Jump to content

Menu

Comparisons? Math U See vs Life of Fred; Barton vs Saxon vs LiPS


Recommended Posts

Since everyone has been SO incredibly helpful, I have another question! Because I don't have access at the moment to "getting my hands on" any actual curriculum to 'flip through it', I am relying on 1) looking at it online (reading, watching videos, etc) and 2) reviews from awesome people who have used it! Now, I do realize that there is *nothing* anywhere that will work for *everyone*.....BUT..... I would love some honest 'been there, done that' opinions :)

 

So, this will be my first year to homeschool my boys. DS1 age 8 and DS2 age 6 at start of school (would be grades 2 and 1 in Public School). DS1 has formal diagnosis of Severe Dyslexia and Dysgraphia; I suspect some level of "Dys" for DS2. DS1 is reading at about a Level 1 easy reader level (just higher that Bob books).

 

I am looking at either Math U See or Life of Fred for a math curriculum......comparisons?? Benefits of one over the other for my boys?

 

And, for remediation / language arts I am looking at Barton Reading or Saxon or LiPS (not sure my boys would need that based on reading some of the other threads.....)??? Anyone able to compare these?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Life of Fred elementary isn't at all a complete curriculum in my opinion and experience. Math U See doesn't have a scope/sequence similar to PS I don't think, if that matters to you. That may have changed. What did they use in their old school and is math a strength? Life of Fred and MUS are very different in approach! What are you looking for in a math program?

 

I really love RightStart for beginning math, but it's a pricey program compared to some others. It has very little writing in the early levels, and what is there is easy to write for the child. It might be something to consider. edited to add: here is a thread talking about math for dyslexia with dysgraphia too. It might help. http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/312951-math-for-kids-with-dysgraphiadyslexia/

 

Barton is good for dyslexia. Have you seen the test to give them on the site? https://www.bartonreading.com/students_long.html#screen You'll want to do that before you order. It will tell you whether you need LIPs before beginning. I think Barton re-sells well in my understanding. I know the price is high. For severe dyslexia, though, I think this is what I would use.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I suggest you print up some curriculum samples and review the materials with your boys.  Also, be sure to administer placement tests to get them started at the correct level.

 

Typically, math programs either teach to mastery or take a spiral approach.  I don't know what LOF is, but MUS is a more mastery based program.  I see LOF used as a supplement to other math curricula.  LOF is narrative based and when I showed it to DS, he wanted no part of it.

 

A word about O-G based phonics programs.  O-G based phonics programs are nice but they are no substitute for a teacher thoroughly trained in the methodology and application of multi-sensory, O-G practices.  Barton provides video training to the parent so that they can effectively apply the program in a direct, explicit, and systematic way.  The Barton website provides a three part test to determine whether the student requires the program.  The Barton screener will also identify whether your student requires LIPS training.

 

I am not familiar with Saxon Phonics.  Maybe you could provide a link to Saxon Phonics resources and videos.  Perhaps with your speech/path background, you are better trained to explicitly teach phonics using Saxon?  Prior to learning about Barton, I fancied attending a 1-2 week O-G training seminar at my local dyslexia school.  We wound up hiring a Wilson tutor that successfully worked with my DS for 5 years (including 4 of his summers).

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You describe your son as having a diagnosis of "severe" dyslexia and dysgraphia. In your situation, I would go for a full Orton Gillingham program, either Barton (which has the teacher training built in) or Wilson, using LiPS if the Barton screening indicates it's needed.

 

When my son was young, I knew he was dyslexic and dysgraphic but for reasons not relevant to this post, I was unable to get him fully evaluated until he was much older. I had to muddle along as best I could. I was already using some curriculum with an O-G based phonics progression and added some O-G elements based on what I could find in online descriptions, but I didn't have the full O-G training. Barton may have been available at the time I started, but it was really hard to locate resources and I didn't hear about Barton until my son was already reading.

 

If I had it to do all over again, I would go for the full Orton Gillingham program, not just a program that introduces phonics concepts in a similar fashion. The standard curriculum just moved way too fast for my son and frustrated him to no end. It also didn't have multi-sensory elements and I had to add them myself, so I don't think I was able to scaffold the instruction in a way that was as helpful to my son as it could have been.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Totally agree on MUS over LoF for this.  Remember, you can always go back and order LoF later if you realize you want a fun supplement one day a week.  The other thing you could consider as that fun supplement would be Family Math or having a Living Math day where you read living math books together.  Highly, highly recommend.  There are lists of them online.  Here's an article to get you inspired.  http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/top-teaching/2012/11/teaching-math-picture-books-part-1  Turns out Scholastic has free living math activities to go with picture books if you search their teacher resources.  Search Imogene's Antlers. Cute stuff!   :)

 

If your boys don't click with MUS or you need more help, look at Ronit Bird. RB connects with how my ds thinks.

 

Remember, we're not talking good vs. bad curriculum.  Everything you're look at is good stuff.  It's more just what does your student need in order to connect and thrive.  More hands-on, slower pace, more doing and less reading, no writing, whatever, kwim?  I used RightStart with my dd and liked it quite a bit (even repped for them!), so imagine my HORROR when I got level A and ds just looked at me blankly.  There was NO click, absolutely none.  Ronit Bird broke through that.  Don't ask me how, because conceptually it's the same.  RB is just willing to spend a lot more time and slow it down and examine the same topic lots of ways until it really clicks.  

 

I used to say the kid should feel like a rock star in his math.  Maybe not rock star, but successful, like it's doable, kwim?  With Ronit Bird, even my boy who is supposedly gifted who couldn't tell me how many fingers he had at 5.5 can feel successful.  :)  Math is the hardest thing for EVERYONE to figure out, whether they're teaching a SN dc or not.  It's ok to have some purchases that don't work out.  It's better to do that, trying a little bit of each thing, and get the right fit in the end.  Cathy Duffy calls it tuition in the University of Home Ed.  Sometimes we really do have to go through that process of trying things to figure it out.   :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Remember, we're not talking good vs. bad curriculum.  Everything you're look at is good stuff.  It's more just what does your student need in order to connect and thrive.  More hands-on, slower pace, more doing and less reading, no writing, whatever, kwim?

 

YES this!! :) THAT is what I want to find "what my student(s) need in order to connect and thrive"!!! Problem is....with NO experience with any of these, it is rather difficult to guess which one *might* be a better fit!

After (a bit of) looking, I am starting to think that DS1 could do Right Start math, but that DS2 will need Ronit Bird! (Yikes! learn TWO different ways to do it for me?!?!).

And, that they would both benefit from Barton (even though DS2 does not actually have diagnosis!)!

 

Then.....fill in with all (some ;) of the wonderful suggestions on here for science, history etc!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Barton is cheaper...

 

How to find the right fit for your child?  Look closely at what your children pursue for pleasure on their own.  Examine your family dynamics and explore what you all do together for pleasure, family hobbies, and that sort of thing.  Figure out their "currency" and what makes them tick.  Homeschooling is so much more than selecting curricula and throwing it at them.  You are coming alongside them and working with them, facilitating their learning. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

YES this!! :) THAT is what I want to find "what my student(s) need in order to connect and thrive"!!! Problem is....with NO experience with any of these, it is rather difficult to guess which one *might* be a better fit!

After (a bit of) looking, I am starting to think that DS1 could do Right Start math, but that DS2 will need Ronit Bird! (Yikes! learn TWO different ways to do it for me?!?!).

And, that they would both benefit from Barton (even though DS2 does not actually have diagnosis!)!

 

Then.....fill in with all (some ;) of the wonderful suggestions on here for science, history etc!

 

If you think your second will need it and it might work for your first, I'd give it a shot with your first before going for two different curricula to learn and work with.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Kiana is exactly right.  And there's a curriculum, Dynamo Math (right?), that OneStep has been using for the worksheet/traditional side of things with kids ready for that.  Won't hurt a dc without the math disability but is good for the one with, again giving you a way to work with both.  (older getting RB plus Dynamo, younger getting just RB)  

 

Have you seen the RB ebooks?  It's sort of confusing, but the ebooks are basically breakouts, expansions of topics from the regular RB books.  At only $10, they're a great way to try RB if you want to try *something* without a huge expense.  And does Dynamo have a free trial?  Runs in my mind they do.  

 

You're going to break some eggs on this, so just make little purchases.  If you want to try MUS, see if somebody locally would let you *borrow* their stuff for a couple weeks?  Little steps and trying things to figure it out.  :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Life of Fred likes to say they're a full curriculum, but they're not really. We use it as a supplement, for fun. It brings up new ideas, give you one or two practice questions, and drops the idea for 22 chapters. You won't see the idea again until you're in a new book. And they don't reteach it in the new book. It'll just be a question at the end of a chapter.

 

My kids love the Life of Fred story. They loooove it. But they get very frustrated by how concepts are introduced super fast, there is nowhere near enough practice, and then the concept is left behind for a loooong time.

 

But as a supplement, it's great. And when they run into something frustrating, I run interference and do a quick re-teach of the concept on my own so they don't get completely fed up.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Life of Fred has extensive samples on their website - it is very non-traditional, and does not involve drilling.  We have used it with success - it has been our "main" program, with other things coming along here and there, and lots of general math conversation and games.  LoF has been a GREAT fit for my child who has been identified to have reading and writing LDs - there is very little writing, and I read it to the kids.  The concepts are there, and they are interesting.  It is definitely not for everyone, though.  It is for someone (and their kids) who want to play math together and discuss it.  If math intimidates you, it definitely isn't a good choice as a main curriculum.  There isn't drill in it, but I got a math worksheet booklet where the kids do a math problem and get coordinates for a graph and find their way through a maze - that was our drill (admission: my child with these LDs does struggle with fluency in math, but the concepts are solid/advanced according to the testing we had done).

 

All that to say that I don't necessarily recommend LoF elementary for you (which is what I am talking about and different from the other books) - there are a lot of other more normal math programs out there - but it has been a very good fit for one child that is somewhat like your 8yo, so if you like the idea of it, look at the samples for yourself and see if they would suit your family before discounting it based on a few opinions here. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just one more tidbit about choosing curriculum in my opinion: It has to work for the teacher also.  If looking at Singapore math makes you the parent want to pull your hair out, don't use it.  I think the bigger your family is or the more complex life is with kids with special needs or work or whatever, the truer it is. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...