Name: Spreading the Feast Gathering
Start: 2025-07-11T00:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-07-12T23:59:59-05:00
Location: LaGrange, KY

Tagged: CM math, Everyday Arithmetic, ray's arithmetic

This topic has 8 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 8 years, 10 months ago by Rebekah.

Viewing 9 posts - 1 through 9 (of 9 total)

Author
Posts
August 10, 2016 at 3:09 pm
Vanessa
Participant
These may be loaded questions :), but I’m in need of guidance concerning math. I’ve been trying to decide between using Everyday Arithmetic by Franklin S. Hoyt and Ray’s Arithmetic (I found both for free online). I’ve tried to asked about them in several CM Facebook groups, but I haven’t received any answers so I decided to take a try here :).
Does anyone know if one is better than the other…pros and cons?
Is there much of a difference between the two…such as content, ease of learning, practical math that can be related today, etc.?
Does anyone use a combination of both?
What math programs do you use that are CM friendly as well as feasible?
Thanks!
August 10, 2016 at 5:19 pm
Des
Participant
Vanessa, I’ve not heard of the first book you listed but I know that Richelle, author of Mathematics An Instrument for Living Teaching, recommends using Ray’s if you don’t want to come up with your own problems. I have not used Ray’s but, we are currently using Staryer Upton practical arithmetic along with the book mentioned above and our math lessons have been more peaceful and productive. Anyway, this is just a bump in hopes that Richelle will see it and respond!
August 10, 2016 at 8:55 pm
Mrs. A
Participant
I don’t know anything about Everyday Arithmetic but we use Ray’s and love it. It’s a solid curriculum that really allows students to master the content.
If you decide to go with Ray’s I would definitely recommend reading the relevant section in The Eclectic Manual of Methods which is available free online. The Manual of Methods helps to explain how to go about teaching with Ray’s.
August 10, 2016 at 9:05 pm
HollyS
Participant
The SCM Mathematics DVD and book are very helpful and stick very close to CM’s teachings. Richelle uses the first Rays book (Primary), then switches to Strayer Upton’s Practical Arithmetic. I prefer the layout of SU, but we’ve only actually used it for a few lessons. I’m not familiar with the Hoyt book, so I can’t compare it to the others.
We actually use MUS, but I’ve incorporated many of the SCM Mathematics ideas into their lessons. I’m hoping to continue with this, adding in Rays and SU for some “mental math” practice, which is a weakness of MUS.

August 12, 2016 at 1:50 am
Vanessa
Participant
Thank you Moms for all of your advice! I greatly appreciate the feedback…it is definitely helpful!
I will be sure to read the math portion in The Eclectic Manual of Methods and check out SU!
Thanks!
August 12, 2016 at 12:45 pm
2Corin57
Participant
I really like Everyday Arithmetic, and it has a wonderful (free) guide to go with it, that IMO is superior to the one for Rays. The guide makes it very easy to use.
August 12, 2016 at 9:33 pm
Rebekah
Participant
We actually use MUS, but I’ve incorporated many of the SCM Mathematics ideas into their lessons. I’m hoping to continue with this, adding in Rays and SU for some “mental math” practice, which is a weakness of MUS.

Can I ask how you do this? Just do it orally each day? How much material do you cover? do you begin SU alongside beta? Gamma?
My oldest does beast academy one day a week which helps with mental math. My daughter has no interest in beast academy, but I have SU book one and maybe I could use that for some mental math practice for her. But I need to find a way to do it without overloading her.
August 13, 2016 at 8:35 am
HollyS
Participant
Rebekah,
We aren’t following the Mathematics DVD to a “t”, but here are some things we do in my attempt to make MUS more CM-friendly:
- Easier problems are done orally, more difficult ones on whiteboard or graph paper (or lined paper turned on it’s side to make columns)
- Using the manipulatives for new concepts. Unfortunately, I haven’t gotten together the buttons or pennies, but I’d like to do this at some point and rotate them with the MUS blocks!
- Keep the lessons short. When they get to things like long division or multiple-digit multiplication, we may only do 4-6 problems for the day. I try to keep their lessons to the time recommended by CM.
- My 6yo has been doing the “numbers lessons” as recommended, so we’ve only recently started MUS’s Alpha. I’m thinking of going back to the numbers lessons, because she seems to enjoy them more!
This year I have a “math extra” scheduled each day. Monday & Tuesday have “mental math” which I’m pulling from the Ray’s & SU books. Wednesday will be a logic puzzle of some sort, maybe a logic worksheet, logic card or board game, or tangram puzzle. Thursday will be a flashcard drill (I turn these into a game), and Friday will be a game from Rightstart’s Math Games book. I may add extra mental math questions on days when we get through their lessons a bit quicker.
I just received SU books 1 & 2, which I’m using with my older two (my younger two are going through Ray’s). They are starting at the beginning of the first book, and I imagine will skip through fairly quickly, since it’s all review at this point. I just flip through until I find something interesting, we do a few problems, then I move my book marker up. I’m not very systematic about it. I’m aiming for 5-10 minutes of mental math here.
I’d love to follow the Mathematics DVD more closely and just use the older texts, but I know myself, and I really need an truly open-and-go program (like MUS) for our more busy days. I need to be able to pop in a DVD and pull off the next worksheet.
August 13, 2016 at 10:40 pm
Rebekah
Participant
Holly, thanks for answering in such detail. 🙂
Since I’m only teaching a new MUS lesson once a week or so, I was thinking on the other days when MUS doesn’t require me teaching I could do ten minutes of oral math from strayer upton. I like the idea of rotating some other things in too. I have the RS games and a book of logic puzzles that never get gotten to.
Ok, that totally sounds like how I would do it. Lol. Just flipping thru for something interesting. Then I worry if I’m skipping something important. But I guess that’s the beauty of a supplement, it doesn’t have to cover everything, your spine does that. Maybe I will just try it in a relaxed manner and not worry about having a plan/schedule for how much to do. 🙂