Math curriculum

[Clarita]

DD6 is OK with Singapore Math, but I'm getting a little worn out by all the books (teacher's guide, textbook, workbook). My son does Beast Academy, I much prefer that. Even though it's two books it's not two books everyday. Whereas Singapore is 3 books for every lesson. (DD6 does not want to puzzle her way through math, she's already tried and voiced her displeasure at Beast Academy.)

What I want is a math curriculum that's basically a book that I can flip to the next page with. A perfect curriculum would be Beast Academy, where the problems are more straight forward. I'd also be happy if Singapore Math just put their lessons in one book. 

[Malam]

Math mammoth is just one book

[EKS]

If you understand how to teach math the Singapore way, you don't need the teacher's guide.  If you want a jumpstart on that, read through Elementary Mathematics for Teachers.

You can also drop the workbook if your child is able to do (most of) the textbook problems independently.  Since the textbook tends to have harder problems, it's better to keep that rather than the workbook.

This is what we did and it worked great.

[wendyroo]

Math Mammoth!

[8filltheheart]

Math in Focus is basically SM in textbook form.

[Nichola]

Have you looked at Singapore’s Primary 2022? I’ve been using that with my 5th grader for a couple of years now, and it’s basically what you described. The lessons and the practice sections are both in the Student Book, and you just go to the next page. It essentially combines the textbook and workbook that Dimensions uses. There is a teacher’s guide, but I rarely pull it out. The Learn Together sections, which are the lesson portion in the student book, are thorough enough that I find I don’t need the teacher’s guide very often.

Edited September 22 by Nichola

[Momof4sweetkids]

Math Mammoth!

[Clarita]

2 hours ago, EKS said:

You can also drop the workbook if your child is able to do (most of) the textbook problems independently.  Since the textbook tends to have harder problems, it's better to keep that rather than the workbook.

This isn't quite her. She does need the practice. That's the problem it's not enough for her if I skip the pieces. 

Looks like I really need to look into Math Mammoth.

[Porridge]

another vote for math mammoth. open and go.

[countrymum]

Math mammoth or math with confidence from well trained mind if you want more hand holding. Math with confidence is a teacher book and 1 student book (or A and B each a 1/2 year workbook so 1 at a time 3rd grade).

[Servant4Christ]

Rod and Staff

[Clarita]

Rod and staff is way too slow... I tried that and I was bored to teaching it. I do think it can be a wonderful program. I don't need math to be that incremental. 

Math with Confidence there's too much teaching help. It's part of my problem with the teacher/home educator's guide in Singapore Math. There's too much help/words in there and I zone out. Then I miss stuff I should be doing because I zoned out (for Singapore I keep not doing the mental math practice). 

On 9/21/2024 at 6:58 PM, EKS said:

If you understand how to teach math the Singapore way, you don't need the teacher's guide.  If you want a jumpstart on that, read through Elementary Mathematics for Teachers.

I'm unclear as to what the Singapore way is. I'm pretty strong in math and while I was taught to do it procedurally, it's not a hard leap for me to understand. Like people say the "Beast Academy way" and to me that's just math. Is the textbook more explanatory in the later levels for Singapore? because in level 1 there are definitely some textbook pages that make no sense what we're suppose to do until I read the teacher's guide. Like it just shows a girl with some plates of apples.  

[EKS]

12 minutes ago, Clarita said:

I'm unclear as to what the Singapore way is.

This is where Elementary Mathematics for Teachers comes in.  There is a lot about teaching place value and using the Singapore model method in that book.  

Is the textbook more explanatory in the later levels for Singapore?

Yes.  I am not a fan of the level 1 materials.  It gets much better in level 2.

That said, I strongly recommend Elementary Mathematics for Teachers if you want to teach Singapore without the teacher's guide.  There is no reason to use Singapore math if you're just going to teach it using the cookbook method (and, to be clear, I am not suggesting that this is what you're doing!).

19 minutes ago, Clarita said:

for Singapore I keep not doing the mental math practice

We ended up using the mental math stuff instead of fact practice once the facts were somewhat in place.

[Lovinglife234]

I hear you on the zoning out.  The materials I’ve chosen fit me best as a teacher.  Simple, concise, & not a lot of moving parts (or it’s optional).

Of course, I love math mammoth.  I think you’d appreciate how it’s structured and the fact that you can tailor the lessons easily if it’s needed.  Your child can work mostly on their own if they are inclined to.  It is incremental and includes all the practice needed for each concept.  The only thing to be aware of is the need to pause at times and work on a different chapter.  If they are struggling with long division for example, you don’t just sludge through it daily in tears.  You do a few problems each day and work in the time, money, measurement, or fraction chapters.  Also, it is assumed you work on math facts separately.  Math facts is a mastery skill and the time it takes a child to become fully fluent varies greatly.  I am glad she doesn‘t include these skills because it would lengthen each level a lot.  I usually use xtra math, 5 minutes a day.

Edited September 24 by Lovinglife234

[BusyMom5]

Primary Mathematics new editions, Math in Focus, or Math Mammoth.

[Servant4Christ]

Maybe CLE? It moves faster than R&S and is very easy to teach. Works well if you don't need the additional practice of concepts. 

[8filltheheart]

18 hours ago, Clarita said:

Rod and staff is way too slow... I tried that and I was bored to teaching it. I do think it can be a wonderful program. I don't need math to be that incremental. 

Math with Confidence there's too much teaching help. It's part of my problem with the teacher/home educator's guide in Singapore Math. There's too much help/words in there and I zone out. Then I miss stuff I should be doing because I zoned out (for Singapore I keep not doing the mental math practice). 

I'm unclear as to what the Singapore way is. I'm pretty strong in math and while I was taught to do it procedurally, it's not a hard leap for me to understand. Like people say the "Beast Academy way" and to me that's just math. Is the textbook more explanatory in the later levels for Singapore? because in level 1 there are definitely some textbook pages that make no sense what we're suppose to do until I read the teacher's guide. Like it just shows a girl with some plates of apples.  

If you don't want to stick with the SM approach, that is a different question.  Math in Focus is the closest to SM you can find in easy textbook format.  BUT, it is most definitely SM bar diagram models.  (I personally hate using bar diagrams and dislike SM bc of it.  I much prefer teaching with simple algebraic models like Hands On Equations.)  I used MiF with one of my dd's....it's a long story, but she used it 4th-6th.  

I really like Horizons.  All of my kids (including dd above....like I said, long story) used Horizons through the 6th grade textbooks.  It is a very solid approach to elementary math concepts.  It is lacking in word problems in the upper texts.  I supplemented with HOE (1-3 word problems per day starting in 3rd or 4th grade....depended on the student.)  Horizons is spiral, though, so very unlike SM mastery.

[Red Dove]

I’m going to add another voice in to say Math Mammoth. Very open and go. My children work on it without me and I rarely even answer questions (the book does an excellent job of teaching concepts). 

[SilverMoon]

I didn't use the teacher's guide at all when we used SM. I worked through the textbook with them and they did the workbook "on their own" (at my elbow). Just like Beast. 

It does sound like maybe Math in Focus would be a good fit for you. It has more baby steps built in where SM might expect a conceptual leap. Learn it in the textbook, do it in the workbook. (The textbooks are all over the used book market and far less expensive that way.)

Fwiw my kids thought Math Mammoth was cluttered and visually distracting. I'd try one of the inexpensive topical books before committing to a whole grade. The kids and I were so over it by the time we finished one small book. It was thorough but felt like such a chore. 

Edited September 24 by SilverMoon

[8filltheheart]

I also don't like the visual presentation of MM.  

[Clarita]

2 hours ago, 8filltheheart said:

also don't like the visual presentation of MM.  

Actually I showed my daughter yesterday and she didn't like it either because I think it looks too cluttery to her. 

I looked at the older grades of SM and I think we will stick with that since the textbooks get more self explanatory in level 2 vs level 1. 

I struggle with spiral because I kind of want the option of doing our own thing every so often and with spiral it feels harder to do. 

Thanks everyone for weighing in. 

[Lovinglife234]

It definitely is different if you are teaching it and going through the lesson with them vs them just looking at the page.

The new level 3 contains added card games in the beginning of the chapter (as an option).  Loving that!

one of the bigger differences and why I prefer math mammoth to Singapore is because it is more incremental.  If your child can make the concept leaps in Singapore then that would not matter.

Edited September 27 by Lovinglife234

[EKS]

On 9/24/2024 at 12:36 PM, Clarita said:

Actually I showed my daughter yesterday and she didn't like it either because I think it looks too cluttery to her. 

MM caused tears here because of this.  I'm surprised this issue hasn't been fixed, as it's been a known problem for years, and it would be relatively straightforward to change.

[EKS]

We actually moved away from Singapore math during level 1, I'm just now remembering, and went to RightStart B for a while.  We then picked up Singapore again in 2A and it was no problem from then on.  But back then there was no home instructor's guide for the level 1 materials, which may have been the issue.

[Clarita]

9 minutes ago, EKS said:

We actually moved away from Singapore math during level 1, I'm just now remembering, and went to RightStart B for a while.  We then picked up Singapore again in 2A and it was no problem from then on.  But back then there was no home instructor's guide for the level 1 materials, which may have been the issue.

That's good to hear that the other levels are easier to manage without the HIG.

[EKS]

7 minutes ago, Clarita said:

That's good to hear that the other levels are easier to manage without the HIG.

I used the HIG for a while when we returned to Singapore, but then found Elementary Mathematics for Teachers.  After reading that, I never needed the HIG again.

[Lovinglife234]

41 minutes ago, EKS said:

MM caused tears here because of this.  I'm surprised this issue hasn't been fixed, as it's been a known problem for years, and it would be relatively straightforward to change.

It would be nice if it was fixed.  Although- the books might be twice as big?  
 

All of mine have had tears in MM and other maths.  my dd7 had tears in MWC with all the “parts”.  She just didn’t want to do school.  Now that it’s routine math is never an issue and she prefers MM because it’s straightforward.  When we first switched it took a bit for them to get used to it, after that they really don’t mind the layout.  Math is so smooth now.  It’s been a few years, 4 or 5.  It is unfortunate that the layout has not been worked on, the program is wonderfully designed otherwise.  Thankfully mine don’t care- they just want to get done.

[Clarita]

Maybe they don't want to change it because they want to keep it low cost. MM is really affordable compared to other math curricula.

[Wheres Toto]

Math Mammoth was pretty easy to print in Adobe using the poster setting that will split one page into two pages.   I also used to just cross out problems with a marker.  

[AnnaGrace]

Is this as a supplement on top of their current workload or for homeschool?

[Clarita]

8 hours ago, AnnaGrace said:

Is this as a supplement on top of their current workload or for homeschool?

This is homeschool.