Homeschool World Forum

MOMS · Posted: Tue Jul 06, 2010 3:47 pm Post subject: Math for kindergarten?

IM VERY NEW TO HOMESCHOOLING.....
THIS IS MY 1ST YEAR. IM DOING SING, SPELL, READ & WRITE WITH MY 5 YR OLD, BUT ANY ADVICE ON WHAT TO DO ABOUT MATH FOR HIM?
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StevieRay (10)
Sato (7)
Mia (5)
Baby Hondo (2)

Jakk · User Joined: 28 Jun 2010 Posts: 14

We are using Math U See for our 5 yr old. She started on the Primer in the middle of last year and loved it. She will finish the Primer and then start on Alpha when we resume studies in August.

PottersDaughter · User Joined: 06 Jul 2010 Posts: 7

My recommendation, as a "VERY new to HSing" mom myself, is Saxon Math Level K. There is no workbook for them. Just the teacher manual really, and the meeting book. But it helps ground them in all foundations for a healthy math future IMHO.
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Brand spankin' new HS mom to DS8 (2nd grade) and DD6 (1st grade).

dkocur · User Joined: 22 Jun 2010 Posts: 30 Location: Fort Worth

I would recommend a curriculum that focuses on fundamental math concepts (which probably describes most K curriculum). The curriculum should cover numbers, counting, the concepts of addition, subtraction, greater than, less than, etc.

My local public school tries to teach counting money and telling time in K. I personally would skip these if they are in the curriculum, because I think they are better handled once a child has memorized the math facts (later).

Math requires a lot of abstract thinking for which your son may or may not be ready, so if he struggles with a concept it's OK. Take more time as needed, or even skip it and come back to it later (if you can).
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David Kocur
UberSmart Software

MOMS · Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2010 8:48 am Post subject:

THANX EVERY1!!!
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StevieRay (10)
Sato (7)
Mia (5)
Baby Hondo (2)

heidijo · User Joined: 05 Oct 2009 Posts: 20 Location: Ohio

You don't have to worry too much about curriculum in Kindergarten. You can provide resources that will help learn math concepts such as a calendar, coins, counting items during the day, blocks, etc. You can read picture books about math concepts.

Unless you have plenty of money, I would not worry about Saxon for Kindergarten. Once you look over it, you will see that you can easily do everything in the curriculum using your common sense and just by talking and interacting with your child each day.

We have used Math U See but in Kindergarten we had to move VERY slowly so we just worked on the simple things I mentioned above and sang our own skip counting songs and played with the MUS blocks.

I hope this helps. I have a whole chapter in my ebook about how to teach Kindergarten dedicated to what to use and how to teach math if you need more details.
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Heidi
http://www.homeschool-how-to.com
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CountryMom27 · User Joined: 07 Jun 2011 Posts: 3

I used Singapore Math for my son in first grade to supplement his math skills, and am considering using Singapore for my Kindergartener this summer. I like the intuitive approach, and the use of manipulatives. I also found it fairly easy to adapt the curriculum to more of a game-based approach, which works with my younger son.