Math Mammoth vs RightStart vs Life of Fred

[tangledoak]

We have RightStart A. Ages of kids this year are 8 and 6. We've done a bit of RS and the kids liked it, but I feel like we need to do something more "fun" for math.

 

In your opinion, which program do you and your kids like and why? Should I just deal with my own boredom and stick with RightStart, which is how I "do" math myself, or should I try something else? I think I know the answer, but I would appreciate hearing from those more experienced in math curriculums than I.

[nature girl]

We're in the beginning lessons of RS B, continuing with RS because both DD and I loved A, with the games and variety of activities and minimal worksheets it was (both of) our idea of fun. But if it's not fun for you, there's no reason not to look around to find something that looks more appealing. We've read through LoF Apples, and DD enjoyed it and asked for the next book, but it was a little too weird and all-over-the-place for me so I put it off for awhile...We'll read it eventually though, just to continue to show her math can be engaging. It's more of a supplement, though, I'd never consider it a comprehensive program. MM isn't something I'd consider fun personally, but it's cheap enough you could try it out and just pick and choose how much you do.

 

We've also fooled around with Miquon, again very fun for both of us...If RS didn't exist we'd probably be doing Miquon almost exclusively. We also really enjoyed MEP, but only did Reception a year and a half ago...It's an excellent program, but I'm not sure if the higher levels are quite as playful. (ETA: it might be, I just haven't looked in detail since we're so happy with RS.)

 

Living math books are also great, we enjoyed all 3 volumes of Anno's math, as well as some of the I Love Math books:

http://www.amazon.com/How-Octopi-Pizza-Math-Love/dp/0809499509/ref=pd_sim_b_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=08MTXFYNJ12ZXAM64QYQ

http://www.amazon.com/Right-Your-Own-Backyard-Nature/dp/0809499622/ref=pd_sim_b_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=17SN71JH0XJRKCBGE289
http://www.amazon.com/From-Head-Body-Math-Love/dp/0809499665/ref=pd_sim_b_4?ie=UTF8&refRID=0DX1S3TGZ8YNRKQDK3HC
http://www.amazon.com/Case-Missing-Zebra-Stripes-Math/dp/0809499541/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1406754884&sr=8-1&keywords=case+of+the+missing+zebra

[Ad astra]

We like Life of Fred as read aloud but I don't think it'd be sufficient as a main program. Not much review or practice built in. Math Mammoth is a comprehensive program with excellent review but it's a bit dry and lots of worksheets, definitely not on the "fun" side. My son is a workbook lover so MM works well for us. I haven't used R&S but it should be more hands-on than the other two.

[jenslp]

My son and I both love Life of Fred.  My son loves it because the humor is right up his alley, the lessons don't take a long time each day, and he feels like it gives him reasons to learn the math through the story.  What I love about it is that it doesn't take us forever to do the lessons each day, after reviewing the scope and sequence it is more comprehensive than the other math texts to which I compared it, and my son is finally really understanding the math concepts and retaining what he's learning.  Math was stressful for him before and now it's fun.  Good luck with your decision!

[3rugrats]

My DD loves LoF, and I will admit I think it is quite clever, but I just cannot see how it could be a stand alone. We use it as a fun supplement. She always asks for it. I wish that it were enough because she loves them so much. We also use Miquon and education unboxed online videos w/ c-rods, which I think are really fun--appealing to my learning style maybe, but my kids seem to like it too. 

[Curlymom]

Math Mammoth is definitely not fun math! It gets the job done but is just lessons and worksheets. We have only been doing math mammoth for a short time and already I'm looking around for other, fun supplements. So I don't have any advice for fun math, just agreement with the previous posters about Math Mammoth. From what I have heard, Right Start is supposed to be fun! Maybe the grass is always greener on the other side?

[Coco_Clark]

My kids adore Fred and weve done through Cats, but its fun, not math. There are only 4-6 problems a chapter. I know people add to it to make it "complete" but unless they are adding the time it takes to do Fred over again I'm not sure how they are learning their facts.

 

We were all overwhelmed by MM. Just too much per page. Some folks zoom in and print half pages and such but I didn't want to have to deal with it.

 

I never looked into RightStart, but its a well-regarded program and if its working I'd ignore your boredom and keep using it. Life of Fred could be fun as a supplement if you HAVE to try something new. I've never heard MM called "fun", though. Cheap, yes. Complete, yes. Easy to tweak, yes. Not fun.

[brla]

we do Math Mammoth with Life of Fred.  The MM gives us the solid repetitive practice and LOF gives us an engaging way to retain for my non-math thinkers.  2 of my other children prefer Teaching TExtbooks.  I start TT3 in 2nd grade and supplement with other "fun" things like "real books" from the library, youtube videos, school house rocks, even the Sonlight math cds.  also free lapbooks...

[blondchen]

I have no experience with other programs, but DD7 and I both find RightStart to be fun - fun enough at least. I am totally sold on the method. We are getting toward the end of Level B, and it has been much, much better than Level A all around. If you like RightStart at all, and it's working for you, I'd suggest sticking with it through Level B at least. DD loves the games, which really ramp up in Level B, and even more so in Level C, from what I understand.

 

And like a pp suggested, you can always supplement with other fun things here and there if RS isn't enough fun for you and your DC.

[rocassie]

We use RS and Life of Fred as well as doing logic puzzles and other assorted games.  RS has been a really great fit for my oldest as she grasps concepts fairly fast (and the games are fun instead of "work") and is very bored with extensive practice problems.  Life of Fred she finds very humorous and it's a great supplement to test her skills in a different setting. 

[audreyinboston]

My two kids have very different approaches to math.  DD wants a fairly straight-forward, no frills explanation of math.  She likes reading LoF for the story, but it drives her crazy to try to learn "how" to do math with it.  Her math pathway: 1 year of RS math, 2 1/2 years of MEP math, 2 years of LoF (did Apples to Mineshaft and Fractions), 1/2 year MM.  This year for sixth grade we are using MM as the core text and using LoF Decimals for a little bit of fun AFTER she gets the concepts from MM.

 

DS, on the other hand, hates boring, repetitive worksheets--he wants fun and wants to move along at a good clip.  His math pathway: 2 years of MEP math, 1 year of LoF, 1 year of Beast Academy.  For fourth grade we are using LoF Kidneys to Mineshaft along with MM.

 

For myself, I liked the idea of RS math, but it was a bit too much work for me.  I liked MEP math, but the kids hated it after the first year (too worksheet-y).  I moved over the LoF, which again I liked, but has proved problematic for one kid's learning style.  I also like Math Mammoth, but it is boring to my son.  (Geez, you just can't please everybody!)  I have liked these math programs I have tried out because they seem so refreshingly clear to me as compared to my textbook-y public school math education (can you say pictures, manipulatives and meaningful stories?!)

 

All of these math programs have their good points and will work for different kinds of learners.  It has certainly taken me a while to figure out what works for my different kids.  I am somewhat reconciled to the fact that not all learning is "fun" (grammar and math come to mind), but it can be taught in ways that mesh with your learning style or clash with it.  That seems to be the issue that is more important to me--does my kid "get" this program?  Sadly, sometimes we are forced to buy multiple curricula for multiple kids (sniff!), because everyone does not always "get" things the same way.  (I also have 2 different spelling programs for my kids who just do NOT get spelling in the same way--but it is such a relief to finally have something that "clicks" with my spelling-challenged daughter!)

[bbcooker]

I stick with RS even though I hate it, because it works so well for us. We supplement with worksheets because my kids enjoy them, math games, and I'm considering adding Beast academy for my oldest student. They also do logic puzzles for supplements and think they're a game instead of math :)

 

Hmm.  I didn't know you used RS!  We do too.  I have been considering supplementing with CLE math.  But I've never looked into Beast academy. Now I'm looking at the Beast Academy website.  I'm liking what I see!  I have 3 dc in the same grade at the same level.  Hmm.. they could share the guide book, it looks like, but they'd need their own practice books to write in. 

[bbcooker]

We use RS - love it.  It's our core math.  We lean on it to do all our teaching.  I love how it teaches their brains to visualize and understand math.  I think it's the best!

 

We also use LOF, to introduce new higher-level math ideas early (which paves for higher level math to be easier), to be 'fun' math for my dd, and to polish what they've already learned.  We also use it to teach math-student skills, such as how to write your answers out on notebook paper in a readable way, and how to not cheat and look at the answers early.  We also like the life lessons in LOF.  And I like that it's independent, so my dc do it while I'm working with a different dc one-on-one.  But I would NOT use LOF as a main/only math without supplementing it.

[bumblesmama]

My DD is grade 1, nearly 2. We started out with Miquon and while she is a Kinesthetic learner, I didn't feel like she had enough drill for math facts. So she does 1-2 pgs of Math Mammoth per lesson, with free access to manips. We back that up with white board math problems, I take examples from Math Mammoth workbook lesson she is working on and add bonus questions to challenge her. She LOVES white board work.

 

She also loves all Life of Fred. I wouldn't use LoF as stand alone but it is a great way to get them thinking about real world math in a fun, engaging storyline.

 

Math Mammoth also has, for each section of skills, a very comprehensive list of on-line resources for math games that are free and most are quite fun. There is also list of math games you can play with manips, cards, etc. My busy-body DD loves those too, she begs for them! Those games really reinforce her math skills from the workbook.

 

In the end, what we reach for daily is MM, LoF, manips, and math games. My DD loves math!

[Tanikit]

My DD6 is using LOF and Singapore. She loves LOF and always asks to start Math that way - we do it every school day and have completed from Apples to Honey in about 10 months. Singapore often takes shorter for us than listed here because I seldom have much teaching time - I think working in LOF has helped her need less teaching in Singapore. She plays sumdog to learn math facts and keep them fresh, but LOF Honey, Ice Cream and Jelly Beans does make them learn their multiplication facts with flashcards so she gets that too.

[cmarthur]

We love Life of Fred.  I do not consider it a stand alone math program though.  My child wants to start every school day with it.  It is fun for her.  We are also using math mammoth because it is the curriculum chosen by the part time school she is attending.  For us, math mammoth makes math not fun.  It brings tears almost every lesson so far and we've just started.  I have used it as a supplement in the past and liked it as a supplement only.  The pages are really busy and there is not a teacher's manual to provide different ways to teach the concepts.  If you use it as supplemental practice, it is great.  Teaching a new concept and practicing all on the same page is too much distraction for us.  We have used Singapore math (standard edition) 1B-3B and really like it as our main program.  If you want to add some fun into math, I would recommend life of Fred definitely not math mammoth.  We are also going to try Beast Academy this year which appears fun too.  We also supplement with books by Cindy Neuschwander.  They are really fun.

[Kidlit]

We're on our sixth year of RS here and LOVE it. As my girls have gotten older and more advanced, I've made more of an effort to play the games. (It helps that we have lots to choose from now, too.). I've supplemented with various things--MM, LoF, BA. I'm not sure they consider those fun, though (with the possible exception of BA, but it was challenging for my girl). When they were younger, I added in math picture books once a week or so. Of everything mentioned, in my opinion RS is the most "fun."

[Stellalarella]

... I feel like we need to do something more "fun" for math.

 

 Should I just deal with my own boredom and stick with RightStart, which is how I "do" math myself, or should I try something else? 

 

Well, I think that that it's OK for a math lesson to be work, skill practice, or even a bit tedious now and then as long as it doesn't go on forever.  KWIM?  I love MUS.  Front page, flip over--back page.  Lots of White Space, and we are DONE people.  Sometimes skill practice is just not energizing.  The feeling good part of math comes from having to work a little hard (not too hard that you feel overwhelmed and terrified) and getting the right answer.  

 

I see my kids feel happiness and enjoyment in math when they 1) solve a problem, check the answer and get it right 2) achieve a new goal on flashcard practice 3) use math to solve a real problem in life that is totally unconnected to school time 4) or tell a younger sibling how to do a problem :). 

 

Please forgive me, but most of the time I feel bored out of my mind when I am working with a kid on math.  It's feels tedious (to me) to explain for the 300th time how to find perimeter and area.  Especially for that one kid that just could not get it.  But he finally, finally did.   :)

 

It's fun to bring in a little game every now and then--it helps both me and the kids.  I like to get out the chalkboard at supper and do math games every once in a while.  And have the kids time Dad and Mom while they do flashcards.  And our family does also very much enjoy Life of Fred as a supplement to our math program.  

 

I think there are ways to add little gumdrops of happiness into math time but still keep using a curriculum that has proven an effective tool with one's kiddos.  

[Crimson Wife]

I would not do RS level A with an 8 and 6 y.o. It's a K program so no wonder they are bored. At minimum, I would bump them to B.

 

The 8 y.o. I would probably do a quick run-through of Math Mammoth 2 to try to get back on grade-level.

[Tanikit]

My daughter loves LOF, but I also would not use it as a stand alone though my DD did fly through the earlier levels. 

[Kidlit]

I would not do RS level A with an 8 and 6 y.o. It's a K program so no wonder they are bored. At minimum, I would bump them to B.

 

 

 

The 8 y.o. I would probably do a quick run-through of Math Mammoth 2 to try to get back on grade-level.

I agree!