Math Mammoth: Mastery-based, self-directed
Updated on July 10, 2023
This review was written by Manisha Snoyer, the founder and CEO of Modulo, a company that provides resources and support families who are homeschooling their children. With over 20 years of experience as a teacher, Manisha has instructed over 2,000 children of all ages and abilities in three countries and 18 subjects. She has tutored at some of the best private schools in the world and throughout the NYC public school system. Manisha graduated summa cum laude from Brandeis University.
Math Mammoth is a rigorous mastery-based curriculum that teaches the "whys" of math, enabling the student to develop critical thinking skills to ensure a strong mathematics foundation, preparing the student for success in higher level mathematics. Math Mammoth is comprised of different curriculum options, some of which align with common core standards where it is beneficial, but exceeds standards where it is most beneficial. There are also curriculum options which are not designed with common core standards as guiding benchmarks, and offers topic-based curriculum rather than grade-level based. With a background in teaching mathematics in university and vocational schools, while tutoring students she recognized common struggles parents and students had with learning maths, and decided to create a product to address these deficiencies. Math Mammoth utilizes a variety of workbook series options, combined with videos and online practice to allow the student and facilitator to choose a path that addresses the student's needs. There are full curriculum which utilize workbooks and accompanying online supplements, as well as topic-based workbooks to address individual math topic needs that may need additional attention. Math Mammoth is good for students who enjoy working independently with little need for instructor direction. It is mastery based so it is good for students who do not need a spiral based approach to mathematics, and who enjoy a variety of learning styles, with a concentration on paper and pencil style vs. online based learning. Math Mammoth can be a bit light on entertainment and is not heavy on manipulative use, so for a student who is a kinesthetic learner, Math Mammoth would not fulfill those needs. Some parents do not like that it is not spiral based, or the length of time spent on each topic. I would definitely recommend utilizing the assessment and the online videos and supplements provided to support the curriculum. Maria's videos are very explanatory and help clearly explain topics that need additional clarification when the workbook needs a little extra hand-holding.
Grades: 1st through 7th/8th (Grade level at which student would take Pre-Algebra is the final level)
Cost: The curriculum cost varies according to where it is purchased and which format is purchased. It can be purchased as a download and printed, or it can be purchased printed and bound for under $40 per grade level, including access to the online supplements and downloadable content for practice and support.
Key features of Math Mammoth
1. **Conceptual Understanding**: Math Mammoth focuses on building a deep, conceptual understanding of mathematical concepts. This is done through clear explanations and a wealth of problems to solve, helping students understand the "why" behind math.
2. **Mastery-Oriented**: This curriculum is structured in a mastery-based format. This means students spend time focusing on one topic, such as fractions, until they fully grasp it, before moving onto the next.
3. **Incremental Approach**: The curriculum introduces concepts gradually, starting with simple problems and then moving on to more complex ones, to ensure that students understand each step of the process.
4. **Self-teaching**: Each chapter contains thorough explanations of concepts, making the material accessible for students to learn independently. This makes Math Mammoth a good choice for self-paced learning.
5. **Affordability**: Compared to other curricula, Math Mammoth is often noted for its affordability.
6. **Availability**: The material can be bought as a physical book or as a digital PDF. The PDF format has the added benefit of being instantly downloadable and searchable.
7. **Grade Levels**: Math Mammoth provides comprehensive math curriculum from Grades 1 to 7 (as of 2021).
8. **Integration of Topics**: Math Mammoth integrates topics from different areas of math, helping students see how different concepts connect.
9. **Practice and Review**: Math Mammoth includes plenty of problems for students to practice and reinforce concepts. There's also a review section in each chapter to consolidate learning.
10. **Common Core Alignment**: As of 2021, the Math Mammoth curriculum is aligned with the Common Core standards, which means it covers topics that are commonly taught at each grade level in the United States.
Pros and Cons of Math Mammoth
Top 5 Pros of Math Mammoth:
1. Conceptual Approach: Math Mammoth is known for its strong emphasis on conceptual understanding, which helps students grasp mathematical concepts deeply.
2. Mastery-Based: The curriculum focuses on mastery, allowing students to thoroughly understand each topic before moving on to the next.
3. Flexible and Customizable: Parents appreciate the flexibility of Math Mammoth, allowing them to adapt the curriculum to their child's needs and learning style.
4. Varied Resources: Math Mammoth offers a range of resources, including workbooks, instructional videos, and supplemental materials, providing a comprehensive math learning experience.
5. Affordable: Many parents mentioned the affordability of Math Mammoth as a positive aspect, making it accessible to a wider range of families.
Top 5 Cons of Math Mammoth:
1. Repetitive Nature: Some parents find Math Mammoth to be repetitive, with similar types of exercises and problems presented throughout the curriculum.
2. Lack of Color and Visual Appeal: The curriculum is often described as lacking colorful visuals, which may be less engaging for some students, especially younger learners.
3. Limited Online Interactive Features: While Math Mammoth provides digital resources, it may not offer as many interactive features compared to other online math programs.
4. Teacher-Intensive: Some parents found Math Mammoth to be more teacher-intensive, requiring active involvement and guidance from the parent or educator.
5. Inadequate Placement Tests: A few comments mentioned that the placement tests provided by Math Mammoth were not comprehensive enough, making it difficult to accurately assess the appropriate level for a child.
It's important to note that these pros and cons are based on individual experiences and perspectives, and may vary depending on the specific needs and preferences of each student and family.
FAQ about Math Mammoth
Is Math Mammoth good?
Math Mammoth has received positive customer testimonials and reviews from parents who have found it beneficial for their children's math learning. The curriculum is praised for its ability to help struggling students by providing multiple problem-solving approaches and ample practice to foster a deep understanding of mathematical concepts.
What is Math Mammoth?
Math Mammoth is a math curriculum designed for elementary and middle school students in grades 1-7. It offers two series of worktexts, the Blue Series and the Light Blue Series, which combine instruction and exercises. The curriculum aims to provide a comprehensive math learning experience for students.
Does Math Mammoth have games?
Math Mammoth offers an online bingo game that allows students to practice basic operations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. The game presents math questions, and students can click on the correct answer in the grid, which is then colored green.
Is Math Mammoth hard?
Math Mammoth is considered a fairly rigorous but approachable self-study math program. It is designed to help students develop a strong conceptual understanding of math and a refined number sense. While it may pose some challenges, it is generally accessible and aims to support long-term math and quantitative skill development.
How advanced is Math Mammoth?
Math Mammoth provides a standards-aligned curriculum for students in grades 1-7. The program does not offer kindergarten-level math and concludes with pre-algebra in Grade 7. It covers a wide range of math topics appropriate for each grade level within this range.
Is Math Mammoth religious?
Math Mammoth is a secular math curriculum and does not incorporate religious content. The teaching materials do not contain references to religion, the Bible, or God. The curriculum solely focuses on math instruction, making it suitable for families seeking a secular approach to math education.
Who wrote Math Mammoth?
Math Mammoth was written by Maria Miller, who is the author of MathMammoth.com and the books sold on the website. Maria Miller is a math teacher turned homemaker and homeschooler. She holds a master's degree in mathematics with educational studies required for teachers, as well as minors in physics and statistics.
Other details
Key features
Type of Tool: Textbook
Time required: The time spent varies with the age and proficiency of the students. About 7pages per week is recommended at 1st grade level, increasing to 13 pages per week at the 7th grade level. It is suggested that the student does not work beyond the point of comfort for the student.
Special Needs:
Literacy Requirement (does a child need to know how to read):
Screens
Screens: Screens are optional but only for videos and optional online practice supplements - the curriculum is workbook based.
Online requirement:
Time
Parent/Caregiver Involvement: This curriculum can be completely independent, but may require some parent support, depending on the age of the child and their strength in math.
Prep Time: Curriculum can be taught without any prep, but there are also videos available and manipulatives can be used to further demonstrate topics.
Other characteristics
Modality: Multimedia
Adaptive: There are videos that can be used as supplements depending on the level of assistance needed by the student.
Educational Philosophy: Not really, doesn't seem to be influenced by a particular educational philosophy
Other characteristics: Self-directed learning
Accountability
Assessment: Yes, there are built in assessment tools
State Standards: Math Mammoth Light Blue series (the complete curriculum for grades 1-7(a)) meets and exceeds the CCS. In several grade levels (grade 3, 5, 6, and 7), the alignment is only 90-95%, because some topics are included that exceed or are not mentioned in the CCS. The old version of the Light Blue series is not aligned, and it is available as a download of all 6 grades at this link: Add to cart ($136 USD). The Blue Series, Green Series, and Golden Series books are not aligned to the Common Core. The Golden Series books are aligned to the Virginia Standards. Make It Real Learning workbooks are not aligned.
Teacher Accounts:
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