Math for this kid? Beast?

[UnlikelyHomeschoolingMama]

Hi there! I currently use Beast Academy to supplement my "good at math but not too mathy" fifth grader.  She NEEDS the repetition and spiral she gets from Saxon, but is a year ahead so we are taking it slowly and doing Beast Academy 2 times per week.  (only ahead because she did ABEKA in K-3 and that moves so fast!!).  

So I'm familiar with BA and love it.  I never understood how it could be a stand alone curriculum though...until my little man started kinder.  This kid is 2 months into kinder.  We are doing ABEKA first grade math and he is bored.  He is doing things like "26 plus 8 is 34 because 8+8 is 16.....minus 2 is 14....so 34" or "34 plus 9 is 43 because 34 plus 10 is 44 minus 1 is 43".  ALL. THE.  TIME.  The other day he told me we have to wait 2 hours and 15 minutes for something starting at 3.  I looked at the clock and it was 12:45.  He is always asking us for "hard" math problems, so my husband gives him things like "128 plus 128" to do in his head and he gets them right!  About 6 months ago he had 16 legos that were "corner" pieces and he said quickly "Oh I can make four houses with these, because there are four 4s in 16".  Needless to say, he seems to have a gift for numbers.  

So would BA be a good stand alone for this kid who will NOT need spiral and repetition with facts, because he practices them in his head for fun anyway?  I know it doesn't start until 2nd grade level....are there plans for a 1st grade BA?  If not, do I just keep doing what I'm doing until he is ready for BA 2A?  

Thanks for any and all help!  My other two kids are steady at math, but not gifted.  I want to stimulate his little mind and help him, but he is so young and I don't want to screw him up!!

[SoCal_Bear]

Some people use it stand alone. I didn't. I used SM with Beast behind. I found there is was value in the way SM approaches math, so perhaps using not a full curriculum on top of Beast isn't what you would want but I think SM Intensive Practice and Challenging Word problems would we worthwhile. Tons of other resources out there as well like Glen Ellison, Cleo Borac, Zaccaro, Borenson, etc for kids who are gifted at math.

[shawthorne44]

BA2a starts at the beginning.   You could get the books and have him do it alongside the other books just like you did for you older kid.  Then you might find less and less need for the other books.  If he is doing 128 and 128 in his head, I don't see why he isn't ready for BA2a.  
 

[UnlikelyHomeschoolingMama]

32 minutes ago, shawthorne44 said:

BA2a starts at the beginning.   You could get the books and have him do it alongside the other books just like you did for you older kid.  Then you might find less and less need for the other books.  If he is doing 128 and 128 in his head, I don't see why he isn't ready for BA2a.  
 

This is sorta what I was thinking after looking at some samples and scope/sequence on BA's website.  

I'm gonna check out the other threads and ideas.  This board is amazing and you all are so wonderful.  Thank you for your wisdom and help!!

[shawthorne44]

One advantage for those starting with BA2A now is that they won't have to wait impatiently for the next book to be published.   I didn't understand all the whining that I read here about a delayed publication schedule until we were waiting for BA2B.    Then I joined the chorus.   There was gnashing of teeth and filler curriculum waiting for BA2C.   
The only book not yet published is BA2D, scheduled for early 2019.   

[Sarah0000]

Go ahead and start BA. You might find he goes through it so fast you'll need to supplement just to have something to do. My first grader does BA, CWP, LoF, and a smattering of supplemental stuff.

[Jackie]

There are no plans for a Beast Academy first grade level. BA2 starts with place value, and from what you’ve said of your son, he could start in on it now.

We used Beast as “standalone”, by which I mean we didn’t use any other standard curriculum. We did use other math resources. Beast can be a bit intense, and for the entire time we used it, I chose to only do our curriculum 2-4 days/week. DD is accelerated, and she’s naturally mathy, and that was plenty for her. The other days, we used other creative math resources - hands on projects, games, supplementary problem solving books, living books. Once we got to multi-digit multiplication and division, she needed more practice problems to gain fluency, and I would give her a few problems from a Kumon workbook 2-3 times per week until it was easy.