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Advanced K'er – which Math?
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What do y’all think about the following 2 choices for my advanced K’er? He needs a first grade math program. Okay, now he’s asking for grade 2 math, he was asking for grade 1 lol. Hes’s smart. He’ll be 6 in 4 months (March ’18). You can see sample pages at these sites. Which would be better?
Singapore Math 1A, US Edition
OR
The Complete Book of Math Grades 1-2
Thanks!
Have you considered using Richele’s math handbook? I am using it with my 5th grader this year, and it is great in that you can work through it at the child’s pace.
A couple questions for you and then some thoughts.
1. What leads you to think your 5 year old is advanced in math?
2. What have you been using with them for math already?
According to Charlotte Mason your son shouldn’t yet be doing any formal school work, that doesn’t begin until age 6. So the ideal answer would just be “use nothing, play, spend time outside, do real life activities together like measuring when cutting fabric or baking or counting toys and things as we set the table or put toys away. Lots of talk, zero actual sit down math work and workbooks.
Personally, I have kids all over the map in natural math understanding/ability. For some math is ok, makes sense as they learn it, for one it is a foreign language, and for one in particular it has been innately understood from toddlerhood and no math has been a challenge to date (he’s 10).
The best math advice, other than making it real, concrete, and hands on is to choose a math curriculum when they are 6 and stick through it, using it as intended by the creator. Our math curriculum of choice is Math U See. It works for each of my kids, at their pace. Currently my oldest has gone from the beginning level up to Algebra 2, which she and I are doing this year and into next. I’ve got two in PreAlgebra. One in Epsilon (all things fractions). One in Gamma (all things multiplication). One about to begin Beta (multiple digit addition and subtraction).
I also have one who will be 6 in January, who is exploring math concepts in a hands on way but won’t begin Math U See until he’s 6. (For example, today we read Beep Beep Vroom Vroom and pulled out red, yellow, and blue counting bears. I made patterns, he continued them. He made patterns. We just played with them like the kids in the book played with their red, yellow, and blue cars.
I have a 4 year old and a 2 year old as well. The 4yo enjoys counting things, like the right number of forks for lunch, or telling me how many grapes he has left as he eats one (I had six grapes but I ate one, now I have 5 grapes). The 2 year old is still thinking about learning to talk. 😉
Thanks Tristan,
Yes this would totally not be for formal lessons. For example, he will, on his own, pull out The Reading Lesson or Spectrum Addition K and just work on it on his own. He’s having fun as long as he is not being forced to do it. We tried MFW K math and it totally didn’t jive with him. I could see how it might be good for someone who doesn’t grasp math concepts easily but that is not my son. When we were using that, it seemed so basic, so boring, too easy for him. He kept saying, “I know all this”. He knows his shapes, he knows his colors, he can count to 30, actually he could count to 400 like six months ago or more. He taught himself addition, he taught himself to read. I think he understands place value, if it’s not explained the MFW way! I wouldn’t be getting him any more schoolwork (we dropped MFW K awhile ago) but he keeps asking for a grade 1 workbook, and now he’s asking for grade 2. I would only get something and make it available for him to pull out and work on as he wishes. Just like he does with other “school” books.
I know this is not one of your choices, but have you looked at Math Mammoth? Each chapter begins with a big list of online games to illustrate concepts, and there are also suggestions of hands-on games within the text to teach the material. I had two kids who started the 1st grade book in K and both did well with it. It’s similar to Singapore, but I don’t know if Singapore uses games at all.
So if you are just playing with math, and want ideas for more advanced concepts, MM might have some good ideas.
ErinD – Wow. Math Mammoth looks awesome! When I first read your response, I thought oh no, I don’t want to look at another program. But I just checked it out and it looks really good! I think he would do well with it! Do you suggest getting the whole package or just everything except the 1B workbook? I want to see how it goes before we commit for too long. I see that you need an abacus, I’ve always wanted one! 😀 My only concern is that one reviewer said, “It’s very similar to what public schools are now attempting with math instruction”. Is that true? If that’s true I want to stay away. Thanks!
I also wonder if this is my chance to finally try Right Start Math. Or even Math-U-See, ::sigh:: always so many decisions!
I would say it is NOTHING like public school math. It is learning facts, and is strong in mental math and word problems. She also teaches multiple strategies for solving problems so that kids can use the one that “clicks” with them. I don’t think that is public school-like at all.
I’m not sure what’s all included in the packages, but if you just want to try it out, you could just get the 1-A work text and that’s it. You probably don’t need the tests and other extras for this age. Where are you looking? I bought mine a long time ago so I don’t even know how it’s sold anymore.
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