Where should you start your child with Milestone Maths?
The simple answer is to just begin with the first book for the year at which your child is nominally working. However, Milestone Maths is designed to allow you to more precisely match the entry point to your child’s ability, knowledge and experience. Keep reading to find out how.
If your child has never been in school, is at least 6-7 years old, can count to 10 and can recognise the written symbols for the numbers 1-10, they are ready for level B and should start at Student Book B1.
For children who have had some mathematical experience, the sample pages on the product page for each book serve as placement tests. The sample pages are actually the checkpoints from each book so they provide a good summary of the material taught in that book. They can also be used to determine what your child does and doesn’t know.
Begin one level below the year that your child has just completed and work your way through the checkpoints until you find the point where two or three checkpoints in a row test concepts that your child is unfamiliar with. Generally the child should begin at the book from which those checkpoints have been taken.
If you find that your child is unfamiliar with a few isolated checkpoints, that indicates that the child most likely has some holes in their mathematical knowledge. As every case will be different, it is best to contact the author for advice on how to fill those gaps.
If you are a parent who has been home educating for some period of time, you may well be able to determine the best starting point for your child simply by viewing the sample pages yourself. I would still recommend that you have your child work through the sample pages for the book immediately before the one you think they should start on to make sure that there are no gaps in their understanding and to allow your child to become familiar with the style of Milestone Maths lessons using material that is relatively easy before moving onto new concepts.
For parents who wish to use Milestone Maths as an after school “tutorial” the most logical thing to do is to simply start at the first book for the year level that corresponds with your child’s school level. However, if your child is struggling in school, it is likely that a lower level will be more appropriate and more beneficial in the long run. In that case, you should consider following the process outlined above. If after completing the sample pages, you are still unsure where to start, please do not hesitate to contact the author for advice.