Stephanie,
Thank-you for taking the time to talk about math with me.
My oldest is 12 and we are striving to complete MM 6th grade at end of school year (June or so). We bogged down in MM in 5th and 6th hasn't been fun. He is strong in conceptual understanding but HATES to show his work. He makes a lot of mistakes in his math due to miscalculating, disorganization and forgetfulness. Math Mammoth has a LOT of word problems and we've had to work hard on those this year. This kid struggles with visual-spatial tasks and I am DREADING the geometry chapter which is coming soon. In fact, I think I am going to mix it into what we are doing now. MM is a mastery program and I have found that over the past two years we learn something new and then don't see it again for awhile and we both forget how to do what was learned. I am hoping that retention with some of these math skills will come with use over the next couple of years.
THANKS for explaining the flow from elementary math to Algebra for me. I have had great difficulty understanding the purpose of pre-Algebra and how to bridge from where we are now to Algebra. I'd really like to give him another year to strengthen skills and so I am trying to figure out the BEST way to do that (and perhaps give us a bit of a reprieve from the depth of thinking required to do the word problems of this past school year). Math Mammoth Pre-A is a logical progression for us but *I* think a real change of format will help us both and so I'm shopping around. A math year that is less conceptual and more focused on mastery of basic operations, fractions, decimals, percents, etc. sounds wonderful for us both!! I have considered No Nonsense Algebra (not knowing if we could use this in lieu of pre-Algebra), Saxon, Tablet Class and Video Text. Outsourcing math is not off the table either. I DO want to do this math with him though as I am growing in my skills and they will transfer to the teaching of my youngers.
**I lack confidence in knowing the right direction. Here are my goals for him once we survive MM 6th: learn to work neatly and show the steps on paper, get more done in less time (i.e. maybe have less to DO but have it really count), nail down all of the basics so that we don't forget (i.e. how to add/subtract/mult/divide fractions), layer any needed concepts or skills that we haven't learned but will need before Algebra (unless they're covered in Algebra which it sounds like they might be).
As an aside I'd love to ask your thoughts on my DD8. Having a mathy Mom to talk to is a GREAT blessing! I am considering moving my daughter to Singapore; Carrie's success with it and the way it fits in with HOD is a HUGE draw for me. My girl is nearly 9 and has stopped thriving with her math which is Christian Light. I have used both MM and CLE with her at different times but chose CLE as her "spine" because it was the least disruptive in our relationship. She's had a number of challenges (not academic but heart issues and some physical aggravations) that have caused us to move slower with math. We ended up skipping about half of CLE 2nd grade because it was way too easy and she tested right out. Then we picked up with 3rd and she is only about half done and BOrED out of her mind .... she is hard to figure out and I think the Singapore format for NOW might work for her (less spiral and tedious review, color text, simple layout, strong conceptual teaching). I could use MM with her as I have it on hand but it is HARD to pick up mid school year and accelerate. CLE just has too much review for her and I think MM is the same .... I am not sure she could pass the placement test for 2A with Singapore and that is HARD
![Sad :(](./images/smilies/icon_sad.gif)
. Would you move her to Singapore regardless of her placement? What if she doesn't pass 2A and has to start with 1B? She's 9 in April.