Who is not doing a formal math program for KG?

[mohop]

I originally was thinking of getting a hands-on math program like RightStart or Saxon for my emerging KGer. But I'm having second thoughts and am now thinking of just getting some manipulatives and doing a more informal montessori-based math sequence. (I already have the book Montessori at Home which outlines the sequence.)

 

Is anyone else not doing a formal math program with your KGer, and, if so, what is your reasoning? Anyone with experience have any thoughts on which is best in terms of the child being ready for more formal math in 1st grade and beyond? Thanks!

[4KookieKids]

So my boy is not in K yet, so it's *conceivable* I'll change my thoughts by then, but I've absolutely no intention of doing formal math with him when he is in K. My main reason is just that I don't think it's necessary. I can teach him to add and subtract, recognize patterns and shapes, dabble his feet in fractions while cooking, money, etc. on my own. And if he's not interested, I see no problems waiting until 1st grade to "start again". But that's probably my own background/philosophy coming out, in that I really don't see any "need" to do formal academics before 1st grade. (Not saying there are no "reasons", just no "need".) I believe that they can pick up whatever they're "behind" in whenever they start 1st grade (though I'm not sure I think a 1st grader can really be "behind" academically).

 

Disclaimer: My own experience was without any formal academics before grade school. When I did start academics, I think my brain was just "ready", so things that I might've slaved over for a month or two at a younger age only took me a week or two, and I was advanced in most subjects (especially math) by 3rd or 4th grade.

[MeaganS]

I'm considering it, sort of. This year for preK we did Essential Math, which she'll finish up by the fall. I feel like she did learn a lot, but I definitely see gaps in what she actually is understanding. It isn't the program's fault and I will use it again, it is just that I see some areas we need to slow down and work on. So for next year, I am strongly considering using Education Unboxed and Kitchen Table Math as guides with some Miquon thrown in. We started Miquon this year, but only as a supplement to EM. So I guess not curriculum-less, but definitely more loosely organized. Math will be done every day, though, regardless of how I decide to teach it.

 

ETA: I just wrote a blog post about our plan for next year in more depth. Here's the link.

[mohop]

I'm considering it, sort of. This year for preK we did Essential Math, which she'll finish up by the fall. I feel like she did learn a lot, but I definitely see gaps in what she actually is understanding. It isn't the program's fault and I will use it again, it is just that I see some areas we need to slow down and work on. So for next year, I am strongly considering using Education Unboxed and Kitchen Table Math as guides with some Miquon thrown in. We started Miquon this year, but only as a supplement to EM. So I guess not curriculum-less, but definitely more loosely organized. Math will be done every day, though, regardless of how I decide to teach it.

 

 

Is this Dr. Wright's Kitchen Table Math?

 

I just discovered Education Unboxed this weekend, and I love that you can see how she uses the rods with her daughter.

 

You know, my DD actually seems to like workbooks and "homework," but I feel like if I can teach her what she needs to know without them, that may be better. I kind of want to just use something prepared because it'd be easier for me, but all of the other resources we are using are things that are not going to take a lot of creativity and preparation on my part, and I started to feel like I was missing out on one of the reasons for homeschooling if everything was going to be workbook based from the age of 5, you know?

[MeaganS]

Yes, I was referring to Dr. wright's Kitchen Table Math.

[MommaOfalotta]

Well.. dd finished Saxon K in January... so we've been doing our own thing. When I made my planner for this year, I included a copy of common core (gag) and CK Sequence, so if I need ideas I just glance at those.

[Mom2TheTeam]

I am not doing one. We are doing real life math...nothing formal. I sort of did the same for my son. I mean, he used Sinapore Essentials, but not fully and he didn't learn anything from it that he didn't already know or could have learned without it. I may pick up book B after a while if we need something. I'm not planning to though.

[Tawlas]

No formal math program here and we're almost done K. Seems to me that you could sit a 5 year old down with a work book on counting and patterns and shapes, or you can just count things, discuss things, play with things. We did calendar math, we read Life of Fred Apples, we sorted nuts, toys, pattern blocks and clothing. We counted deer on the way home from town (48 is our record so far lol). We made a monster truck dice and graphed the results. We count the cars in the trains that go by. We play with coins and cups and straws and 100 charts.

 

I'm not figuring on using any formal curricula until third grade or so, at least not daily. We have some Math Mammoth units and the first few Miquon books as well as the next Life of Fred book but they're not the focus of my math goals. I suspect that the information a child learns in those first few years can be learned quicker and more easily in a year or two when they're older. In the mean time, we'll continue to infuse math into life and enjoy it!

[kristi26]

We did not do a formal math program for DD here in kindergarten. I checked out Lesson Pathways and the scope and sequence for Math-U-See's primer level to keep her on track to start that math with Alpha in first grade. It worked great. We used lots of manipulatives and built problems using a foam math puzzle. She got very good at doing it that way! We also practiced counting and did lots of patterns (DD's fave).

[mathmarm]

I am not an experienced HS mom (my first son is still in the womb) but I do have a great deal of experience with math. I have been teaching math in one form or another since I was a girl myself, I attended school growing up, but I never learned math there. I learned all my math at home from my parents, (especially my mom) and I intend for my children to have the same experience. But I am not a big fan of any of the 'formal' math programs I have began to look at for early-elementary grades. I may buy a few, just to get a better understanding of them, it is comforting to know that other moms feel the same way.

I have began to collect living math books though, my son will have a good library of educational non-textbook-books though.

[Walking-Iris]

My Kinder finished the A and B books from SM Essential K, but other than that, which wasn't much really, all of his math has been hands on, some Montessori based and others just math activities or math related read alouds. He did work with a Big K Workbook from Walmart and it was fun and he learned a ton, but that's just because he liked it and it was fun. MEP Reception has a lot of good hands on math activities. By "formal" I assume you mean sit down daily with lesson plans from a curriculum? I did (do) have ideas about goals for a Kinder for math, but I don't use curricula that is overly strict with lesson plans or scheduling.

[HeartatHome]

I'm not doing anything formal. Just real life type math. (if we're baking cookies we can count the chocolate chips and do a little math, etc..) Basically just keeping it super simple and using things around the house as manipulatives.

[rwjx2khsmj]

I didn't start any kind of formal programs until my dd turned 7. If she asked to do school we would. If not she just played with manipulatives, numbers, lots of learning toys, computer games, jump start, etc. I had lots of things available for her from birth on but we didn't do formal learning until age 6. She had no trouble "catching up" and is now 8 and moving into 4th grade.