Math Mammoth 1 not working

[caedmyn]

Last year we used the Miquon red book for his K math.  He told me the answers and I wrote them down and we did one page a day.  He's a very math-y child and he loved it (and we didn't use the rods half the time, so it wasn't them that he loved).  This year he's using Math Mammoth 1, and neither of us are loving it.  I figured he needed to do just under 2 pages a day doing math 4 days a week to get through the level.  The first week I had him do both pages, and while he finished them both in under 20 minutes, he was not focusing well at all.  If he thinks something is too hard he doesn't focus and needs endless reminders to pay attention...I had to drag him through most of his phonics lessons last year because he wouldn't focus.  The second week I started doing the writing on one page and having him write the answers for the other page.  That worked ok.  This week (ok today) that wasn't working anymore and he would hardly focus, even when I am writing the answers.  He is definitely not thinking math is fun anymore.  I do not want to kill his love of math.  There are just so many problems on each page.  Two pages is 30-40 problems--that seems like a lot of problems for 1st grade math.  And for many of the problems they're supposed to write dots on dice for each number or make balls for each number (in an addition problem for example), besides figuring out the answer.  It seems like a overkili.  My older child used Saxon, and I look a Saxon 1 lesson and it seems like a lot less work. 

 

Is there a way to tweak MM to make it more reasonable and more...fun?  Does anyone skip half the problems?  I know Saxon is supposed to be pretty dry but it sure looks like more fun than MM right now.

[wapiti]

Why not keep going with Miquon?

[carriede]

Yes, skip half the problems. If he shows understanding/profeciency, that's all that's needed. If he needs more practice, do the other half at a later time.

 

I often scribe for my 6 yo, but less than 50%.

 

I also have DS work through two chapters concurrently, a fun one and a not so fun one. For example, in one day he'll do a page or two from a regular chapter and one page from, say, the shapes or clock chapter. Sometimes we alternate days depending on how hard the "regular" chapter is for him.

 

I also did some Miquon in the beginning, and even though I don't use the Miquon books anymore, I do use the c-rods to help introduce topics and practice conceptual understanding using the vudeos at EducationUnboxed.com. DS6 is working through MM2 right now and we've been going back to the c-rods a LOT lately because the book instruction is not always clear to the kid. But after playing with the rods (which also means writing on the marker board! Whoohoo!), he can usually go back to the book and show understanding there.

 

HTH!

[Syllieann]

For the problems with drawing dots on dice, just use dice. For those where the child draws balls, stick, etc, use your favorite counters: pennies, beans, whatever. I wouldn't skip much unless the child already knows bonds to 10. The point of all that "overkill" is for the child to start internalizing the facts. You can use the rods instead of drawing the arrows on the number lines. You can easily replace drill with some went hiding or one of the million free games you can find online. I think scribing is fine, but it should be done so that you know the child knows which numeral is which. For numbers dd is not solid on formation I scribe and have her trace in her favorite color. It can also be a good change-up to write all the answers on a piece of paper, cut them apart and have the child glue them in their proper places.

[EKS]

Is there a way to tweak MM to make it more reasonable and more...fun?  

 

Yes--by switching to Singapore.  Or RightStart.  

 

Seriously, the format of MM moved my son to tears within two lessons.  If I were the author, I'd research how many problems are reasonable at a given grade level for a given concept and then reformat the books to give about five times the amount of space per problem.  She could then transfer the leftover problems into an extra practice book.

 

But to answer your question--one way to make an intolerable format more tolerable is to not let the child see the book and do everything on a small whiteboard.  I'm guessing that the first grade book has things that won't transfer well though (like pictures and diagrams).

[ByGrace3]

Well, comparing another programs worksheet to the work text of MM is not going to be accurate-- on top of the Saxon worksheet you are expected to have a 15 minute or so lesson on top of it, while the lesson is within this MM pages. I certainly do not think MM has to work for everyone...but a few things we have done -- I scribed for ds most of 1st and 2nd grade. He needed that to help him focus on the "math." I also add manipulatives. If I think manipulatives will teach the concept better, we use them. Then I do not feel compelled to do all the problems, we do a few to demonstrate proficiency and then move on. We use a white board instead of the book. Strange, but my kids love this. They work it out in the board and I either write the answer in the book or simply check it off.

 

If you decide you just don't want to use MM, don't. :) Right Start is very hands on and my ds enjoyed A. I wish I could have continued but felt like I needed to free myself up a little with multiple kids.

[ErinE]

Well, comparing another programs worksheet to the work text of MM is not going to be accurate-- on top of the Saxon worksheet you are expected to have a 15 minute or so lesson on top of it, while the lesson is within this MM pages. I certainly do not think MM has to work for everyone...but a few things we have done -- I scribed for ds most of 1st and 2nd grade. He needed that to help him focus on the "math." I also add manipulatives. If I think manipulatives will teach the concept better, we use them. Then I do not feel compelled to do all the problems, we do a few to demonstrate proficiency and then move on. We use a white board instead of the book. Strange, but my kids love this. They work it out in the board and I either write the answer in the book or simply check it off.

 

If you decide you just don't want to use MM, don't. :) Right Start is very hands on and my ds enjoyed A. I wish I could have continued but felt like I needed to free myself up a little with multiple kids.

 

 

This. I used the page as a guide for the math lesson and considered any writing of numbers to be handwriting practice. This is your Kinder, yes? For that age, I'd ask for 5 numbers, maybe 10 if the child's a good writer and scribe the rest.

[KSinNS]

I'm actually doing MM on a white board right now. My son and I are just overwhelmed by the pages, and he loves working on the white board. I let him make up problems, which he also likes. It actually is working really well for us. 

[RKWAcademy]

My kids hated MM.  My math-y kid is thriving with Singapore.  My not-so-math-y kid finished Singapore 1A and asked to go back to MUS (we did MUS primer in Kindergarten for her, along with Singapore Essentials, then moved to SIngapore 1A).  I do admit to floundering with math choices.  Hence the reason we've tried them all (my poor kids). 

[Syllieann]

I was just laying out tomorrow's things and figured I'd take some pics in case it makes things clearer. The first section is arrows. We will use rods with a ruler, and dd will write on blackboard. For the second section, she will use al abacus and write the numbers on the mm page. On the second page, she will fill in numbers for the 7 bonds. For the drill section she will use eraser caps to split into groups to find the missing number and tell me the answer out loud. I've never added pics on here, so sorry if they're huge or weird. This is mm1a pp42-43.

[caedmyn]

How much does a child really need to use manipulatives if they understand the concept and can easily figure out the answers without manipulatives?  He's been able to add in his head for about two years.  He can find the missing number in his head without any problem.  I don't think he has most addition facts memorized yet, but he can figure them out pretty quickly.  

[caedmyn]

I'm leaning toward sticking with MM for a little longer, crossing off at least half the problems, letting him use the abacus for a manipulative instead of drawing little balls or whatever, and doing all the scribing for him for a week or two, and then gradually transitioning into him doing more of the writing.  Maybe this will make it more fun and more reasonable and get him back to enjoying math.  Otherwise I'll probably give Saxon a try since I already own it.  I think Right Start would drive me batty...I wanted something that required less teacher involvement than winging my way through the Saxon 1 lessons, not more.

[kiwik]

Ds6 goes to school so only does mm as afterschooling. I bought the addition 1 topic book looked at it and then bought 2a instead. If he can add and subtract and unserstands then maybe it is not only too long but too easy?

[Rosie_0801]

Have you looked at MEP?

[Syllieann]

How much does a child really need to use manipulatives if they understand the concept and can easily figure out the answers without manipulatives? He's been able to add in his head for about two years. He can find the missing number in his head without any problem. I don't think he has most addition facts memorized yet, but he can figure them out pretty quickly.

If this is the case, he doesn't need manipulatives. He also doesn't need to draw dots, balls, or arrows. You can simply have him write the answers or do it orally without using the help or doing that extra writing.