New Soon-To-Be Homeschooling Father

[Ismail]

Hi everyone.

 

I'm the father of four children who are ages 10 (girl), 8 (boy), 2 (girl), and a 10-month old boy.  We're planning on homeschooling, beginning with pulling the oldest out of school first.  I'm planning on doing most of the instruction: in the evenings after work during the week, and during day on the weekends.

 

I'm currently reading "The Well Trained Mind" and thought I'd join the discussions here.

 

At the moment, I'm trying to analyze math curriculums, keeping in mind the conceptual/procedural discussion in the book.  Math Mammoth seems promising.  What are y'all using?

 

I look forward to being a member on these forums.

 

Thank you,

Ismail

[Rosie_0801]

Welcome to the forum. :)

 

 

Maths curricula is rather like the never-ending story. There's someone on here who swears by every program ever written, I should think. :)

 

If you like the look of Math Mammoth, use that until it stops working for you.

[Melissa in Australia]

Welcome

Math -I think that any program that is used consistently will work

 

I use Saxon. Mostly because it worked with my oldest, and it has solution manuals from algebra1 onwards and is non consumable so the same texts have been used by each child.

Edited November 13, 2016 by Melissa in Australia

[HomeMum]

Welcome! Cool to see a guy here.

[Ausmumof3]

Welcome.

 

I agree everyone has a different Math love. We use Singapore Standards and it's ok. I wouldn't say my kids love it but it gets done. The explicit teaching of a range of strategies for mental calculation is good. Sometimes coordinating all the bits (uses three different books and you can add extras) is a pain. In a couple of areas the jump was a bit sudden and my kids struggled, so we took a break and came back to them.

 

Whichever math you use, I find it helpful to pay more attention to the child and what you know they know than where they are in the curriculum.

[Ismail]

Welcome to the forum. :)

 

 

Maths curricula is rather like the never-ending story. There's someone on here who swears by every program ever written, I should think. :)

 

If you like the look of Math Mammoth, use that until it stops working for you.

Thanks Rosie. That's the impression I'm getting about math curricula. [emoji3]

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Ismail]

Welcome

Math -I think that any program that is used consistently will work

 

I use Saxon. Mostly because it worked with my oldest, and it has solution manuals from algebra1 onwards and is non consumable so the same texts have been used by each child.

Thanks Melissa. Thanks for the feedback. Those are good points.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Ismail]

Welcome! Cool to see a guy here.

Thanks HomeMum. Glad to be here!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Ismail]

Welcome.

 

I agree everyone has a different Math love. We use Singapore Standards and it's ok. I wouldn't say my kids love it but it gets done. The explicit teaching of a range of strategies for mental calculation is good. Sometimes coordinating all the bits (uses three different books and you can add extras) is a pain. In a couple of areas the jump was a bit sudden and my kids struggled, so we took a break and came back to them.

 

Whichever math you use, I find it helpful to pay more attention to the child and what you know they know than where they are in the curriculum.

Ausmum, thank you for the good advice. I will definitely keep it in mind.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Laurel-in-CA]

Math is definitely a YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary) subject. First of all, the curriculum that is going to get done! Secondly, the one that suits your style as a teacher (that takes some thinking) and your children's as learners (more thinking).

 

I like Math U See, but in the elementary years we use it in tandem with Singapore because Singapore has better word problems and encourages mental math in a different way than MUS. The blocks MUS uses also work well with Singapore diagrams. We do them together up thru Singapore 6B/MUS Pre-Algebra. MUS has a non-consumable teacher kit and DVD and a consumable student workbook; Singapore has a non-consumable text and a consumable workbook, one of each per "semester".

 

I also really like the web site www.livingmath.net for suggestions on more creative approaches to math, math history, stories, etc.

[Guest]

.

Edited September 10, 2020 by Æthelthryth the Texan

[Miss Tick]

Here's a useful tip, Google is better at searching, perhaps because that is their business. In the Google search window I type something like:

 

MM site:forums.welltrainedmind.com

[mom31257]

Welcome!! Math is always a big decision. I have a math degree, so I love them all in one way or another!  I think finding a program YOU like and enjoy teaching will be what's best. If you like it, your kids will see how much fun math can be. MM is a very solid program, as are many others. I've used CLE through middle school and other things for high school, but I always taught my kids math my own way. The curriculum was just for practice. 

 

 

 

[Ismail]

Math is definitely a YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary) subject. First of all, the curriculum that is going to get done! Secondly, the one that suits your style as a teacher (that takes some thinking) and your children's as learners (more thinking).

 

I like Math U See, but in the elementary years we use it in tandem with Singapore because Singapore has better word problems and encourages mental math in a different way than MUS. The blocks MUS uses also work well with Singapore diagrams. We do them together up thru Singapore 6B/MUS Pre-Algebra. MUS has a non-consumable teacher kit and DVD and a consumable student workbook; Singapore has a non-consumable text and a consumable workbook, one of each per "semester".

 

I also really like the web site www.livingmath.net for suggestions on more creative approaches to math, math history, stories, etc.

 

Thank you Laurel, and thank you for the web site link.  I've bookmarked and will check it out.

[Ismail]

Welcome Ismail! You can try searching the programs you're considering on the General Forum and can read through some old threads. We rehash math a lot here, so there's a ton of info. 

 

I've used Saxon, Teaching Textbooks and CLE  (CLE is our favorite) for my oldest, and am using RightStart so far for my youngest two with plans to transition to CLE in second or third grade. 

 

Thanks texasmom, I will definitely start looking through the forums.

 

P.S. - Fellow Texan here (Dallas), but only for the past ten years.  We moved out here from the east coast :-)

Edited November 15, 2016 by Ismail

[Ismail]

Here's a useful tip, Google is better at searching, perhaps because that is their business. In the Google search window I type something like:

 

MM site:forums.welltrainedmind.com

 

Thanks for the tip!

[Guest]

Thanks texasmom, I will definitely start looking through the forums.

 

P.S. - Fellow Texan here (Dallas), but only for the past ten years.  We moved out here from the east coast :-)

 

Better late than never. ;) 

[Ismail]

Welcome!! Math is always a big decision. I have a math degree, so I love them all in one way or another!  I think finding a program YOU like and enjoy teaching will be what's best. If you like it, your kids will see how much fun math can be. MM is a very solid program, as are many others. I've used CLE through middle school and other things for high school, but I always taught my kids math my own way. The curriculum was just for practice. 

 

Thank you mom31257, that is some great advice!

 

I don't have a math degree, but I did (barely) earn a B.S. in Computer Science, and I always had a knack for math.  I hope I can pass that on to my kids :-)

[Ismail]

Better late than never. ;)

 

Lol, you know what they say about getting here as fast as I could :-)

[Garga]

You'll probably have to take the plunge and buy SOMEthing for Math.  And then, if it works--great!  But if not, you'll start to see what about it doesn't work, and then when you read reviews about other math programs you'll start to be able to cross some off your list and circle others because you'll better know what works or doesn't work for your children.

 

For us, it was important to know that some math programs are spiral vs mastery.

 

Mastery means that the student stays on one topic until they master it.  Spiral means that new concepts are taught in tiny bits, little-by-little, and there is a lot of review of past concepts every day.

 

I started with mastery with one son and then switched to spiral for the next son.  (I personally prefer spiral.  I think it does a better job for retention.)

 

We use Christian Light Education (CLE.)  It has a reputation as a very solid math program, though some people won't use it because there are Christian references in the book.  It's put out by Mennonite people, so some of the word problems are about Christian missionaries or things like that.

Edited November 15, 2016 by Garga

[Ismail]

You'll probably have to take the plunge and buy SOMEthing for Math.  And then, if it works--great!  But if not, you'll start to see what about it doesn't work, and then when you read reviews about other math programs you'll start to be able to cross some off your list and circle others because you'll better know what works or doesn't work for your children.

 

For us, it was important to know that some math programs are spiral vs mastery.

 

Mastery means that the student stays on one topic until they master it.  Spiral means that new concepts are taught in tiny bits, little-by-little, and there is a lot of review of past concepts every day.

 

I started with mastery with one son and then switched to spiral for the next son.  (I personally prefer spiral.  I think it does a better job for retention.)

 

We use Christian Light Education (CLE.)  It has a reputation as a very solid math program, though some people won't use it because there are Christian references in the book.  It's put out by Mennonite people, so some of the word problems are about Christian missionaries or things like that.

 

Thank you Garga.  I agree, I could spend months just researching curricula.  I will make a decision soon and just take the plunge, as you suggest.

 

Is the CLE curriculum master or spiral-based?

[Garga]

Thank you Garga.  I agree, I could spend months just researching curricula.  I will make a decision soon and just take the plunge, as you suggest.

 

Is the CLE curriculum master or spiral-based?

 

 

Spiral.

 

My youngest son takes a long time to master something.  We were getting stuck in mastery programs, unable to move on until he'd mastered something like addition or time or fractions.  

 

But with CLE, they ever-so-slowly introduce a new topic.  If it isn't clicking the first time he sees it, there is no stress.  Eighty percent of each lesson is review of an assortment of concepts.  We know they will introduce each new concept slowly over many lessons and by the end of a few weeks of learning something new, he'll have learned it in an easy, gentle process.