Hello! I have decided to use Harcourt Science for DD10 and DD7. They will be in 5th and 2nd grades next year when we begin homeschooling. I will be following the same plan for science as Kolbe. DD7 will use Harcourt Science 2 for next year, then Harcourt Science 4 for 3rd and 4th grades. DD10 will use Harcourt Science 6 for 5th and 6th grades. The books explore Life science in Units A & B, Earth science in Units C & D, and Physical science in Units E & F. The first year of use for each text covers Units A, C, and E. The second year covers Units B, D, and F. (in case you were wondering about the 2-year spread!!!) I have found all of the materials I need for DD10 on Amazon for amazing prices ($30 for $87 text with answer key!). I have also found SOME of the items for DD7, but the textbook is only available in a Louisiana or Indiana state edition unless I want to buy the general one for $70 at Kolbe's site. Does anyone have experience with these state-specific editions? Could I buy one of them and use it with the regular (non-state) workbooks and teacher editions? The prices for these are less than $10 so I would be thrilled if they worked!

I haven't hit buy on MM because I still am curious about SM, and I've thought about getting either the HIGs or texts of SM to go with MM exactly like you suggest! I just don't want to spend a fortune on a whim. Do the SM texts cover every single thing you need to teach the method, especially for someone who didn't learn math this way? I'm fairly intelligent, but I wouldn't want to make assumptions about the instructions if the text directions don't make it very clear to the reader.

Jackie, those are great solutions!!! Thanks. :)

Well I would definitely prefer pages that are cleaner and less busy for dd, but I'm not sure the added cost would be worth it just to have less on the page! I think I would also go back one year and do 4th grade over just to make sure we're on solid ground, putting concentration strictly on the areas that need them. Also, the deal I mentioned is for years 1-6 of MM, so I would have everthing on hand anyway.

I think I'll probably try MM and use the CWP from SM. MM is substantially cheaper (especially this month at hs buyers coop), and it has less books to manage. I love what I've heard about SM, but I haven't found any compelling reason in my research this far to suggest that it is a BETTER program than MM, or that it would make my daughter any more prepared for higher order math than MM would. It seems people are choosing one program over the other based on a combination of personal preferences and available funds. Correct?

Thank you, Rose! That is EXACTLY what I meant!!! Apologies to everyone else! I don't know that I phrased my question in the best way. :tongue_smilie:

Thank you both for responding, but I guess what I'm asking is more about the things that make the conceptual math programs unique. She can learn arithmetic from any good math program, and I will definitely use the placement tests to see where she needs to be. However, I'm looking for more of the "why" that is taught in these programs. If she jumps in at a later level, I know she can do the math, but will she still have the understanding of number bonding, mental math, etc that is taught earlier in these programs. Otherwise, they don't enhance her math ability any further than non-conceptual programs.

Hello, As I understand it, the big draw for SM and MM is the teaching of math conceptually. I would imagine those lessons begin with the very first level. (For example, someone mentioned that the concept of making a 10 is taught in level 1a of SM.) If these two math programs are teaching the "why" of math all along, will jumping into either one at say a 4th or 5th grade level have the student missing the major benefit of the program even if they can place into a level close to their grade? Won't that late-joining student NOT be thinking of the relationship of the numbers in the same way as students who started the program sooner, like the writers intended? They could still get the anwers but the thought process behind their solution might not be what the program intended. If the above is true (I have no idea if it is), and a parent wanted to implement the program anyway, what would be the best way to get the student "caught up" with understanding the concepts taught? Should they work through the earlier textbooks at a faster pace and skip the workbooks since they should already know how to answer basic arithmetic questions? Or would it be better to use the HIGs to explain the concepts in detail and then maybe work through something like the IP books? I don't know if either of those is reasonable or completely off base! It would seem very expensive to buy ALL the HIGs for all the levels prior to the one they place in just to get up to speed on the concepts originally intended to be a benefit of either program. I like the idea of this conceptual math teaching, but my dd (4th grader) has been in ps since K5. (We plan to hs beginning next year in 5th grade.) She would be jumping into a program toward the latter half in SM or MM. She is very strong in math. Guidance would be much appreciated! Susan

Thanks, everyone! I have been looking over the choices mentioned here. I considered Singapore since it was so highly thought of by so many, but according to some of the things on the placement tests, I think dd (currently in 4th grade) might need to go back to 3A for me to be completely sure she's covered everything they deem important. Obviously, she would whiz through some of it, but that seems such a large step back mostly due to learning their method and when they teach it, and I don't want her to be discouraged right off the bat. I like that Math Mammoth is similar and fairly inexpensive and includes lots of extra practice sheets if we need them. There is not a ton of white space, but at least the font is simple, and the pages aren't covered in pictures and miscellaneous stuff! That may be a great choice for us. I like the idea of conceptual learning in math. Still looking into CLE also. I really liked the look of it. I'm not sure if we're a mastery or spiral kind of group. I just know that once dd "gets" something, any further practice only frustrates her. She starts to zone out. That is one of the problems she has with ps. Some things she just picks up easily and forcing lots of drills leads to battles between she and I. So, more mastery, I guess? I've pulled a couple of placement tests for her just as a starter and looked at others myself. There really is a lot of variation of where she would place! I'll be taking that into consideration also, since I want to get in the full elementary arithmetic training in time to not delay middle school maths like prealgebra and algebra I. Take care, everyone!!!

Thank you, everyone! I like the look of CLE and Math Mammoth. I was curious though. It seems there are a huge number of people who use the Singapore primary series, but switch to something else instead of trying their older series. Is it not as effective? AK_Mom4, thanks for the placement test tip! I actually was thinking along those same lines. DD tests super high on ps tests, but she can still struggle to remember some basic rules. My take on the testing has always been that she has the APTITUDE to go deep into math, but that her problems focusing in the classroom mean that she can sometimes tune out on basic arithmetic training. My goal would be to find out where a chosen curriculum places her (even if it's lower than I thought her capable), then make sure she has a rock-solid foundation on which to place all her higher math training. I'm a realist, so I know there's no guarantee she'll race to the top in math, but I would like to give her a solid enough base to do so if we get into the one-on-one training and discover she is whipping through it! Thank you all again!!! I'll keep on researching. :)

Good morning! I am new as a poster here but have been stalking the forum for months. I have two DDs (4th grader almost 10 yrs old and 1st grader just turned 7). Both have always been in ps. DD7 thrives there. DD9 has some struggles. She tests in the gifted range for math on PASS and MAP tests and close to that higher range for reading but is not part of the G/T program at her school. She has been diagnosed with ADHD-Inattentive Type and loves books but rarely finishes one on her own. She is easily frustrated, loves learning new math/science concepts, and hates busywork. Due to the fact that I am having to "helicopter mom" her at school and still having to basically re-teach her each subject at home, we are seriously considering homeschooling 5th grade and middle school. My husband and I are fully on board, and she is almost certain that she would like to try it next year. I want her fully committed before we take the plunge! As part of my prep for 5th grade, I am researching curriculum choices. I am leaning toward a classical education with a strong math/science section and am beginning my course selection with math. I am finding the choices overwhelming but have been steadily reviewing each choice, looking at excerpts, and reading reviews on this forum. Despite my best efforts, I am struggling with all of the choices. First, it seems like 5th grade math is near the "end" of the lower math levels, so something like Singapore wouldn't be good since we never trained in their method. Second, based on her ps test scores, dd would possibly place into Math 6/7/8 when she entered public middle school. If that happened, she would possibly take Algebra I in 7th grade and Geometry in 8th grade. I say possibly, because that determination would not be made until winter of her 5th grade year. I want whatever math choice we make to fully prepare her to handle whatever math she wants to pursue. Three, I would prefer a program that has a "clean appearance" like the Sylvan Math Success books. We both like how they are not fussy and how each step of a problem being worked out is in a different color font from the rest of the problem. It really works well with her focus issues. Four, as her teacher, I would want a solutions manual that shows step-by-step solutions for EVERY problem. My husband is an engineer and math whiz, but I am only math competent, having topped out at Trig. :p Any suggestions or direction would be much appreciated as I continue my research. I have already been looking into Saxon, AoPS, LoF, and several others. Thanks!!! Susan