Engaging Math Curriculum for 6-8 Grade
April 7, 2018 1:24 PM Subscribe
I'm trying to find an engaging math curriculum for my daughter that will take her from 6-8 grade. The one she is working from is really quite boring and unengaging, and I can hardly stand to work through it myself when I help her with it. I love math and so does she, but it's been rough.
I feel a responsibility to help her not hate math, as she innately enjoys it. She's wrapping up her 6th grade year, but is falling behind because it's been such a slog. Assuming that you could pick any curriculum that you want (although presented in a somewhat traditional and consecutive format would be ideal), what would be the most engaging way to teach my daughter math over the next three years (and perhaps catching up a bit on grade 6th) that you are aware of?
I feel a responsibility to help her not hate math, as she innately enjoys it. She's wrapping up her 6th grade year, but is falling behind because it's been such a slog. Assuming that you could pick any curriculum that you want (although presented in a somewhat traditional and consecutive format would be ideal), what would be the most engaging way to teach my daughter math over the next three years (and perhaps catching up a bit on grade 6th) that you are aware of?
Art of Problem Solving offers books and online classes for advanced math students. They list recommended curricula here.
posted by J.K. Seazer at 2:03 PM on April 7, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by J.K. Seazer at 2:03 PM on April 7, 2018 [2 favorites]
The Historical Connections in Mathematics series is really good.
posted by atlantica at 2:07 PM on April 7, 2018
posted by atlantica at 2:07 PM on April 7, 2018
Response by poster: Thanks so far! This would be a primary textbook that is a replacement of the current curriculum. The current curriculum is dry, uninteresting, and goes about the work of learning math in an unispired way. Additionally, the problems are not always clearly connected to the learning, and the path through the material is not often connected in a way that makes sense.
posted by SpacemanStix at 2:56 PM on April 7, 2018
posted by SpacemanStix at 2:56 PM on April 7, 2018
Have you tried Singapore Maths curriculum? My children, 11 and 8, preferred this method over both the standard American and Australian methods that they experienced in school. The concrete part is the where a chunk of the textbooks are weak in but where a guiding parent shines. An example is probability, dice and game play. It is more labor intensive but I thought the process of multi stage problem solving was more interesting. My children are good at maths but not prodigy, genius or focused but Singapore maths pushed them further along in skills.
posted by jadepearl at 4:19 PM on April 7, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by jadepearl at 4:19 PM on April 7, 2018 [3 favorites]
Have you looked at Khan Academy? I don't know that I'd say it's super interesting or engaging, but it's not bad. It might seem a little more gamelike to your kid than a textbook or paper workbook. Kids can earn badges and see their progress shown as a percentage and in a chart of skills mastered. The work is presented in small chunks ("skills") in which the kid has to get a certain number of problems right for the skill to be considered practiced. They can do mastery challenges to level up on that skill and eventually reach the point where it's considered mastered.
Instruction is provided through videos, which generally seem pretty clear, though my kids often prefer just to have me explain how to do the problems if it isn't obvious. It probably works best when there's an adult handy who is good at explaining math concepts. One big advantage is that it's completely free, so it might be worth at least taking a look at it.
posted by Redstart at 4:29 PM on April 7, 2018
Instruction is provided through videos, which generally seem pretty clear, though my kids often prefer just to have me explain how to do the problems if it isn't obvious. It probably works best when there's an adult handy who is good at explaining math concepts. One big advantage is that it's completely free, so it might be worth at least taking a look at it.
posted by Redstart at 4:29 PM on April 7, 2018
I want to add another vote for Singapore Math. I taught it in public school for a few years and it is the real deal.
posted by alphanerd at 7:20 AM on April 8, 2018
posted by alphanerd at 7:20 AM on April 8, 2018
My son uses mostly ALEKS by McGraw Hill, with some noodling around for fun on schoolyourself.org. ALEKS may only go up to 7th grade, though.
posted by christinetheslp at 5:40 PM on April 8, 2018
posted by christinetheslp at 5:40 PM on April 8, 2018
Seconding Art of Problem Solving. I'm a mathematician and it's what I use with my kids. Much deeper and richer than a typical school curriculum.
posted by escabeche at 5:34 AM on April 9, 2018
posted by escabeche at 5:34 AM on April 9, 2018
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1) Is this meant to be the main textbook (homeschooling?) or are you supplementing what she's required to do for school?
2) When you say "engaging", what do you have in mind? Can you say what you hate about your current curriculum / which one you're using?
posted by Metasyntactic at 2:02 PM on April 7, 2018 [1 favorite]