Math help

[mysweetboys]

I am looking for some help placing my upcoming 7th grader (who will be doing M to MM) and upcoming 5th grader (who will be doing Preparing...possibly with extensions) in math in the fall. My 12 year old son completed Singapore levels 1-4 and then we switched over to Saxon (on the advice of some homeschool mom friends who were all using Saxon). At the time, I was struggling with teaching him new concepts (having a toddler and preschooler underfoot...one with special needs) and I liked how Saxon had a thorough explanation at the beginning of each chapter that made it basically self-teaching for him. He has since completed Saxon 65 and is now finishing up Saxon 76 (we used the Dive cd this year as well). He is generally a quick learner, but gets frustrated in Math when he doesn't "get it" immediately (he's a perfectionist ). My 10 year old son completed Singapore levels 1-3 before also switching to Saxon (Singapore moved too quickly for him and didn't provide enough review). He has almost finished Saxon 54. He is a struggling learner (ADHD and possibly dyslexia/dysgraphia). We have hit a wall with Saxon. It has become drudgery and neither boy is enjoying math. I definitely want to switch to something else next year but I'm not sure what. I'm considering having my 12 year old (who will be 13 in the fall) begin pre-algebra next year because he is headed down an Engineering path and I'd like him to get to pre-cal/cal before he graduates. While Video Text looks like a good program, it is definitely not in the budget! I looked at a friend's copy of No-Nonsense Algebra and it didn't look like a good fit either. I've also looked at Life of Fred pre-algebra (I think he would love the humor and it might bring the joy of learning math back...but is it enough?) and a few online courses (Teaching Textbooks, Thinkwell, CTC math). An online course is so enticing because he is quickly moving beyond my "comfort zone" in math and I'm just finding it harder and harder to get his work graded right away. My 10 year old loved Singapore because of the pictures and puzzles, and fewer problems to do, and I've thought about moving him back into it, but I think we would just end up with the same problem as before (moving too quickly/not enough review). I've thought strongly about Math U See, but it looks kind of boring and I don't know how I feel about focusing on one topic for the year (I think he'd place in Gamma). Recently, I heard about Beast Academy and it looks fantastic! I know he'd love the comic book style! But it goes pretty deeply into each content area and I don't know if it might be too challenging for him even starting in 3A. Please help me ladies! I am sure you all will have some great advice! Thank you!

Blessings,
Dawn

[Nealewill]

Is level 7/6 in Saxon Pre-algebra? If not, then I might look at completing teaching textbooks for pre-algebra. After that, I personally really like Foeresters that is recommended for algebra. I also plan to use the other math books HOD recommends for high school.

As for your younger son, have you considered moving back into Singapore? It is short and sweet. He wouldn't have to spend so much time on math a day like Saxon. Plus, Singapore teaches understanding, not memorization. That is so helpful in math IMHO!

Also - one last thought - when my kids it a brick wall, I google a youtube video on the math subject. There are many, many, many topics out there. My son especially struggles sometimes because he just doesn't understand what I am saying. One of my favorite posters for math is mathantics. He has some great videos.

[queenireneof3]

Dawn,

I'm sure others will chime in! Math has always been a tough subject for my son (now 9). I was told not to switch math curriculums if at all possible since it makes the process of learning math harder for the kids. Obviously, when something truly isn't working, it is a good idea to switch. My son also struggles with the fast pace of Singapore, but I've found by being patient that by the time the concept is reintroduced in the next book, he is able to understand it better. Also, he is only in book 2b as a 9 year old. I have learned not to stress out about this. He does not have any developmental challenges, math is just tricky for him. I've read that math sometimes does not start clicking until kids are 10 anyways.

If your younger son liked Singapore, I would see if you can make that work again. I like Singapore Math's method and design, and that it does not overwhelm the child with tons of problems to solve. What we do to make Singapore work is to take it at the pace that keeps the child below the "incredibly frustrated" line. This varies from day to to day, concept to concept. I just keep a sticky tab in the guide and work at the best pace for my child. Sometimes, we get through Carrie's scheduled pages for one day, sometimes we don't. When a particular math topic is really tough, I let him work on math games online or on the ipad as a reward and to give him extra practice in a way that is not frustrating. I try to find games that deal with the topic so that he can "play" and learn at the same time. We might do this instead of scheduled math for a day or two. Especially simple math games that help him practice adding and subtracting. (He HATES subtracting! )

We have many conversations about perseverance through our math times. But I don't want him to hate math, so I try to balance pushing him with keeping him encouraged with what he can accomplish. Anyways, at least for your younger son, if he has that much Singapore under his belt already, it might be an easier transition for him.