Abeka vs Horizons Math

[AudreyTN]

Could you please compare/contrast the two? From the samples they look very similar.

 

Thank you!

[Tiramisu]

I have only used these in the younger grades and with different dc, but I can give you my impressions of the differences.

 

As you said Horizons and Abeka math are similiar. They both are in a colorful workbook format, they are advanced (ABeka heats up in Arithmetic 3), and each offers daily review. How they approach the review in the daily lessons is different though. Abeka lessons tend to include as many concepts as possible in the review sections of the lessons. In Horizons fewer concepts are reviewed in each lesson so there will be fewer types of problems but more of each type. There is a particular system to Horizons review. Concepts will appear for awhile, then they'll disappear, then the'll come back again. The review in Abeka might be considered more consistent on a daily basis. This may be overkill for some dc, but necessary for others.

 

In Abeka concepts are introduced in bigger chunks. In third grade ABeka, one dd had a hard time learning about what a variable was and solving a problem with a variable with operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication and/or division) on both sides of the equal sign all in one day. In Horizons, my second grader was introduced to variables by only having to so one operation, and the only operation was subtraction.

 

ABeka: 3 X 4 = n - 3

Horizons: n + 2 = 5

 

I think that even though Horizons isn't a particularly conceptually oriented curriculum, there is an attempt at facilitating conceptual understanding by the way concepts are introduced in a more incremental way than ABeka.

 

Another difference: there are no explanations in the Horizons workbooks at the levels I've used (K-2) while there was some in the ABeka. I admit I didn't use the ABeka teacher's lesson manual but I believe they include good instructions about how to teach concepts. Horizons teacher manuals tell you want to teach, as in "teach this, teach that," but do not tell you how to teach it. This is a minus for a non-mathy mom who needs more help.

 

Personally, I like CLE. It's a thorough, strong math curriculum. It also includes daily review. Excellent instructions, as well as directions for efficient flashcard use and speed drills, are right in the workbook. I switched one dd to CLE when she couldn't handle the pace of ABeka and will not hesitate to switch my next one over when and if she runs into problems with Horizons. Although each dc is different and may do better with one curriculum over another, I think overall CLE offers more than Horizons or ABeka.

 

Hope that helps.

 

Perhaps someone will chime in who knows these curricula at higher levels.

[MissKNG]

Check out this thread I started a bit ago:

 

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=152708&highlight=beka+Horizons+Math

 

I'm trying to decide the same thing!!

[AudreyTN]

Thanks for the link. I AM thinking of supplementing Singapore. :)

 

NJKelli, thank you!! That was a very thorough explanation... gives me a lot to chew on. :lol:

[MissKNG]

Thanks for the link. I AM thinking of supplementing Singapore. :)

.

 

Oh cool! For what grade? I have the A Beka Arithmetic 1 here and I like it. I'm sort of leaning towards A beka right now.

[wy_kid_wrangler04]

We are doing abeka in 2nd grade and will be switching to horizons and singapore next year. Abeka is way to easy for my daughter, she is very mathematical. Horizons progresses quicker in certain areas. She can not wait she is very bored with abeka.

[TracyR]

I have Abeka 3 here right now and my 10 yr old likes to go through it. I am thinking of using the math 6 or 7 with my oldest this year. She is driving me nuts with math programs.

I used CLE last year with her and she was learning from it but she just dug her heals in terribly and told me she hated it. This year she is doing k12's prealgebra and I hate it. LOL. Plus I don't think she was ready for pre algebra but we're using it through a cyberschool so I had no choice.

 

I tried BJU's 6th grade math and it was to easy for her last year plus I think she lost that cute fuzzy feeling she remembered when we used it when she was younger.

 

She is good with math and I hear that Abeka's math works at a faster pace and she may do well with it. I don't know. But from the Abeka 3 I have here it seems like a good math program to me.

[Tiramisu]

QUOTE=wy_kid_wrangler04;1492734]We are doing abeka in 2nd grade and will be switching to horizons and singapore next year. Abeka is way to easy for my daughter, she is very mathematical. Horizons progresses quicker in certain areas. She can not wait she is very bored with Abeka.

 

ABeka starts to progress very quickly in the 3rd and 4th grade books. 2nd grade was easy for dd, but somewhere in the third grade book there was a big change. And I've heard that a lot of kids who make it through 3rd hit a wall in 4th. What I've read here about ABeka is that it starts to move very quickly at a certain point but then slows down and by sixth grade you wind up being in the same place as you would be with other publishers. A friend's dc moved right from ABeka 5 into Singapore 6A with no problems, and one of the dc wasn't particularly mathematically inclined.

 

If you have a mathematical kid, Singapore is a great option. I wish it had worked better with my dc.