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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Hi - I had mixed results with DS1 with BA as he just wasn't into math. The online comics and earning points to build your avatar kept him interested for a bit, but he quickly lost interest. Even though it didn't work for DS1, I was really impressed with BA online.

DS2 is entering kindergarten next week, and also turns 5 next week. He's shown interest in math. I don't think he's some kind of math genius, but his Montessori preschool gave him enough of a foundation in math that he was able to start BA1 without any issues. He's not reading fluently yet, so he occasionally asks for help, such as reading the comics and if the answers are words rather than numbers. But after a few lessons, he's doing 95% of it independently. And he begs to do BA.

I just checked and he's spent 32 hours on BA since we started in June. Yes, it's online, but he's really learning and problem solving. No way he'd be so focused and independent without the short video lessons.

I'm a little worried that school with be boring as he's ahead with math. But as it's self-directed and he genuinely likes it, I'm okay with it. And it probably won't hurt for him to feel good about himself at this new school. Plus, we're not pushing reading, so he'll have plenty to learn in kindergarten.

Finally, I think BA lets you cancel the online program after a few weeks, so you may want to just try it out.[/quote]
16:24 PP here. Comics and building avatar are not meant to be a motivator :-) But, you figured that out already.

As for your DS 2, I have couple of suggestions and questions.
Do the following to make the most out of the program:
1. Have him read the lesson book for the upcoming section of problems first. Since this is in a comic book style, you can make it fun and read with him occasionally (you can each choose your characters and use silly voices - makes it even more interesting, you are also making sure that he understood all the content - also helps build stronger reading skills)
2. After reading the lesson book, have him complete practice book problems (paper and pencil). Take out the pages (they are perforated), so he cannot see the answers at the end of the book :-D
3. Only then have him do online problems on his own. But, check-in occasionally. For the most part, Beast Academy is not only about being able to get the correct answer, but also learn to use different strategies. Make sure he is using the intended strategies when solving the problems.
4. Get him BA Level 1 puzzle book and have him work on that in parallel.

If, after all of this and before end of Kindergarten, your DS is sailing through everything with ease and he is reaching BA levels 1C and 1D with mostly two and three stars on section tests, then you have a problem :-) . A good one: you might have yourself a very gifted child. And, no, please don’t hold him back due to fear that he will be bored at school. Let him have fun and go at his own pace. Contrary to what some people might tell you, there are ways to support him at school. If you are at FCPS I might be able to give you a couple of pointers.[/quote]I appreciate the feedback! We've been online only so far, but you think there's a good reason to do the books, too?

We started this because DS2 seemed to have an intuitive math sense and because he thinks "math is fun." A window is open, and he's eager to learn. And he's eager to do it independently. Being familiar with BA, I thought we'd give it a try. And it's a treat - sometimes when he asks to do it, I say no. We haven't been doing it with any structure/schedule, but probably will now that school is starting.

He's only about four chapters in, and initially, I kept waiting for something to be beyond his comprehension developmentally. And it hasn't happened yet.

My child sample size is two. DS1 is five years older than his brother and is a 2E kid. He's always been very, very verbal, but math hasn't interested him, and he struggles with memorization. But I know enough to know that DS2, while not as verbal as DS1, is also quite bright. But he's just turning five next week, so we shall see. The one thing we've already done is not hold him back from starting kindergarten - he'll start at four and likely be the youngest one in his class. I'm hoping that's not a mistake.

The plan for now is to let him drive - I won't slow him down if he's eager. We're not currently in the DMV, but thank you for offering about FCPS. We're in the Chicago suburbs and have resources like the Center for Talent Development fairly nearby. And, of course, a ton of different math programs from Russian Math to Mathnasium. Our public school doesn't push kids ahead in math until sixth grade - there's an advanced class before that's more demanding, but teaches on-grade curricula. So if I have a math whiz on my hands, we will supplement, and most likely with science and other enrichment options rather than trying to have a second grader that can do quadratic equations. We can focus on intensive math later if he's still interested.

Thanks so much for the input!

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