Smithie Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 My 10-year-olds are almost through with Math Mammoth 5A, and they aren't loving the program. They like it better than Rod and Staff 4, they find it less confusing than Beast Academy... but what they really want is to do math online. Since we are enrolling them in an online charter school for middle school next year, I think it makes sense to let them to the second half of 5th grade math at their computers.  So, what to do? We started this year trying to use Khan Academy for math, but there wasn't enough structure or repetition. We used Teaching Textbooks 3 in second grade, which was OK, but I've seen a lot of complaints about it not being a good program for kids who are going to transition to public school in the higher grades. A friend of mind loves IXL math for her son, but I've never tried it.  Online math mommas (and daddies), which programs do you love? Which ones should I back slowly away from? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blondeviolin Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 ALEKS? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hollyhock Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 I would suggest MEP 7 and up because there are interactive lessons online, but it's integrated math so that wouldn't work very well if you are planning to transition to public school at some point. But it's free, so you could possibly use it as a resource. Â ETA: My kid went from MM5 to MEP 7 just fine and I plan on doing the same with my next one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tiffaninichole Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 I'd recommend checking out http://ctcmath.com/. I've tried a few other online math programs. This is the one that works and the one that we keep going back to. Each lesson has an accompanying video that teaches the concept, then you answer the questions to see how well you retained the information. Standard and comprehensive tests are also available, so you can check on what the kiddos know, and what they need to work on.  Khan, ALEKS, IXL, Dreambox (and a few others that I'm forgetting) didn't work out for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fourisenough Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 If you want a live, synchronous class, take a look at Live Online Math. He also offers video courses. They might be ready for his Pre-Pre Algebra class. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomatHWTK Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 I am using Tablet Class Math and CTC Math as for my oldest right now. I like that CTC offers all grade levels. The downside to most of the math programs is that if you don't understand the way that particular program teaches a lesson you are on your own. Fortunately, there are enough free resources for me to supplement as needed.  That being said, I have never gone with just one program exclusively, so I can't say how that would work for us. Right now, we use three main programs plus supplements just because of things I've purchased or subscribed to over time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IsabelC Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 I don't personally like Khan Academy that much, but I think it's always worth a look, because it's free. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sunshine1221 Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 Dreambox? Â It has worked well for us. Â The homeschoolbuyers co-op makes it affordable enough for us, too. Â Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwik Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 I would suggest MEP 7 and up because there are interactive lessons online, but it's integrated math so that wouldn't work very well if you are planning to transition to public school at some point. But it's free, so you could possibly use it as a resource. Â ETA: My kid went from MM5 to MEP 7 just fine and I plan on doing the same with my next one. Lower levels are available than 7 now. I tried ds7 on level 3 but after the first day he worked out how to trick the system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jenniferbrooke81 Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 No matter what option you choose, and there are many, I would say to check scope and sequence for integers (adding and subtracting negatives particularly), decimals, and fractions, and ideally, simple variable equations. When they get to Algebra, these are things they will need to already be proficient in, despite the Algebra book having chapters on these. I've taught Jacobs Algebra, along with higher math classes, for ten years, and those students who came in ill prepared struggled greatly. (I switched our school, and now my daughter, from Saxon to Math Mammoth for this reason). MM5A is a little rough, though it's such a great prep for MM6, which in turn is solid prep for Jacobs. IXL is a good supplement, though I haven't looked at it from a full curriculum perspective. My biggest thing to avoid in online math is multiple choice answers - FLVS, whose students I tutor often, relies almost exclusively on this and it drives me batty. As you move to higher math with multistep problems, it's crucial for a teacher to see all of the student's work in order to assess why they missed the problem. Was it a concept error or calculation? What concept do I need to reteach? No way to tell this if they are just entering or selecting an answer without accompanying work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lillyblue Posted May 19, 2022 Share Posted May 19, 2022 (edited) We've loved these online math programs: - CTC Math: https://www.ctcmath.com/ (great practice for strong arithmetic foundation...has video instruction then practice problems that self-grades. Students can also redo the work to show that they've mastered the concepts and raise their scores.) My kids work out all the problems on their lap white board before typing in their answers. Though we are new to CTC math, so we pair this with our main curriculum, Beast Academy. - Beast Academy: https://beastacademy.com/ (teaches math critical thinking skills that goes beyond anything I've ever learned as a kid when I was in public school)😅 Also, same as above. My kids have to work every single problem out on a lap white board before typing in their answers. Beast Academy prepares them for the next level: Pre-Algebra to Calculus BC through another sister program called Art of Problem Solving: https://artofproblemsolving.com/ Edited May 19, 2022 by Lillyblue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomeAgain Posted May 19, 2022 Share Posted May 19, 2022 I would not suggest online math at this moment. 6th and up is the time for written math. A kid needs to be able to keep track of all the steps, work out the problem, and if there's an issue, find out where it might be and check their work. The problems are more complicated and more steps involved in middle school math, and I would back away from anything that promised an equivalent education but online only format. That said............there are some good lateral moves that are not MM. MEP has been offered up. DS preferred moving to MUS with a side of the ....With Pizazz series (there's Middle School Math With Pizazz and the rest through algebra). He also liked Arithmetiquities, a quest-based math supplement. MM is busy looking but kids have other issues with it, so the more you can figure out what they're not enjoying, the easier it will be to find a math that they will appreciate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Tick Posted May 19, 2022 Share Posted May 19, 2022 Zommmmbie thread. Â Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lillyblue Posted May 19, 2022 Share Posted May 19, 2022 (edited) Yeah, it's an old thread. But I figured others can benefit from this, so I thought I'd chime in. I've benefitted so much from this forum...even Zombie Threads. 🙂 So I thought I'd give back to the community by sharing what has worked for us. I'm so grateful for all the discussion here past and present. I've discovered amazing curricula from the community here... from old posts and as well as new. 🙂 Edited May 19, 2022 by Lillyblue 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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