[5terre]

I'm looking to do some math for fun this summer with my soon-to-be 2nd grader; she attends public school. I had planned to supplement at home with Singapore and/or Miquon. Well the school year is over and I didn't. I'm leaning toward trying Miquon this summer because it seems more 'fun'. Should I still start with orange, even though she has completed 1st grade and does well? I don't think she would get too bored if it were easy, I think it would give her confidence (and hopefully, the desire to continue in the future). At school they use Rocket Math and Everyday Math (I know everyone hates this, but her school had the highest math test scores in the state this year so it can't be all bad). How much Miquon could we get done in two months? Could we finish orange and red in 8 weeks, or is that way too much? Do I need to buy the annotated notes, or could I get by without it? Can she do the pages on her own, or will she need me sitting there with her the whole time? I have plenty of time for her, it's just that I would love if it were something she could choose to work on whenever she feels like it, without necessarily needing me. Any recommendations? Also, where is the best place to purchase? Thanks!!

 

[moominmamma]

Always start with Orange. The terminology, scope and sequence and approach are so different, you really need that foundation. By the middle of orange the questions are integrating multiplication, addition and subtraction in single equations. Yes you will need the Annotations manual. The heart of the program is not the workbooks, it's in the "guided discovery approach" that you find outlined in the Annotations manual.

If your child already understands the concepts that are covered, or grasps them quickly, she could easily complete the books quickly. There's not a lot of actual practice / drill work. My kids often did six or eight pages a day when they were moving along well. That could take as little as 30-45 minutes and that pace would finish a level in maybe three weeks.

In general my kids worked with me there to oversee, talk, discuss, explore, etc. most of the time. It's very much an interact-and-explore kind of curriculum. Sometimes they were happy to start working with me, and then would continue through the next few pages until they hit something different. But if you're looking for something your dd can do independently without your input Miquon is not a good choice.

Hope that helps!

Miranda

 

[stik]

I got the orange Miquon book thinking I would do some math with my younger dd so she wouldn't be jealous while my older dd works on her summer math stuff. I didn't get the annotations manual. Moominmama, so you know of a source for that? The orange book alone does appear to be completely useless.

 

[moominmamma]

I'm in Canada, but I think you Americans often use Rainbow Resources for homeschool supplies. They seem to carry it.

Miranda

 

[5terre]

Thanks everyone. I will be there if she needs to discuss with me and I will definitely buy the manual if it's needed. Yesterday I picked up a Singapore 'Practice' workbook 1A at my local bookstore. I was making dinner and I looked over and hadn't realized she was working in it, and she was so into it I couldn't get it away from her for dinner! She completed the first unit independently, and I think the easiness was encouraging. So I think we will start with this. Are all the Singapore 'Practice' books independent consumables? Also I noticed at the store that there are more Kumon books for older grades, I thought they were only prek-k. We will try some of those, too.