Best Math Program for the 5th Grade Math Phobic?

[CAtoVA]

My DS is 10 and in fifth grade. We have been using Singapore Math Standards since Kindergarten and he used Math in Focus last year in 4th grade at a private school. He is very strong in computation thanks to Singapore but weaker in concepts and application thanks to his very literal, concrete  mindset. When I homeschooled him from K-3 he had some issues with math (no confidence and perfectionism mostly) but we did okay. Well last year did him in with a teacher who didn't know how to teach math to 4th graders. Too many leaps and abstractions with very little hands on and a lack of careful scaffolding of ideas and concepts.

 

So now DS is home again for fifth and basically phobic about math. It's gotten to where he looks at the Singapore Math in Focus 5 book and crumbles so out that goes! But what to replace it with and to build his confidence and allay his fears? Spiral would be fine and he is already doing Horizons 4 as a review. I like what I see with Math Mammoth so far but I'm not sure. CLE looks like too many problems on the page.

 

Any advice would be great!

 

 

[kiana]

If he *likes* Horizons and is doing well with it, why not just continue through the 4th grade book and start the 5th? It is a good, solid program. He should be able to "catch up" with their scope and sequence with some summer math, but even if he continues one year behind, that would still put him ready for a solid algebra course in 9th grade. 

 

I actually wouldn't start 5th grade math (whatever you use) until he's remediated both the phobia and lack of knowledge from 4th grade. 

[CAtoVA]

Thanks, Kiana. I am thinking seriously about it.

 

Anybody else care to weigh in?

 

 

[triadofchaos]

Thank you for posting, because we're in a sort of similar situation with a similarly aged child. My DD1 is finishing with Singapore Math US Edition Grade 4, but math has become an absolute battle. I'm looking to switch her to something else at this point to prevent any further math trauma. So, I can here today and on RRC- hunting for reviews & ideas. I'm also looking at Horizons (or MCP Mathematics?) but unsure at this point if it would be the right fit. And where to start her. We've used Singapore since Kindy, so while I do believe she needs a switch to get her through to middle/high school, it's totally strange to be looking at other options now. 

[boscopup]

MM has way more problems on a page than CLE. What MM does in 2 pages, CLE does in 4 or 5. CLE is quite spread out. Horizons at the 4th grade and up level also has more problems on a page than CLE. They all probably have the same number of problems per lesson.

 

CLE is excellent for math phobic kids IF they are placed correctly. I've personally seen my friend's math phobic daughter turn around with CLE. It was amazing. She went back a grade level at first, but later caught up to grade level.

 

MM can be helpful to some students who do well with an Asian math approach but need more incremental instruction. But some kids do better with a traditional math program. Nothing wrong with that. As long as they learn math. :) CLE amd Horizons are both traditional style math.

[OneStepAtATime]

Agree that MM has a lot more problems on a page than CLE.  Why not download and print out the assessment from CLE?  Start with 100 and let him work his way all the way through 400 to see where there are gaps and weak spots.  You could target those then move forward.  You could break it up over a couple of days at least for the placement/assessment tests, and maybe two sessions each day, since the sections after 100 are pretty long.  

 

DD14 is starting down this road.  She has some math struggles and some phobia.  DS10 is using MiF along with other resources but MiF was a terrible fit for DD.  She took the placement tests from CLE for 100 and 200 yesterday.  She passed both but it was clear where there were specific sections we need to review.  I intend to target those then give her the assessments for 300 and 400 and do the same thing.  Then we will move forward again.  She liked the format of the CLE pages.  Easy to read.  Clean.  Well laid out.  She did 27 pages of math (a subject she loathes and has struggle with), broken up over two sessions, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, and didn't get overly fatigued.  It also gave her a boost of confidence since it was primarily review and she did well with the vast majority of it.  I took her all the way back to 100 because I suspected there were some gaps even going that far back and I was right, but not very many.  Easy to target and move on.

[weintz8]

What about TT 5?  That way he wouldn't realize he was "behind", since he would be doing a 5th grade program.  TT runs behind so it might be closer to his skill level and it's a great confidence builder.  Then around Christmas time you could introduce the program you wanted to use 2 days a week, building up to 5 days a week of that.  If you did that through the summer he would be about ready to start 6th grade in the program of your choice in the fall.

[CAtoVA]

Arctic Mama, it's challenge definitely. He approaches math with a defeated attitude even though he is actually pretty sharp with most of it or can catch on if he allows himself to clearly focus and work the problems.  With the Math in Focus I think it's even just the sight of the books at this point.

 

I saw TT mentioned. I considered that but isn't that taught on DVD? Math is a subject DS seems to need to do at my side so to speak. I think he needs a bit of hand holding this year after last year so it is not a totally independent subject for him like other things are. I am able to give him some practice to do on his own however which is good.

 

We did some Math Mammoth today (used 5th grade samples) and he actually enjoyed it. I tend to cut things out (do every other problem or something like that) if things seem to be getting tedious and redundant. My DD (age 6) on the other hand, dislikes the amount of problems and the small print of MM. She loves Singapore as do I.

 

I do think DS does well with an Asian approach to math but he needs it to be more incremental as a pp said. However, he also needs review like Horizons provides. Doing the 2nd book of Horizons 4 has been a boost for his confidence.

 

I'll look at CLE again. The price sure is right. I'm reselling all of my Math in Focus 5th grade materials so I should come out ahead, LOL.