Beast Academy as Stand Alone?

[umsami]

I've always used BA 3 as a supplement to Math Mammoth or whatever math curriculum we're using.  Next year, I may be home schooling four kids at once, so I want to simplify things.  Have you used BA3 as a stand alone?  I'm leaning towards trying it now that there's actually a complete BA4 too.  Previously, BA4 had been coming (forever...many missed deadlines) or they only had BA4a.  

 

 

[Incognito]

Yes, we did last year.  I think it worked well.  But we are rogue people and used Life of Fred as our math for a couple of years (and subsequently met/exceeded standards on testing, so it worked).

[momacacia]

We're stand alone now with BA, but oldest does use Math Rider to keep easy math facts fresh. I want her to have those things down colder than she does.

[MrsWeasley]

I would like to use Beast Academy as a standalone, and I'm hoping to do that with my second child, but with their current publishing schedule, we do a lot of living math books in order to keep my eldest busy while we wait for the next one to be published.

[Farrar]

We used it as the core - I had him do some little supplemental things, but I don't think they were necessary. I think the number one reason not to use Beast as a standalone is quickly disappearing - which is that it used to have so few books. But in as little as a year or so, they might be finished with the 5th grade books and starting on the 2nd grade ones.

[kateingr]

I agree with everyone else. I use it as a stand-alone, and I love the simplicity of just having one book and one workbook going at a time. (The authors certainly wrote it as a stand-alone curriculum, too, if that helps at all.) 

[Roadrunner]

 I think the number one reason not to use Beast as a standalone is quickly disappearing - which is that it used to have so few books. But in as little as a year or so, they might be finished with the 5th grade books and starting on the 2nd grade ones.

 

I really hope so. They keep promising to accelerate, but they have yet to release a book on time. I am saying this because I am desperately awaiting 5A since my younger kiddo is finishing up 4D and is refusing to do anything else. I will have to force-feed him SM. :(

 

 

To answer the general question, yes, Beast stands alone. Yet, I really like that we worked on bar diagrams in SM. My son can visually see the solution because of those bars and momentarily grasps why algebraic method works. I guess I am trying to say that supplementing has its charms. 

[rzberrymom]

I disagree. I think Beast Academy is much more thorough when supplemented with something like Singapore. I think BA has been FANTASTIC for preparing my kiddo for pre-algebra and for boosting her critical thinking, but SM does cover a lot more topics that I'm very glad we didn't skip/miss out on.

[Targhee]

We have used both 3 and 4 as stand alone, and now second child has started 3 as stand alone. I will qualify that they also play on dreambox - I didn't get it for the review, more like something productive they can engage with 100% independent of me while I work with someone else. It does however give them practice and sometimes even different strategies. They play about 15-30 min three or so days a week.

[MamaChicken]

My third grader started out using it to supplement Singapore but enjoyed it so much that we ended up using stand alone. He's doing great. Since we didn't finish the level 3 stuff, at the end of the year I started him in khan academy and he promptly finished "3rd grade math" and 30% of 4th. He also tested extremely well and for the first time considers math his favorite subject. :). Something he definitely wasn't saying about any other math curriculum.

[SanDiegoMom]

I like to supplement with Singapore IP, and occasionally the regular Singapore workbook when we got to division and she needed a little bit more time on it. I also have her play Math games on the iPad for fun, but those are all just occasional. BA is definitely where the majority of the time is spent, no question.

[Spy Car]

I disagree. I think Beast Academy is much more thorough when supplemented with something like Singapore. I think BA has been FANTASTIC for preparing my kiddo for pre-algebra and for boosting her critical thinking, but SM does cover a lot more topics that I'm very glad we didn't skip/miss out on.

 

This is my thinking too. I love Beast Academy and only wish the later releases had come earlier in our case. Like you I have a 10 year old who has moved on to AoPS Prealgebra (and like that too).

 

What BA does at an elementary school age is extraordinary. But Primary Mathematics provided a different type of solid foundation. PM is as methodical as BS is quirky. They have very different qualities, and I liked having both. Especially moving forward with AoPS.

 

Bill

[MrsWeasley]

I really hope so. They keep promising to accelerate, but they have yet to release a book on time. I am saying this because I am desperately awaiting 5A since my younger kiddo is finishing up 4D and is refusing to do anything else. I will have to force-feed him SM. :(

 

 

To answer the general question, yes, Beast stands alone. Yet, I really like that we worked on bar diagrams in SM. My son can visually see the solution because of those bars and momentarily grasps why algebraic method works. I guess I am trying to say that supplementing has its charms. 

 

I have this fantasy that they will finish the fifth level this year, and then go back and finish the second grade level in a year, so that my second child can start Beast in second grade, but at this rate...

[Forgiven]

We have used all of 3 as a stand-alone and half of 4. I am letting my oldest son go at a slower pace because of the production schedule. He should be starting 5A in the fall. Right now I'm just glad I let him slow down and go slower. He's at the end of 4B. I hope that he'll be able to do 4C, 4D, 5A, and 5B this next school year.

 

My youngest will start 3 this year, and I plan on him using BA as a stand-alone curriculum. We're both excited.

 

Angie

[sweetpea3829]

I agree with Bill (Spy Car) and rzberry.  I adore Beast Academy.  It is phenomenal.  And I believe that it CAN be a stand-alone.  But yet...when I compare it with SM, I feel like SM is providing a more thorough, broader math education.  Beast gives a lot of depth...and some quirky tricks.  But honestly, much of what DS has learned in Beast, he has forgotten.  Things such as the perfect squares shortcuts, and the skip counting/factoring stuff.  Without consistently reviewing and using those skills, he has lost them quite easily.  

 

If I could improve Beast Academy, I would offer some kind of spiral review, or a web-based game experience where those skills are practiced.  

[Roadrunner]

But honestly, much of what DS has learned in Beast, he has forgotten.  Things such as the perfect squares shortcuts, and the skip counting/factoring stuff.  Without consistently reviewing and using those skills, he has lost them quite easily.  

 

 

That is what I thought until we hit preA. I think the reason DS had zero problems with preA was because of those chapters. It all came flooding back. He was set up to succeed. 

[redsquirrel]

We are using BA as a stand alone and it works well for my kid. I would prefer to supplement with CWP, but he's a bit anti-SM these days. Not because of an issue with SM, I love it, it's just him.

 

The publishing schedule is working for us so far, we are in 4a and are taking a summer break.  If we catch up to then then we go back to SM.  If we are able to finish BA on 'schedule" (and who knows what that is) I plan to have him go through SM 6a&6B before moving on AoPS pre-A...cause reasons, lol.

[sweetpea3829]

That is what I thought until we hit preA. I think the reason DS had zero problems with preA was because of those chapters. It all came flooding back. He was set up to succeed. 

 

See though, my kiddo is still at least two years away from Pre-Al.  (Wait...let me think...4th next, 5th the year after...and probably pre-a after that...so yeah...at least 2 years).  

 

To be fair, I see how Beast has impacted DS' overall math abilities.  He uses the distributive property like nobody's business and can mentally calculate faster than I can calculate on paper.  And when we have revisited those topics that he has "forgotten", although he has forgotten, he relearns them very easily.  I totally see how Beast is setting him up for success in Algebra.  But then again...SM is setting him up for success, too...and it covers a broader range of topics.  But not by much...lol.  

 

I love both programs...which is why I use them both.  They both serve a purpose.  

[RoundAbout]

We use Beast Academy as a spine, but I occasionally throw in some challenging word problems, Zaccaro, or other math resources just for fun.  We did Rightstart A-C, briefly tried Singapore but found it too repetitive especially with the all of the textbook and workbook problems, then switched to BA full time.  DS is finishing up BA 4C and considering the slow publication schedule we'll have plenty of chances to fill in gaps before starting pre-algebra.

[MamaChicken]

Aw man, now I'm wondering if I should add SM back into the mix...Maybe I was doing it wrong, we just didn't feel the love.  With the textbook, the workbook and IP and CWP it felt like too much repetition, without the workbook it felt too hard.  The AOPS folks feel pretty strongly that Beast is stand alone...

[Lisa in the UP of MI]

For the right student, yes, Beast Academy is a complete curriculum.  Some will need more repetition or more review and for some it just won't work well at all.  For my oldest it is perfect as is and the only reason we supplemented was that we had to wait for the next book to come out.

[Farrar]

I think there's a tendency toward more is more or overreaching on this board. And I think that's right for some kids. But for others, doing two complete programs is too much - it's going to make them dislike math or it's going to feel like drudgery or it's just going to be unnecessary. There's room for both approaches to be right.

[visitor]

I find it very difficult . I didnt buy BA yet but I strongly feel that BA and SM (WB, TB, IP, CWP and HIG) will be to much. I strongly feel that both programs are perfect . I really like to know how the SM parents plan both programs without giving to many time in Maths only ??????

[sweetpea3829]

I find it very difficult . I didnt buy BA yet but I strongly feel that BA and SM (WB, TB, IP, CWP and HIG) will be to much. I strongly feel that both programs are perfect . I really like to know how the SM parents plan both programs without giving to many time in Maths only ??????

 

I have done Beast during the summer months.  I have also done both concurrently, but cut back on the amount of SM work that I assigned.  So far, my son has flown through Singapore grade levels and could have the entire level completed within 5 months (not necessarily ALL of the different components, but the main spine and lessons and WB pages).  To spread him out, and keep him from getting too far ahead, I'll take SM breaks and assign Beast.  Or, like this past spring...when he finished SM in March, we just dove right into Beast, which he's doing through the end of this summer.  

[Spy Car]

I think there's a tendency toward more is more or overreaching on this board. And I think that's right for some kids. But for others, doing two complete programs is too much - it's going to make them dislike math or it's going to feel like drudgery or it's just going to be unnecessary. There's room for both approaches to be right.

 

It was interesting in our case because BA was announced as a future program just as I had pared down what had been a multiple curriculum approach down to just using Primary Mathematics, with a little supplementation with Zaccaro books and some introductory algebra games. Looked like smooth sailing. 

 

Then BA started looming. We won "the lottery" and were sent evaluation copies of the "Sample" and I knew right then my plans of stream-lining were foiled. The boy loved BA. And continues to.

 

So the choice came down to dropping PM (which I wasn't willing to do), not using BA (which was unthinkable), or doing both. 

 

A nice feature of BA is that isn't a "drugery" type approach. PM is somewhat more so, but for my kid the balanced and methodical approach of Singapore was a nice complement to BA (and vice-versa). 

 

Kids are different. I don't think mine would have fared as well with BA alone. Yin/Yang. Apollo/Dionysus. That sort of idea.

 

Bill

[rzberrymom]

I find it very difficult . I didnt buy BA yet but I strongly feel that BA and SM (WB, TB, IP, CWP and HIG) will be to much. I strongly feel that both programs are perfect . I really like to know how the SM parents plan both programs without giving to many time in Maths only ??????

We had already finished SM when we discovered BA, so I never did them side-by-side. We often used BA in sort of a spiral way--if a section of BA had already been well-covered in SM, I would give her a few problems as a review. We always did all the word problems and starred problems, and I basically used them as an alternative to the CWP (since I liked BA's word problems much better).

 

If you do SM and BA, I personally don't see the need for CWP and IP--that does seem like complete overkill to me. I just found that SM covered a good number of topics that BA skipped over, and I was glad we had been able to cover those.

[LMD]

BA is our main math, I'd be happy to have is as solo but for the release schedule. I just got 4C&D in the mail (I cannot justify international shipping for one quarter of a level!), in the interim DD has been going through LoF fractions & decimals/percents, Singapore 5 textbooks, and whatever else I have around (she was very into a TT6 workbook for a while...)

Singapore & TT were pretty easy for her after BA 4A&B, to my relief, because I was a little anxious that her maths books said '4' and so she'd be 'behind'...

We will be going through LoF pre-A 0 alongside C&D and I'm excited!

[visitor]

It was interesting in our case because BA was announced as a future program just as I had pared down what had been a multiple curriculum approach down to just using Primary Mathematics, with a little supplementation with Zaccaro books and some introductory algebra games. Looked like smooth sailing.

 

Then BA started looming. We won "the lottery" and were sent evaluation copies of the "Sample" and I knew right then my plans of stream-lining were foiled. The boy loved BA. And continues to.

 

So the choice came down to dropping PM (which I wasn't willing to do), not using BA (which was unthinkable), or doing both.

 

A nice feature of BA is that isn't a "drugery" type approach. PM is somewhat more so, but for my kid the balanced and methodical approach of Singapore was a nice complement to BA (and vice-versa).

 

Kids are different. I don't think mine would have fared as well with BA alone. Yin/Yang. Apollo/Dionysus. That sort of idea.

 

Bill

. Bill could you please tell me how you supplement BA with SM. Do you stil use all the PM books? Or did you cut down some books of PM. And how much time do you spend on Math each day? Thanks in advance Visitor