New to homeschooling from public school...math?

[Zinnia]

I have just pulled my 2nd grader from public school, chiefly because he was bored and starting to not behave so well.  :)  He was tested just before he left p.s, and they placed his math at an early 5th grade level.

 

He was in standard 2nd grade math, with a little bit of supplement in the gifted program, but that was more additional busy-work than going deeper or being accelerated.  At home, we've played around with Miquon since pre-K, just working through pages as he's wanted.  He's currently mid-way through the green book in that. 

 

So, here's my question...do we stay with the Miquon and just go through it faster?  Add in a 5th grade textbook?  Do a 3rd grade textbook at an accelerated pace?  He understands multiplication and division, but he's still working on getting the facts down quickly, without having to figure it out.  Getting faster, but not there completely yet. 

 

Any ideas?  I'm a little overwhelmed by the choices.

 

[Snickerdoodle]

Beast Academy

[CardinalAlt]

We're doing Miquon Yellow and Beast Academy, with a little Zaccarro Challenge Math (the elementary one) thrown in occasionally... If you think he can accelerate in Miquon, go for it. I skip pages occasionally or pick half of the problems on one, the ones that look the most interesting. Other times, I make our own lab sheets to play with a concept more, or grab a game from Education Unboxed...

[CardinalAlt]

Forgot, I was going to ask - how did they test him as early 5th? Just curious. I think you'll know when you hit the right level of challenge. Both BA and Miquon have a lot of depth to them.

[Farrar]

I would finish Miquon and slowly add in Beast. One of my ds loved both and he's my more mathy thinker. I think they go well together.

[MotherGoose]

I don't think I'd just skip to 5th grade math--there are probably some things he's missed on the way.

[raptor_dad]

If he likes Miquon, I would continue that for now. He likes it. It works. Its a great program. Why mess with it?

 

In a few months, you could start adding in either Singapore or Beast at the 3rd grade level. It is not like school, he can go as fast -or- slow as he wants. You don't need to jump ahead. Just start a strong program and follow his lead.

 

 

[desertflower]

Welcome!

 

A lot of math websites have placement tests.  I'm not familiar with which one though.

 

Since he's using Miquon, is he a kinesthetic learner? If so, that'll limit your choices.  RightStart Math, Math U see are other choices.  My child is a kinesthetic learner, but we use Singapore. 

 

MEP is free (from Britain I think).  You could flip through this to see where he's at. 

 

I started this reply this morning and now it's afternoon, so perhaps you have a better response. 

 

Good luck.

[Julie of KY]

I like Miquon and Singapore. Beast Academy is great starting in 3rd grade.

 

I would not jump him to a 5th grade book, but I'd find a challenging program (like Beast or Singapore) and move through it as quickly or slowly as it takes. Feel free to modify - skip easy problems, only do some of the pages if it is review. There's a lot of math between Miquon green and 5th grade.

[Spring Flower]

I would not jump him to a 5th grade book, but I'd find a challenging program (like Beast or Singapore) and move through it as quickly or slowly as it takes. Feel free to modify - skip easy problems, only do some of the pages if it is review. 

 

This.

 

Don't be afraid to accelerate. 

[Miss Tick]

Miquon and BA are great, we use them here and like them. Don't feel like you need to rush to find the right thing, either. Keep it light, work on facts, see what appeals to him. Find some games to reinforce the facts once in a while, card, computer, dominoes, dice, etc.

 

With my dd I had her fill in a 12X12 multiplication table once a week or so, sometimes timed, sometimes with the rows and columns out of order. That helped a lot. We could talk about which ones have her trouble and which were easy for her.

 

 

MEP is free (from Britain I think). You could flip through this to see where he's at.

 

 

I use MEP (along with Beast Academy) for my ds. They are both great programs, but I found MEP hard to get started and impossible to casually flip through. I would say save it for if you need a change down the road a but.

[stripe]

He understands multiplication and division, but he's still working on getting the facts down quickly, without having to figure it out. Getting faster, but not there completely yet.

I'm just not sure what this means. There's a lot of things to be understood about them. One of my children is currently multiplying and dividing non-integers and negative numbers, as well as vertically multiplying multidigit numbers, for example, whereas another is only multiplying small positive integers (3x5).

 

I'd take a look at MEP anyway, especially since it's free so you can see it entirely. I'm a fan.

[blondeviolin]

I'd finish Miquon and segue into Beast.

[EndOfOrdinary]

If you are new to homeschooling, then I would just pick something that is working.  It does not need to be the best, nor does it need to be even going fabulously.  It just needs to work for a bit while you get your legs under you.  This will take the pressure off.  Next year you can try to find the best, the fabulous, the curriculum that will just rock your son's mathematical socks off.  Do the research now, ask some questions to your son now, but don't worry about trying to scramble and find something.  Over the next few months, try to pay attention to the way your son likes to learn or what types of curriculum really seem to resonate with him.  If you know that, then you can begin to find a curriculum that might really work well.

 

If this post is you asking questions and gathering info, then totally disregard the above. :001_smile:

 

 

[sweetpea3829]

If you are planning on homeschooling him from now on, and have no intentions of sending him back...than I wouldn't worry too much about accelerating him.  

 

If you think there's any chance he *might* go back to public school, I personally would not accelerate him too far.  Because if he does go back, he's going to be bored, and its unlikely the school will meet his math level, if it is considerably higher than his grade placement.  

 

That said...I have a son like yours.  He is 7 and he just "gets" math.  He could easily be working several grade levels ahead, but I hold him back somewhat because of maturity and also because I want to make sure he has absolutely no gaps.  I'd rather he have a deep math understanding, than get through it too quickly.  He is working a grade and a half ahead. 

 

I am using Singapore, which I love, because it really gives them a solid math foundation.  

 

I supplement with Beast Academy.  I <3 <3 <3 Beast Academy.  It is an AMAZING math curriculum for kids that find math easy.  I love how it doesn't just present concepts, it really stretches my son's understanding.  

 

For example, today I quickly reviewed multiplication and division with him.  I told him that later this week we'd be learning how to multiply multiple digit numbers and I gave him an example...something like 2841X9.  He said...well that's easy...I can multiply 2841X10 and then subtract the extra 2841.  BAM!  He got that from Beast.

 

I am also using books from the Competitive Math Series, in order to give him a firm foundation in problem solving.   

 

With kiddos like this, I prefer an approach that takes math DEEPER.  He'll get the breadth...there's lots of years of school left.  But going deeper will greatly benefit him in the long run.  

[TKDmom]

Another to vote to finish Miquon if that's working for you. Then move on to Beast Academy.