MamaSprout Posted December 19, 2022 Share Posted December 19, 2022 (edited) I'm a retired homeschool mom. My last kiddo was very mathy so I am many years removed from elementary math. I am (sort of jokingly) school administrator for my "niece" who is 10 almost 11. They have found their groove with adapted Memoria Press... except for math. They've bumped along with a combo of Kate Snow's operations books and Rod and Staff, but have been crisis homeschooling for the last 12 months with multiple rounds of Covid/ long Covid (POTS/ cyclic vomiting in the 10 year old) and various other issues. I think kiddo is solid on the 4 operations and has most of the rest of early elementary math from life (fractions, measuring, etc.) Mom only went as far as prealgebra in high school (We went to a terrible high school. I personally relearned math just ahead of my homeschooled dd). Kiddo10 is very smart and already on the older side for her grade. She was adopted with some health problems early on so they went with a better-late-than-early philosophy to starting school. She's an old soul and the last kid at home. I can see her not wanting to stay home until she's 19. Kiddo says she hates math and it's a fight to get her to do it. She wants to be a veterinarian and mom is connecting her with a college friend over Christmas Break who is in vet school to talk to her about how important math is. Dad can help some with math. I can too, but not a lot since I live an hour away and work full time. My thought is to have mom continue with math games and such, which kiddo will willingly play, but have her start on Unlock Math Foundations. My thought is that even if it takes her 18 months to do it, she'll be on track for prealgebra when her age grade is 7th. Mom and Dad will have "skin in the game" because they have to pay for it. (That and I don't love Khan after about 5th grade math). Has anyone used this? I am playing with a free trail, but since I relearned math myself with Singapore/Khan/Derek Owens, I'm not sure how it would work for a student who finds it to be at least some new content. Is there another "foundations" type course that would give her solid prep for prealgebra? Remember, Mom has very little number sense outside of day to day math, but kiddo does not need a spiral of math through middle school. I think she can master a topic and move on. Edited December 19, 2022 by MamaSprout Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 19, 2022 Share Posted December 19, 2022 Math Mammoth? You can go topically. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaSprout Posted December 19, 2022 Author Share Posted December 19, 2022 1 hour ago, WTM said: Math Mammoth? You can go topically. I always felt like the teacher needed to understand math to some degree with MM. To be fair, I haven't looked at it in probably 7 years, but my kiddo really didn't like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaSprout Posted December 19, 2022 Author Share Posted December 19, 2022 I've been playing with the sample for Foundations today off and on between other things. I looked at some of the videos (okay), looked at the handouts (helpful, might be nice to print sections rather than lessons each time), and did a variety of lessons. I jumped up to the midterm review sections and was annoyed because I got a 60% on one of the reviews mostly because of format of my answers. I had the right answer but the computer did not recognize it. The one I actually missed was me not reading directions. :- ) I think Khan is more annoying in that regard though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomeAgain Posted December 19, 2022 Share Posted December 19, 2022 I think that Math U See might be a good option for this family. Have the kid start with AIM, and then work through the last few books before Algebra. I would have suggested Math Mammoth first, but it doesn't sound doable for mom to be that involved. MUS would give a video teacher and really go incrementally - but allow for self pacing with the mastery model (see it, do it, write it, teach it back, move on). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaSprout Posted December 19, 2022 Author Share Posted December 19, 2022 (edited) 34 minutes ago, HomeAgain said: I think that Math U See might be a good option for this family. Have the kid start with AIM, and then work through the last few books before Algebra. I would have suggested Math Mammoth first, but it doesn't sound doable for mom to be that involved. MUS would give a video teacher and really go incrementally - but allow for self pacing with the mastery model (see it, do it, write it, teach it back, move on). I think she has addition, subtraction, and multiplication pretty solid using the Kate Snow books and lots and lots of drilling. They finished 3rd grade Rod and Staff. I guess they are just now starting the Kate Snow Division book. (Now they all have influenza...I think they will be happy to have 2022 over and done with). Edited December 19, 2022 by MamaSprout Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaSprout Posted December 19, 2022 Author Share Posted December 19, 2022 54 minutes ago, HomeAgain said: I think that Math U See might be a good option for this family. Have the kid start with AIM, and then work through the last few books before Algebra. I would have suggested Math Mammoth first, but it doesn't sound doable for mom to be that involved. MUS would give a video teacher and really go incrementally - but allow for self pacing with the mastery model (see it, do it, write it, teach it back, move on). I didn't know AIM existed... I can see the value in this. I wish I had it a few years ago when I was tutoring a very behind 7th grader. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malam Posted December 21, 2022 Share Posted December 21, 2022 On 12/19/2022 at 1:16 PM, HomeAgain said: I think that Math U See might be a good option for this family. Have the kid start with AIM, and then work through the last few books before Algebra. I would have suggested Math Mammoth first, but it doesn't sound doable for mom to be that involved. MUS would give a video teacher and really go incrementally - but allow for self pacing with the mastery model (see it, do it, write it, teach it back, move on). AIM doesn't seem to be necessary since the student already knows arithmetic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomeAgain Posted December 21, 2022 Share Posted December 21, 2022 7 hours ago, Malam said: AIM doesn't seem to be necessary since the student already knows arithmetic The area model is something that is used through Algebra with MUS. I'd still want a kid to be introduced to it and other block use before jumping into using the reverse side of the blocks with decimals or using the fraction overlays. Given that the parents are not especially mathy, and that the Kate Snow books only cover up through the first 10 numbers in multiplication, AIM could benefit all of them when starting a new style of program. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomeAgain Posted December 21, 2022 Share Posted December 21, 2022 Adding - Mortensen (MUS original) has a few books on Amazon: Geoff White's Mortensen Math Complete Method and Divinely Dandy Division by Crewton Ramone. They would work as a cheaper option than AIM. HOWEVER, they also would require the parent to be more invested. I'm not sure that would be in this particular child's best interest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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