Math - K or 1st?

[MarynMunchkins]

Tater Tot turned 5 in November. We didn't do any type of school stuff with him until after Christmas, and I got him a K math book to do. He's done with the entire book. :tu He's got patterns, shapes, and colors down. He know which coins are which and the values of each. He can count to 100, and count by 10's to 100. He can add simple values up to 10, although he often uses his fingers.

Because he's not really reading yet, the plan to stay with kindergarten stuff. But I'm wondering if I should go ahead and move him into a first grade math. :/ He likes math and is pretty bright. :think

Oh, and I think it was Spectrum K math. I bought it because it was colorful and looked like it would hold his interest. The other kids are using Singapore and I really like it, so I'd probably move to that.

[Singingmom]

What comes to my mind is that in the Veritas catalog, they sell Saxon math and they recommend starting K children in 1st grade math because they can handle it. Personally my boys could not have, but if he's already mastered K material, I say go for it! You could always slow down if you needed to.

[Dandelion]

I think you could balance it with a little of both - try the 1st grade and then pull back every once in while if it appears the he is being challenged too much. My ds who just turned six loves math and will work hard at it, but he also likes to do easy worksheets. I think they remind him of all the things he already knows so well and it helps to boost his confidence to breeze through one every now and then :)

[Grover]

The last year with Nate[ who is a year older] we bought both Singapore earlybird 2A/B [Kindy]and 1a/b[First grade] and we did mostly 1A/B but if we came across something he was struggling with - I dropped back and we practiced in the earlybird 2A/B.I have to read a fair bit to him though

[WanderingJuniper]

We just moved Bird up to 1st grade math. She can read short vowel 3 letter words and a few sight words but she was bored with K math. :shrug3 I figure if she was bored it was worth taking the risk. We are moving much slower in the next level just so it doesn't overwhelm her.

[AmyDoll]

What I don't like about the math curriculums is the amt of writing - Sam likes to work independently & the more advanced math wants him to write more. So until his writing skill catches up with his math skill we're doing more *puzzle* stuff. Hands on stuff - tanagrams, abacus, blocks. Brain stretchy stuff. We're also working on time & money.

[MomtoJGJ]

J is doing Singapore 1a/b... She started after Christmas doing however much she wants to one day a week and is almost through the first book now. It's not very much writing to it, and they want you to use manipulatives.... I don't see fingers any different from any other man.

[ShangriLewis]

I would go to the 1st grade in Singapore. The earlybird would be some repeating.

[Gentle Journey]

My 5 y.o. startetd saxon 1 no problem and the Singapore 1A. But singapore confuses me, so were switching to BJU.

I'd switch over to a grade 1 program, and just write for him if neccessary.

[veggiegirl]

My 6 year old was almost ahead in math, but behind in reading. I also wrote/read for her when the math assignment's reading section was too hard. I was glad I moved her ahead in math. I figure her reading will catch up.

[diamondintherough]

What I don't like about the math curriculums is the amt of writing - Sam likes to work independently & the more advanced math wants him to write more. So until his writing skill catches up with his math skill we're doing more *puzzle* stuff. Hands on stuff - tanagrams, abacus, blocks. Brain stretchy stuff. We're also working on time & money.


I'm with Amydoll on this one. IMO, there is no need to rush the Math since all of it will be repeated again and again and again in the coming years. If you find that he's really proficient in Math once his reading has caught up, you can always put him ahead then. :shrug3