Math direction

[NatureTrail]

HI Everyone - We are Eclectic homeschoolers who use some classical materials and light homeschool in the summer so we can take random breaks during the year as life calls for them.

I’m looking for some input on a soon to be 1st grader who works with numbers well. He has been using miquon (which we love) and is also finishing up Beast academy 2a. Yes, it’s weird we use two math curriculums, it works for us... I’m wondering about stopping beast academy, I started having reservations with it as it seemed really common core like, but he initially loved it and likes to read the books. He recently started complaining it’s too hard, the star problems intimidate him a bit as he knows they are harder, but he can do the math. I also think that with the classical model of learning it’s not at the right stage for him and that’s why he’s not liking it?

If we just did miquon he’d fly through the books. My oldest (12 now) started Saxon 5/4 in second grade and loves the spiral approach, but they are different kids. She also used beast some, but it was for fun as she was above the level when we found it. For my son, I was hoping that we could use beast instead of Saxon, as our main thing after we finished Miquon.

I’m looking for any ideas on another curriculum (not online) or thoughts on Beast (am i giving up too soon) or do I stick with Saxon with a spatial thinker? I did try Life of Fred with him before beast and he doesn’t like the story line (he wants Fred to live with his family). My other thought is to use Shiller Math and try beast again later...

I’ve already held him back some in math as he was ready to move out of Montessori manipulatives early on as I am not trying to push him. We had to do the same with writing as he really wanted to write, but then he would get super upset when a letter didn’t look perfect. (Lots of finger writing in quinoa helped.)

[HomeAgain]

You might like Singapore.  It spirals and teaches in a concrete and then abstract way.

Neither Saxon nor Beast were well loved here.  Beast was tolerated, Saxon was an absolute no.  For my one that lagged with writing skills, we found that a modified MEP worked well in the beginning (mostly using the copymasters when we could instead of the smaller squares on the page), and then ended up with Gattegno math after a brief stint in Right Start. 

[Malam]

I'm not surprised 2a is 2hard, it's usually challenging for 3rd graders. I would suggest looking here https://singaporemathsource.com/resources/supplemental-materials/ and having him take the placement tests to see which level of signapore math he would place into, and then get the intensive practice book at or behind that level, and the challenging word problems book one level behind that level.

[Malam]

2 hours ago, HomeAgain said:

You might like Singapore.  It spirals and teaches in a concrete and then abstract way.

Neither Saxon nor Beast were well loved here.  Beast was tolerated, Saxon was an absolute no.  For my one that lagged with writing skills, we found that a modified MEP worked well in the beginning (mostly using the copymasters when we could instead of the smaller squares on the page), and then ended up with Gattegno math after a brief stint in Right Start. 

Did you use Miquon? How did it compare to Gattegno?

[NatureTrail]

3 hours ago, HomeAgain said:

concrete and then abstract

Thanks, I really like the sound of that. I checked it out and and will look into it further. I will also have him do the placement tests to see how that goes. 

His writing perfectionism upsets were when he was preschool age, he just wanted to write and do school like sis and could see his letters didn’t look EXACTLY like the examples. Sorry if that was confusing - just trying to show I don’t push him as I get that from my mom too often. At least my dad is supportive. We always hide where we are school wise with the kids friends and parents. It’s hard.

Also, I did placement test him for beast 2a before we started as I do realize what level it is meant for and he was able to get every problem on the placement test correct. His sister is also accelerated so it didn’t seem off base to start there, especially with his visual-spatial skills... But, yes something isn’t sitting right.

[daijobu]

+1 for Singapore.  We used the U.S. edition and then transitioned to AoPS prealgebra without a problem.  

[HomeAgain]

Just now, Malam said:

Did you use Miquon? How did it compare to Gattegno?

I use Miquon with my "extra" kids.  It is very compatible with Gattegno book 1, but it takes the next two books (2 &4, there's no reprint of book 3) and only skims the surface of what is covered.  Book 5 is heavy into algebraic concepts, book 6 lets them simmer and brings together concepts of books 2, 4, and 5, and them book 7 is a fast-paced romp through algebra & geometry.  I think you are mostly looking at a comparison of how they cover concepts, though, and they are quite comparable with their discovery method.  Miquon has the benefit of short worksheets, while Gattegno's books are almost all meant to be done orally or with scratch paper.

 

[NatureTrail]

10 hours ago, daijobu said:

+1 for Singapore.  We used the U.S. edition and then transitioned to AoPS prealgebra without a problem.  

Thank you, I was wondering about what would happen after Singapore.

[Mom_to3]

I wouldn't give up on BA yet - you have time to explore other programs and then offer it again periodically . If the material is too easy at that point, he can skip, or quickly advance. Entering 1st grade is still so young  The most challenging questions in BA (and later AoPS) take grit and determination that even a very advanced mathematically gifted kid may not have at that age. Maybe after the next "growth" spurt?

[Guest]

 

11 hours ago, NatureTrail said:

Thank you, I was wondering about what would happen after Singapore.

I have one who did Singapore --> Beast --> AOPS

My other is Singapore --> Derek Owens

[daijobu]

11 hours ago, NatureTrail said:

Thank you, I was wondering about what would happen after Singapore.

We did Singapore up to Level 5, US edition, and the transition to AoPS prealgebra was seamless.  

[Malam]

18 hours ago, HomeAgain said:

I use Miquon with my "extra" kids.  It is very compatible with Gattegno book 1, but it takes the next two books (2 &4, there's no reprint of book 3) and only skims the surface of what is covered.  Book 5 is heavy into algebraic concepts, book 6 lets them simmer and brings together concepts of books 2, 4, and 5, and them book 7 is a fast-paced romp through algebra & geometry.  I think you are mostly looking at a comparison of how they cover concepts, though, and they are quite comparable with their discovery method.  Miquon has the benefit of short worksheets, while Gattegno's books are almost all meant to be done orally or with scratch paper.

 

Would you recomend Miquon for OP's kid? It's self-dorexted natuee might help him regain confidence in math

Edited August 11, 2022 by Malam

[Malam]

On 8/9/2022 at 5:58 PM, NatureTrail said:

Also, I did placement test him for beast 2a before we started as I do realize what level it is meant for and he was able to get every problem on the placement test correct. His sister is also accelerated so it didn’t seem off base to start there, especially with his visual-spatial skills... But, yes something isn’t sitting right.

It could very well be a maturity issue. I would do another .ath for a few months then come back to it. Let us know how he does on the singapore primary math (non-2022) tests.

[NatureTrail]

Thanks everyone. I do like Singapore the more I look into it. Checked out their extras too.

I really loved beast when my daughter was doing it for fun (I admit to sitting with her and doing some problems too, just cuz it was fun!) so we’ll circle back later on, but he’d have to want to for it to become a main thing again. 

We do already use Miquon - love it - it’s in the first post, sorry if its confusing. We use two curriculums for early math (and we did that with phonics) - there’s one they feel confident in and one that is teaching new concepts. Though admittedly, it started from a different perspective, i had no idea what i was doing back then (with my daughter), I was just trying to figure out phonics for myself. Not to say i know what I’m doing now as each kid is different... but I do like using two different curriculums for the early stuff as it works well for us.

[Malam]

Have you given him the singapore tests? (US/standards/common core)

https://www.singaporemath.com/pages/placement-tests

[NatureTrail]

Not yet... we have family coming to visit so we’re getting ready for that 🙂  

[Black-eyed Suzan]

I used Miquon with my second son and liked it, too. 🙂 I second the idea of setting Beast Academy aside for now and seeing if he responds better later. Right Start games are another option to add (although we were happy with just Miquon at that stage).