Mar. 4, 2009 - Math Mammoth
Math Mammoth? Yes, it's actually an inexpensive way to do math. Math Mammoth is written by Maria Miller who wants to help parents and teachers (or if you are like me, being a parent teacher) teach math so that the children actually understand it.
Maria let me try out the Light blue series, which is a complete curriculum, in grades 2 and 3. I have also used her free worksheets, these are offered on her site, before for extra review with our regular math curriculum. There is no teacher's manual, what you need to teach is all within the worksheets. An example of this is, if you are teaching time then the explanation and teaching is at the top with the clocks worksheet immediately following. The plus to this method is that there really isn't a need for much teacher prep before hand.
Math Mammoth is affordable, especially if you will use it over and over again. For instance, the light blue series for grade 2 A is $15.50 and the same for grade 2 B or you can buy both together for $29.70. This is a big savings when you consider using it with other children and having it available immediately in PDF format. There is no wait time in shipping, it is sent directly to your email box. There is also the option of ordering a CD or a CD and printed worktexts, these are a bit more expensive than the downloads though.
I really did enjoy Math Mammoth, if I were in need of a math curriculum in a quick amount of time and not having a lot of money to spend on another curriculum Math Mammoth would definitely be the way to go. However, since there is no teacher's manual I did find myself hanging over my daughter's desk to see what she was doing and to explain what needed to be learned or completed. Also if you are used to one sort of curriculum there are differences and getting used to a different style of learning can make it difficult.
While I wanted to continue in using it, my daughter, didn't like it. I should get more specific, she didn't like for an actual math curriculum. She does enjoy it for her review, which we have been doing to make her skills in counting money and telling time stronger. For me to use it as an all over math curriculum, she wouldn't like that. While I would have preferred my own text to either hold in my hand or to look at for a brief time while I am teaching, it wasn't a complete pain to look over her shoulder and it wasn't a total drawback either.
I would definitely recommend Math Mammoth for those who need to watch their curriculum spending, especially in these tough economic times. If you need more in the way of teaching explanations, then it wouldn't work for you, unless you can change your style of teaching. The grades vary, some levels only go up to grade 5 while another goes up to grade 8, so there is a lot of wiggle room.
My overall take on the light blue (complete curriculum) series is very good. The value you get in the curriculum is great, it's well written and well organized. It's very professional and well put together. So I would suggest you go visit the site and take advantage of signing up for her newsletter and recieving some free worksheets, give it a try and see if it will work for your next homeschool year.
Comments
Mar. 6, 2009 - HOW TO USE JOHN SAXON;S MATH BOOKS
Posted by Anonymous
If you use or are considering using John Saxon’s math books from fourth grade math (Math 54) through high school calculus, you should visit the website: www.usingsaxon.com.
Mar. 6, 2009 - Hi Anon
Posted by Sarah
Thank you for posting. No actually I plan on stopping using Saxon after we do Saxon Math 3 as I have heard the quality of the math goes down. We will be using another math curriculum, maybe Math Mammoth for 4th through high school.
Thank you
Edited by OhioSarah on Mar. 6, 2009 at 9:59 AM
