Help me decide what math to do next???

[HSMWB]

Can you please help me brainstorm about where to go with math?

 

We have been doing mainly RightStart Math, 1st Edition, currently on Level E with a 9 1/2 year old girl (4th grade).  We started in level A and have done a variety of math programs but kept coming back to RightStart.  I absolutely love the Art of Problem Solving books and had basically planned to transfer to that, maybe with some other stuff thrown in as a bridge.  HOWEVER, I purchased the Beast Academy books (and we have worked through 3A-C) but she detests them.  I am kind of heart broken about this, I keep thinking I am implementing them 'wrong' somehow.  Do you think that if she hates those she will also hate the AoPS books??

 

Anyone not go to the Algebra VideoText and the Geometric Approach and like what they chose, and if so why??  Anyone carry on and think I should even though I would prefer to not use two math programs??

 

[maize]

We didn't come from RightStart, but my 11 year old is happy with Jousting Armadillos; I think that could be a good next step.

[Kiara.I]

You want to not do the Geometric Approach?  With what you're describing, I'd be inclined to do the extra year or so of Geometric and then see if AoPS is a good fit, after another year or year and a half of growth.

[EmilyGF]

We moved onto Singapore 4B after RS E, then realized it was too easy for DS and are now on SM 5A - we use the textbook and IP. He still seems to know all the concepts, though the practice is doing him good. He also has worked through xtramath to cement his math facts.

 

We did CWP along with RS all the way through, though this is our first use of IP. He's a really hard worker with a good attitude.

 

I didn't go the video route because I wanted to be able to skim things and speed up where necessary. You can't do that with a video. Also, although my son had greatly benefitted from early drawing based lessons, the later ones in E drove him and me crazy because they were so fiddly and easy to mess up.

[kateingr]

I have only used Beast, not AOPS, but they sure look like very different programs. AOPS is much more "grown-up" and less playful, which might help if the beasts are offending her sense of dignity. There also seems to be a lot more leading through the inductive process in the AOPS books I've looked at, as opposed to the way Beast sometimes throws double star problems at kids without a lot of guidance. (My kid loves those problems, but they're not everyone's cup of tea. ) it might be worth looking carefully at AOPS samples or checking out alcumus before deciding.

[Farrar]

I've used the AoPS algebra for myself as a review and ds used Beast. I think they have a lot in common - both discovery based, deep thinking. I disagree that Beast throws out hard problems without any guidance - I think both use easy problems to lead into really difficult ones. And both have the solutions as a really integral part of the teaching.

 

But while the bones of the approach are the same, the look and feel of each is just so, so different and that sort of thing can be make or break, especially for kids. So in that sense, I could see that a kid who didn't jibe with Beast could do great with AoPS and vice versa. Also, Beast can be really, really hard. I think it's great to challenge kids, but I also think some kids are ready and some need the challenges to just wait. So in that sense, a kid who has matured and jumped through some developmental hoops totally apart from just basic math understanding could like AoPS when they didn't like Beast.