We have been using CLE for math since 3rd grade, and have really liked it! But, I am ready for a change in 7th grade. We will most likely integrate back into brick and mortar high school, so I want to make sure we are ready for that transition. I am considering SM Dimenstions Mathematics for 7th grade. Looking online, it does not seem to need prior SM experience, but just wanted to make sure we would not experience a HUGE learning curve. (I know there will be some learning curve challenges) My other fear is teaching it! One of things I have loved about CLE is the hand-holding of the teacher's guide in teaching the lessons! I am NOT a math person (my strength is writing/language arts), so I need help with the teaching process! TIA!

I have been trying to figure this out in my head for 10 minutes...where does the 381 come from and how does that become 395 if bumped-up by 9? THIS is why we switched to CLE (which also has a whole section on mental math strategies within 10 and 100 at the Level 200 series) In the time it has taken me to try and figure this out...I could have worked 5 problems on paper!! I guess, it just different strokes for different folks!! We tried SM for a whole year, now we are backtracking to CLE...and it is working SO MUCH better!! He is still adding and subtracting without borrowing and carrying...but he is using CLE methods not SM, but they just frustrated us so much!! He could figure things out, just not the way SM wanted him to, our lives are SO MUCH better off with CLE!! At the end of second grade, he is still where he would have been with SM (comparing scope and sequence) but just happier!! I admire all you SM mathies out there...but we are not one of them!!

Thank you everyone!! You all have confirmed my suspicions!! We tried R&S and just didn't LOVE it. This year we have been doing Shurley (School edition...not the Homeschool version) and I have to say we LOVE it!! LOVE! But, it seems to repeat a lot, even if I skip a level, so I was looking for something that would continue. Although, I have to say, we have really solidified those parts of speech this year! DS can look at almost ANY sentence and identify the parts of speech! Those "question and answer flow" are amazing!! And the jingles are awesome, too!! We also do GWG...but only for the diagramming. I think I will continue with GWG next year, and explore MCT Town (we did Island last year and enjoyed it, but after a year with Shurley, I think we will get so much more out of MCT). We will also most likely do a 1/2 year with Shurley...doing just the new material, and a review of the previous material! Thanks again!!

I am in *love* with CLE-Math...after jumping around for 2 years, I have something I feel is both challenging and appropriate for my son!! I could not be happier with the choice!! So, I am wondering...would I also love it for Language Arts??? Any advice greatly appreciated!! TIA! Alicia

Just chiming in on the incentive idea...since you said it really is just speed on the facts portion where is "struggling"...here is what I did with my son (who also got it "conceptually" just not in a quick, speedy way)... I decided to do an "ice cream sundae" incentive...we started with the bowl...which were facts of 0 (in our case it was multiplication, but would work with any facts) and once he mastered those...a certain number of problems in 1 minute...he got the bowl) then we added the spoon...1's, then scoops of ice cream for 3's, 4's, and 5's, then toppings (his choice) for 6's, 7's and 8's, then whipped cream for 9's and a cherry for 10's! We had a big poster up that we added to at each level...it really motivated him to get those mastered quickly!!! (He already knew them, just not quickly and confidently) We rarely do ice cream...only special occasions, so it really motivated him!! For the record, I purchased just the speed drills from R&S to keep up on track with how many and which ones...it was only 2.00 and I really think the organization of that kept BOTH of us on track!! HTH!! Alicia

Thank you SO much everyone!!! I will definitely finish out the year, and then I am thinking I will get the first 2 light units from CLE and see if likes them over the summer, if not...I'm thinking maybe MM (I purchased it the Coop last year!) If he likes it...well, the decision will just be that much easier!!! Thanks again, everyone!!!! Alicia

Oh yes, that WOULD be better!! :tongue_smilie:

Yes, please!!! I just keep thinking of the HUGE weight that would be lifted on my shoulders if I just jumped!!!:)

Ok, this may get wordy, so my apologies up front!:tongue_smilie: This is my second year homeschooling...I know I am learning more and more what work for my kids...and for me!! Last year I had a 3rd grader and a 1st grader. This year, I have added a Ker to the mix...so 4th,2nd, and K. Last year we did McRuffy Math 3rd and 1st. I loved it, and I hated it!! I loved the look of it, it made sense, and was easy to teach...but I just felt it jumped around too much!!! (I am NOT mathy...at.all.) This is year, I switched to CLE 4 for my DS (9), and did SM 1b/2a for DS 2nd grade, and SM Essentials for Ker. I chose SM for my DS(8) because he tends to just "see" math. He just gets it!! (It is quite fun to watch, actually). And I thought SM would give much conceptual practice. However,as the year has gone on, I am just frustrated with all the components. I feel like I am looking at the HIG and then at the text and trying to incorporate the manipulatives and blah blah blah!!! I feel motion sick when we are done! All the while, he has already solved the problem by the time I get all my "stuff" together to show him how to do it!!!! I think I have been really concerned with getting him to understand the whole WHY (changing to numbers to nearest 10 before adding, etc) but in the mean time he can just DO IT already!! In the meantime, CLE has been AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love the little chunks of new material mixed with the review! My DS has made HUGE leaps in his math this year!! I could not be happier!! So, now as I plan next year....I am in a quandry with what to go with!! I know I am going with CLE 5 for DS next year, and I am just thinking it would be so much easier to just put EVERYONE in ClE next year!!! I don't want to do my DS (8) a disservice, but in the end, I have to keep my sanity, too!! KWIM??? I just don't know what to do!! But, I honestly don't know if I can face another year wtih SM!!! If I just had the one child, I would most likely stick it out! But, with 3 to teach, I have to consider it all! I am thinking of just switching him to CLE and then using the CWP and maybe the Extra Practice workbooks during the summer. So do I jump off the ledge and leave SM or go back inside and stick it out?? Whew! Thanks for listening and TIA for your help!! Alicia

Thanks!!

After many trial and errors with science, I think we have found our groove with RSO finally!! I love the simplicity of it...and yet, I feel like the kids are really learning something!! But it is not overwhelming!! So, now as I plan next year, I am wondering will I also like History Odyssey?? We did Easy Classical this year, which I really loved...however, it just more time that I could realistically do!! We have since just switched to Knowledge Box Central Lapbooks for Ancient Greece and Rome, and primarily using those, and then finding the corresponding information in SOTW or VP Cards...or just researching on the internet that particular topic and then using that information on the lapbook as our "narration". It has actually been really fun...again and I think the kids are learning!! My biggest problem is, I want to tell them EVERYTHING and then I get overwhelmed...and so we end up doing nothing!! KWIM?? Thanks!! Alicia

I have been struggling with spiral vs mastery for 2 years now with 3 kids!! Here is what I have concluded: My oldest daughter who was in public school her whole life and is now a freshman in college, once told me she would have thrown herself off a bridge if she had to learn math through mastery!! (She scored a 34 on her math ACT, btw) But she said if she didn't get a topic, she did better moving on and THEN circling around to it later! She said it also helped her cement those concepts she DID understand to review those concepts more than just once or twice a year! I think it really does come down to learning style. But, my DS (7) is just a "mathy" kid so I have him doing Singapore, because I want him to "see" the math...whereas my other DS (9)...we TRIED MM and SM, but finally this year we went to CLE and it has been AMAZING!!! He NEEDED the constant review and the very GENTLE introduction to new concepts, but if he didn't get it the first time, the more he revisited it, the better it got! Now I have a DD (6) who I am struggling with where to go with her. She did SM Essentials this year, but am leaning toward CLE with her as well. In the end, my DD (18) scored a near perfect score on her math ACT, and didn't take any "conceptual" math classes and it got her that "full ride" scholarship we needed!! But, she is an English major, so she has tested out of all college level courses based on her ACT score so she doesn't need any further math! Maybe your DD is like mine was, and she is frustrated by not mastering that ONE thing that is preventing her from moving on...which is the down side of mastery math in my opinion. They just seem to get more and more frustrated, but you have to master it while you are there, because you won't be coming back to it anytime soon!! KWIM?? Maybe the spiral is more what her learning style requires...and for that I HIGHLY recommend CLE!! It is not "easy" by any means....I call it rigorous but gentle!! HTH!! Alicia

I went around and around this summer trying to decide what LA program to use with my DS--4th grade. I loved the look of Shurley, because it made sense to me! (I am an English geek) But, I kept hearing negative things about it, so I waivered! I ended up buying both the Homeschool version (4) and I also purchased the actual classroom version of Shurley, because I really liked the way it looked. But, to cover my bases...I also purchase Rod and Staff 4, because well, that's what everyone seemed to do!! LOL! Anyway, when they all arrived, I sat down and looked at them, and DS right away said "no" to the R&S! I had also purchased McRuffy 4th grade LA, which I really liked the looks of because it incorporated spelling, reading, vocabulary and grammar. It was all laid out nice and neat! But, I still liked the idea of Shurley. I decided to go with McRuffy 3 days a week, and Shurley 2 days a week. We were using IEW SWI-A as our writing program. We started with the Shurley Homeschool version...way.too.dry! Yuck!! I liked the McRuffy because it tied everything together each week. And I liked the reading portion of the program. But about 3 weeks into the year, I pulled out the classroom version of Shurley and decided to see what we could do. It is very "schooly"...textbook for student, etc. But, we started at the beginning, thinking we would just use it for grammar, and skip the writing! Well, now 10 weeks into our year...and we are Shurley full time, including the writing, which I found I LOVE!!! I love how they teach the grammar. It just makes sense to ask the questions to find the parts of speech. My son's grasp of grammar has been wonderful..and he is applying it to his writing!! As for the writing, I am loving the structure it brings as well! I purchased the teachers manual off Amazon, and am thankful I found it! I know some say 4th graders don't really need formal writing...but I can see putting him in public school in the near future (due to a move to a great district) and he needed to be able to write those paragraphs! I am still using IEW, and we are just incorporating Andrew's techniques into the paragraphs we are writing in Shurley!! We continue to use McRuffy...because I don't think we can have too much grammar/English!! So, anyone on the fence about Shurley...we give it TWO THUMBS UP!!! Alicia

I actually have the ORIGINAL book from when I was a kid!! (I'm 43) It was one of my all time favorite books!! And that is saying alot...I LOVE books!!! I started reading this to my 1st DD when she was little (she is 18) and it is still one of her favorite books, too!! It is such a family tradition..and we make the cranberry bread for Thanksgiving morning each year!! Maybe the book isn't that great, and it just represents such happy memories for me??

Thanks!!