the auditory approach is certainly working for us
if you notice we play a lot of learning CDs and music during our day
it seems like everything my daughter responds well to includes music and movement to some degree
even her book choices are not overly visual she prefers lots of text and poetry
i still try to include other methods and learn styles as well
to challenge her to learn in different ways and simply for brain development
but when we start a new subject or something that will be difficult for her
i alway use her dominant learning style
this helps us avoid a lot of frustration and keeps her motivated
well to start with Singapore math is not a brand or company name
it is simply the method used by the schools in Singapore and developed by the Minister of Education
the program sold on the singaporemath.com site (Primary Mathematics) is no longer being used in schools in Singapore
singapore no longer has one math program but four
New Syllabus Primary Mathematics
My Pals Are Here! Maths
Discover Maths
Shaping Maths
most of the schools use the advanced My Pals Are Here
Math in Focus is the USA version of My Pals Are Here
i used the kindergarten math program from singaporemath.com (EarlyBird)
and we liked it a lot
but starting at first grade with Primary Mathematics
the program had a lot less color and seemed a bit dry
so that’s why we switched over to MIF
the books just seemed more interesting
which is super important when teach a really little kid
i also ordered A Handbook for Mathematics Teachers in Primary Schools from amazon
but it’s not in yet so i can’t review
Marshall Cavendish Education is the company that makes MIF
i believe it is also the same company that made Primary Mathematics
so don’t believe there is a huge difference between the two programs
i order MIF from www.greatsource.com
the student bundle cost me about $50
How is your Latin schooling going. I like the idea of learning Latin because it is the basis of all languages. Are you happy with the system you are using and what age group is it geared for. You are so organized! Thanks Tracy
hi Tracy
we like it so far
but we just started so i can’t give a fair review yet
i will write up a review on this and a few other programs in a few weeks
Did you use the math readers from singaporemath.com or just the textbook or activity book?
I see both start with kindergarten. If he knows the numbers to 50 and shapes, would you go to 1rst grade or have to start with kindergarten books.
If you say kinder, would you start with earlyBird or Kindergarten Math in Focus.?
tatianna,
Thank you sooo much for such detailed information!
I just imagine how busy you are with your daughters
But, please, when you will get a chance give us some more info about your math program.
So far I am doing LM with my daughter + counting, adding, subtracting toys, fingers, toes, etc.
To tell you the truth I have no idea where to go from here, rather then continue with these activities
I’ve checked the website you’ve recommended for math program, but I am totally lost there. There are so many items listed: work books, manipulatives, etc
Would you tell us in more detail which exactly materials you’ve used with your daughter at what age and at what level of her understanding certain math concepts.
I am sure that kind of post will help lots of parents on this forum to figure out the math program for their child.
Thanks in advance,
Nadia.
hi NadiaD
those sites can be very confusing
i spent many long hours researching not fun
to start 1st grade with Math in Focus you will need the following books plus manipulatives
Student Book A
Student Book B
Student Workbook A
Student Workbook B
you don’t need the teachers guides at this level
and depending on the age of your child i wouldn’t get the Assessments ether
they sell this as the Math in Focus Grade 1 Student Materials Bundle (Book A/B and Workbook A/B Set) for $52.00
the books are in full color and very easy to use (my opinion)
you will also need the following manipulatives which you can easily find online or at your local teacher supply store
(i didn’t buy from the site as they were very expensive, i believe the set they sell is big enough for a classroom to use)
Unifix Cubes $12
Attribute blocks ( i like to use the MightyMind game) $17
Balance scale with bucket $10
clock
Ten Frame Cards (very important, easy to make)
counters
all the rest were household items
we choose to start with the two year kindergarten program for a few reasons
1 i was new to Singapore math and i wanted to start from the beginning
2 muse wasn’t even 3 yet so i didn’t want too much writing
3 i want her first workbooks to be easy for her as to build confidence
so far we are very happy with are decision
even though she knew a lot of the material already it was good practice
and somethings like graphs and even and odd numbers she had never done before
she moved along very quickly finishing each book in about 2.5 months
(the books i used have about 80 pages in each but are no longer available)
i would advise you to look at the virtual sample of the program
as you can look at all the books and decide which ones are best for your child
Tatianna, thank you so much for clearing up the things for me.
I really apreciate all the info, and I am sure lots of the parents on this forum will find it very useful too. 10 Karmas to you ( it will take me couple days) lol
I remember you were also saying that you used EarlyBird K M.
My daughter is 11 months, so I am reading all the replies in order to create more or less clear action Plan for the next couple years and stick to it.
Can you tell us more how did you started to teach your older daughter math, what worked and what didn’t.
What thing you’re planning to do differently with your younger daughter.
Thank you in advance.
Sorry, I just read you post and not others replies ;
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food
no msg
no trans fats
no white flour or rice
little or no sugar
little or no salt
i know this is about education yet i feel strongly that diet has a lot to do with mental development
so i keep her food as healthy as i can
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Hi, Tatianna!
Can you,please, tell me more about MAP CARDS by A Beka .
After reading your post I was searching eBay for them, there are couple types of them. Which ones are you using?
TIA, Nadia.
Western Hemisphere Map Skill Cards
30 cards (9" x 12")
$20
Nifty Fifty Flashcards
100 cards (9" x 12")
$30(new)
Two flashcards are included for each
state. One shows the state’s location
with information about the state on the
back. The other card is a labeled map
on one side, unlabeled on the other.
(my one issue with the map cards is that they are bigger then most sheet protectors, but you can find some 9x12 plastic sleeves at office depot for $8)
of course you could use them without it as they are pretty strong cards with a light plastic finish
these other cards are great for teaching EK to young ones
but you can continue to use them in older grades as well
Insects
114 cards (51/2" x 81/2")
Teaches and reviews metamorphosis, classification,
identification, and terminology
Flowers
74 cards (51/2" x 81/2")
$23
Common wildflowers and garden flowers with
information about range, habitat, flowering
season, and more.
Birds of North America
31 cards (81/2" x 11")
$19
Includes all state and provincial birds, range
maps, and interesting
facts.
after looking over the Early Bird books
i think you could probably start them as early as 18 months maybe sooner depending on your child
you would of course have to modify the program as your child would still be far to young for the writing part
one thing i find helpful to use when working with a pre writing child is sand paper numbers
this is a Montessori material that is easy to make and very useful
so instead of writing the number in the book the child can simply pick the correct numeral card for problem solving
as far as what i would do differently with my daughter
it’s hard to say we will be using math dots again and i hope they will work for her
one thing i plan to start a lot sooner is working with patterns
this is a very important yet often neglected area of math
i may also start Miquon Math with her in kinder instead of first grade
but mostly i will try to be far more consistent with her rather than change anything
as i feel very happy with the program i’m already using with muse
Also, you mentioned sandpaper letters. I am have very little time for material preparation. I have a set of textured foam numbers, each one has different ridges, bumps, etc. These should serve the same purpose, but are they “as good” as the sandpaper ones in terms of learning and deepening the impact? Or maybe I will look for a place to buy some online pre-made.
I just looked online, I might invest in a set. They sell them lots of places online it seems.
i think your foam numbers should work just fine
who knows they may work better as each one feels different
the ones i use are hand made on cardboard not wood and over 25 years old
but they do the job so i don’t think it really matters
