Saxon math Vs. CLE (Christian Light)...anybody not like CLE Math???

[supermom]

The incremental concepts in Saxon have been snowballing in my girls head (11 yo twins). We've just about finished 76 for our second time and I still don't feel like they have it all down. They have to be reminded daily how to do some problems they've done for months, but once I jog their minds...they get it. We've been using Saxon since we quit ABeka 3rd math mid-way and they have just nearly completed Math 76 right now. Seems like I've bought everything, tried it for a day or 2, and decided I didn't like it any better than Saxon.

 

My last stop is CLE. It looks like we would go down from Math 76 to CLE 6th grade. I have no problem with that. They need a year of good review plus I see some concepts taught in 6th that we did not cover in Saxon 76. But it looks very incremental, too. Does it explain things in an easier way? I'm thinking having it in workbook form may help math go faster each day. Saxon would be free for us, but CLE....$30+ a child.

 

I'm also wondering if CLE is good for Algebra and Geometry. I'd like to stick with it for the rest of their lives if I can. I do not want to go through Saxon for the higher math so it would be good to switch because we are almost there....unless CLE is not good at explaining those higher maths. Any experience using CLE for highschool? I have 4 children. The twins are in the middle, and they have never been able to work independently like my other 2. So I'm looking for something with simple instructions, for sure.

 

Thanks for any insight you can give me.

Blessings,

Monica

Edited June 12, 2009 by supermom

[Tree House Academy]

We love CLE math here. I have used Horizons, Calvert, and Singapore and CLE is by far our favorite. My kids know facts better than I could have ever imagined because CLE drills gently each day. You can also find CLE used.

[supermom]

Where do you find it used? I have looked at Vegsource and homeschoolclassifieds and not seen it much.

Thanks.

[Tree House Academy]

Well, I just bought it used on this board...three grades worth for about $60. :) You just have to look around. Also, there is a CLE yahoo group and often times those folks post some for sale...or you can post a WTB there.

 

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/christianlightfamilies/messages

[MicheleinMN]

Apparently I am the only person not in love with CLE Math. :glare: But that's okay, I really needed to sit and look at the lightunits to be able to make the decision that CLE isn't my cuppa. Decision made....time to move on.

 

Ds didn't care for CLE Algebra I, but those lightunits were not the sunrise* edition, and I don't know if they have been redone yet or not.

 

Your package went out this morning, Rebecca.

Edited June 12, 2009 by MicheleinMN

[Mommyfaithe]

I absolutely LOVE CLE math. We haven't used it up to the upper grades and the Sunrise versions of those are not out yet...SO, if they are available when my dd and ds's are up to that, I will definitely be using them For now, I am using a combination of Teaching Textbooks, Life of Fred and Jacobs for my High Schooler. I am hoping CLE revises their upper level maths as well as they have the elementary levels.

 

~~Faithe

[supermom]

post deleted by author

Edited June 12, 2009 by supermom
misunderstanding now understood :o)

[TracyR]

I like the math very much. Now if you ask my oldest she'll tell you she doesn't like CLE's math but she has really improved with her math this year since we've used it.

I've used Saxon, BJU, and Calvert and by far I really like CLE because of the fact its independent and the instruction in the Light Units are very well put together and the only teaching I have to do is if they don't understand what has been taught.

They really get plenty of review with the math as well.

You could use CLE for the rest of your homeschool, but I will tell you that the Sunrise edition will only go through Geometry. This is because there isn't enough demand for the other grade levels. There is a CLE rep on the yahoo group and this was a question that has been asked. Now if there was a demand for the upper level math for CLE I bet they would look into it. Though it will take some time for development so it wouldn't be ready for your children anyways by the time they hit those grades. There are some families on the CLE board that have successfully used the older edition light units all the way through. Its up to you. Another thought, depending on how far in math you want to go CLE's math only goes to Trig.

 

Now you have all those scattered thoughts but I do like their math program very much.

[skaterbabs]

We're currently working through CLE 101 and 501 with Dot & Wacko respectively. 501 is a review of everything learned in 400 (CLE 4th grade), which is basically what Wacko learned in public school 5th grade. There have only been a couple of things I've needed to explain to him, and so far he's gotten it without much trouble.

 

101 could not possibly get more incremental. Dot has been doing three or four lessons a day, but that's because 101 is VERY basic. Lesson 1 introduces the concept of one, introduces the math fact 1+1=2, lesson two is about the number 2, and so on. At the same time, lesson 10 (which introduces the number ten, of course) introduces place value, something I've not seen elsewhere until much later. (Remember, there is no K level with CLE math.)

 

Thus far I'm fairly pleased. DD hasn't been thrilled, but she's had her addition and subtraction facts to ten memorized for almost a year. :tongue_smilie: The first 9 lessons are basically her (and me) learning the CLE "system".

[MIch elle]

For the fall, ds will be using CLE math 7 and LOF algebra. CLE math 7 will teach geometry & algebra while reviewing basic math; LOF will teach algebra. We'll use these over grades 7 & 8. CLE math has the dc do too much math/day. So using CLE in combo with LOF will decrease the amt of math problems done/week.

 

If that combo works for us, we will finish LOF algebra 1 & CLE math 7 in grade 8 and then move to LOF alg. 2 and do only a few LU's of CLE math 8 before high school.

 

 

HTH :D

[G5052]

Last summer in a fit of self-doubt, I bought a level of Saxon math used (can't remember if it was 7/6 or the next one) thinking that I'd have my oldest do it instead of CLE Math 6. I was thinking then of transitioning him to Saxon because our co-op uses it. Well, it was so very similar to CLE, that I decided to sell it and just keep on with what we knew. If you look at the samples, CLE is also spiral and incremental. Some have called it "workbook Saxon." Maybe the change in format would be good for you, but keep in mind that it's basically the same approach. And we decided not to go with co-op math.

 

The Algebra I is not yet out in Sunrise format, but is in testing/editing. The current version is has good content, but the answer books/manuals have a coordination issue that I've heard is kind of a pain. The text is also very dense and they're harder to use visually IMHO (there are samples on the Yahoo Group). Algebra II Sunrise is planned, and they don't plan to go beyond that in math.

 

Some go from CLE Math 7 to Algebra from other providers, but I decided to go ahead and transition to another curriculum after CLE 6 because I don't think my oldest needs the spiraling as much as he once did. He is going to do Life of Fred Fractions and Decimals this summer and then we're going to try Math-U-See pre-algebra and go from there with either Life of Fred or Math-U-See. I wish I had the transition figured out, but I don't. :confused:

Edited June 17, 2009 by GVA