A home for their hearts Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 We are currently using R&S, and although I love the way it's helping my dc to learn their math facts it isn't good at explaining the why behind it. We are getting ready to move on to multiplication and I'm not happy at all with the way R&S teaches this. I would love a curriculum that provides a lot of hands on learning. I'm looking at Moving with Math as well as Making Math Meaningful. Neither of which are very inexpensive so I really need to make sure it is going to work for us before we purchase anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janis in DE Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 Have you looked at Math U See? They do a very good job of explaining the why and they use blocks for manipulatives. Janis in DE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A home for their hearts Posted January 29, 2009 Author Share Posted January 29, 2009 I have looked at Math-u-see and I don't think it's the right fit for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunshine State Sue Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 I'm looking at Moving with Math as well as Making Math Meaningful. Neither of which are very inexpensive so I really need to make sure it is going to work for us before we purchase anything. Back when I started hs'ing, I looked thoroughly at MwM, MMM, and MUS. I chose MUS and love it. However, if it's not for you, then you might try MMM. It is not expensive - $40 per grade 1-6. Looking back, I believe that any of the 3 programs would have worked for us. MwM is very expensive and very thorough. It was written by a group of math teachers. Since I have a degree in math, I didn't really feel like I needed that much guidance. The only reason that I didn't choose MMM was that it had lots of manipulatives that could be gathered from around the house, and I'm too lazy. :D Now, they have a kit, but I don't think they did back then. I have heard good things about MMM. It is said to start slowly, but does a great job of laying the foundation and preparing the students for Algebra in a timely manner. HTH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suzikw Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 I heartily agree that MUS (Steve Demme) teaches the kids the "why" behind math problems. I am using Gamma with my son and doing double digit double digit multiplication. Steve asks them to write the problem out the regular way we all know how to do it but also using place value notation. I think my son understands this better than my high school girls who learned this level math from a private school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caroline4kids Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 We like MUS and LOF, but I have been using Professor B because I got it very inexpensively used and it does a really good job of breaking things down the long way--the why behind the method, and then showing the shorter method. Since working through Prof B my children now understand why and how long division works. We did not do Gamma and Delta and Prof B has filled in our gaps really nicely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gratefulmother Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 I love, love, love Rightstart Math because it does teach the why's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mabeline Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 I agree Rightstart math teaches kids to understand how numbers work together and why they work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Macrina Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 Saxon teaches the whys very well, at least in my experience of K-3 program Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamaof2andtwins Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 You can teach the why's behind the multiplication facts. We did this using unifix cubes. I just read of someone who used an egg carton and dried beans. Make your program work for you. Jennie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A home for their hearts Posted January 31, 2009 Author Share Posted January 31, 2009 Thanks for all the reviews ladies. I'm nervous about MMM because of the mistakes in it. I don't want to pay for something that isn't well written. As for MWM, although it looks wonderful I'm a little bit hesitant because of all the page flipping, having to go from one book to another seems like a lot of hassel and I don't have time to learn how to use a curriculum. I may look at MUS again. I just wasn't too crazy about this because my dc didn't seem to grasp the concept of the cuisenaire rods when we used them with Miquon Math. I think for now I will stick with R&S, I love the drill, and figure out a way to put the why behind the concepts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
praisefor3 Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 I didn't get it. Didn't like it. Didn't want math taught like that. My oldest is finishing Saxon Calculus. That one makes sense to me. My next one (ds 5th grade) was doing well with Singapore, a nice transition to Saxon...until we hit a wall. He thinks about math differently. My math smart dh and I tried for over a year after the wall came to make ds think like Singapore. By the end of that year we all 3 were banging our heads against that wall. Reluctantly, I ordered MUS Gamma (a step back from where we were with Singapore.) And the wall crumbled. He no longer hates math. He doesn't LOVE math, but he no longer feels like he "can't" do it. If your math program is working and YOU are just wanting something different, then take your time evaluating. If it's not working for any of your dc, then be willing to switch asap. I'm glad I stopped trying to force ds to think like me. And, amazingly, I've learned a LOT about math from MUS already. Wish I had been taught to think that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merry Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 workbook. It does a very good job of explaining the why behind the concepts and has the child learning the math facts in several different ways which makes the drill somewhat palatable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marylou Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 If you can find a copy of Teaching the Trivium by Harvey & Laurie Bluedorn, there is much information in their book regarding teaching math to young children. Or perhaps I should say "not teaching math to young children!" At least in a formal, pull-your-hair-out struggle every day. page 369 "A ten-year old is perfectly capable of jumping right into a sixth grade math textbook, such as Saxon 65, with no previous experience with math workbooks or textbooks. Skipping Kindergarten through fifth grade in math will in no way hinder your child's success in math. You do not need to wear out your child's interest and your own patience attempting to make him understand what his brain is not yet wired to handle. Waiting until age ten, when your child is developmentally prepared to handle mathematical concepts readily, makes instruction in arithmetic very easy. What was painfully spread over five previous years, may here be compressed painlessly into as little time as a month. We are not saying that you should keep your child away from numbers before age 10. Not at all." I recommend you read more right from the book (my fingers are tired!) Also, you may want to visit www.systemath.com and click on "Mynah Bird Math" on the left while you're there. I really appreciate the things Paul Zeigler says about his experience with homeschoolers regarding math. I have purchased his module for teaching elementary age children. I also just noticed that his site has many tests and practice sheets that can be printed out for free. Harvey and Laurie Bluedorn homeschooled all five of their children in the Classical style and didn't teach math formally to any of them until they were at least ten years old. Their children turned out just fine and they saved themselves a lot of headaches along the way. I am following their example with my twin third-graders, and so far I am happy with this approach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marylou Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 BTW if you go to www.systemath.com and click on "Mynah Bird Math" don't forget to watch the "Tennessee Math" video. It is very funny :lurk5:! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A home for their hearts Posted February 1, 2009 Author Share Posted February 1, 2009 If you can find a copy of Teaching the Trivium by Harvey & Laurie Bluedorn, there is much information in their book regarding teaching math to young children. Or perhaps I should say "not teaching math to young children!" At least in a formal, pull-your-hair-out struggle every day. page 369 "A ten-year old is perfectly capable of jumping right into a sixth grade math textbook, such as Saxon 65, with no previous experience with math workbooks or textbooks. Skipping Kindergarten through fifth grade in math will in no way hinder your child's success in math. You do not need to wear out your child's interest and your own patience attempting to make him understand what his brain is not yet wired to handle. Waiting until age ten, when your child is developmentally prepared to handle mathematical concepts readily, makes instruction in arithmetic very easy. What was painfully spread over five previous years, may here be compressed painlessly into as little time as a month. We are not saying that you should keep your child away from numbers before age 10. Not at all." I recommend you read more right from the book (my fingers are tired!) Also, you may want to visit www.systemath.com and click on "Mynah Bird Math" on the left while you're there. I really appreciate the things Paul Zeigler says about his experience with homeschoolers regarding math. I have purchased his module for teaching elementary age children. I also just noticed that his site has many tests and practice sheets that can be printed out for free. Harvey and Laurie Bluedorn homeschooled all five of their children in the Classical style and didn't teach math formally to any of them until they were at least ten years old. Their children turned out just fine and they saved themselves a lot of headaches along the way. I am following their example with my twin third-graders, and so far I am happy with this approach. Thanks for the link. I've never heard of Systematic Mathematics. Could you explain to me a little further how it works? I'm having trouble understanding it from the website. I've never even thought about delaying teaching formal mathematics until my dc were 10, I don't know if I could do that. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen sn Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 BTW if you go to www.systemath.com and click on "Mynah Bird Math" don't forget to watch the "Tennessee Math" video. It is very funny :lurk5:! Click on The Decline of Math (leftt hand) and scroll down - click on the 8th grade math test of the late 1800's! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marylou Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 www.systemath.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A home for their hearts Posted February 2, 2009 Author Share Posted February 2, 2009 www.systemath.com I've been to the website and have read all I can, I still don't understand the method. I don't see anything where it explains how things are taught. I watch a small portion of the video and wasn't too impressed but he was explaining math for higher grades so I really couldn't get a sense of how it would be for my dc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HiddenJewel Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 (edited) Saxon teaches the whys very well, at least in my experience of K-3 program K-3 has a different author than the upper levels of Saxon. Edited February 2, 2009 by HiddenJewel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HiddenJewel Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 RightStart is my absolute first choice for really teaching math instead of just formulas. Math Mammoth does a pretty good job. BJU includes the whys. Teaching Textbooks is really good too. The ones I have used that just teach the formulas include Abeka, CLE and Horizons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marylou Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 Have you checked out www.systemath.com ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonshineLearner Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 Just to let you know, when you are multiplying something like 20 x 20, there are a few different fun ways to figure out the answer. You can check out youtube. (do this without your kids, first, so you can preview the ones you want your kids to watch. Some of them are "knock-offs" and have bad words...) Anyway, I like the ones where you draw out boxes and add diagonal lines in them...and then figure the answer. There's another one where you draw lines and then draw circles around...Tons of fun:-) Carrie:-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A home for their hearts Posted February 2, 2009 Author Share Posted February 2, 2009 I've been to the website and have read all I can, I still don't understand the method. I don't see anything where it explains how things are taught. I watched a small portion of the video and wasn't too impressed but he was explaining math for higher grades so I really couldn't get a sense of how it would be for my dc. Have you checked out www.systemath.com ? Yes I have and I've quoted my own concerns above. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Handmaiden Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 Rightstart Math gets my vote! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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