subbing fact drills for addition & subtractions parts of Math Mammoth 1?

[caedmyn]

My 1st grader is doing Math Mammoth 1.  It is so boring--50 different ways to do addition problems for weeks.  Then 50 ways to do subtraction problems for weeks. And coming up in the next section...50 ways to do addition AND subtraction problems.   He's very mathy and he knows how to add and subtract without manipulatives, and I think he had most of the addition facts and some of the subtraction facts memorized before we started school this year.  He loves Miquon, but he dislikes this, and I'm tired of sitting with him every day and trying to get him to focus on something he's not interested in.  It seems like nothing but busywork.  Is there any reason why we can't skip most of the rest of the addition and subtraction sections (we'd do some of the word problems still, and anything that looks like it might actually be teaching something and not just yet another way to practice addition or subtraction) and just do addition and subtraction fact drills instead?

[zarabellesmom]

I would totally do that. Those sections of Math Mammoth were absolutely mind numbing.

[fourisenough]

You have my permission to skip!

 

My DD6 didn't know all those facts (and strategies) when we began this year, but she has picked it up pretty quickly, so we've buzzed right along. I prefer to use games to practice facts anyway. We still do some of the pages just to give her practice writing the numbers, but I certainly move ahead when I know she knows something inside & out. 

[Syllieann]

The only reason to work through it rather than skip would be

1) master the facts to automaticity

2) make sure he can recognize the relationship between addition and subtraction i.e. the parts vs whole or rewriting an addition as a subtraction.

3) developing number/algebraic sense with the inequality work to see that one need't do subtraction to determine that 8-2>8-4

 

If these are mastered, happily move on. If only points 2 and 3 are mastered, feel free to move on and supplement with continued fact practice via games or apps.

[carriede]

I work through 2 chapters of MM at a time. So everyday, DS would work through 1-2 pages of a boring chapter and also 1-2 pages of a fun chapter like clocks or money. I also don't make him do every problem in a section if he can show proficiency in 3-4 problems.

 

Hope that helps!

[ScoutTN]

If he can do the end of chapter review and test well, skip the chapter pages and move on!

[Tawlas]

I'm planning on doing a "CLE-ish" fact practice over the entire year, playing games from Right Start or other and using those MM pages as reference if there's a fact he can't master.  Some kids need all that practice, some kids don't :)  You know what your kid needs.

[MrSmith]

I don't believe that it is a requirement to do everything in a book just because it's in there. If the child understands conceptually what is going on and can put into practice the concepts, then more repetition is not needed.

[kiwik]

Move on to add and subtract 2a and 2b.

[pamela722]

We used MM last year and my daughter loved 1st grade math. My son worked on year 4 and 5. For him, I just had him do half of the problems. If he did well, we moved on. If it was a topic I thought he might know, I would have him do 1 or 2 problems and if he got them right, we moved on. If not, we studied a bit more. 

 

This year, I have Bob Jones for both. My daughter loves BJUP math. I tried switching her back to MM grade 2 and she just dragged her feet. Back to Bob Jones and she loves it and is getting all the concepts. She really struggled with all the word problems in MM so we skipped quite a few of them. It never made sense to me why they were there when they were never taught. She would have addition and subtraction and hadn't even covered subtraction but was expected to know if the problem was addition or subtraction.  BJUP gives word problems that follow the lessons taught and now they are her favourite part. 

 

I think if you know they have an understanding of the concept, I would just skip over bits of it to fit your child. 

[Hwin]

Everyone told me to start with MM1 but I started with 2A. No problems here ;) 

 

Also, when we are doing really grueling stuff, I will find a chapter on stuff that comes more naturally and we will fly through that while doing 1 page of the horrible stuff.

[SporkUK]

I second Syllieann's good advice -- if he's there, then just do the chapter end review and move on. Many people go through just the chapter reviews until they find their child's level. Skipping is far easier with MM than a lot of other programmes.

 

My 6 year old seems to be one of the few who loves going through all the problems (with a 'I did all of these' beaming grin). Many find it too much and skip as and when. 

[Homeschoolingchickadee]

I'm in the exact same spot and my brain is starting to revolt!

I think you're on the right track with skipping and I'm going to follow suit.