X post - choosing a math curriculum will kill me

[Coco_Clark]

 

I'm still trying to figure out the best math program for my son. Background: he is a (young) kindergartener but advanced in math. He just plain "gets" it and tested into the Math-u-see gamma and Singapore 2a. I on the other hand struggle with math. I'm also dyslexic which often throws a wrench in my teaching as I swap numbers unaware. Numbers are much harder for me for some reason than letters. On top of it all, have two little ones, so not much time to study and prep before lessons. My husband excels at math, majored in math in college, and considers math the most important subject-- he wants a rigorous, conceptual, strong understanding of math for our kids. But he realistically could only find time to teach one day a week, so I'm going to have to provide this!

 

I am falling in love with MUS because the video instruction look very clear, and don't have to be done by me. We can watch together and then my son can do the work (with me writing answers as his writing skills do not match his math). My husband is concerned its not rigorous enough, and a bit "plug and chug". He thinks our son may get bored because the program seems designed for less mathy kids, or that he won't get a deep understanding since the word problems are so easy. He prefers Singapore. But I am concerned that it will take too much prep work for me to be able to realistically understand and teach it.

 

Are either of us off base in our assumptions? I'm beginning to form a plan to use MUS 4 days a week with my son, and then day #5 he can do LOF with his dad. It would be fun for both of them, and perhaps assure my husband that his understanding of math is both stable and deep. Do you think that is a good idea for elementary years? We can reasses as he gets older and into more advanced mathematics.

[LisaKinVA]

If the math is too easy, your son may quickly get bored with the repetition. That said, you are RIGHT, if the curriculum is not a good fit for you to teach, as well as for your son to learn, it's not going to work. As a frame of reference

 

As an FYI, It does not have to be an either-or. You can use MUS on a daily basis, and add the SM Challenging Word Problems or Extra Practice books to deepen/broaden understanding, doing selective problems. You could also opt for Math Mammoth...which is (to me) more straightforward to use than SM, but is still very rigorous. (I got lost trying to figure out how to teach SM Math, even with the Instructor Guides...mainly because I hadn't learned math the way they taught...working through some of the MM with my kids I actually LEARNED how the SM program worked.) I don't have LoF elementary...so I can't really speak to that, but I have heard it is fun. And, to gum up your works even more, you can use RightStart math, which I believe takes more of a montessori/game-like approach.

 

The reason I didn't choose MUS, is because for my kids, it was too repetitive and boring...I never tried RightStart, because what we've been doing has worked pretty well so far (youngest two haven't had to jump around...pretty much just MM for her!)

[k8c]

My DD had been doing MUS "Primer" since she was 3 1/2 slowly, but as I have discovered she is mathy, she has blown past where she should have been and I have had to scramble to find something else now that she is almost 5 and we are doing real kindergarten next year. The MUS "Alpha" seemed to be a repetition of "Primer," honestly, but I wasn't sure if we could just skip it. I agree that the DVD was the best part, and I was thinking way ahead to not having to teach higher level math, so we should start with a program that we mean to use in the future. However, my DD never wanted to use the manipulatives, only do things in her head. We started Singapore 1A recently (and just abandoned the rest of MUS) and it is much better for her. I didn't find the HIG too difficult, but I think that is because we are starting at the beginning of the program. Maybe if you read through 1A and 1B before you get to 2A and it would help you to understand the Singapore teaching style? Also, I have heard that LOF is very simple to implement, but I do not know myself. However, we do plan to start it in the fall.

[LEK]

Honstly I have never been able to successfully resolve this issue. My mathy daughter is doing MUS, MM and LOF. We love them all for different reasons, I would love to cut one but somehow we cannot figure out which it should be.

[kiwik]

How about MM with you 3 times and primary challenge with dad once. And maybe he can manage more than once a week once he gets into it.

[Job384]

Can he read well? I second kiwik's recommendation. If he can read well, he'll also be able to read a lot of MM on his own, and MM is very Singapore in teaching style.

[mathwonk]

I think your plan of two stage instruction sounds plausible. You will be able to tell if it is or isn't working. I think his dad will likely begin to enjoy this if he tries it, and may find more time for it. Besides, a kid who gets math does not need any instruction very often, just a good book. The main thing the teacher does is make sure the kid does the work. Of course if you are writing out all his work for him, that takes a lot of your time. You might try to avoid that. Maybe he could record his solutions orally on tape and his dad could listen to them in the car. Just brainstorming here. But remember you don't have to do it all.

[StephanieZ]

FWIW, I taught Singapore Math with each of my three kids, and I think instruction time averaged 5 min/day 5 days a week.

 

So, if the timing could work to set aside just ten minutes every day (before dh leaves for work or when he is home) for dh to "teach" the SM to your son, then you can supervise the additional 20-40 min needed to proceed. I suggest that YOU listen in while your dh "teaaches" the text. That way, you will be on board for helping your dh with the workbook if needed. I bet that it'll go smoothly. You may find that you understand math much better after reviewing it "the Singapore way".