What to do after Singapore Earlybird?

[Sk8ermaiden]

So, unfortunately, I did not read all the comments on here about Essentials vs. Earlybird before I invested the $$$ in it. However, I had looked through it and really liked what I saw, and I plan to use Singapore math unless at some point it doesn't work for us. We have started Earlybird and it's a great fit for DD and we're flying through it at this point (I am sure that will slow down later.) 

 

However, I keep hearing what a seamless transition it is from Essentials to the next level. From what is on the Singapore site, there are very few differences between EB and Essentials, so I am not sure what I should do when we finish EB. Should I do Essentials then or will it be too much review? Essentials B? Just look at 1A and see if I think she's ready? She loves doing math and I really want to keep it that way - not introduce new levels in a way that will frustrate her. 

[boscopup]

I just went on to 1A after doing Essentials. I'm sure EB would be the same - go on to the next thing. If she were struggling with the math, I could see doing a different K program as review (though I'd probably pick something different from Singapore, just because EB and EM will be soooooo similar in what they're teaching). I usually do EM K at age 4, and then 1A at age 5. My 6 year old just finished up 1B (we didn't do math every day in K, or we would have been done LONG ago), and he's ready to start 2A, no problem.

[Mena]

I've used both Essentials and Earlybird, with different children. Either will prepare a child for 1A. If she's still young when you finish Earlybird B, you might want to take a break from Singapore for a few months (I use Miquon for this purpose). Children in Singapore start first grade at age 7, so I wouldn't start 1A before 6 with an average child, or 5 with one who is particularly strong in math. 

[Sk8ermaiden]

Oh hmm, she won't even be 5 yet when we finish....I guess we'll have to see where she is when we're done. I might try 1A and just shelve it for a little while if it's too far past her. 

[eloquacious]

I have both, because we used Essential math at home and my son's school uses Earlybird. I would buy Essential B (It's $11 or $12 once you factor in shipping) and alternate between that and EB. Alternatively, there are of course other K math books/workbooks you could supplement with.

[lea_lpz]

Oh hmm, she won't even be 5 yet when we finish....I guess we'll have to see where she is when we're done. I might try 1A and just shelve it for a little while if it's too far past her.

I would use a more hands on, every day approach to math at that point before moving on, but that's just me.

 

We did EB Singapore Math along side mfw k (daily calendar & 100 Chart, some weekly hands on math & math lit., and a weekly math sheet).

 

We are now doing mfw 1st math and it's perfect. I love it. After doing EB it's not too easy at all.

 

For 2nd, depending on where she places, we'll do Singapore math for 2nd - 6th grade, probably starting with 1a, 1b or 2a.

 

Just so you know, book A is for preschool and book B is for k.

 

I would probably only do the work book 2x a week and then do either math concept books or some hands on math for the rest of the week. Math Games is a good book for ideas. She also might enjoy patten blocks and cuisenaire rods with some workbooks to go along. We have Pattern Animals (abc order) and a Cuisenaire Alphabet book.

[Mena]

Oh hmm, she won't even be 5 yet when we finish....I guess we'll have to see where she is when we're done. I might try 1A and just shelve it for a little while if it's too far past her. 

In this case, I would probably try something different for a couple months. If she enjoys hands-on math, Miquon Orange would be fun for her. If she's a workbook girl, Mathematical Reasoning A might be a better fit.

 

The beginning of Singapore 1A is actually quite easy, but it ramps up much more quickly than the kindergarten books. If your daughter really likes Singapore, you could start 1A early, then use another program to stretch 1A out. 

[Dustybug]

My oldest did Earlybird and went straight into 1A with no issue. 

[Dustybug]

My oldest did Earlybird and went straight into 1A with no issue. 

[MinivanMom]

My older kids went straight from Earlybird to 1A.  We had no problems with the transition.

[tjlcc]

My 5yo finished Earlybird when she was still four.  We have jumped into 1A, but she is also using Miquon, The Verbal Math Lesson, and Education Unboxed.

[Sk8ermaiden]

I would use a more hands on, every day approach to math at that point before moving on, but that's just me.

 

We did EB Singapore Math along side mfw k (daily calendar & 100 Chart, some weekly hands on math & math lit., and a weekly math sheet).

 

We are now doing mfw 1st math and it's perfect. I love it. After doing EB it's not too easy at all.

 

For 2nd, depending on where she places, we'll do Singapore math for 2nd - 6th grade, probably starting with 1a, 1b or 2a.

 

Just so you know, book A is for preschool and book B is for k.

 

I would probably only do the work book 2x a week and then do either math concept books or some hands on math for the rest of the week. Math Games is a good book for ideas. She also might enjoy patten blocks and cuisenaire rods with some workbooks to go along. We have Pattern Animals (abc order) and a Cuisenaire Alphabet book.

 

 

If you (or anyone else) reads this, can you link me to Math Games? I've searched on Amazon and RR, but am finding a lot of stuff that I don't think is what you're talking about. I really am not that into the hands on math stuff more than the basics to teach a lesson, but Daddy LOOOOVES to do that stuff with her. And she is a mathy kid. She's obsessed with the fraction pizza I bought so maybe some hands on stuff would be good. Thank goodness I have a DH who's into that. 

 

What's interesting is that as I was reading the responses I was sooo against supplementing with anything - too afraid to screw anything up, get in over my head, I don't know how to mix currics, etc. But then she started having to learn to write the numbers in SM, and then we're also doing ETC, and it is SOOOO much handwriting. And I dug out a generic preschool math activity book I had and flipped through until I found something that was at her level (fractions.) She ATE IT UP. She loves the concept stuff. It was from "count on math" and came with a story and then a list of activities. Unfortunately, even though the book states it's for ages 3-7, only the last few units are the right level for her. We'll do measurement next. But if I can keep slowing down Singapore with kind of "theme units" from something else, I think it will really nurture along her love of math. I just don't know what to use after we finish "Count on Math." I am just not together enough to figure it out on my own. 

[Laura Corin]

I used Singapore 3rd Edition.  We went straight from Earlybird to 1A, but took 1A at half speed as a lead in.  It worked well for us.

 

L

[ondreeuh]

We just finished Earlybird (the older version, which is more similar to he new Essentials, I believe). I have SM 1, MIF 1, Horizons K & Miquon available. We got halfway through Miquon Orange alongside Earlybird so I will continue to pull that out once in a while. I actually like Horizons K for this phase. It starts out slow with counting, right & left, colors, etc. which is OK because it also includes more practice writing numbers, which we kind of glossed over in Earlybird. Flipping ahead, Horizons K quickly gets into time & money. We were working on this at the end of Earlybird, but DS definitely needs more practice. Most importantly, Horizons K is super easy to just tear out a worksheet and do. It's all review so it's very easy, but it's additional practice. At this point I am more concerned with solidifying concepts than moving ahead. My son is going to full-day kindergarten (where they use Saxon K) and the Horizons worksheets look fun and short. We are doing about 2 lessons a day, and given that there are only 160 lessons in the level, we could finish around January if we keep this pace.

 

We did the first few lessons of MIF 1, but the worksheets are black/white and there are a ton for each lesson. You are meant to teach the lesson over a couple of days and then assign all the worksheets at once, which is really unbalanced IMO. I will probably sell MIF and just use Singapore when we have the time/energy for new material. I plan on using Horizons daily, and just working at the concepts in Singapore, taking as long as we need. We haven't introduced number bonds the Singapore way, for example, but he has worked with the concept in Miquon so we might just spend time practicing and memorizing. I'm not trying to get through a level a year since he is already "ahead" and will do Saxon 1 next year if he stays in PS.

[thefragile7393]

I think 1A should be ok....it is very similar to Earlybird IMO, at least the early topics are. 

[lea_lpz]

Link for math games:

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0394755103/ref=mp_s_a_1_7?qid=1378328285&sr=1-7&pi=AC_SX110_SY165

[tjlcc]

Do you think your library would carry many living math books?  Here is a great link with reading lists, etc.

 

Living Math!

[acabrera0607]

 

We did the first few lessons of MIF 1, but the worksheets are black/white and there are a ton for each lesson. You are meant to teach the lesson over a couple of days and then assign all the worksheets at once, which is really unbalanced IMO. 

 

I have researched MIF 1 and from what I have seen and understand is that the worksheets are meant to go with the lessons. So you do a lesson then do a worksheet....do a lesson do a worksheet, etc....

I know that is also how it works in PS because my best friend who teaches 2nd grade in PS uses MIF and the student books show doing a lesson then it will tell them "Do worksheet ___" 

 

If I am wrong about this let me know but that is my understanding of it after looking at the books and worksheets and reviewing it all online also 

[ondreeuh]

Yes, there are worksheets that go with each lesson - however, the lessons sometimes take 2-3 days. The teacher's guide has the pacing for the lessons. It explains which textbook pages to cover on day 1, which on day 2, etc. Most of the lessons have all the worksheets assigned at the end of the lesson for homework. So you may do 1-2 days of direct instruction with problems worked out on the board, and then the "practice book" pages are all given at once. I have listed the components of the first 3 chapters of 1A, but the 5th grade books are the same (although they have more 2-day lessons). You can see the components of the program, including the TM that has the instructions for how to spread out the lessons, on the "virtual sampling" part of the HMH website.

 

In 1A, the lessons go like this:

(1 day) Chapter opener

(2 days) Lesson 1-1, 9 pages of text, 6 pages of practice

(2 days) Lesson 1-2, 7 pages of text, 6 pages of practice

(1 day) Lesson 1-3, 6 pages of text, 4 pages of practice

(1 day) Put on your thinking cap

(1 day) Chapter wrap up, 1 page, 2 pages of practice

(1 day) Chapter assessment

 

(1 day) Chapter opener

(2 days) Lesson 2-1, 4 pages of text, 10 pages of practice (!!!)

(1 day) Put on your thinking cap, 1 page, 2 pages of practice

(1 day) Chapter wrap up, 1 page of text, 2 pages of practice

(1 day) Chapter assessment

 

(1 day) Chapter opener

(3 days) Lesson 3-1, 6 pages of text, 4 pages of practice, then 5 more pages of text and 6 more pages of practice

(1 day)  Lesson 3-2, 4 pages of text, 4 pages of practice

(1 day) Lesson 3-3, 4 pages of text, 2 pages of practice

(1 day) Put on your thinking cap, 1 page of text, 2 pages of practice

(1 day) Chapter wrap up, 2 pages, 4 pages of practice

(1 day) Chapter assessment

Etc.

 

Singapore Primary Mathematics has shorter lessons that work out to be about a lesson a day with textbook & workbook pages each day. MIF has fewer, longer lessons and workbook pages only assigned at the end of a lesson (or rarely in the middle).

[eleileen]

i did some SM 1a & added miquon as well. and printed some worksheets online.