The graphic novel guides are quite lovely, but you won’t need them if you’re doing the online program. I’d also recommend reading Arithmetic for Parents by Aharoni to help you as a teacher. We did some backtracking with education.com worksheets and Singapore math. Truthfully, I can’t always solve the harder problems without a glance at the answers in the back of the book!! But who knows, maybe she’ll discover that she loves the challenge of really meaty problems? We have been using Math U See (we are halfway through Beta) and while it seems to be working alright, sometimes it is not super exciting and sometimes I worry that it is too easy or simplistic, such that she might struggle with upper level math later on. My rising 4th grader is trying out Beast 3A this month as I decide what to do for the fall. Either way is fine. Nearly any formal kindergarten and first grade program will prepare your child with these skills, so read my reviews of other excellent homeschool programs to find the one that will best fit your kindergartner or first grader. (I would like my my 9y/o to go into AoPS eventually, I'm hoping that BA will prepare him) But I think we will continue to go through it once we start school again just to be sure.). Is there something you suggest I supplement with while he’s still in public school/2nd grade to give him a jump start? . I would appreciate them so much. I’d say to go ahead and give 3A a try. You’d probably want to start him in 3A (which begins laying the foundation for multiplication) and then work up from there. When I met with the Advanced Math teacher several months ago, I was told, my daughter will need to know integers, writing equations, balancing and some other things. Thank you so much for writing these reviews!!! I feel a kindred spirit with Becca above…I have boys ages 9 & 11. Beast Academy is a comprehensive math curriculum for grades 3-6 that focuses on problem solving and critical thinking. way too many typos in that last comment for me to fix. If that sounds great to her, then go for it! Interestingly, I just noticed that in their FAQ they say essentially the same thing I just said, now if they would just change the back of the book to say that too since kids can take that sort of thing to heart (“I’m in 7th grade–I don’t want to use a 5th grade book!”): Hi Kate, They are full-color, graphic-novel-style softcover books that tell the story of four “beasts” who attend Beast Academy. I don’t want to do that to my son, so I’ve been looking for something both interesting and rigorous. That wasn’t necessarily the case and his difficulty with memorizing multiplication facts has caught him more than once. Hi Kate! Hi Kate, me again. My 7yo is good at math but becomes very frustrated when he doesn’t immediately grasp a concept. I have learned so much reading your articles and comments. But I also think Beast Academy would be great for kids who struggle with math because they need to know WHY formulas work instead of just being content to memorize and apply them. I may be over thinking it but I don’t want to set her up to fail and I’m not even sure if she needs to take pre-algebra yet to excel in Advanced Math in 6th grade next year. where do you recommend buying Beast Academy from? I stumbled upon BA yesterday while researching curriculum for our upcoming school year. My son is 4 (and enters pre-K in the fall) so apps and other game like methods of learning math have proven to be good ways to teach basic math concepts and get him interested in math. It’ll feed his appetite for math and also give you a chance to “try out” homeschooling a little, since it has scripted lessons and games for you to do with him. However she has sailed through easily and she just completed Gamma this past year and would be ready for Delta this year. It sounds like Beast could be a great fit for re-setting how he feels about math. Your preschool math book really opened my eyes to some of the very fundamental numerical skills very little kids have to learn. You can take a look at the link on the side for what I use, but unfortunately none of the other programs I use are very Beast-like. The Beast Academy guides serve as textbooks in the series, but they are unlike any textbook I’ve ever seen before. Sure, maybe only the top 5% can do this at the grade level listed, particularly if they have to unlearn a rote memorization method from previous math curricula or school, but if you wait a couple of years for reticent math learners, this is a great way to start from scratch for anyone (see Youcubed.org) so that they learn how to think and not just follow procedures. I think the Abacus will be a good bridge for him to think more concretely about math and use less counting on his fingers etc. My son is in 2nd grade public school right now. I’d suggest continuing to spend a few minutes on the math facts each day as you use Beast, but he’ll get lots of embedded practice in the problems. That being said, I really like the looks of BA. I have a 7.5 yo son whose mind loves solving problems and whizzes through his 2nd grade worksheets. Home School Bldg? After all, most math curricula don’t include problems that start, The combined cost of a slingshot and a grapefruit is $23…, And I’ve certainly never seen any other math book that includes references to Alex Trebek, The Princess Bride, and Star Wars. Beast Academy What is it? When my son did Beast Academy, we always read through the guides together, stopping to discuss as we read. These problems aren’t just your typical word problems! 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