Do most of you have your kids at a grade level ahead in math?

[bttrflyvld]

I've been struggling what to do with my Kindergartener for math.  I had her do Saxon k in last year (preschool) because is was so simple and she loved the manipulatives.  Well this year I had planned on using Saxon 1, but fell into the trap of getting the "better" "more popular" math and bit the bullet when Homeschool buyers coop had math mammoth at 50% off.  without thinking much I bought the light blue series planning on using it as my main math program.  Well now I'm torn.  We've gone through 3 weeks of lessons and they haven't been hard yet, but It's a lot a writing.  More than my daughter is ready to do, so I've been doing the writing for her. I decided to go back to Saxon 1.  I sort of wished I didn't do Saxon K last year and did it this year so math was more layed back. 

 

I noticed on this forum that an outstaning number of people have their kids doing math a grade a head.  When looking over at the kindergarten forum, they were all SM1, MM1, or R&S1.  Is this a thing that is normal for homeschooling? 

 

I wish I had waited for saxon 1 or math mammoth 1 for 1st grade.  Anyone done a grade a head and regreted it?

 

Now that I have both and am not really ready to do either, what suggestions do you have for me on what to do?  Is there anything out there for the kindergarten age that is really inexpensive (or free), hands on and fun for them to do? 

[Meriwether]

Miquon is very inexpensive.

[5LittleMonkeys]

I started two of my dc out with MM1 in K and they leveled out at grade level by the end of 1st (Basically we took two years to work through 1 level.  We went very slowly, added in lots of games and manipulative play, and supplemented with other fun inexpensive workbooks, websites and real life application.   Perhaps that might be an option for you instead of purchasing another complete K curriculum. 

[Crimson Wife]

Some programs either don't offer a kindergarten level (Math Mammoth, CLE, etc.) or their K level has a pretty different format from the higher levels (Singapore, Right Start, MEP). It is common for HSers to just go slowly through the 1st grade program in K, often taking more than a year to finish.

 

If you want something free, check out MEP. Reception has very little writing but might be too easy after Saxon K. 1A is pretty easy IMHO to adapt to a child who isn't writing much yet.

[Hunter]

You might like Grube's Method--Free

http://archive.org/details/grubesmethodofte00seelrich

 

Or Simply Charlotte Mason Math, The eBook is $10.95

http://simplycharlottemason.com/store/mathematics-an-instrument-for-living-teaching/

 

A lot of Ray's can be done orally. It's free.

http://books.google.com/books?id=ntTy0NUjKHQC&oe=UTF-8

 

If using Ray's make sure to read the math section of the Eclectic Manual of Methods. It's Free.

http://books.google.com/books?id=FMkKAQAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=eclectic+manual+of+methods&hl=en&sa=X&ei=_h81UtKFMe_d4AOQrYGoBg&ved=0CC4Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=eclectic%20manual%20of%20methods&f=false

[swellmomma]

I don't in fact all my kids are delayed in math, though they all try hard.  oldest 2 are working through MUS delta, my ds10 is in Beta and youngest is in mathematical reasoning beginning book 2 (which lists on the cover it is for 4 yr olds), she will start MUS alpha when done that book.  I don't think it is about people trying to make their kids work above grade level, it just happens their kids are ready, willing and able to do that work. Some kids work ahead 1+ levels, some are on grade level and some are 1+ levels delayed, that part doesn't matter.  If they are learning then where they are isn't a big deal.

 

As for fun and free for that grade level, I would play games. dice games, card games, money games, bingo using math facts etc.  Lots of games, lots of play with patterning, measurement, telling time etc with manips (even home made). geoboards, tangrams.  Practicing addition with dominos. the possibilities are endless and none of them are curriculum but will better prepare them for 1st or 2nd grade math.

[Dory]

At that age my little guy only wrote down half the answers at the very most. Sometimes less. Just enough that he was getting practice writing the numbers. The rest of it we did orally or I wrote down. This year he is ready to write a little more. MM1 does start out a little slow, but it is very thorough. We do it 4 days a week and then 1 day is Life of Fred. It's not your flashiest curriculum, and some kids might like a little more hands on (we just added an abacus for the first grade), but it has given my kids a very firm grasp on math. I grew up on Saxon as did my younger 3 siblings. It works for a lot of kids.

I haven't regretted letting the kids work ahead, not because I wanted them to be ahead, but because now as my oldest is starting to get into harder topics, we can really slow down and look at things from different angles. We're already ahead, so there's plenty of time to relax and take the time he needs now. Also, my boys were simply ready for it. Not giving it to them wouldn't have been fair. My dd, on the other hand, didn't start early. She started grade 1 when she was old enough for grade 1 and is now a year ahead anyway. It all depends on the kid.

[chepyl]

I used the School Zone Big Math 1-2 book for Kindergarten with my son and I am now using it with my DD. It was cheap. We went slow. Sometimes we did 4 math problems a day, sometimes 2, somedays he  would do pages. I move at my kids' pace. For DS that means that he is in 3rd doing 5th grade math. For DD that means being on grade level.

[pushplaylearning]

With MM1, I use manipulatives heavily and I write the answers when they get tired.  They like doing the lessons but not the writing.   my daughter likes to write more than my son.   As tempting as it was we didn't skip a problem, and I am glad we didn't.   My son is on book two and doesnt need manipulatives anymore.  He does the problems in his head and has most of his math facts down.  My daughter has been slowly going through MM1 now.  What is important about MM (IMHO) is the sequence of the problems.  Use manipulatives heavily if that is what your DD is comfortable with, but trust the sequence and number of the problems.  Make math a game and tell the problems in a story format.  Don't feel obligated to a page a day if that is too much.  

[sbgrace]

One of mine is going slower through material than typical pacing right now. The other is working at grade level. In years past, I pulled the slower paced child through material to stay at grade level. I also had his twin working under his ability to keep them together. I regret that! I wish I would have uncoupled them and done what was best for each. That would have meant, I'm certain, one of mine would not be at grade level in math. I wish I had gone with his actual pacing need instead of feeling the pressure to be at grade level/keep my boys together.

 

My point is please do what is best for you and your daughter! Even if you get a hundred replies from those working on 1st grade in K, that doesn't mean it's right for you guys. You won't find that true anyway, but even if you did it doesn't matter.

 

 

I'd look into MEP as a free option, if it's not too far behind her. You could get some inexpensive c-rods and use education unboxed videos (free online, put together by a mom on here I think). I wish I had know of those in K! If that appeals to her/you, Miquon would be a more formal option with c-rods that isn't too expensive. You could look into Kitchen Table math books as a different approach. You could also just be relaxed and play with math concepts and be fine in K.  I hope you find something that fits well!

 

But, whatever you do, I wouldn't plow ahead with Math Mammoth or Saxon right now. Instead I'd do what feels right for both of you. If I was rewinding to K, the enjoyment of math would be my primary goal.

[MerryAtHope]

I don't think a grade ahead is normal for homeschoolers. I've been reading this and other boards for 12 years, and there are just as many posting about kids who are behind in math. And many have kids on level. If you think about it...when a student is ahead or behind, that's when people will tend to post, because they will have questions about how to meet that student's needs either way (and if ahead, well, that's exciting to post too!)  Do what meets your child's needs and don't worry what others' children are doing. That, ultimately, is one reason to homeschool--so you don't have to be at any specific level just because other kids are, but so that you can work at the level appropriate for your child.

Have fun! Merry :-)

[Mandy in TN]

Let's see- my oldest is dyslexic and he always struggled with math, but he still finished dual enrollment college algebra while in high school. My second was a little more ahead. My youngest is ahead even more so.

 

I am glad we had wiggle room, because they have all taken 2 years of alg2. They did fine the first time through, but I just didn't see the mastery I wanted the first time.

 

I have never regretted the time I spent on math. I have in hindsight wished that I had had my dyslexic in MUS from the beginning instead of having him suffer through several years of Saxon. In hindsight I have wished that left my second ds in Saxon (it was working for him) rather than moving to MUS in high school so that he could work with his brother. That was silly. Why did I think they should use the same program? In the end, it was fine and it's not like I can go back and do it differently.

 

So, yes, I have thought that there would be some things I would do differently, but I have never regretted spending lots of time on math.

 

I have said several times that if I had it to do again with another little one I wouldn't use a program. I would use dice, dominoes, playing cards, pattern blocks, measuring cups, clocks, rulers, c-rods, etc. I just don't feel like for little people k-3 that I would need to purchase a program. However, if you want to use a program there is nothing wrong with using another K program. My youngest used the first book of Miquon, MUS Alpha, and Singapore 1. There is also nothing wrong with doing most of the work orally. Actually, if handwriting ability is lagging behind math ability, I would encourage you to do some of the work orally. :D

 

HTH-

Mandy

[momma2three]

I started doing Math Mammoth a grade ahead for DD last year, and it ramped up too quickly.  I regret pushing her.  We finished the whole first book, and we're actually starting over again this year.  She hasn't seemed to notice yet.

 

Something that was fantastic was the first level of MEP.  They start school a little earlier in the UK, so you start "reception" (basically kindergarten) the year you turn 5.  So most kids are 4 when they start, and turn 5 sometime during the year.  We did the first half of Year 1 in Kindergarten, and it's fantastic.

 

If I had it to do over again, I would spend the whole year doing the first half of Year 1, which is a very thorough introduction to the numbers 1-10.  The second half still only uses the numbers 1-10 but delves into lots of logic games and puzzles and more complicated things that a kindergartner may or may not be ready for.

[Hunter]

One of my boys was radically accelerated in math. The other was on grade level and then just refused to do higher level maths at all, not because he couldn't, but because he didn't want to. The one who did the least math has been the most successful in adult life.

 

Back in the 90s there was the whole Jamie Escalante push to get low income kids to take the AP Calculus exams to pull them out of the gutter. Without the student being well rounded and having a top notch work ethic, math is useless. At least that is what I have found in my experience. I have found literacy to be more critical than math. Algebra is the "gateway" I was told. Hmmm...well, it didn't open or close any of the doors I thought it would.

[HelenNotOfTroy]

My first grader is in MM1A. I do 3/4 of the writing. We did Saxon K in pre-K and Singapore Essential Math in K. If you still have your Saxon manipulatives, use them. My DS is much happier playing with math toys than doing his math.

[boscopup]

I think what you're seeing is a lot of kids that are good at math are working a year ahead. There isn't a whole lot of difference between K and 1st grade math. And it's not that unusual for a bright homeschooled kid to "get" K math during the PreK years on their own. As far as Saxon goes... Saxon K-3 tends to run a little slow. My oldest did Saxon K and 1st at school (at grade level), so I'm aware of the content in those two levels.

 

If you're only 3 weeks into MM1, you probably haven't gotten out of the review of K math section. It will get harder. But yes, it is a lot of writing (I never assigned more than 1/2 the problems when I used it). I personally wouldn't recommend MM1 for most K'ers because of that presentation. I used Singapore 1 with my K'er last year, and that was just the right amount of problems to write out.

 

I don't know that I would have done anything different with my oldest's math education (doing prealgebra for 4th and probably 5th grade also). I'm having him do more drill than he used to do, but I don't think he was really ready for that when he was younger. Now, he is ready, so I have him running through an easier elementary math as "math practice" for about 15 minutes a day, and then he does about 30-45 minutes of prealgebra, with some days being at his working level (with a regular textbook) and some days being at challenge level (with AoPS). This is working well for us, and his math time is 45-60 minutes total per day, which is appropriate for a 4th grader.

 

My middle son is getting a little more drill than my oldest did. We're doing daily speed drills and flash cards. I think it's good for him. This child isn't ready to race ahead like his big brother did at this age. He's good at math, but he needs more practice to make it stick long term, and he also needs it to not be at challenge level, because reading is still at challenge level (oldest was reading very well in first grade, so we were able to put more energy into challenging him in math). If I skip middle son ahead too far in math, he'll think all of school is hard and will shut down. Definitely don't want that! So I keep math easy. One year ahead is easy for him, but not mind-numbingly boring. :)

 

Every kid has strengths and weaknesses, and every kid develops at different rates. So don't feel pressured to do a 1st grade math program if your child isn't ready for it. Or you could go back and do Saxon 1, then do MM1 in 1st grade. Saxon 1 has very few problems on the worksheets (the drill pages are a different matter). I know my middle son could not have handled the presentation of MM1 in K, but I pulled out some MM1 money section for him last month, and he did fine with those, even doing all the problems. A year of maturity and writing practice makes a huge difference!

 

 

[8filltheheart]

I have kids that are accelerated and kids that aren't. But, I think that you have discovered early what some never recognize. There are layers of difficulty in concepts.....some are simpler and concrete and some are more difficult and abstract. Kids that are pushed forward and are mentally not equipped to deal with the abstract are going to rely heavily on memorization and algorithms bc they are cognitively unprepared for understanding what is occurring.

 

I would completely ignore what anyone else is doing and just engage your child at her level and only focus on her pace.

[Mommyfaithe]

Mine have all been behind in math and accelerated in literacy skills. There is no way I can push a dead horse. None of them were able to master their facts until well into 6/7 th grade. I fret, and fluster, and try different programs.....same result. Manipulatives, videos, fact songs, drawing pictures, Asian maths, Russian maths, old fashioned, new fashioned......still a year behind. With my last 2, they are where they are. Period. We will work at it as we work at it. Eventually their brains mature or whatever it us they do, and something clicks. Dd, who was my furthest "behind". Clicked and is now 1/2 finished with Algebra 1, and living it in 10th grade. She gets it and is moving along beautifully. Go figure!

[Chris in VA]

Mine did Saxon a year ahead like yours. She hit a wall with math for a few weeks, so we just slowed it way down and tried some supplemental activities.

I think you could stick with Saxon, honestly, but perhaps just park on a couple of lessons. 

So, do a few weeks of just patterns, calendar, sorting by attributes (get a jar of buttons--real buttons--sortable a million ways), puzzles (excellent for part-whole relationships, a meta-skill), measuring, tallying, and graphing. Keep up with skip counting, too, teach time to the hour, and count pennies/nickles/dimes. And use your hundreds board--skip count and cover with pennies, put a bear from the manipulatives on every other number (which is skip counting by 2's) or on all the tens, etc. If writing is a skill that needs strengthening (I mean the physical aspect of it), then do some tweezer work, some chalking/small brush painting, and dig things out of clay balls (you can put coins inside some clay balls and have her dig them out, then she can clean them up, THEN you can do maths by counting up the change--see? A whole lesson that covers just what she needs...lol)

 

By parking for a month or two, you'll allow her to develop some and then you can go on from there. 

 

[Soror]

My son's bday is on the cut-off line here so technically by grade he is a year ahead although by most he is just right on target. My daughter is right on schedule.

[AimeeM]

No, not necessarily.

Some programs do not have a kindergarten level and ALL (or maybe just those I've seen) vary in degrees of difficulty - some are slower paced than others (curriculum-wise), so grade level placement is rather relative to the materials used (at least in elementary math).

[ByGrace3]

My kids work about a semester ahead. My dd was a year ahead at one point and it got to be too much so we slowed down to a semester ahead. After what happened with my dd I switched things up with ds. We did RS A for k and finished it by January and then did MM 1A.,it was perfect. I wrote most for him and we didn't do every problem. I think if you like MM but want to take it easy, just do 1A for K. If your child is bored move on let them do it orally and skip problems. MM is a great curriculum, if you like it you can certainly try to change things up to make it work.

[bttrflyvld]

I started two of my dc out with MM1 in K and they leveled out at grade level by the end of 1st (Basically we took two years to work through 1 level. We went very slowly, added in lots of games and manipulative play, and supplemented with other fun inexpensive workbooks, websites and real life application. Perhaps that might be an option for you instead of purchasing another complete K curriculum.

I hasn't thought of taking two years to go through math mammoth. That's one way to go about it.

[Sahamamama]

Horizons Math K was nice for all three girls for Kindergarten. Very easy to implement, open-and-go, colorful (they liked that aspect), not too many bells and whistles, and effective for learning math. It is supposedly "advanced" in some ways for the grade level, so it might be just what you're looking for, having done another math in Pre-K. We had Math Mammoth, too, but it turned out to be way too much writing for what it taught, KWIM? Page after page of similar problems, with tiny spaces for solutions. I like a lot of Maria's teaching methods and am a fan of her teaching videos. However, I felt that MM (Blue Series) was overkill for my oldest student. She just didn't need THAT much repetition, and it was hard to know what, exactly, to skip. We used a red pen a lot with MM Blue, to mark out what she didn't need to do.

 

Horizons was just the right amount of new concept and review/practice. There were a few times when I was frustrated with the teacher manual, but if I could ignore its vague and useless instructions to "teach telling time to the minute," then I was okay with the overall course.

 

For some reason, I can't copy a link into this post. It's $62.95 for the boxed set at Rainbow Resource, so the shipping would be free. HTH. I'll try to put in the link.

 

http://www.rainbowresource.com/product/Horizons+Math+K+Boxed+Set/000680/0b6a05de685b7598ab6df495?subject=10&category=2174

 

We've used Horizons Math K, 1, and 2 (always on grade level) with good results. We are using Saxon Intermediate 3 with our 3rd grader this year, to transition to a more "mathy-looking" math text, and also one that is directed to the student, rather than filtered through the teacher. She's excited and ready for the change. We have Horizons Math 3 on hand, too, for practice and review. :)

 

Looking back, I'm glad we used Horizons for K, 1st, and 2nd. That's the plan again with the twins for 1st this year and 2nd next year. HTH.

[Haiku]

Now that I have both and am not really ready to do either, what suggestions do you have for me on what to do?  Is there anything out there for the kindergarten age that is really inexpensive (or free), hands on and fun for them to do? 

 

You could just get math activity books out of the library and spend a year playing with math. It would be free and fun. Our library has tons of math resources.

[Penelope]

I don't know that the people who post in these forums about math are representative of most homeschoolers. :) Just as a for instance, Singapore is popular at TWTM boards, but elsewhere and IRL I usually hear about TT and Saxon.

 

I think the reality for all homechoolers is probably more like a sample of school kids: some ahead, some behind. And some that think they are ahead but they use a poor program so aren't doing as well as they think. Or some that have pushed through but the kids don't really get it and aren't solid. Some that are ahead the first year or two, but then even out, and some that are ahead through elementary, but then stagnate grades 6-8 (I think that is less likely with homeschool, but I think it probably still happens when parents are less educated in math and farm out higher math to less challenging video programs or co-op classes).

[BatmansWife]

I've been struggling what to do with my Kindergartener for math.  I had her do Saxon k in last year (preschool) because is was so simple and she loved the manipulatives.  Well this year I had planned on using Saxon 1, but fell into the trap of getting the "better" "more popular" math and bit the bullet when Homeschool buyers coop had math mammoth at 50% off.  without thinking much I bought the light blue series planning on using it as my main math program.  Well now I'm torn.  We've gone through 3 weeks of lessons and they haven't been hard yet, but It's a lot a writing.  More than my daughter is ready to do, so I've been doing the writing for her. I decided to go back to Saxon 1.  I sort of wished I didn't do Saxon K last year and did it this year so math was more layed back. 

 

I noticed on this forum that an outstaning number of people have their kids doing math a grade a head.  When looking over at the kindergarten forum, they were all SM1, MM1, or R&S1.  Is this a thing that is normal for homeschooling? 

 

I wish I had waited for saxon 1 or math mammoth 1 for 1st grade.  Anyone done a grade a head and regreted it?

 

Now that I have both and am not really ready to do either, what suggestions do you have for me on what to do?  Is there anything out there for the kindergarten age that is really inexpensive (or free), hands on and fun for them to do? 

 

Just a couple of things I bolded.......you did the same thing...you did K math in preschool.  ;)

 

While MM may be popular with a lot here...I don't necessarily think it's better.  On the other hand...I don't care for Saxon either.  But, this is just me. 

 

Is this the norm for homeschooling?  For some.  Not for me.  My son is behind in math.  My 4th grade daughter is finishing up TT3 and then on to TT4 this school year. 

 

[SilverMoon]

Most of mine are somewhat ahead in math, but that didn't occur to me until you asked.

 

I don't pay attention to the number on the cover and just teach each kid where they're at. If they get bogged down just camp and go sideways instead plunging ahead.

 

My 5yo is probably one of those using a 1 book in those lists. She had already completed a more relaxed and gentle first grade book, and this one moves faster. She's doing two lessons a day, but she hasn't been bored.

[Mommy22alyns]

MM is a lot of writing period.  I used some of the topic workbooks and there were tons of problems on one page!

 

No, the girls are not ahead of grade level in math.  Rebecca does some algebra, but it's with Hands On Equations, so it's not out of reach.  All you really need are  multiplication facts to start.

To answer your other question, I did start Rebecca off a year ahead and wish I hadn't.  Singapore was not her thing and we ran into a wall after 1A in kindergarten.  I ended up going back to RightStart A partway into first grade and going through that and B that year.  I realized that we were having  problems and I wanted a different approach, so I tried CLE and hit gold.  The girls are at grade level in CLE, but "grade level" is kind of nebulous since Rebecca tested into Saxon 7/6 near the end of the year last year when she was in CLE 400.  So, do what works for your kid.   :001_smile:

[go_go_gadget]

It sounds like you have two different questions, one being advice-seeking and the other being more of point of curiosity. It doesn't matter if ''most'' homeschooled children work a year ahead; it matters what's best for your child. I did a fair bit of scribing for my children at that age, because it didn't seem reasonable to let fine motor control hinder their learning of math concepts that they really were ready for. If your daughter is ready for the concepts in MM1 and likes the format, stick with it and do the writing until she's ready to take over. If she's not ready for the concepts yet, do something else.

[silver]

I've found that it's bad for my psyche to read those "what are you doing for grade X?" threads. When I read those it feels like everyone is doing more than my family and that their kids are doing harder work. But you don't see the details. You don't know how long they spend each day on school. You don't know if they skip problems or do every single one. You don't always know the ages of their children. There's quite a difference between a young Ker (a 4-year-old that will turn 5 during the year) and an older Ker (already 6 or will soon turn 6). You don't know if they will finish everything on their list in one year (maybe they plan to take longer). You basically don't know enough to make a fair comparison, so you're left feeling like you don't measure up.

 

It doesn't matter what is perceived as "normal". You just need to find what you can teach (a curriculum is useless if you don't like to/can't teach it) and is at the appropriate level for your child. I had a hard time finding the right fit for my family. After all the trouble and tears we had with math in my house, it makes my heart sing to hear my son say math is his favorite subject when he's asked.

[VeteranMom]

All of my kids were started with Saxon when they attended a charter school.  The school started them at Saxon 1 in K. I feel that was ideal for my sons who grasp math easily.  My oldest son uses Saxon 8/7 in the 6th grade and math is very easy for him.  My daughter would have been bettter off starting with Saxon 1 in 1st grade, since math isn't her strongest subject.  I think it really depends on the child.  I curriculum jumped with my daughter and tried Teaching Textooks and CLE.  I don't think there is a perfect curriculum out there for her, though- math is just harder for her to understand.  We put her back in Saxon and she's using Saxon 7/6 this year (she's, also, a 6th grader). 

[sagira]

Not I. I had started ds back in K with MCP Mathematics, thinking it was a good fit for him as he was getting his facts right and going through the motions. Turns out in first I started seeing problems. He simply could not apply what he had learned in math. Worse still, I noticed he had a need for the "why" behind the problems, and MCP did not satisfy him. I switched to Math Mammoth and I couldn't be happier. However, as a result of going back and making sure he was up to date on all his math facts and gaining a deeper understanding, to this day, he's now 10, he's "behind" half a grade level. This means that as a fifth grader, he's just begun MM 4B. No big deal. I'd rather he understand all his math facts and learn his multiplication tables than putting him in 5A which he's simply not ready for. 

 

My dd6, a first grader, is at grade level in math. She's working through the Miquon Red Book as well as MM 1A. She's doing 2 pages at a time with MM 1A. She likes writing and has good stamina. I'm considering only doing parts of MM 1B with her and making Miquon our primary math program after we have finished MM 1A. This child is creative, likes to discover, enjoys holding a pencil, and is doing well with the unique approach of Miquon. 

[Mommy22alyns]

Horizons Math K was nice for all three girls for Kindergarten. Very easy to implement, open-and-go, colorful (they liked that aspect), not too many bells and whistles, and effective for learning math. It is supposedly "advanced" in some ways for the grade level, so it might be just what you're looking for, having done another math in Pre-K. We had Math Mammoth, too, but it turned out to be way too much writing for what it taught, KWIM? Page after page of similar problems, with tiny spaces for solutions. I like a lot of Maria's teaching methods and am a fan of her teaching videos. However, I felt that MM (Blue Series) was overkill for my oldest student. She just didn't need THAT much repetition, and it was hard to know what, exactly, to skip. We used a red pen a lot with MM Blue, to mark out what she didn't need to do.

 

Horizons was just the right amount of new concept and review/practice. There were a few times when I was frustrated with the teacher manual, but if I could ignore its vague and useless instructions to "teach telling time to the minute," then I was okay with the overall course.

 

For some reason, I can't copy a link into this post. It's $62.95 for the boxed set at Rainbow Resource, so the shipping would be free. HTH. I'll try to put in the link.

 

http://www.rainbowresource.com/product/Horizons+Math+K+Boxed+Set/000680/0b6a05de685b7598ab6df495?subject=10&category=2174

 

We've used Horizons Math K, 1, and 2 (always on grade level) with good results. We are using Saxon Intermediate 3 with our 3rd grader this year, to transition to a more "mathy-looking" math text, and also one that is directed to the student, rather than filtered through the teacher. She's excited and ready for the change. We have Horizons Math 3 on hand, too, for practice and review. :)

 

Looking back, I'm glad we used Horizons for K, 1st, and 2nd. That's the plan again with the twins for 1st this year and 2nd next year. HTH.

 

 

I missed this before, but I also used Horizons for Sylvia in K and enjoyed it.  I have it in mind for Pre-Algebra on up.  I also found it solid or a little advanced, as CLE 100 started at the very beginning and she'd gone way past that in Horizons.  I don't feel like that was bad, though.

[twoxcell]

Mine are working at grade level in math, well they are in the same number of SM book as their grade level.

[alisoncooks]

I have a 2nd grader using Math in Focus 1B.

I have a Kindergartner finishing up K math and who'll be doing generic math workbooks until she is more comfortable with writing her numbers...

[Guest]

My olders were accelerated, but they burned out big time by 7th grade and so did I. Neither of them made it to Trig, much less Calculus, so I'm not going that route again.

 

My little is currently doing Saxon K, but he complains that the lessons are too short.

 

Another poster mentioned that she did Saxon 1 with her five year old, but completely skipped the worksheets. That might work for you, or else you could do them orally.

 

I even did Algebra orally with big ds: he'd put on his roller skates, look at the ONE problem on the whiteboard, tell me what to write for the first step, then skate around the house and know what to write for the second step by the time he came back around to the kitchen/schoolroom.

 

 

[RootAnn]

I totally agree with the people who said, "It doesn't matter what anyone else is doing." 

 

Absolutely check out the Education Unboxed videos.

Play games. Read living math books. Cover K concepts in a fun way. You'll find that you're doing Saxon 1 (without the writing) -- but in a way that will stick. 

Make sure place value as a concept is SOLID.

[Rasa]

Do you really need to write in MM1? We did most of MM2-4 orally. Understanding mathematics and writing are completely different skills, in my opinion.   My son, who is finishing up MM4, writes down solutions to math problems only when he cannot figure out the answers in his head (even presented with a long division problem, he first tries to find a mental shortcut to get an answer without writing.)  Mental math is one of the strengths of Math Mammoth, and we celebrate it to the fullest.  We can zip along much faster (and hold our focus longer) this way.  If we get stuck, we slow down and pull out our manipulatives (usually Cuisinaire rods) or draw pictures until the concept is clear.  For K-1, we use Miquon and Right Start games to cover the basics in an interest-based order without any pressure.

 

 

[beth83]

My K student is accelerated, but I realize that has just been a natural progression for her. She begged for tracing worksheets before she even hit 3, so she has had decent handwriting this whole time. Even for how sparsely I present math, she just picks it up and runs with it.

 

Now my second is 3.5 and I realize that she is nowhere near where my oldest was. She will probably be more on grade level, which is fine. It has made me feel even better about my first, as sometimes I wonder if I pushed her. I am realizing that some are just ready for school, some not so much.

 

What I think would be even more ridiculous would be holding my oldest back because "the system" says that being 5 she should be doing certain kind of work. Meet them where they are. If they aren't grasping the work, slow down, but if they are, I'm all about moving at the pace they set.

[MamaSprout]

Horizons Math K was nice for all three girls for Kindergarten. Very easy to implement, open-and-go, colorful (they liked that aspect), not too many bells and whistles, and effective for learning math. It is supposedly "advanced" in some ways for the grade level, so it might be just what you're looking for, having done another math in Pre-K. We had Math Mammoth, too, but it turned out to be way too much writing for what it taught, KWIM? Page after page of similar problems, with tiny spaces for solutions. I like a lot of Maria's teaching methods and am a fan of her teaching videos. However, I felt that MM (Blue Series) was overkill for my oldest student. She just didn't need THAT much repetition, and it was hard to know what, exactly, to skip. We used a red pen a lot with MM Blue, to mark out what she didn't need to do.

 

Horizons was just the right amount of new concept and review/practice. There were a few times when I was frustrated with the teacher manual, but if I could ignore its vague and useless instructions to "teach telling time to the minute," then I was okay with the overall course.

 

For some reason, I can't copy a link into this post. It's $62.95 for the boxed set at Rainbow Resource, so the shipping would be free. HTH. I'll try to put in the link.

 

http://www.rainbowresource.com/product/Horizons+Math+K+Boxed+Set/000680/0b6a05de685b7598ab6df495?subject=10&category=2174

 

We've used Horizons Math K, 1, and 2 (always on grade level) with good results. We are using Saxon Intermediate 3 with our 3rd grader this year, to transition to a more "mathy-looking" math text, and also one that is directed to the student, rather than filtered through the teacher. She's excited and ready for the change. We have Horizons Math 3 on hand, too, for practice and review. :)

 

Looking back, I'm glad we used Horizons for K, 1st, and 2nd. That's the plan again with the twins for 1st this year and 2nd next year. HTH.

 

I'm tutoring an 8 year old with Math Mammoth 1, and the spaces aren't as tiny as in the old edition- but my student is older. I'm using the revised version.

 

For my dd, we really didn't use a curriculum for K or 1st. Kitchen Table Math was the only thing that really fit at all, with writing being a problem.

[carriede]

I started two of my dc out with MM1 in K and they leveled out at grade level by the end of 1st (Basically we took two years to work through 1 level. We went very slowly, added in lots of games and manipulative play, and supplemented with other fun inexpensive workbooks, websites and real life application. Perhaps that might be an option for you instead of purchasing another complete K curriculum.

OP, in addition to going slowly, have you looked at the k'er recommendations in the MM website? You could alternate between the worktext and those games.

[momtokea]

I've been struggling what to do with my Kindergartener for math.  I had her do Saxon k in last year (preschool) because is was so simple and she loved the manipulatives.  Well this year I had planned on using Saxon 1, but fell into the trap of getting the "better" "more popular" math and bit the bullet when Homeschool buyers coop had math mammoth at 50% off.  without thinking much I bought the light blue series planning on using it as my main math program.  Well now I'm torn.  We've gone through 3 weeks of lessons and they haven't been hard yet, but It's a lot a writing.  More than my daughter is ready to do, so I've been doing the writing for her. I decided to go back to Saxon 1.  I sort of wished I didn't do Saxon K last year and did it this year so math was more layed back. 

 

I noticed on this forum that an outstaning number of people have their kids doing math a grade a head.  When looking over at the kindergarten forum, they were all SM1, MM1, or R&S1.  Is this a thing that is normal for homeschooling? 

 

I wish I had waited for saxon 1 or math mammoth 1 for 1st grade.  Anyone done a grade a head and regreted it?

 

Now that I have both and am not really ready to do either, what suggestions do you have for me on what to do?  Is there anything out there for the kindergarten age that is really inexpensive (or free), hands on and fun for them to do? 

 

I read these boards and fret a lot over math.  I have always assumed that my children were behind in math because of what I have read here.  Last year my 9th grader was doing Saxon Algebra 1, and I was fretting because I thought she should be doing at least Algebra 2.  Then she told me she really wanted to go to high school for grade 10.  I called our school board (we're in Alberta) and asked how far she needs to be in Saxon math to be ready for 10th grade math.   They told me by LESSON 32 IN SAXON ALGEBRA 1!!!  By that time she was already on lesson 60, beyond prepared for 10th grade math.

 

I don't know why I didn't call the school board years ago.  I fretted for nothing.  I fretted because I read these forums.

 

If I were you I wouldn't do anything for math this year, other than play card games, dice games, or other math games, and let her play with manipulatives.  I would wait for first grade to give her first grade math.  What's the rush??

[KrissiK]

My kids are at grade level in math. We're not accelerated here. I think DS1 could probably go a little faster, but he just doesn't feel like it and I battle him enough as it is. So, a lessons a day in Singapore is what he does. I think the ability to do math is so tied to those cognitive developmental stages that no matter what you do, if a kid isn't ready, he isn't ready.

[Chrysalis Academy]

Good advice:  pay attention to your own kid, work at her pace.

 

I also do a lot of the writing for my dd7 in MM2.  If she does the problem in her head and says the answer out loud, who cares who writes it down?  And because I do the writing whenever she asks me to - not every day, but whenever she asks - she is doing more per day than she would if she were writing it all herself, because this way her hand doesn't get tired.  So we do 2 pages a day.  That, plus the fact that we'll continue doing math at least 2-3 times a week over the summer so she doesn't get brain-drain means that she will soon be "ahead" in math.  But it's not because of pushing, and it's not because she's radically gifted in math, it's just because we do it every day and it's more efficient when you work at the kid's pace.

 

It's the same thing with my dd10.  She started homeschooling in November of 4th grade using MM4.  I was worried that she was behind! But now she's in 6th grade doing PreAlgebra, so she'll have 2 full years to work on Algebra 1 in 7th and 8th.  Again, it's not that she's radically gifted in math, it's just that she does it every day, and by the time you are at this level, I think that you can (and sometimes really need to) do only half of the problems in each lesson if the kid gets it.  So barring any major hiccups, you can easily do more than 1 level of MM in a year.  So you end up "ahead" without even intending to.

 

FWIW, I do have my 2nd grader do every problem at this point, because she needs the practice to build fluency with her basic math facts.  Once I see that she's memorized the basic facts, we will re-evaluate that.

 

 

[happycc]

It depends on the kids. One child of mine is ahead. One right on grade level. One a bit behind grade level. 

The same with my first set of kids as well. 

 

I think Education Unboxed is great for K and 1st graders. Lots of fun games. Just do a google search. 

 

It is free to watch the videos. The blocks/rods are relatively cheap. 

 

Absolutely hardly any writing if you want. Just adjust to your needs. 

[umsami]

DS1 hated writing, which is one of the reasons I picked Right Start A for him when he was in Kindy.  It was a fun program for him.  BUT, I don't think you need to go out and spend $100 on it.

 

Kindy math is pretty basic.  Counting to 20.  Addition facts up to 10.  Calendar stuff.  Basic subtraction. Shapes.  Patterns. Yes, it's all repeated in 1st grade.  I think you can "play" math and be just fine.

[Farrar]

Mine are mostly on grade level, but they're on the young end for grade.  One of my ds is starting 4th grade having finished almost all of MM4a already.

 

I think there are a lot of factors that don't have to do with the child, but with the nature of homeschooling that let some homeschooled kids get half a grade or a grade ahead...

 

- many homeschoolers go ahead and start "first grade math" in kindergarten

- many homeschoolers school year round and therefore don't do a long review at the start of the year

- homeschool families don't have to spend as long on a topic that a kid really gets and can move on a little quicker

[bluemongoose]

It has been different based on the kid. My DD was doing the 1st grade math book in her "K" level year. That "" is because technically she didnt make the cutoff for K, but we called it her K year. So she was 4.75 yo and doing the 1st grade book (MM). Now at 8.75yo she is starting MM 5 next week.

 

My next child just started 1st grade. He started K the year he would have in the PS (at 5.75) because that was when he was ready. He did K level math (singapore Earlybird B ) for the first half of the year and then went on to 1st grade math for the second part of the year. He will be finished with book 1A in about a week and then we will start book 1B (continuing in Singapore).

 

My next son is in "K" right now. Like his sister he is 4.75 yo and starting K now because he is ready now. Like his brother he is doing Singapore Earlybird B and will likely start MM 1 in the spring sometime.

 

This is what I love about homeschooling...I can work with my kid where they are no matter if that is ahead, right "on time", or behind. No matter if they made the the K cut off or not. I even have the ability to alternate curriculum (DD using MM, DS1 using SM, and DS2 using MM) so that the one who is not ahead feels good about himself because his younger brother cannot compare his book to his older brothers.

 

All that to say, if she understands what you are doing, it is getting done, she is not fussing, and there is retention, don't worry if it is "a year ahead like everyone else" or not.

[bttrflyvld]

I read these boards and fret a lot over math. I have always assumed that my children were behind in math because of what I have read here. Last year my 9th grader was doing Saxon Algebra 1, and I was fretting because I thought she should be doing at least Algebra 2. Then she told me she really wanted to go to high school for grade 10. I called our school board (we're in Alberta) and asked how far she needs to be in Saxon math to be ready for 10th grade math. They told me by LESSON 32 IN SAXON ALGEBRA 1!!! By that time she was already on lesson 60, beyond prepared for 10th grade math.

 

I don't know why I didn't call the school board years ago. I fretted for nothing. I fretted because I read these forums.

 

If I were you I wouldn't do anything for math this year, other than play card games, dice games, or other math games, and let her play with manipulatives. I would wait for first grade to give her first grade math. What's the rush??

Great advice. It is easy to get wrapped up in what you read on a forum. Its way too easy to easy to compare what others are doing too.