Math Mammoth Review

 
We had the chance to review products from the Blue Series of Math Mammoth. For our review we received Clock, Money, and Measuring 1. I thought all of these would be a great supplement to our current Math curriculum! Each are designed for Grades 1-3 starting with the more basic topics at the beginning and advancing as you go along. Since our children are at the 1st grade level we started at the beginning of all 3 books and rotated a lesson from each book during the week. So, we would do one lesson from each book every week.
 
Math Mammoth Clock covers telling time and reading the clock, telling time intervals, and understanding the calendar. It also lists helpful resources and websites to assist in the learning process. It starts with telling time using just the hour hand without the minute hand present. I have never seen this approach before, so I was definitely intrigued. It does clear up the confusion of explaining the difference between the hands. Then it went into “half past” using this same technique in the first lesson as well, and that was extremely confusing for them to learn. By the end they finally caught on, but we really had to muddle through it, and it took a lot of patience on all our part! The lesson also had them write the time in words. As I’ve mentioned, both have fine-motor concerns and writing can be difficult – particularly in the small spaces given. I really had to modify the lessons more to their learning level, and Clock turned into a more verbal lesson because the reading was far too difficult for them as well as the writing in small spaces. Verbal, hands-on learning is a good way for them to learn, though, so it adapted well for us! Clock can be purchased as a PDF download for $4.00 or a black and white printed copy for $10.85.
 
Math Mammoth Money covers U.S. money-related topics. It also lists helpful resources and websites to help assist in the learning process. It starts with pennies and dimes and builds up from there. You are encouraged to use real money in many of the exercises. I was really excited about this because learning money concepts, counting money, etc. is such an important part of learning! Money really simplifies it, and was perfect for their learning level! We were able to work together on the worksheets as well as hands-on with real coins, and fill in the answers on the worksheets. It did get a little harder when the Quarter was introduced, but I felt it was introduced perfectly and explained simply! It also used problems that could be interpreted as real life examples such as purchasing items for a certain amount leaving a specific amount of change. I love that Money does use real-life examples to teach kids about money. Money can be purchased as a PDF download for $3.25 or a black and white printed copy for $9.50.

 
Math Mammoth Measuring 1 covers measuring length, weight, and volume. It is very hands on from the beginning as we started by measuring objects with “little shoes” and “big shoes.” It was a blast, and it really made the kids think! After we measure things they are given a comparison problem that asks if something was measured with a larger object how many of the smaller objects would it take to measure it? I love problems that make them think, and so do they! We also measure weight using our scale, which was pretty funny because after they both got off the scale our cat sat right on it, so we got his weight, too! We needed a couple of additional weights, so that worked out for us! We also measured water using various containers to do comparisons. Then, we moved on to using a ruler! Again, I feel like measuring is an important life skill that needs to be learned! I love that Measuring 1 took measuring far beyond just using a ruler to using different objects as a comparison as well as containers for the liquids. I also love that it was very hands-on. The kids really enjoyed the lessons because they made a game out of guessing what the answers would be, and they really retained a lot of the information since they were enjoying it so much! Measuring 1 can be purchased as a PDF download for $4.50 or a black and white printed copy for $10.90.
Math Mammoth offers a variety of products including a full Math curriculum and other supplements. Check out more reviews by clicking on the banner below!