Math enrichment for almost 6 year old
We live in Orinda and just moved from NY 3 weeks back. Our almost 6 year old son started with 1st grade at a public school here. Even though I have heard great things about school overall, the curriculum shared during back to school night, honestly seemed very “easy” for him, especially for Math. He is doing 3+5 right now and he can already do 4 digit dynamic additions, multiplications and divisions.
He was in a Montessori before but even there the teachers thought he was advanced.
Would love to hear ideas and suggestions on how we can continue his learning.
Separately, also would love to know if there are curriculums and gifted schools in east bay for younger kids.
Thank you.
Aug 30, 2019
Parent Replies
Our first grader is advanced in math as well. A year ago when our kid was your kids age, our kid was doing what your kid was doing. We're in OUSD and the school curriculum falls very short and we've been told by the teacher that the school can't do much for the kid. We send our kid to Firecracker Math camps during school breaks and after school class. They do fun math games. We also supplement at home by doing fun everyday math games while we cook, eat, clean, play shopping games, etc. We ask the kid to measure ingredients (Ex. We need a half cup of flour but I only have 1/4 cups. Can you help? We have only 3 carrots but we are 5 people. What should we do? How many plates and cups are on the table? How many should we each grab to clear the table that will be fair for us all?)
1) Bay Area Math Circle -- there's one that meets at UC. There are also classes at Lawrence Hall of Science
2) Visit Lawrence Hall of Science or Chabot Observatory. LHS has more math activities usually. Then check out the bookstore for puzzle books. Also games like Equate, Set, Apples to Apples, connect 4, Sudoku, KenKen.
3) Ideally what a strong math student needs is enrichment, not necessarily doing computation practice. Advanced high school and college mathematics is closer to solving puzzles and justifying what you are doing (proofs) than to computation.
4) Nrichmaths.org – a British site with many problem solving activities – start with the ones for primary students.
CTY, through Johns Hopkins. They offer online classes for advanced learners. we were very happy with our son's class last year. Too much homework to do another one right now, unfortunately. I'd also recommend chess through Berkeley Chess School, or working ahead in Khan Academy. My son, now in 6th, has scored in the 98th percentile on the SBAC in math the last three years and also says he's bored with math in class, but honestly he could always complete his assignments more thoughtfully or thoroughly so we keep on him to not "check out" in class while supplementing outside of class.
Another resource to recommend: the Beast Academy workbooks from Art of Problem Solving. Our son is in an OUSD school that we love but they just can't differentiate math enough to keep him challenged. We spend about 30 minutes a day with him working through the Beast Academy books and have found it to be an excellent resource for not just racing him ahead but helping him develop very solid and flexible foundational skills in math. The graphic novel-style format also keeps him engaged and builds his reading skills.
I am not sure if a private school is an option for you, but I can recommend the Academy in Berkeley. It is a small K-8 school with small class sizes (at most 12 kids per class in elementary school), and they teach about one grade level higher than other schools. Our son is now in first grade, and both he and we love the school very much. Besides a very strong and rigorous academic training, the school is also paying a lot of attention to social development and interactions between the grades. I have nothing but great things to say about the academy.
Welcome to the Bay Area! I also started looking for math enrichment when my son was in first grade. The main options I found were Berkeley Math Circle, Firecracker Math, and the Russian School of Mathematics. We ended up going with RSM, due mainly to schedule and availability, but it has been fabulous. The closest location to you would be Dublin, but starting in 4th grade there is also an online class option. The best thing about it is that there are 3 levels per grade (accelerated, advanced, and honors), and all 3 are more advanced that what you will get in school. Most kids start in the accelerated level, but they will give a placement test and also make mid-year adjustments as needed. If the honors level is still not a challenge, they will move a kid to the next grade. They follow a curriculum, and introduce abstract thinking (variables) by second grade. You might also check out Beast Academy Online if getting out to Dublin sounds like too much or you want a less expensive option. There is plenty of challenge to be had in Beast Academy, and their programs for older kids, through Art of Problem Solving, are also really great. Good luck!
I also have a son who is also advanced in math. He currently attends the Academy in Berkeley, which teachers 1 year ahead.
Here are some of the math activities he has enjoyed:
1) On-line classes at John Hopkins CTY
2) Berkeley Math Circle
3) Epsilon Camp - summer camp
4) Arthur T. Benjamin videos
5) Math competitions like Math Kangaroo
6) The Number Devil: A mathematical adventure (chapter book)
7) Hard Math for Elementary School by Glenn Ellison (sold on Amazon)
8) Penrose, The Mathematical Cat books
9) Anno's Mysterious Multiplying Jar (picture book)
10) Khan Academy
If you son still loves math when he's older, check out Proof School