Four year old finished Math U See

[Jadde32]

My four year old finished math U see primer, she will be five soon. I do not want to

Move her along too fast Math U See was easy for her. Should I move her on to Math U See Alpha which is next level? Or change gears and do Singapore Math? Can you tell me your experiences with advanced math learners? I was thinking of waiting until September do start first grade math but this would mean four months with no math.

 

 

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[mathmarm]

If you had a child who was making rapid progress with beginning reading, you wouldn't consider taking away books and limiting her access to the printed word for a few months would you? That is typically considered absurd.

 

Do not limit your child in any subject for arbitrary reasons. Grades are general guidelines. Most likely your daughter will learn in ebbs and flows throughout her life. While math (or any skill/topic/interest) is flowing, let it flow. She may be in a sensitive spot and very receptive to math right now, so let her develop that foundation now and later when she's not as sensitive/interested in math, she'll have a solid experience to rest her laurels on.

 

I do not own the MUS series, but I have looked at it several times and it's on the short list of possible curriculum. From what I know/have seen of MUS and what you said about your daughter, I suggest you start Alpha and just go at a normal pace until she struggles. If/when she reaches a concept that she struggles with, park on it for a few days and work on it, then move on and continue to work on/support that "sticky spot" a little each day and keep it moving. I wouldn't worry if she completed Alpha and Beta by the beginning of "2nd grade" that would be more than okay.

 

MUS lays a wonderful foundation for base-10 arithmetic and really helps students to understand and see WHY the numbers behave the way that they do. Also, the makers of MUS are big on the fact that they use SKILL levels, not GRADE levels. Most 1st grade math curricula that I have seen touch on the topics found in Alpha and Beta.

 

For a child who understands/"gets" quantities and works at the program regularly I expect that they could reasonably complete MUS Alpha and Beta within a single school year. MUS Alpha is very basic and straightforward and easy to accelerate/deccelerate as needed. Just go for it and be willing to adjust your pace up/down too meet her needs.

[MerryAtHope]

Was it fun for her? Do you think she would like to keep going or that she'd like a change? When my oldest was this age, she loved those Disney Princess math workbooks you can pick up for cheap from places like Walmart, for example. You could fill in with something like that if you don't want to continue MUS until fall. You might also call MUS and see what they think--about starting now vs. waiting. Or do the SM preschool workbooks and restart MUS after she finishes those. (I seem to remember having to write some words in the SM Preschool books though...but it's been a long time! It seems like there was something that made it so we had to do it together--beyond any teaching I mean.)

[mathmarm]

Was it fun for her? Do you think she would like to keep going or that she'd like a change? When my oldest was this age, she loved those Disney Princess math workbooks you can pick up for cheap from places like Walmart, for example. You could fill in with something like that if you don't want to continue MUS until fall. You might also call MUS and see what they think--about starting now vs. waiting. Or do the SM preschool workbooks and restart MUS after she finishes those. (I seem to remember having to write some words in the SM Preschool books though...but it's been a long time! It seems like there was something that made it so we had to do it together--beyond any teaching I mean.)

 

Ooh! Totally hijacking this topic just for a sec! Merry:

If OPs 4yo found MUS Primer "easy", what about the SM preschool workbooks do you think that she'd find interesting enough to "hold her off"?

 

Which series do you suggest as a "time filler" for a kid who already knows it. I'm trying to figure out ideas for my kid who is PreK by age, but beyond PreK skill-wise.

 

[Sarah0000]

I pretty much gave up on really teaching math to my four year old, for now. I'm letting him do or not do whatever he wants with the resources he has available to him: Singapore 2 and 3, Khan Academy, Prodigy Math, and puzzle/logic books are what he chooses regularly. I need to also get him the rest of Miquon and he'll probably resume those too.

 

We are continuing Life of Fred and living math picture books together since these get incorporated into our regular read aloud times. That and life is where he learns/reinforces concepts through to third grade level. I'm hoping that will hold him until BA 2 comes out, and maybe it will provide the right level of challenge and interest to do more or less as intended.

 

If you do want to hold for a bit, coding with code.org and geometry free drawing have been hits here and I feel like they hit on thinking skills pretty well.

[MerryAtHope]

Ooh! Totally hijacking this topic just for a sec! Merry:

If OPs 4yo found MUS Primer "easy", what about the SM preschool workbooks do you think that she'd find interesting enough to "hold her off"?

 

Which series do you suggest as a "time filler" for a kid who already knows it. I'm trying to figure out ideas for my kid who is PreK by age, but beyond PreK skill-wise.

 

 

 

I haven't closely compared the two products. My thinking was this: the only reason *not* to go on is if mom is concerned about getting too far ahead too soon. If she doesn't want to go on, then consider other preschool options (like the SM preschool books or ones you can pick up locally) to continue practicing math skills, rather than just dropping math for 4 months. Make sense?

 

My kids at this age loved playing games that involved math, or playing with manipulatives, and that can be some of the "fill-in" time too. It doesn't just have to be a "workbook." There are a lot of math-oriented activities you can do too--3-D puzzles and the like.

[prairiewindmomma]

I've had a couple of my 4 yo finish Primer.

 

One I moved on to Alpha. No problems there.

One I moved on to the Singapore Earlybird series. There are a wider number of topics in Earlybird.

One I moved on to doing Education Unboxed videos, with a bit of MEP on the side.

 

I think anything is fine, as long as you continue to engage your student, and as long as there is a good match between motor skills and whatever you are doing. For my boys, I had to scribe a fair amount in order to keep the amount of handwriting required appropriate.

[sweetpea3829]

My own personal opinion is that I would NEVER do MUS as a primary curricula with a math-accelerated student. You will likely blow through books, and there is a high likelihood of boring your student to tears. ESPECIALLY with Alpha and Beta. Trust me on this. A kid that intuitively gets math does not need an entire book on addition and subtraction with each lesson focusing on one addend at a time.

 

In addition to MUS being too incremental for a math-intuitive kid, it's too basic. Math is an amazing subject worth so very much to explore. And while MUS does lay a solid foundation, that's about all it does. Just the basics. It doesn't explore math and lacks any kind of real depth, which....for a math-intuitive kid, is important.

 

Again, this is all my opinion. But when I was in your shoes with my eldest DS, I chose Singapore, and I absolutely do not regret it. I add in Beast Academy and sometimes we even pull out Math Mammoth when I'm having difficulty teaching him something using Singapore methods, or when he gets stuck.

 

She's very young...so perhaps Singapore KB. Or, spend a lot of time working with her outside of a curriculum, working on number sense, understanding that numbers are not static (4 is also 3+1 and 2+2), etc.

[Jadde32]

Thank you all for your comments they have been very helpful I think I will put MUS aside and see how everything flows with Singapore.

 

 

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[desertflower]

If your child likes it, I would continue teaching math.  I don't know anything about MUS, so I can't comment on which program.

 

I've really liked SM, and then I discovered Beast Academy.  ;) 

[UnlikelyHomeschoolingMama]

I agree on setting MUS aside.  I started Alpha with my kinder this year because he was WAY beyond Primer.  Well, I felt Alpha intensified fairly quickly (adding 9 early in the year) so we got to that point, set it aside and did Singapore Essentials.  I enjoyed the variety of topics introduced and while we aren't sticking with Singapore, it laid a great foundation in a fun way.  Good luck!!

[Tumbatoo]

My K'er does Singapore, Dreambox and Prodigy. She's currently doing 3rd grade on Prodigy, and mid second on Dreambox and Singapore. I also plan to add in Beast Academy when she finished Singapore 2B. Running multiple math sources let her have fun without progressing too fast. She doesn't like repetition, so practice in different forms is great! It also helps when learning multiplication tables. She's been a math nerd since 3 :)

[Sahamamama]

Thank you all for your comments they have been very helpful I think I will put MUS aside and see how everything flows with Singapore.

 

 

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Along with SM, you might want to purchase a few sets of Cuisenaire rods and have fun with some of these lessons.

 

http://www.educationunboxed.com/

 

You could begin with the lessons entitled "Learning About C-Rods" and "Preschool and Kindergarten Concepts," then go from there as you both have interest.

 

I think that when a very young student grasps concepts and skills easily -- in any subject, not just math -- the best use of the time that "buys" you is to explore those same concepts again, but from a different angle. HTH.