Any Beast Academy users want to update?

[UrbanSue]

They confirmed on FB that they are still looking at five months per level, by the way.

 

So, for those of you have finished 3D, what do you think? Did you use it alone? Could it be used as a stand alone third grade curriculum?

 

I realize most BA users are math gluttons who can't get enough and are probably using multiple programs for fun or just to slow down. I have a dd like this who is only six and chomping at the bit for BA.

 

But I'm using it currently with my 8yo who is very bright and very visual but he hates school and especially math. BA has been awesome for us. It totally clicks with his learning style and challenges him appropriately. And it's not overkill with review. We're only on 3A but even with his reluctant pace of work, we'll outpace the publishing schedule. I'm trying to decide if we should just blow through levels until we run out, and then decide what to do. Or if I should alternate BA levels with something else to extend the life of the program for us a bit longer.

 

If most of you have used the entire Year 3 feel that it was or would have been enough, I think I will look for alternative "fun" math to keep us busy during BA publishing gaps. But if I'm going to need to fill gaps with a more traditional program like Singapore (which I already own and have used until BA) then I'll just start fitting that in now.

[Chanley]

We are using 3a now. My 9 year old has completed MathUSee Gamma and I am taking the summer to complete BA 3 before we move on to division in Delta. BA totally jives with the way in which he approaches math and I think that it presents ideas in a manner which is different and illuminates the WHY we do some things. I LOVE this program and so does my kid.

[TracyP]

We have finished through 3B(I'll be curious to hear from those who have used it longer, too). I think* it will be a stand-alone for a kid who gets concepts quickly and doesn't need much review, but it is hard to say for sure at this point. I go back and forth with my own child.

 

I am using BA with both my 9yo and 7yo. This is review for 9yo but she LOVES it and it is bringing out a love for math that is SO COOL to see. I will just keep letting her tag along at little bro's pace for as long as she wants, while continuing her math on level. My 7yo will be a 2nd grader next year. I am going to pace him out at 3 books per year. I have no problem stretching out, filling in, or supplementing as needed to continue to use BA with him. He will hit Pre-A in 5th grade at the current release pace. That is A-ok with me. I struggled to find a good math fit for my 7yo. BA is perfect for him, and I don't want to mess with a good thing. ;)

 

*Do they ever teach the algorithm for multiplication/division? I have looked through 3C/3D and don't see it. Possibly I just missed it, but that would be something I would want covered.

[umsami]

I used it for DS1 as a supplement. He adores math with all of his heart and soul and oved it.

 

i'm thinking of using it for DS2 next year as a stand alone...but I am wavering on that. I may use it with Math Mammoth or some other math program.

[wapiti]

*Do they ever teach the algorithm for multiplication/division? I have looked through 3C/3D and don't see it. Possibly I just missed it, but that would be something I would want covered.

 

FWIW, I would assume that the algorithms for long multiplication and long division are Common Core Standards for 4th grade (e.g. that is where you'd find them in MM), and I would not expect to see them in BA 3. Unless I missed them, they don't seem to be listed in the BA scope and sequence for grade 3.

[TracyP]

 

FWIW, I would assume that the algorithms for long multiplication and long division are Common Core Standards for 4th grade (e.g. that is where you'd find them in MM), and I would not expect to see them in BA 3. Unless I missed them, they don't seem to be listed in the BA scope and sequence for grade 3.

 

 

Ahhh, that makes sense. As long as I know they will be covered, I'm good. Thank you.

[Dahliarw]

I'm following this thread. I wish 2nd was out, because my first grader for next year would be ready for it and would love it. And he's the type of kid to do tons of math, so this would be great to reinforce/supplement or as stand alone if the whole thing was out... Anyways, I appreciate the input from those who have used it!

[stripe]

I liked the beginning of 3a but put it aside, then came back to 3b, which by the end my son HATED. But after spending a lot of time on a very broad range of third grade math topics, we are both so tired of third grade math and are moving on, so I never ordered c or d. Not sure what to make of it. A lot of it was too much review, but there were some challenging parts, but I don't think he was ready to puzzle through in that way. I never quite made up my mind about it, and I definitely wanted to LOVE it, but the pace of publication is not matching up for the older kid. Meanwhile I am starting to get the hang of developing my own program, after struggling for 2+ years, and we are both happier. Murderous Maths is a big hit.

[Farrar]

Meanwhile I am starting to get the hang of developing my own program, after struggling for 2+ years, and we are both happier. Murderous Maths is a big hit.

 

Total side topic, but how are you using Murderous Maths, Stripe? I was thinking of them for one of my boys.

 

Ack, not that I need ANY more math resources. We still have Beast Academy 3B and Miquon Purple (though admittedly less than a dozen pages) to finish, plus BA 3C and D and the Key to Fractions and some C-rod books... Argh. Math. I love math too much!

[stripe]

Total side topic, but how are you using Murderous Maths, Stripe? I was thinking of them for one of my boys.

To be honest, I got two of them and my son read them occasionally, and then after a while asked me for another one. He later on had a question and I suggested he look it up in one of them, and he read it and started working on his own problems by himself. This was what he initially liked about Beast Academy, being able to read things on his own and puzzle them out that way.

 

By the way I found a copy of More Arithmetic from Sideways School at a library book sale and snagged it!

[lorisuewho]

I'm curious to hear what people have to say. We finished MEP 2, and I thought we would do Beast 3A through the summer and then go back to MEP 3A in the fall. So far I'm not enchanted with it. Mostly I find it frustrating. Perhaps I'm buying into the classical approach too much, but I'm thinking perhaps we need to have more time to "digest" and memorize all this vocabulary before diving into things that make my mind want to explode. I'm just not sure this provides enough basic practice and understanding for us. Which is funny, since we LOVE MEP, but I feel MEP is more balanced for us.

[Guest]

We bought 3A and unfortunately, we aren't ready for it. We did switch to Singapore math, though, so I am hoping that maybe after we get a year or so under our belts of that, we may be ready for it. If nothing else, I probably will continue to buy the "texts" as I think those are fun, even if we never really get hooked on the workbooks.

[stripe]

The first chapter of 3a is harder than anything else in a or b. I would spread it out if it's hard. I also made a template of the desired shape on top of which my son constructed the shape with the pentominoes. I took a photo and posted it once; I'll see if I can find it, but even though it was pretty rough, it helped a LOT.

 

Eta: here it is;we had a discussion about how tough this chapter was in this thread, where another member posted her version of the same idea. Mine was very rough;I just used a random scrap paper.

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/418139-beast-academy-drama/

[lorisuewho]

The first chapter of 3a is harder than anything else in a or b. I would spread it out if it's hard. I also made a template of the desired shape on top of which my son constructed the shape with the pentominoes. I took a photo and posted it once; I'll see if I can find it, but even though it was pretty rough, it helped a LOT.

 

a photo might be helpful. I'm actually relieved to hear that it isn't this difficult all the way through.

[Ariston]

So far I'm not enchanted with it. Mostly I find it frustrating. Perhaps I'm buying into the classical approach too much, but I'm thinking perhaps we need to have more time to "digest" and memorize all this vocabulary before diving into things that make my mind want to explode. I'm just not sure this provides enough basic practice and understanding for us. Which is funny, since we LOVE MEP, but I feel MEP is more balanced for us.

 

Having the exact same problem...I'm finding that with MEP my son feels like he's discovering math all on his own and has enough time for all of this new knowledge to sink in. With the admittedly small amount of BA we did, it felt like someone was trying to cram his head full of new words and ideas, and they basically fell out as soon as they were in.

[lorisuewho]

 

 

Having the exact same problem...I'm finding that with MEP my son feels like he's discovering math all on his own and has enough time for all of this new knowledge to sink in. With the admittedly small amount of BA we did, it felt like someone was trying to cram his head full of new words and ideas, and they basically fell out as soon as they were in.

 

I agree!

I'm going to stick with it through the summer though. Perhaps we will do better with the other chapters.

[Alice]

Ds used it and liked it a lot. However, he used it primarily as a fun review. We started it in at the end of 4th grade last year when he was finishing up 4B Singapore. He’s now finishing up 5B Singapore and just finished BA 3C. I’m not sure if I’ll get 3D. He likes it but the longer it takes us to use it the more review it is and the less necessary. I liked it because it was a good review (and Singapore isn’t a review heavy program) that was more fun for him than pages of review problems. It was also good because it usually made him look at things differently. For example, the chapter on multiplication was all review as far as concepts but the idea of all the short-cuts for multiplying large numbers was new for him and helpful. As we got to chapters that were more review I would have him just do the starred problems in the practice book and read the guide. Also, my oldest likes math so doing extra math was fun for him. I’m not sure I’d use it with a kid who just wanted to do the basics in math.

[Kathleen.]

This is from an e-mail dated March 26 from Jason Batterson:

We are working on grade 4 as I write this. Each pair of books takes about 5 months to create. So, Beast Academy 4A will be released this summer. The 4th grade books should all be complete by next fall/winter.

 

:)

[FairProspects]

By "next" they must mean fall/winter of 2014. There is no way on a 5 month per book publication schedule that all of grade 4 will be out by fall/winter 2013.

[Kathleen.]

By "next" they must mean fall/winter of 2014. There is no way on a 5 month per book publication schedule that all of grade 4 will be out by fall/winter 2013.

 

 

I assumed he meant 2013, but you're right :(

[stripe]

Having the exact same problem...I'm finding that with MEP my son feels like he's discovering math all on his own and has enough time for all of this new knowledge to sink in. With the admittedly small amount of BA we did, it felt like someone was trying to cram his head full of new words and ideas, and they basically fell out as soon as they were in.

 

Interesting. I do think MEP is very tightly designed to carefully and gradually build on previous knowledge, to a degree I really haven't seen elsewhere.

[Farrar]

 

 

I assumed he meant 2013, but you're right :(

 

 

See, I think this will work for us... We'll finish 3D in the fall so if the fourth grade books are all done by the following fall, we should be okay. But it will eventually come back to bite us for fifth grade.

 

It doesn't effect us at all, but what's the schedule for second grade? Are they even making the fifth grade books after the fourth grade ones or are they going to do the second grade series that they originally planned?

[musicianmom]

I think BA is a great stand-alone program, and wish I could use it as such with my oldest. She loved 3A and 3B, which we used while she was stuck in Singapore 4A. Even though she's now in Singapore 5A, I think BA will be useful somewhat.

 

I figured it out, and based on the projected schedule, dd5 will be able to use BA exclusively. Yay!

[Five More Minutes]

It doesn't effect us at all, but what's the schedule for second grade? Are they even making the fifth grade books after the fourth grade ones or are they going to do the second grade series that they originally planned?

 

 

Oh, I selfishly hope they're sticking to their original plan of doing 3, 4, 5, and then going back to 2. It just works out so nicely for my daughter, who is loving BA. :001_smile:

 

(ETA: I just checked their latest Facebook post: "We will complete grades 3-5 before adding the "prequel" to the set. Just to clarify, there are 4 levels per grade, so 5 months per level equates to 20 months per year of curriculum. We initially targeted 4 months per level, but found that goal to be a bit too optimistic.")

[YourFidgetyFriend]

We've finished 3A and 3B. Even with a tighter production schedule I don't think we would have been able to use it as our main program because it's only taken about 2 or 3 months to finish each book while only doing it once a week.

 

We were in the middle of MEP year 3 when we did BA 3A and finished with it when we did 3B. It was not a big leap (or a leap at all) for my daughter from MEP 3 to BA. It was more of a fun diversion. Those who've started BA after MEP 2 may just need to wait a few months until you are in the middle or end of yr 3.

[Roadrunner]

We haven't finished 3D yet, but so far I don't see why it can't be used as a standalone curriculum (assuming publication date isn't an issue). Since we have so much time until fourth grade books are ready, I am having my son redo challenging problems from previous books are reread some sections that dealt with geometric proves, etc. We are doing this alongside SM.

 

I am going to take my younger son through MEP 3 (and some SM3) before hitting BA. While the majority of the problems in BA are easy, the hard news are really hard and require maturity.

[UrbanSue]

 

Oh, I selfishly hope they're sticking to their original plan of doing 3, 4, 5, and then going back to 2. It just works out so nicely for my daughter, who is loving BA. :001_smile:

 

(ETA: I just checked their latest Facebook post: "We will complete grades 3-5 before adding the "prequel" to the set. Just to clarify, there are 4 levels per grade, so 5 months per level equates to 20 months per year of curriculum. We initially targeted 4 months per level, but found that goal to be a bit too optimistic.")

 

 

 

If they stick to this, level 4 will be complete in Fall of 2014 with grade five taking an additional 20 months beyond that.