review of K12 math

[mhaddon]

So we have completed K12 math for k and 1st grade. Honestly this is the largest reason we will not continue on with K12. I love the LA program, but loat math enough that it just isnt' worth it. My kindergarten son was in tears because he was so bored. It was very slow at the start with counting, etc. He stil didn't feel like he really got into addition/subtraction up to his level. It did a great job of doing graphs, etc. But it was so repititious that we would do 3 lessons at a time just so he didn't revolt. If you have a slow learner it may work, but even my slow math boy in 1st had trouble. We never used the online part after the second month because it was confusing. I didn't like how they taught it online and it even made me confused. I also didn't like that in first grade it was mostly relying on counting objects, counting up with fingers, or number line. I felt that the use of crutches was overwhealming. Never once was it mental math. The story problems were thrown in right away after introducing add/sub without letting the kids really know their facts. I didn't like this at all. When they began teaching tens digit addition they had them use 10's and unit blocks to do the math rather than showing how to carry/borrow. It just didn't feel like a realistic way to do math. I guess if they allow a calculator next year they will be fine? I also do not like the workbooks. When my K student had to color on them the crayons beaded up and just rubbed off. They also wasted a ton of paper and space. Very colorful if that is what you are looking for.

So overall it was a huge bomb. We went with it and made the best of it to complete the program and we will be using something else. My K son finished math at the end of March and I have been using Math Mammoth to finish out the year so he can move ahead a little bit faster. For "preschool" he did MUS alpha so he probably had a pretty strong base to begin with. I plan on using alpha with my prek daughter this year because I felt it gave them a very solid foundation to start in any math program. I'm not sure what we will use next year because my 1st grade son still dosen't have his facts down and I'm not sure if he ever will. We added in xtramath and still not much progress. He can understand every single other concept with flying colors, but even after a year of MUS beta he didn't have facts down and now redoing 1st grade math we are still stuck in the exact same place :( I guess we will plug foreward and just keep working on knowing our facts and hopefully one day it will click.

[TraceyS/FL]

I am hoping to drop my rising 3rd grade PS daughter into our counties K12 Virtual school - I despise her math at the school (and it has been worse with a first year teacher - at least her veterans could teach it outside of the book), and even though I read that the K12 stuff sucks..... it cannot be worse. Heck, she knew her facts in K, and by this year couldn't recall anything because she didn't have her numberline at home to use for them. UGH.

 

Anyway, there is hope on the facts - I talked to Mr Demme about it at FPEA a couple of years ago even. I have a special needs DD that I thought would never memorize them, I haven't pushed her much and they have gotten in there. But anyway, he told me that you reach a point that you have to decide to move forward without the facts and work with the child's abilities. If you feel that he conceptually understands it, but the working memory/processing of the memorization isn't there, then I'd go ahead and move forward.

 

It is hard to sort out - been there, still wearing the t-shirt!

 

I appreciate your candor though, I had already planned on keeping her pacing thru MM for review/extra with the K12 and will still with that plan should we go forward.

[prairiewindmomma]

We had a similar issue with K and 1. 4th grade has a lot of breadth, similar to Singapore math, but the amount of work was soul-killing to oldest....going through a bazillion screens and then having to do bookwork. I also disliked how they taught long division.

 

It's an advanced program, especially compared to MUS, but not a program I would recommend for a kid with special needs.

[TraceyS/FL]

We had a similar issue with K and 1. 4th grade has a lot of breadth, similar to Singapore math, but the amount of work was soul-killing to oldest....going through a bazillion screens and then having to do bookwork. I also disliked how they taught long division.

My PS kid comes home asking to do more math..... LOL!

 

It's an advanced program, especially compared to MUS, but not a program I would recommend for a kid with special needs.

I would just like to clarify that mine that will be doing K12 (hopefully) is NOT my special needs kid (she is doing MUS Gamma and starting MM2A for review... slowly), she is my bored out of her mind at school kid!

 

I think overall it will be good for her - and it is about the only chance right now she has of coming home like she wants to....

[Wildiris]

I have mixed feelings about K12 math. We've used K12 for 3rd and 4th grade. 3rd grade we didn't add any extras. 4th grade I added Horizons Math for a mixed spiral review and drill. Even as a mastery type of program, I don't think K12 math offers enough math facts review. I also added Singapore Math for 4th, but we dropped it half way through the year.

 

I do not use the program as intended. I skip around in a lesson. I use the book if it presents the concept well; I use the computer if it does a better job, or I explain the concept my self and use the book or computer as back up. Some of the exercises are silly and do not build math skills. The assessments are all fill in the bubble, although pencil and paper are necessary to arrive at an answer. I would not use K12 math as my only math resource. I really dislike the way K12 taught or didn't teach fractions in the 4th grade, but they did a great job on algebra and ordered pairs. I recently bought Life of Fred Fractions. DD thinks this book is funny. I also use Free Math Worksheets for drill. DD doesn't like the drill, but her math facts speed increased using them.

[momtoamiracle]

we did K12 for kindy. Didn't really have any issues with kindy math, we got it done in one semester. Then we went to first grade math. AUGH! was my reaction. I found it disjointed and overwhelming. No review with math facts at all. We switched to math mammoth. tons of review. Mind numbing review. So I threw in some Miquon and now Evan Moore math. It's more fun for my 6 year old. He doesn't have his math facts down either. I was also told by a Gifted and TAlented teacher that if he understands the concepts then to just move on, that she could never memorize math facts either.

 

I also use Verbal math lesson books. They are great for developing mental math skills.

[Arcadia]

So we have completed K12 math for k and 1st grade. Honestly this is the largest reason we will not continue on with K12.

 

K math was boring for my younger and we requested for acceleration. He tested into 2nd so he started at 2nd for the virtual academy.

My younger just do the end of lesson checkpoints and test out of it. He did the workbook for the worked samples.

I would just like to clarify that mine that will be doing K12 (hopefully) is NOT my special needs kid (she is doing MUS Gamma and starting MM2A for review... slowly), she is my bored out of her mind at school kid!

 

I think overall it will be good for her - and it is about the only chance right now she has of coming home like she wants to....

 

If you go with a virtual academy, tell the assigned teacher that you want to test out of the levels for math, LA and science. That way if she already knows her third grade material, she can skip to 4th grade.

[TraceyS/FL]

K math was boring for my younger and we requested for acceleration. He tested into 2nd so he started at 2nd for the virtual academy.

My younger just do the end of lesson checkpoints and test out of it. He did the workbook for the worked samples.

 

If you go with a virtual academy, tell the assigned teacher that you want to test out of the levels for math, LA and science. That way if she already knows her third grade material, she can skip to 4th grade.

 

I'm not sure if she will actually test out of any 3rd grade stuff - it will depend on how our summer goes. She is the one with the first year teacher for 2nd and went from being strong in everything to.... not so much. Her K & 1st grade teachers were vetrans and did a decent job building on her skills she entered with (she was about 1/2 thru BJU K when she started PS, and was doing MUS Alpha).... this one can barely figure out how to teach what she is supposed to be.

 

So right now, I bet she'd test into 2nd grade math and LA. Science would depend on the topic. I think I can review all of the main parts of 2nd grade with her and have her be ok for 3rd and move at her pace at that point. I just honestly need a 3rd grade year that maybe is a lot of work, but has a decent teaching basis that is NOT teaching to the FCAT all year (3rd grade - so it will be her first year). She needs solid academics and topics that interest her to keep her moving forward. Even if she goes back to PS in 4th, it will be better.

 

And, her Dad is apt to be more agreeable to it with the virtual school.

 

Oh, and she will start Team gymnastics sometime in the next few months - so that is 2 nights, 2 hours each in the gym.... she's going to need sleep!

[Arcadia]

I'm not sure if she will actually test out of any 3rd grade stuff - it will depend on how our summer goes.

 

The K12 Math and LA placement tests are here. It is not very accurate but still a good gauge of where your daughter might be in their curriculum.

This the 3rd grade LA scope. My older likes the reading materials and HWOT cursive. The 3rd grade math scope is here.

We did al the optional stuff listed in the K12 science coursework and my kids explore some more on their own so we learn a lot compare to when older was in B&M.

[TraceyS/FL]

Thanks! That is seriously my take on it, she will learn more than at B&M. I actually didn't know that our county had a K12 option until this week, last time i had checked we had Connections only.... and that wasn't something I was excited about. K12 seems closer to what i'd be doing with her at home (the history picks up where we should end up at the end of the summer with SOTW2/HO), and she can't learn anything less than she has this year.

 

School is about 90% social for her right now, which is fine but the academics are suffering. I should have been afterschooling her this whole year - but with going to school myself and having my special needs DD come home in October... it didn't work out.

 

We shall see - I have a spot saved for her, and technically she can go without her Dad's permission (since it is still a county PS), but I need him on board with it too.

[lifesadream83]

I didn't read the whole post but we dropped K12 1st grade math half way through and switched to Math In Focus. DD loves it! She is in the 3a book now.

[mhaddon]

Just be careful with trusting k12 placement. I know that we were told he could place in different grade levels, I could drop back in certain subjects. They also told me they'd test my K son into where he needed to be. Well, this depends on the state and if you are paying out of pocket. It took forever to place my oldest in a lower reading and he moved down in everything. It gave us a chance to make sure he had things solid, but some were boring because he just needed lower reading. My K son was never put in acclerated anything despit asking and him being way ahead of everyone. We were also told after moving my oldest 1/4 of the way through he still needs to be at 100% of class attendance and he's still behind because he completed so much 2nd grade work that didn't count. We flew ahead in many areas except the one we requested to move and it took a month and a half to process the request. If I had enough money to buy new curriculum at that point I would have jumped ship. They are very wishy washy on what they say when you call vs. when you are enrolled.

[kathkath]

You just have to pass the checkpoints. Completing the work is optional. I want to sit down soon and correlate MEP with k12 and do mep just passing the checkpoints. We are liking the rest of k12 so it is worth it to me to try that.