dovrar Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 I love the looks of beast academy, but cannot justify the cost. Someone convince me it's worth it. Thanks ; ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lilaclady Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 It is worth it. It is such a different and fun way of doing math and my kids love it. I tried to save money and got half the texts and half the practice book but I think I will need to get the other halves next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belacqua Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 My kid was too old for BA, but I've always found AoPS to be worth every cent. Mr. Rusczyk's approach to math education is unlike any other I've seen, and AoPS truly fosters a love of math. *packs up her box and megaphone and climbs back into the AoPS Groupie Van to continue touring the country* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mathmarm Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 Well...what do you feel that you're going to get from Beast Academy that you can't get from [Any Other Math Book]? What draws you to Beast Academy and what are you expecting it to do--besides something overly-generic like "make math fun" <--too many ways to "make math fun" so don't let that be your reply. Once you have that list in mind, decide what having those features at your disposal is worth, now ask your self, "is it worth the $$$?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrunchyGirl Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 It is for us but I think (hope? LOL) I've got a future engineer on my hands so it's worth the investment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhotoGal Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 Yes. :thumbup1: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwik Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 If you had to pay $37 postage? Still worth it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 If you had to pay $37 postage? Still worth it? Ouch. Is there a bookstore or teacher supply store near you that might be willing to stock it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tress Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 If you had to pay $37 postage? Still worth it? How do you get 37$ shipping? When I look at the Artofproblemsolving site, I have to pay 69.50$..... Not to mention an unknown amount of custom taxes :ack2: . I so wish I could use Beast with my dd7, she is flying through SM and I think she would love the beasts (although I would have to translate the text for her....which is also something that makes me hesitate.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2bee Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 How do you get 37$ shipping? When I look at the Artofproblemsolving site, I have to pay 69.50$..... Not to mention an unknown amount of custom taxes :ack2: . I so wish I could use Beast with my dd7, she is flying through SM and I think she would love the beasts (although I would have to translate the text for her....which is also something that makes me hesitate.) Where are you located that requires $70 shipping?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tress Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 Where are you located that requires $70 shipping?! I'm in the Netherlands. I see now that their shipping prices dependend on the order. If I only order Beast 3A I have to pay 37.10$ shipping. If I order 3A-B-C-D-4A I have to pay 69.50$. If I knew for sure that the language wouldn't be a problem, I would probably order it. But I'm not sure, and the price of BA + shipping + custom taxes (on both the books and the shipping costs).....$$$. ETA: for those wondering about the translation 'problems', I'm looking at the sample chapter of Beast Academy 3A, about 'right angles on the left of the drawing'. That's a joke that is not really translatable to Dutch, as is the confusing/funny use of 'Oh, right!'. If there are a lot of situations like that, math lessons will leave me :willy_nilly: . Are there experienced BA users who can shed some light on this?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa in the UP of MI Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 I'm not sure that I would be willing to translate Beast Academy to another language for my kids, but it is 100% worth it for my oldest dd. She is loving it and working quickly through the books. She used to dislike math and complain about her work. The only problem is what to do when we are done, as we will probably use all of the books in print by the end of the school year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa in the UP of MI Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 I think it depends on the kid. My dd's attitude about math changed once we started Beast Academy. It is perfect for her. There is nothing else like it. I would pay a lot of money to get this for her if I had to. If I had a child who was doing well with another program I would be less likely to spend the extra money on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SierraNevada Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 Yes. We got just the textbooks for fun for the 3A-D. Then we got 4A text and workbook. But if your kid is reading them in bed, then to me it is worth it. But almost any book is worth the $ to me, as I am a bit of a book buying addict. I also struggled at first with getting them (just a few weeks ago), since we already had SM4, and I didn't want to use two different curriculum at once. But I look at BA as a independent type of book - where he can just read for fun on his own, under no pressure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunnyday Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 Yes. We got just the textbooks for fun for the 3A-D. Then we got 4A text and workbook. But if your kid is reading them in bed, then to me it is worth it. But almost any book is worth the $ to me, as I am a bit of a book buying addict. I also struggled at first with getting them (just a few weeks ago), since we already had SM4, and I didn't want to use two different curriculum at once. But I look at BA as a independent type of book - where he can just read for fun on his own, under no pressure. Interesting, that's not how I use it at all. I can turn my kids loose on MEP and SM worksheets, but Beast Academy seems to demand dialogue. Some of this is provided by the Beasts' discussion with each other, but I don't think that's a perfect substitute for actual interaction. I guess I can see a bright kiddo who's interested in the story, giving the problems in the Guide about 30 seconds before looking at the answer and moving on. Whereas with support and discussion my kids and I were able to puzzle over the polyominos puzzles for quite a while, and then sleep on it and puzzle over it again, before "giving up" (and even then, DS has asked me to make him cut-outs of the tetraminos today, and to practice the chessboard method to determine which shapes are impossible.) I love the way DS7 approaches math since we started Beast. Totally worth it for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SierraNevada Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 Well, for us, where we are taking a math break for awhile, we are just using them at DS's discretion. If I was trying to actually teach him something, I would be reading with him. But we are using them in a- no pressure, if you want to read about math in your own time, great, if not, great - sort of way. So at this point, that means that DS just reads them for fun in his bed at night. But personally, I would struggle with using two curriculum at once anyway, and since BA doesn't go past 4A right now, it is not going to be our spine by default....SM is going to be. But the beauty of the BA and LOF books are that if you don't use them to teach out of, your kids can just enjoy math on their own time, in their own way.. and if they pick up anything at all from it, great! If not, at least they had fun reading. The only reason I would say that BA might not be worth the money is that if you do want to use it as your main curriculum, it very well might not keep (publishing-wise) pace with your child, and you would only benefit from using if for a short while, in which case, I would be more tempted to use a different spine, and just use BA as fun math reading, so that we didn't have to switch back and forth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunnyday Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 Ah, yeah, I remember that your little guy is pretty young and y'all are working to strike a balance. I'm glad that the Beasts are giving him a positive association with math! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soror Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 Totally worth it here. It depends on how tight the money is though and how well your current programs are working. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LMD Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 If you had to pay $37 postage? Still worth it? Yep! I paid nearly $50 in postage. Bargain. I'm gearing up to do it again soon (DD is in 3D now...), and I will - happily! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melodiya99 Posted November 1, 2013 Share Posted November 1, 2013 I wouldn't translate it into another language, but it is my absolute favorite homeschooling purchase so far. It has transformed my math- skilled but math-dreading daughter into a serious math maniac...she literally does a huge round of diabolical laughter with every difficult problem she figures out. The textbooks are so engaging that she read through them over and over this summer, and started applying stuff to everyday situations. The workbooks are still more challenging, but we do them together and they're fun. And as far as "Is it just another way to make math fun?" I'd say it's not...it's more like it makes challenging yourself with math fun:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted November 1, 2013 Share Posted November 1, 2013 I think it would have been if it had come out at the right time, but it was too late for DD. She loved the first books, but they're too expensive to have her whip through them WITHOUT them being challenging, so I stopped buying them. I have to say, I kind of wish they'd come out with BA Pre-Algebra and Algebra, for young kids who need a higher level of math content early. (or maybe just a BA supplement for the regular AOPS books for younger kids. Maybe a set of important facts cards featuring the BA characters or something....) DD is loving the challenging part of AOPS Pre-Algebra, and it's the right level for her, but it's not at all "cute", and for an 8 yr old girl, "cute" is important. And if they come out with a stuffed Lizzie, I'm buying her! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freerange Posted November 1, 2013 Share Posted November 1, 2013 I'm in the Netherlands. I see now that their shipping prices dependend on the order. If I only order Beast 3A I have to pay 37.10$ shipping. If I order 3A-B-C-D-4A I have to pay 69.50$. If I knew for sure that the language wouldn't be a problem, I would probably order it. But I'm not sure, and the price of BA + shipping + custom taxes (on both the books and the shipping costs).....$$$. ETA: for those wondering about the translation 'problems', I'm looking at the sample chapter of Beast Academy 3A, about 'right angles on the left of the drawing'. That's a joke that is not really translatable to Dutch, as is the confusing/funny use of 'Oh, right!'. If there are a lot of situations like that, math lessons will leave me :willy_nilly: . Are there experienced BA users who can shed some light on this?? There's a UK stockist for AOPS, maybe they can order it for you? http://www.ukmt.org.uk/publications/index.php?type=Yearbook Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tress Posted November 1, 2013 Share Posted November 1, 2013 There's a UK stockist for AOPS, maybe they can order it for you? http://www.ukmt.org.uk/publications/index.php?type=Yearbook You are right! I bought my other AoPS stuff from there. Hmmm, I have to think about this some more. Singapore Math is working very well, so I don't need it as badly as other posters who were having math-hating kids. The only reason I'm looking at it (again), is the 'making challenges fun'-part. My dd10 is extremely reluctant to do anything challenging in math and I would hate for my dd7 to also develop that attitude. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenmama2 Posted November 2, 2013 Share Posted November 2, 2013 I wouldn't translate it but I did pay the ludicrously high shipping to the Southern Hemisphere & I'm glad I did. It turned out to be perfect for DD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soror Posted November 2, 2013 Share Posted November 2, 2013 And as far as "Is it just another way to make math fun?" I'd say it's not...it's more like it makes challenging yourself with math fun:)Yes, if one thinks it is just about making math fun then, well, they miss the point and purpose of BA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizaG Posted November 10, 2013 Share Posted November 10, 2013 You are right! I bought my other AoPS stuff from there. Hmmm, I have to think about this some more. Singapore Math is working very well, so I don't need it as badly as other posters who were having math-hating kids. The only reason I'm looking at it (again), is the 'making challenges fun'-part. My dd10 is extremely reluctant to do anything challenging in math and I would hate for my dd7 to also develop that attitude. For us, Beast Academy is just so-so. My children find it challenging but not especially fun. They like math in general, and often make up their own problems to solve, so I thought it would be something they'd really go for. In the end, it's turned out to be somewhat of a chore, and I'm not sure we'll buy any more levels. My sense is that, if your children enjoy solving lots of hard problems that have been set by other people, they'll enjoy it even without the comic books. If they don't, they're going to see through the "cute" factor pretty quickly. At least that seems to be our experience. So I've kind of resigned myself to the fact that, in order to challenge them, I'm going to have to become a more creative and involved math teacher -- or at least tutor. (And right after I spent a few months getting English figured out! This is tiring!!! :D ) To give me more ideas for solving this "hard Mommy problem," we just got a bunch of other "challenging elementary math" books. My favorite of these series is Competitive Mathematics by Cleo and Silviu Borac. It's quite new, and I haven't seen it mentioned so far on these boards. The questions are child-friendly but straightforward, and the books are inexpensive. If it happens that you (or any other overseas members) like the look of them, the publishers have an e-mail address on their web site; they might be able to work something reasonable out for shipping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaSprout Posted November 11, 2013 Share Posted November 11, 2013 Beast is very awesome, but for dragging to bed, many of these are available at libraries: http://livingmath.net/ReaderLists/tabid/268/language/en-US/Default.aspx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dovrar Posted November 11, 2013 Author Share Posted November 11, 2013 Beast is very awesome, but for dragging to bed, many of these are available at libraries: http://livingmath.net/ReaderLists/tabid/268/language/en-US/Default.aspx Thanks for this list! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dovrar Posted November 11, 2013 Author Share Posted November 11, 2013 To give me more ideas for solving this "hard Mommy problem," we just got a bunch of other "challenging elementary math" books. My favorite of these series is Competitive Mathematics by Cleo and Silviu Borac. It's quite new, and I haven't seen it mentioned so far on these boards. The questions are child-friendly but straightforward, and the books are inexpensive. If it happens that you (or any other overseas members) like the look of them, the publishers have an e-mail address on their web site; they might be able to work something reasonable out for shipping. Does anyone know how Competitive Mathematics compares to Challenging Word Problems? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dovrar Posted November 11, 2013 Author Share Posted November 11, 2013 I'm thinking about just getting a variety of different puzzle type books and seeing how that goes. Right now that list includes Math Perplexors, Venn Perplexors, Pentomino Puzzles: 365 Teasers to Keep Your Brain in Shape, and some kind of matchstick puzzles (if anyone knows of a good one please pass that along). Can you think of any other kind of puzzles to add to the list? Oh, I also own Mighty Mind Mighty-Mind/dp/B00000K3XI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1384185229&sr=8-1&keywords=mighty+mind Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted November 11, 2013 Share Posted November 11, 2013 If you can get Thinkfun games (Rush hour, chocolate fix, etc), those are really good, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dovrar Posted November 11, 2013 Author Share Posted November 11, 2013 Oooooooo, I have rush hour, but I've never seen lazer maze. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicianmom Posted November 11, 2013 Share Posted November 11, 2013 And if they come out with a stuffed Lizzie, I'm buying her! Me too! Actually you've given me an idea. I have a friend who has a thriving etsy business making stuffed animals and dolls, very professional quality. She's constantly looking for new ideas. Maybe she could get in touch with the folks at BA and work with them to offer stuffed beasts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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