.milestonebooks.com (a distributor). If something was highly important in the last book, it will most likely be taught again in the next book, but they'll spend a little less time on it before moving to the next one.

 

thank you so much. this helps a lot! I did look at samples, and it does look very good. I'm thinking we may finish 4 and switch at 5.