Math waffling- LIFEPAC or BJU?

[Mrs. Lilac]

Ugh, I'm waffling at the last second!

 

I used BJU math last year for kindergarten, and my daughter LOVED it. The only reason I didn't get it for this year is that 1) it's expensive and 2) I felt like I had a hard time using the huge teacher's manual.

 

I bought LIFEPACs since my friend can loan me the teacher's guides and has had good luck with them. Now I'm looking at the LIFEPACs and waffling about my decision! (I haven't seen the teacher's manuals yet- my friend is bringing them to me this weekend.)

 

Anyone have experience with either of these? Thanks!

[Brindee]

We used Lifepac math for my younger two for awhile. My middle guy had been barreling along with math, then ran into a wall. Then any book we looked out for math would reduce him to tears cuz he fet overwhelmed by the big books (couldn't do Horizons)! Lifepacs were life-savers for him. Because they were small and incremental, easy for him to work through and finish, and feel the accomplishment of finishing, he was able to recover, and do well. So for someone who looks at only the big picture and may be overwhelmed with bigger books, I think it's a good choice. We had no problems, and they did very well on the math portions of the standardized tests. We moved on after a couple oof years because ds could handle it then, and they Lifepacs got a little boring for my kids. I was certainly thankful to have them when I needed them though!

 

I haven't used BJU, but I hear it's very good and that they TE's are very helpful!

[Wee Pip]

I love the idea of the small individual workbooks that Lifepac uses, but didn't like Lifepacs themselves for math. Two reasons I didn't like the Lifepacs:

 

1. you're supposed to do about 2-3 workbook pages per day. Fine. But when it comes to the chapter on addition (or subtraction, or anything equally intimidating) they have page after page after page with 50 problems on each page. This would be fine if my dd was a fast worker, knew her facts, and could speed through these. But if you have a slow worker that does not know their facts, then it is impossible to get 2-3 pages done per day with 50 problems on each (I am talking about the 1st gr math Lifepacs).

 

2. BJU has whole chapters - lots of pages - with visual and hands-on manipulation of a concept before gradually moving into the abstract (example: when they teach multiplication, there are tons of pages which practices grouping things visually to understand the concept of multiplication). However, Lifepacs might have 1-2 pages with the basic concept and then immediately springs the student into the abstract (example: they might have 1-2 pages that shows adding a few sets of things, but then the next page has 50 abstract problems that the child has to do).

 

Overall, I liked BJU's concrete - to - abstract progression, so that my children really understand addition, subtraction, hundreds/tens/ones (place value), etc. Lifepacs felt more like a crash course in math, which just wasn't enough for us, and I've heard from others that could have benefited from more concrete practice before jumping into pages of abstract problems. Lifepac's method reminds me more of how I learned math in school (drill & kill, just memorize the facts without understanding why).

 

Re: BJU's teacher's manual. I don't use the TM all that often. I only use it when we have a new concept and I want to really drive home the concrete concept first. Example: I did not use the TM for practicing math facts with my 1st grader, because we'd already done this in K. But I did use it for teaching renaming (regrouping, carrying, whatever you want to call it) because it was a newer, tougher concept. Also, I use the TM less with my 2nd dd than my 1st because I understand BJU's overall teaching philosophy, so I can apply that on the fly pretty well. I still like to have the TM in case I get stumped or need to print extras off of the CD that comes with the TM.

 

Just one POV from someone that preferred BJU over Lifepacs. Will Lifepacs get the job done? Sure. Just depends on what you are looking for:)

[Melissa in CA]

Any and every Lifepac we have tried has been extremely boring and dry. I decided years ago that I would never try another one. Now, I have not tried their math, and, of course, math does not have to be fun, exciting, and colorful, but gosh, I can't help but say, "GO WITH BJU!" :w00t: :lol:

 

Fun, colorful, and very well done. Your dd is so very young. I would do everything within my pocketbook to keep her excited about math.

 

My very opinionated opinion...;)