Has anyone used Funnix Math?

[hi.im.em]

Its based on Direct Instruction, the method pioneered by Zig Engelmann of 100 easy lessons fame. I'm a big believer in the method and was wondering if anyone had used it for maths?

I have been having big success with reading.com, which is pretty much a digitised version of 100 easy lessons. There is less on a page, no book to loose or be chewed up by the baby, and the gamification provides enough motivation that my 3.5 year old asks for it every day. 

Wondering if I could get the same effect for math with Funnix, but I would have expected it to be more popular. Any experiences?

[mathmarm]

No personal experiences. You might do some research into the Scope and Sequence of Funnix Math by comparing it to the DISTAR Arithmetic series which is also out of print, but probably closely related.

I personally don't expect FUNNIX Math to be very gamey, but I'm not familiar with this resource, so I could be wrong. I also think that it being an older program and having been compatible with earlier versions of Computer OS's is possibly why it's not as popular, but I don't know.

When you and your kid are ready, you might enjoy teaching your child some gentle mathematics in short sessions using a couple of home made manipulatives (ie, literal beans or buttons) and a vintage math book on your device of choice, (which would be 100% digital and have the same benefits for you as reading.com).

[daijobu]

2 hours ago, hi.im.em said:

Its based on Direct Instruction, the method pioneered by Zig Engelmann of 100 easy lessons fame. I'm a big believer in the method and was wondering if anyone had used it for maths?

Wondering if I could get the same effect for math with Funnix, but I would have expected it to be more popular. Any experiences?

I took a quick peek at https://www.funnix.com/ but did not see anything pertaining to math. 

I'm glad you brought up DI, because I've been going down the DI versus discovery rabbit hole lately.  When I was homeschooling my kids I had never heard of DI and if you had described it to me, I would have called it "teaching."  I had no idea actual teachers believed that teaching was ineffective. 

I shied away from screens for my younger children in favor of printed materials.  We started with Singapore Math, US edition.  But if you are committed to screens there's an online version of Beast Academy.     

[hi.im.em]

28 minutes ago, mathmarm said:

No personal experiences. You might do some research into the Scope and Sequence of Funnix Math by comparing it to the DISTAR Arithmetic series which is also out of print, but probably closely related.

I personally don't expect FUNNIX Math to be very gamey, but I'm not familiar with this resource, so I could be wrong. I also think that it being an older program and having been compatible with earlier versions of Computer OS's is possibly why it's not as popular, but I don't know.

When you and your kid are ready, you might enjoy teaching your child some gentle mathematics in short sessions using a couple of home made manipulatives (ie, literal beans or buttons) and a vintage math book on your device of choice, (which would be 100% digital and have the same benefits for you as reading.com).

Thanks Mathmarm, when I say 'gamey', I basically mean that it is on a screen (which is very motivating for dd as its the only time she gets a screen). However reading.com is more gamey than I'd like so the 90s look program is actually a bonus. 

I own rightstart math and we've been casually exploring some of the concepts. The problem is is that its impossible to do a satisfactory lesson while baby sister is around. 

Reading.com has succeeded where the 100 easy lessons book failed because it has removed some of the friction (she is desperate to get her hands on my phone) and I can be half focused while watching/holding baby sister (just read the script when prompted). 

I definitely intend to supplement with right start and c rods more casually (as I have done with bob books and random phonics practice with the etchisketch). However as far as implementing a structured curriculum I've found it easier to let the app do it, and then reinforce myself. DI curriculums really lend themselves to this approach IMO. 

I guess, when the time comes, I'll just get the free trial and give it a go. It just seemed a little bib sus that no one seems to use it. Given the popularity of 100 easy lessons I'd have thought people would be all over it. 

[hi.im.em]

30 minutes ago, daijobu said:

 When I was homeschooling my kids I had never heard of DI and if you had described it to me, I would have called it "teaching."  I had no idea actual teachers believed that teaching was ineffective. 

 

This made me laugh but its really not funny. V scant teaching in elementary schools now in favour of the stuff that used to be called 'parenting'. 

The beauty of DI for homeschooling is that we can get access to teaching scripts that have been heavily researched and field tested. For me thats way more appealing than just feeling my way and hoping for the best. 

I still have a lot of control over the process. We are skipping the book reading bit, for example, and she doesn't really notice if I have her loop back a couple of lessons to repeat. Then, because I know exactly which skill we're stuck on (eg rhyming) I can bring up lots of rhyming chat into daily life. I get to outsource the substance of the teaching and be a coach. 

I do think as she gets older, and baby sister naps longer, I would like to phase out the apps in favour of paper and pen curriculums. I am concerned that it will be a shock for her when we do. 

 

[Clarita]

1 hour ago, hi.im.em said:

own rightstart math and we've been casually exploring some of the concepts. The problem is is that its impossible to do a satisfactory lesson while baby sister is around. 

When my children were is toddler and mobile baby stage I would just also give the little one some manipulatives to work with. I wouldn't give the 1.5 year old small beads but since I was right there with them I did let her have some that were choking hazards I just kept gently and in a happy manner remove her hand and manipulative from her mouth 😜.

Of course all of it would go away once the lesson was over.

[mathmarm]

4 hours ago, hi.im.em said:

I guess, when the time comes, I'll just get the free trial and give it a go. It just seemed a little bit sus that no one seems to use it. Given the popularity of 100 easy lessons I'd have thought people would be all over it. 

I will be the first to admit that the teachers guide to 100 Easy Lessons is a beautifully, masterfully written document, and that it had a profound effect on me and Hubby and how we approached home education. We didn't use the 100 Lessons in the book, but we applied the technique to a better scope and sequence and it was amazing and we've been nothing but pleased with the results.

The Direct Instruction materials (outside of 100 Easy Lessons) are almost invisible in the Home School circles that I've run in and run into. However I find that many of DI programs (when I say DI/Direct Instruction I mean as developed/popularized by Zig & Co, or written to the DI guideline developed/popularized by Zig & Co) are wonderfully designed and include a ton of highly intelligent lesson exercises that are not included in many other programs that I've looked at.

The DI authors market (and price) the DI materials for the school market so obtaining the DI materials can be cost prohibitive for some homeschools who may not even realize that more of the DI materials exist.

Anyway, as far as "Gamey"math and whatnot, I think you're on the right track: Since the reading site is more gamey than you care for, I will encourage you to finish reading and once reading.com is completed, and over with, wait a short while and then investigate the FUNNIX Math program.

I suggest waiting a while to introduce FUnnix Math so that the reading.com gamey-ness is out of her system because you don't want FUNNIX Math to be the more boring on-screen activitiy, you want FUNNIX Math to be the way to get the screen.

[hi.im.em]

Yes good idea to have a break to detox @mathmarmI hadn't thought of that.

Out of interest, what scope and sequence did you use for reading? 

[Momof4sweetkids]

8 hours ago, hi.im.em said:

The problem is is that its impossible to do a satisfactory lesson while baby sister is around. 

 

There are lots of fun ideas on YouTube if you search "homeschooling with a baby(or toddler)". When they're at the climb on the table and destroy phase, I like to buckle them in their high chair with various special things they don't otherwise get to play with. 

[mathmarm]

1 hour ago, hi.im.em said:

Yes good idea to have a break to detox @mathmarmI hadn't thought of that.

Out of interest, what scope and sequence did you use for reading? 

In brief, we stitched together a few things, many of them free, but we liked the idea of doing long-vowels first, so we used the vintage Open Court scope and sequence of sounds/patterns stuff to get started, we supplemented with Ultimate Phonics Words and Sentence List (actually, this is also a software that you may or may not like, now that I think about it).

Throughout and as the kids progressed, we literally just searched online for "[pattern] Word Lists" or "X-syllable words" and printed/used any words that we needed.

We read so much each day and sometimes, we pulled word lists from a vocabulary program and from a multisyllable word programs too since we could.

 

[hi.im.em]

Ok - I got hold of a scope and sequence. It ends with double digit addition and subtraction, some basic fractions, counting by 10s and 2s. 

I think it will be a good complement to our explorations with C rods (gattegno and miquon) and Right Start stuff. I think I may have to limit how often I do a lesson (or delay starting it for a while) otherwise it may go too fast. I want lots of time to reinforce and explore the concepts conceptually. 

The DI math (from what I've seen of connecting math concepts as well as from what I've heard) is very verbal, whereas miquon et al are primarily spacial. That suits my very verbal dd who loves to count and chant. Funnix also doesn't involve writing (where CMC does). 

I'd love to be one of those, 'let's play math' homeschoolers but I need the structure and reassurance a DI program provides. I really value math but learned the algorithms without understanding. With funnix I know the scope and sequence has been field tested and that the program is going to be introducing concepts with the right amount of new material in each lesson - then I feel more confident to 'play math' on the side.