Derek, Thank-you for taking the time to answer my questions and give me wise counsel. I'm so grateful and it is enabling me to make great decisions for my kiddos! Hope has replaced despair and worry …. As of this moment my plan is to do a MM/CLE hybrid. Based upon his sketchy placement in CLE 6 I intend to purchase 5 and 6 (my middle son will use it so it's not a waste). Using the first LU of 6 will help me to identify those areas in 5 he could or should review. I will also be able to take a look at the LUs and know where to have him jump in. I think I'll assign him straight CLE for our summer break and roll out MM in the fall. I have rarely omitted problems in MM as I have felt that my son needed the practice. There are times when something is obviously too easy for him or he absolutely gets it that we skip ahead. But that is rare. It will take a bit of practice for me to become comfy working between the two and omitting the unnecessary. My ability to judge that is suspect! :D We are doing math over summer. The kids know I'm determined and have resigned themselves to their fate :001_tt2: . I'm a nice Mom and won't make them take their math books on vacation or to summer camp.

Thanks for sharing this with me. Based on what you are telling me and what Derek is sharing I see my son has new needs in math that are worth addressing. The MM/CLE hybrid is very comfortable for me and you've both given me a way to schedule it out. He did not pass the CLE placement test for 5th grade (I was shocked though I think he gave up on some parts …. with a slight push he would've been fine). We have been able to work through a grade level of MM only spending 40m a day on math 4 days a week so he has a LOT of time in his schedule for math. I had already told him that 6th grade was going to mean a minimum of 60m daily on math and it may be 75. He's had it pretty easy up to now but he's had other struggles that we've had to address and keeping math to 40m helped the situation. We are doing math through summer with breaks here and there for vacation, camps and day trips. We took off 4 months last year for a move and that was the PITS for all of the kids! I'll never do that again. Summer math is a new reality. They groan. I shrug. Then they do their math. ;)

This is great! Thanks for writing this out. I am in hate with most spelling curricula because I think they're practically useless. SS seems MUCH more useful to me with the patterns but the website gives me hives. =) Why do companies overcomplicate tried and true programs by adding bells, whistles, and useless busy work? I am so old school and vanilla because that stuff WORKS.

How do you get writing done with 3 students in one schedule block? This is impossible here and no matter what I've tried it's a fail. Same with Rod & Staff English. It's teacher intensive for me but maybe I've missed something … Great schedule! ;)

Mrs. Twain, Thank-you. ;) I don't know how you pull this off. I am amazed ….. iCivics looks great! I'm playing with it this weekend …..

We've been using MM for 5 years and CLE for two. I agree Math Mammoth is more challenging and better at conceptual development. For this non-mathy math loving Mama Math Mammoth has been a blessing. :D But, CLE wins for ease of use and laying a strong foundation! My perfect elementary math curriculum would be a blend of MM and CLE ….. We couldn't work through an entire year of MM only doing it two days a week, even year round. How are you doing this with your girls? Are you cherry picking concepts or simply working through in order? Are you cutting the MM work in half or omitting some of the CLE work? If you use Math Mammoth as your spine how does CLE fit in? What is your daily/weekly/yearly routine? I didn't know that CLE takes two years for Pre-A. Bummer. I have a bit of time to iron out those wrinkles for my middlers though …. My rising 6th grader has done well with MM but I'm questioning whether or not he should continue. Would it be foolish to "jump ship"? Should I use CLE or Key To for a few months and then evaluate based upon how the "review" goes for him? Mastery worked for him so well in the past but this last school year our math and English (both mastery based) were struggles. He now needs regular review so I'm questioning the approach and seeking to change course if that will keep him moving forward without so much frustration. It works better for me if I can use ONE main program with each student OR have a prepared routine/schedule combining the two. If someone can help me know how to blend CLE and MM for my rising 6th grader that might help. I've been looking at Tabletclass Pre-A and Saxon (and Lial's and Dolciani …. ) for math after elementary school. I have also *gulp* been considering moving my oldest to Saxon and admittedly, it looks good to me.

Please type it?!? :coolgleamA:

Hunter, This thread is AWESOME. Thanks! :coolgleamA:

Where did you purchase these? I did look them over and think that we might like them for Geometry but perhaps Fractions, Decimals and Percentages would be ideal. ETA: Looks like Rainbow Resource has them! :coolgleamA:

Is this normal? Maybe not for every kid but for some? His retention with 5th grade math is shaky. He has GREAT conceptual understanding but doesn't remember HOW to do much of the new math he learned, especially anything related to decimals or fractions. We worked thoroughly and diligently through MM 5th grade (not Geometry though) and while he understood his work at the time he doesn't remember how to do it now ….. He seems to have outgrown his "fit" with mastery math and now needs something more spiral in nature.

Thanks for sharing this list! This is another awesome thread.

Subbing. My word. :hurray: Lori, what a ministry/service to all of us out here in the trenches! AWESOME stuff!

:001_wub: Nice. What about the composition instruction? It SEEMS straightforward enough for 3rd - 5th grade. I start to get worried right around 6th grade that I'd want to do something ELSE. At that point, though, we could switch to my lovely AG/Jump In or "other writing" plan. Of course, after USING it I'd KNOW if I like it. Is 3rd grade full of those respellings? I remember feeling miffed at those when I previewed some CtGE manuals awhile back but I don't remember what grades I looked at ….

Rod & Staff has become cumbersome and tedious. It's too teacher intensive. FLL is totally teacher intensive. We are moving to something LESS teacher intensive so that we thrive and so that grammar gets DONE most days. :D My oldest is going to use Analytical Grammar and Jump In for writing. (Unless he doesn't. :001_smile:) I'm 90% sure of the AG/Jump In plan. I don't think I should switch him to CtGE but I'm open to it. I just don't feel like that would be enough in the writing department… CLE LA looks great for the middlers and it's at the top of my list for this fall. I envision using CLE 3-5 and then shifting to AG for middle school. However, CtGE also looks thorough (and like it is *enough*) and I am fond to the writing lessons. It's also dirt cheap and in one tidy workbook. Is CtGE missing something? Does CtGE do diagramming? Could I or should I *add* some writing for my 10 year old? I want to use Meaningful Composition 4+ with him and have tentatively planned to run that alongside CLE LA4. However, CtGE looks heavier in the writing department and I want STREAMLINED but THOROUGH and ENOUGH. If we ax CLE then I'd have to add Rod & Staff spelling back in for him. I like that so it's fine. Anything else you'd like to tell me about CtGE? The font and format aren't lovely (like CLE) but my kids aren't as picky as I am. :thumbup1:

We use CLE Reading beginning in 4th grade though we do use all of the readers. My children love them and I have to be a brute and require my oldest NOT to read ahead. My oldest has worked through 4th and 5th; 6th is in the pile for his upcoming school year. As of now I plan to use it 4th - 8th grade for each of my kids. I LOVE CLE Reading because I believe it does what literature/comp guides don't! It asks my son to use his noodle and teaches him useful skills :). CLE Reading covers a wide variety of skills in a streamlined, efficient program. If you look over the Scope & Sequence that may help. My son has clearly benefitted from his work within CLE Reading (and I don't believe there are any of those boring, useless comprehension questions!). :thumbup1: He has learned about literary elements, poetry, critical thinking, study skills, etc. As CLE Reading 4 and above have only 5 Light Units one could use it two days a week the entire school year or 4 days a week for half a school year. Each story in the reader spans two lessons. There are a couple of quizzes, 1 review called a Self Check, and a final test for each Light Unit. I do have him work through the Self Check and sometimes I give the test but it's flexible. If you administer quizzes and tests you'll need a bit more time than my two days/four days plan. I've never used the Pathway program.

Wowsers! This is such a help to me. Thanks. :)

Subbing …. love book list threads and 8th grade is around the corner!

Lavender Girl, I agree with your assessment and this is the writing path I am hoping to follow for my oldest who will be 6th this fall. In my journey to finding something straightforward and doable for ME that won't drive my child to hate writing I narrowed it down to Jump In or Meaningful Composition. I do intend to fit Cover Story in as he's a budding creative writer and I think the 20-24 weeks with Cover Story will be inspiring for him. My greatest desire has been to having something streamlined without bells, whistles or DVDs that I can UNDERSTAND. I LOVE the simplicity of presentation and the low cost.

Subbing ….

Great post (as usual). OhE, why do you say that BtBR is AWESOME?

Thanks Erin. I'm finding my way around MEP now …. persistence is paying off. :coolgleamA:

Erin, Thanks for recommending the Yahoo Group. My son would enjoy the interactive lessons. What does it mean that MEP is integrated?

Erin, This is a solid course. MEP befuddles me. There are so many links and I don't know what to look at or use. I love the layout but have never been able to make sense of the website. Why can't they put a numbered list that tells me what to read and then what to print? Ack! I'd love to try some of it out. Is your son independent with his math?

It sounds like MM hasn't been a good fit for you for a long time. Is it that math in general isn't your cuppa or is it truly MM? I haven't had issues with the Geometry portions of MM at all. We usually hit burnout about the time we GET to that chapter so that is my beef. I did order a small geometry text to try with my son who does need help and practice with the drawing. It's self paced and uses a straightedge and a compass. I will likely use the MM geometry chapter as a "spine", reviewing the main concepts and terminology. Beast Academy's geometry portions appeal to me but it's costly to buy those books for that purpose. I'm quite tempted to though.

This holds promise. I'd *like* to mix it up and I have a few resources floating around that I'm previewing including Hands on Geometry and a few Zacarro books. Half time MM6 gives us wiggle room. I still intend to look over the Pre-A text TOC and compare it to MM6.