Math Mammoth and Singapore

[CountryGirlShake]

Could someone please compare Math Mammoth 1B 2A/B to Singapore 1B 2A/B. I can't seem to choose one or the other.... or neither? THANKS!

[Lots of boys]

I won't be very effective at comparing them, but I can say we used SM 2A and 2B and it just made too many big jumps for my son. It moved too fast with not enough review. I also hated the TM, workbook and textbook to juggle - plus the extras like CWP etc. MM was a better fit. We repeated 2B in MM and moved seamlessly into MM3A and now into 3B. I love how things are explained, how incremental it all is, the amount of review and only having one book. So MM was a better fit for us overall. However, the one thing I miss about SM is that the pages aren't nearly as crowded - they are just laid out better than MM. In order to not overwhelm my son, I often do MM on a whiteboard instead of on paper. They are both great programs !

[Chrysalis Academy]

I looked at both of them - ad nauseum - before I decided, too, so I feel your pain!

 

Ultimately, I decided that they would both take me to the same place, following similar paths: solid understanding of math procedures *and* concepts, and a focus on mental math and algebraic thinking. So, the decision for me boiled down to cost and convenience: I liked that MM has one worktext, so we don't have to juggle multiple books, and I like that the teaching is in the student's text. Very convenient. And the cost - especially if you buy it during one of her sales or the HSBC sales - can't be beat!! 6 grade of math for a ridiculously low price!

 

The unexpected side benefit of going with MM is Maria: she is incredibly helpful, incredibly responsive. If you have technical issues, lose your files, or just have questions about the lessons, S&S, or anything, she responds almost immediately. I love that level of one on one customer service, with a great product, at a great price!

[alisoncooks]

I only have 1B from MM and SM.... We used SM 1A, then moved to MM, but I think that we'll be going back to SM. My DD just can't handle the pages full of problems and I personally don't think there is enough *teaching.* I like the way SM presents concepts (very hands on, more fun, IMO). I will say that we needed more practice than SM offers. Right now we're using our MM books as a supplement, but I plan on moving to the Math in Focus workbooks and texts to help solidify concepts. I have had a chance to look through 2A and 2B of MiF -- and while I'm not ready to make the switch entirely, I think it's got something worthwhile... Same teaching style as SM but broken down into more manageable bites, a bit more practice in the workbook. (I wasn't a fan of the teacher's guides, hence keeping SM and their HIGs).

 

Anyway, just another viewpoint... :)

[boscopup]

One thing to note: those levels have a different scope and sequence between the two programs. I would take a placement test before purchasing, whichever one you choose.

 

I have used Math Mammoth 1A-4B and Singapore 1A/B, 4A/B, and 5A/B. I haven't used Singapore 2A/B yet, but will start that in the summer (or sooner). I much prefer Singapore for my kids for these reasons:

 

1) Less problems on the page. My kids don't need pages and pages of drill.

2) Math Mammoth is *very* incremental, and my kids don't need every teeny tiny step explicitly taught.

3) Singapore is more "little kid friendly" in its presentation.

 

Both are excellent programs though, and my reasons for choosing Singapore might be your reasons for choosing Math Mammoth. It all depends on what YOU like to teach and what your kid likes to use. I could teach either one (and I found the instruction in MM plenty for me, but I'm good at math, and again... my kids are mathy, so they didn't need a lot of instruction). I think Singapore gives more details for the teacher sometimes. For example, when studying divisibility in Singapore 4, the HIG not only taught how to determine divisibility of 2's, 5's, 3's, 6's, and 9's, but it also explained 4's, 7's, and 8's, which the student wasn't actually learning in that level. I also liked that it gave a proof for the divisibility rules. I knew that if you do a digit sum and find it divisible by 9, that the number itself is divisible by 9, but I had never seen WHY that works. The HIG explained it thoroughly, and it made so much sense!

 

Anyway, which program speaks to you more? Which one do you think your child would do well with? Have you printed out sample pages to compare? Either program will get you to roughly the same place. They have a different scope and sequence, with Singapore going a bit faster in the early grades, and MM going a bit faster in the later grades. But both get a child thoroughly ready for prealgebra (or even algebra for advanced students) by the end of 6th grade. And both teach conceptually, include mental math, etc. If you use MM, you'll need to add manipulatives yourself as needed (1B teaches how to use an abacus, but then never mentions it again).

[Five More Minutes]

I agree with the pp -- both programs are good and will get you to the same place, although they very slightly in scope and sequence. They use a similar approach to understanding numbers and operations.

 

I used some MM with my girls, but they found the pages too visually busy for them. They are happier with the simpler look of the Singapore materials. And I like the Home Instructor's Guide with Singapore because it's full of good ideas.