How to choose a 3rd grade math curriculum?

Question

My son still counts on his fingers to add/subtract. Truthfully, so do I. We are trying to add in Touch Math curriculum. Also thinking about Math-U-See. But I feel lost in what to choose to best teach my son. He is very auditory, but it seems as if he uses also tactile and visual also in math. Help please!

Answer 1

My daughter is in third grade and still does the same thing! The problem was she wasn't understanding concepts of subtraction so we couldn't move on! She was in public school through half way through her second round of second grade when we pulled her out! Any way we found Math-U-See through some of the wonderful people here and ordered the free demo. My daughter sat to watch it with us and was almost immediately excited by it! "Mom I get that!" So we ordered the Beta book and her math is improving so quickly! It's a bit expensive to start up but its worth it! We also started our Kindergarten on the Primer and he's having a blast with it!

Answer 2

We love Math U See.   When you add the DVD with the manipulatives plus yourself helping him learn it teaches in a lot of different ways.  

I found that if you go back to the beginning and learn from Alpha on again the kids really take to it.  You don't need to do every page of every book but it teaches the kids to add/subtract without using their fingers that way.    

We started MUS when my dd was in grade 3 and she went through 2 levels in less then 5 months.   She flew ahead and did very well!

Answer 3

My children use the Calvert Day School Curriculum.  Every modality and every manipulative tool is used and provided.  Math can be purchased as a separate subject.  There is a pretest.

Answer 4

Is there anyway you can get a trial version of both of them? Or do you know any other homeschooling people in your area that you could call? Or could you get both? That would be a lot of work and may not work financially, but that way you're decision would be made. Just do some research on them and figure out what's best for him. Wish you the best!

Answer 5

Give him a little time for himself dont push him too hard and he might rebel against learning.give him lots of questions (not too hard and not too easy)and watch him do his questions...dont let him count his fingers or people will laugh at him:(

Answer 6

I would recommend Saxon Math 3 it is very good, and covers everything real well.

We never started any formal math until about that grade level, or age 7/8, and when they were  finished with it they went straight into 5/4 and 6/5.

We did not need the manipulative packet, it's pretty expensive as well; some of the items we made ourselves, and that was a lot of fun; others you can easily find in your local dollar store.

Answer 7

Not many will admit to counting on their fingers (egos are too big) but I will.

I have heard some pros and cons for Math-U-See, but you have to realize that not every program works for every child. Personally we use Ray's Arithmetic which uses Word problems from the get go so that the child (and parent) has to figure things out. You can get used Ray's from Amazon.com.

My daughter and I make games out of the lessons and uses different tactile things to help her. We also play a math game called 'Go Figure'...it is played  with the rules and like Go Fish but in math form and can be used for everything from Addition, Subtraction, so forth....just use BLANK index cards (available at Walmart or the Dollar Tree) to make your 'SUM' cards or 'Answer' cards.

Example: Do you have a 2+2? If not 'GO FIGURE'

My daughter loves the game and now that we are in division she has to think a little harder (then again so do I) and she is in 3rd grade.

We also play 'War'.

FYI--- Ray's has 20 books total with the first 7 taking you from K-12 and the last set thru College and I think I spent all of $20 for the first 7 which includes a Parent Book to help you figure where your little Scholar is.

Parent-Teacher Guide

Primary Arthimetic

Modern Practical

Intellectual Arthimetic

Higher Arthimetic

Key to Primary,Intellectual,Practical (one book)

Key to Higher Arthimetic

These are the first 7 IN ORDER. While they may seem 'old-fashioned' (they are circa mid 1800's), some of the questions have been on 'Are you Smarter than a 5th Grader?' and because they are word problems from the start, children learn to never be afraid of them. It also instills mental math as they start figureing in their heads.