lotsofpumpkins Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 My oldest is doing great in R&S math, so I'm going to keep her in that for now. My next child is doing great with filling in the answers, except I can tell that it's pure memorization for him and he's not thinking about it. He's been asking me for a lot of answers lately, even stuff like 6-5 (he does fine with addition, but the subtraction is getting him). I say stuff like, "What can we add to 5 to make 6?" He just gets totally confused when I phrase it that way, because all of a sudden I'm talking about adding. So, then I say "if you put up 6 fingers and take away 5, how many are left?", and then he's able to get it. Maybe it's just his age, because he is my mathy child (he's very good at adding multiple numbers in his head, and LOVES to count to high numbers; it's just subtraction facts that seem to be messing him up). Anyway, I am feeling like he could benefit from a different program for a while. He's only 5 1/2 and has already completed almost 100 lessons out of 180 in R&S 1st grade math, so we can afford to go to something else without feeling behind. I already have book one of Professor B math here, and it's intriguing, and I did do some of the oral exercises with the children yesterday, and it just feels strange. I do like some of the tricks they have later on in the book though, and was wondering if Singapore teaches this way. For example, if you have 25+38, Prof B says 20+30 is 50, and 5+8 is 13. 50+13 is 63. Does Singapore teach the student to think about problems like this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AudreyTN Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 I've never tried or looked at Professor B, but we use and LOVE Singapore. Singapore will definitely bring in the "thinking" aspect of math. You may even look at the Intensive Practice books. They are harder and more thought provoking than the regular workbook. I can't recall exactly if they teach like that, but *I* tell my children. They do a lot of exercises where they write 158= 100+50+8, so that they can see the place values. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lotsofpumpkins Posted April 1, 2009 Author Share Posted April 1, 2009 They do a lot of exercises where they write 158= 100+50+8, so that they can see the place values. That sounds like the type of exercise I am looking for. I'm torn; I have to spend more $ and learn a new program if I switch ds to singapore. I could just keep him in R&S and use teaching ideas from Prof B and Games for Math to supplement. But I really think he could benefit from a program like Singapore.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lotsofpumpkins Posted April 1, 2009 Author Share Posted April 1, 2009 (edited) Ok, indecision is over... While waiting for more replies I decided to go with my gut and order singapore for ds. He's getting ready to start 1st grade so it's a great time to try something new. Plus, he's only 80 lessons behind his big sister in R&S math, and I'm not sure how she'll feel when/if he passes her, so I had been considering keeping them in different programs anyway. I am going to have her watch me work with ds though, and if she really seems to want to try singapore, maybe I'll switch her too, or maybe since we school year-round, we'll do both! Some people do that, don't they? it'd be a shame to ditch R&S altogether since I just spent an hour coloring flowers and bees for the "blossom and bee" poster... :tongue_smilie: Hopefully I can get someone to buy my Prof B set (had to list it somewhere else since I don't have enough posts here yet)! I'm starting to look like a math curriculum junkie... gotta get some of it back out of here! Edited April 1, 2009 by lotsofpumpkins Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AudreyTN Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner, but it looks like you've made a decision. :) I posted a few reasons why I like Singapore on my blog. Click the link below, it's a few posts down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FO4UR Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 I think he'll like SM. I have never seen Professor B....and I better steer cleer b/c I think I have officially earned the title for math curricula junkie:tongue_smilie: Let me know how R&S meshes with SM. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lotsofpumpkins Posted April 1, 2009 Author Share Posted April 1, 2009 I think he'll like SM. I have never seen Professor B....and I better steer cleer b/c I think I have officially earned the title for math curricula junkie:tongue_smilie: Let me know how R&S meshes with SM. :001_smile: You, a curriculum junkie??? :D I'm not sure if I'll try to line up the concepts between R&S and SM, or do one for a while and then the other for a while. I also ordered the SM Challenging Word Problems so we'll work those in too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lotsofpumpkins Posted April 1, 2009 Author Share Posted April 1, 2009 Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner, but it looks like you've made a decision. :) I posted a few reasons why I like Singapore on my blog. Click the link below, it's a few posts down. I went and read on your blog; thanks for posting that! It was very helpful. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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