Need help deciding on a math curriculum

[ca06c]

DD is 5 coming out of Montessori primary class. She has a very good handle on place value, single digit addition and subtraction, can count, order and name numbers to 100, can write all her numbers, can skip count by 2s to 20 and 10s to 100, is highly proficient with the AL Abacus (meaning she can "see" the numbers easily without counting) and c-rods (but prefers the abacus). Understands the concept of division, can compare numbers but trips on some verbiage, has some numbers facts memorized, can use a timeline to add, can add 2, 3, and 4 digit numbers with manipulatives. Basic geometry knowledge. No concept of how to tell time and very preliminary money sense. 

The Montessori math she's been exposed to have obviously given her a great foundation, but I can sense the sometimes it lags a bit in progression for her taste. Which is to say she often makes connections faster than the lesson sequence. This is the one subject she begs to do and while she's otherwise very wiggly and requires a lot of redirecting to focus (understandably at her age) she will focus deeply when doing math so I want a curriculum that will continue to nurture that in her. She just finished Singapore Essentials B and it was on the easy side for her and we had to hop around sections a bit more than I'd prefer to get. flow that made more sense for us. 

I liked ShillerMath because it's Montessori, but don't know anyone who has used it and hard to find many reviews for it. 

I also like RightStart since she loves the abacus and loves math games but I worry that the spiral approach means it's harder to speed up if/when necessary.

Math U See looks great but I've been told it may not be a good fit for kids who have a natural inclination to math.

Everyone recommends Miquon but what little I've seen hasn't thrilled me. Is there a link to longer samples other than what is on the Miquon and Rainbow Resource websites?

I initially had planned on doing Math Mammoth. I like that it uses an abacus and I like the simplicity of the work text approach but I don't want to pass up something more comprehensive. 

Price isn't an issue but I don't want to keep track of a million manipulatives. 

Your thoughts? Also, anyone have experience with either RS or ShillerMath's digital packs? Price isn't an issue but I am attracted to the convenience and minimalism they offer. 

Edited May 25, 2020 by ca06c

[8filltheheart]

When I started reading your post, my first thought was RS and then Miquon.  Since you don't want to do either of those, I would recommend MM based on your listed options.  (MUS doesn't really fit the criteria that you have emphasized.)  MM is comprehensive, so you don't need to worry about that aspect.

[8filltheheart]

7 minutes ago, OKBud said:

Off the bat: don't use MUS unless something about it calls to you that you have not written about here. Based on what you have written, you would find it laborious.

I hope that Miquon ppl will chime in, because I would have guessed that it'd be right up your alley.

If RS is parent-intensive you might find that to be a boon rather than a mark to the negative. We bought only the abacus and the games pack, so that is another option. 

Math Mammoth is definitely A++, go for it. 

Look at MEP! It's free and may have all the things you're looking for 🙂 

In general I'd say...don't take your 5 year old's preferences too seriously. I mean, yes, keep math and everything else in the sweet spot as often as you can but  things like...she likes the abacus...so just use the abacus, don't choose a program based on that discreet fact, yanno? 

 

edit: 8 and I were writing at the same time, so what she said lol

LOL!  I almost mentioned MEP, but then I reconsidered b/c I figured I shouldn't throw another option into the mix since there seemed to be enough angst already!

[ca06c]

Thanks, ladies! We did look into MEP previously. I had settled on MM with the RS game pack but just needed confirmation that it held its own against the other options. Just about to order curriculum and had a momentary feeling of cold feet, I suppose. The last time we homeschooled, the kid was older and we just went straight into Beast Academy and AoPs so this was uncharted territory for me. Thank you for the input. 

[Momof3]

3 hours ago, 8FillTheHeart said:

When I started reading your post, my first thought was RS and then Miquon.  Since you don't want to do either of those, I would recommend MM based on your listed options.  (MUS doesn't really fit the criteria that you have emphasized.)  MM is comprehensive, so you don't need to worry about that aspect.

I agree. Math Mammoth is comprehensive. Often explores concepts from many angles. I end up skipping some lessons with certain kids that don't need the extra explanations or practice. I use the PDFs and there's more review material there than I print out. Also lots of links to games and sites for extra practice. 

[kristin0713]

We did RS until about 2nd grade, then switched to Singapore.  It was a good time to switch to something workbook based.  Math from K-2 should be done with the parent IMO anyway and it doesn't take too long at that age.  When the levels progress and you really need to do a lot of games to reinforce skills is when I burn out personally. 

[lulalu]

It may depend on if you want something scripted- RightStart

Where you may have to figure it out together and don't have all the answers- Miquon

Or want it written to the student- MM 

[ByGrace3]

MM with Right Start games for review is our fave! Definitely comprehensive! (and minimalist! which is important for me!) 

[Ellie]

IMHO, Miquon's Lab Notations are necessary. Even though the children are supposed to discover stuff, the teacher is supposed to help things along. 🙂 Also, the Lab Notations has things like a chart showing which concepts are covered in each of the six books, so that if you wanted to, you could buy all six books at once and follow concepts through each book instead of completing each book one at a time.

[ca06c]

On 5/23/2020 at 5:26 AM, mms said:

Miquon is great for your purposes and it sounds like your child would be a good fit.

 

@mms do you know where I can find extended samples of the Miquon Orange book? Everything I've seen on their site and Rainbow Resource is rather limited and, frankly, not very inspiring. But it is so well loved that I'm sure there's something I'm not seeing. 

[ca06c]

On 5/23/2020 at 5:29 AM, mms said:

I ultimately switched to Miquon

@mms, when did you switch and can. you speak a bit to the differences between the two programs?

[ca06c]

On 5/23/2020 at 3:49 AM, 8FillTheHeart said:

When I started reading your post, my first thought was RS and then Miquon.  Since you don't want to do either of those, I would recommend MM based on your listed options.

It's not that I do not want to use them, I just don't know if they'll be a good fit. I've read that RS is more spiral and thus harder to accelerate if needed. If you've used it, has that been your experience? I perhaps should've mentioned that another factor is my intention to move on to Beast Academy in a year or so. Would RS be a good fit if only to be used for a year or two or is it one of those curriculums that you need to use for a few years to really get the value out of (and by value, I mean educational, not financial)?

[ca06c]

On 5/23/2020 at 12:56 PM, square_25 said:

Any reason you couldn't just jump into BA if you like it? She might very well be able to move through 2A, given what you've said. 

@square_25 I've considered it, but I think the graphic novel format would not be a good fit for her right now. Maybe next year though. 

[8filltheheart]

5 hours ago, ca06c said:

It's not that I do not want to use them, I just don't know if they'll be a good fit. I've read that RS is more spiral and thus harder to accelerate if needed. If you've used it, has that been your experience? I perhaps should've mentioned that another factor is my intention to move on to Beast Academy in a year or so. Would RS be a good fit if only to be used for a year or two or is it one of those curriculums that you need to use for a few years to really get the value out of (and by value, I mean educational, not financial)?

I have never used RS so no direct experience.  I do have experience teaching math to multiple kids (struggling math students to highly gifted math students) from K through 12th.  From my experience, the most important factor in elementary math is the teacher. Kids who are taught math concepts well will do fine with just about any math program.  The foundation is from the teaching, not just opening up a math book.  

Are you planning on accelerating her math or you speaking hypothetically in terms of her mastering concepts quickly?  I personally not a fan of **parents** accelerating kids (which is distinctly different than kids accelerating bc they do. There are parents who school yr round and push their kids through level after level in order to accelerate them to finish grade levels early (parents accelerating) but there are kids who accelerate bc they are gifted and master concepts at ages much younger than avg (kids accelerating). FWIW, I use a spiral math program, don't accelerate my kids, but some of them end up there anyway. I personally prefer spiral programs bc they offer daily variety and constant reinforcement of multiple skills.  Acceleration happens organically.  They just move quickly through materials/concepts, not working longer or harder than the avg or struggling math student.

FWIW, I didn't like BA 2.  (And I say that as a parent of a student who loved every minute of AoPS....but then again, I have an equally strong math student who didn't like AoPS at all. The child I bought BA 2 for will be starting alg in the fall as a 5th grader.  It wasn't difficulty that was the issue, just that the BA approach didn't mesh with the 2 of us at all.)  I would urge you to not become wedded to any particular future math program as much as just finding a math program you and your dd thrive with using.   I use a math program that pretty much receives nothing but disdain on the WTM forums bc posters say it is superficial and algorithm based.  I don't agree and don't see the program in the same way at all.  My kids' math outcomes also don't equate to their premise.  So, that goes back to my main pt.  If you enjoy teaching it and can teach it well, that is going to be the biggest boon to your child.

Edited May 25, 2020 by 8FillTheHeart