Math Mammoth or Math in Focus

[Guest]

I am trying to pick a math curriculum for my first grader.  I have narrowed it down to Math Mammoth or Math in Focus.  She is very smart, catches on quickly, and gets board very easily if she is not being challenged.  Of these two math programs which one do you like the best?

[wendyroo]

I think they are both very good programs; I have used MM levels 1-6, and I have looked through Math in Focus, though I have never purchased or used it with my kids (I did use Singapore Primary Math level 1).

 

I don't think you can go wrong with either, so for me the choice came down to price and customizability.  I bought MM 1-7 (PDFs) when it was 50% off at homeschool buyers co-op.  That meant I got all those years for ~$85 and that I can print as many copies as I need for my kids.

 

Since I print out MM from the PDFs, I also find it incredibly easy to customize.  I don't have to print out every section if my mathy oldest is ready to skip ahead.  OTOH, I can use the worksheet generator to print out extra pages of problems for my second son and I can incorporate those into his math booklets periodically to help strengthen and solidify his skills.

 

For us, MM has proven to be a wonderful balance of challenging word problems and adequate computation practice.  I know that a lot of people don't like the look of the MM pages, but that has never been a problem for my kiddos...including my oldest two who have mental health, attention and processing challenges.

 

Wendy

[Syllieann]

Seconding what Wendy said. It sounds like you won't need the extra teacher help and differentiation options of MIF. If the lack of color and white space on the page is acceptable, then mm is a no-brainer. if kiddo needs colorful, uncluttered pages, you'll need to decide whether MIF is worth the extra expense. The textbooks are widely available cheap for used, but TM and workbooks will run the price up.

Edited August 16, 2017 by Syllieann

[Farrar]

If you're on the fence, I'd go with MM based solely on the price, honestly.

[ondreeuh]

I have both and VASTLY prefer MIF. MM breaks everything down into tiny parts with so much practice for each part ... I mean, it drove me nuts to even assign it. MIF more quickly gets to the big picture. Visually, it is a million times easier on the eyes. The teaching is right in the textbok with photos of manipulatives, diagrams, nice use of color (but not busy!).

 

I've used MIF 1-6 and love, love, love it. I bought my textbooks for under $10 each on Amazon and workbooks at RR. Now in 6, I bought the extra practice WB so my son wouldn't have to copy problems from the book, but you can get a very solid education with just the textbook & workbook. No need for the TM. You can use supplements for extra practice if you want, but a quick learner won't need them. They even sell a homeschool answer key for the 1-5 workbooks now.

[Guest]

MIF is so super tedious. And the teachers books are so unwieldy. I always recommend it if people need super explicit instructions and helps. Otherwise, other things, including MM, are so much easier to use. And cheaper. And just as good in content.

 

That said, it's a well-loved program and lots of people have found that it is just exactly the thing, especially if Singapore was *almost* perfect, but not quite.

[ByGrace3]

No experience with MIF, but lots of positive years with MM. My oldest completed 1-6 and is doing prealgebra this year and has a solid math foundation. Ds is in MM5 and dd2 in MM2. We are definitely mm fans. I love the simplicity.

[Guest]

MIF is so super tedious. And the teachers books are so unwieldy. I always recommend it if people need super explicit instructions and helps. Otherwise, other things, including MM, are so much easier to use. And cheaper. And just as good in content.

 

That said, it's a well-loved program and lots of people have found that it is just exactly the thing, especially if Singapore was *almost* perfect, but not quite.

 

 

Do you think it would be best to try Singapore then?  The more I look at Math Mammoth I don't think my daughter will like the plain style, and lack of color/fun.  Singapore has the colorful textbook that makes the learning more fun.  I originally was looking at MIF and MM because I thought they would be easier to teach, but I have never tried Singapore.

[wendyroo]

Do you think it would be best to try Singapore then?  The more I look at Math Mammoth I don't think my daughter will like the plain style, and lack of color/fun.  Singapore has the colorful textbook that makes the learning more fun.  I originally was looking at MIF and MM because I thought they would be easier to teach, but I have never tried Singapore.

 

MM, Singapore (Primary Math) and MIF (which is also Singapore based) are all VERY similar conceptually.  The differences lie in formatting, presentation, appearance, etc.

 

Since the math is pretty much the same in all of them, it makes sense to figure out which presentation will work best for your particular family and child.  I started my oldest in Singapore, but was quickly overwhelmed by having to schedule and switch between the various books and workbooks.  There wasn't anything wrong with the program, it just wasn't right for us.  MM, OTOH, has really clicked for me and my kids.

 

I think the main difference between Singapore and MIF is how open and go it is.  Singapore has a Home Instructor's Guide which spells out how to teach the lessons in the Singapore way.   The HIG lesson plans include manipulative activities, games, fact drills, etc.  Along with the HIG you also have a textbook which has explanations and example problems and then a workbook with practice problems.  There are also other optional supplements like the Extra Practice workbook for kids who need more problems similar to those in the workbook, the Intensive Practice workbook for kids who need harder problems, the Process Skills book that explicitly teaches problem solving strategies, the Speed Drill workbooks for kids who need extra practice with math facts, and the Challenging Word Problems for kids who are ready to tackle harder problem solving challenges.

 

My oldest is/was VERY mathy, so he needed a lot of challenge which led to us using a lot of the supplementary books.  I was constantly trying to figure out how to balance them, switch between them, keep track of our place in them, etc.  It was the opposite of open and go for us, because each day before we could start I had to figure out what book(s) we would work in and how many pages we would do.

 

I've never used MIF, but I think its goal is to streamline the Singapore method for the classroom.  It has a teacher's guide, but I have heard many people say it isn't necessary in a homeschool setting.  All of the instruction is in the textbook and all the different types of practice problems are integrated in the workbook.

 

MIF probably wouldn't have worked well for my oldest, because he would have found it tedious and lacking challenge.  I would have ended up supplementing it beyond recognition.  My second son, however, who is bright, but not incredibly mathy or super advanced would have done fine with MIF...or Singapore...or MM.

 

Wendy

[fralala]

Do you think it would be best to try Singapore then?  The more I look at Math Mammoth I don't think my daughter will like the plain style, and lack of color/fun.  Singapore has the colorful textbook that makes the learning more fun.  I originally was looking at MIF and MM because I thought they would be easier to teach, but I have never tried Singapore.

 

If you're completely on the fence and would be willing to teach any of these options, my vote is for letting your daughter look at the same samples you're looking at and asking her to choose. That can be a really fun way to venture forth as partners using a new curriculum! In my opinion, you can't go wrong with these 3-- ultimately, you are going to tailor the curriculum you use to your child, so since it sounds like she probably won't always need as much practice or guidance, you can just skip some pages, or save them for year-end review or summer practice.