s/o If math is your child's least favorite subject...

[Just Robyn]

what curriculum are they using?

 

As for my family, neither of my oldest sons like math and we have been Saxon users since we started. I just bought the MM deal through Homeschool Buyers Co-op and I'm hoping for a change. Fingers are crossed.

[Pam B]

I just started My Pet Store Math (CM) this morning w/ my kids. They seem to like it. I also recently started Secrets of Mental Math by Robert Nye. It's great!

 

I also bought but haven't tried yet, Life of Fred. I haven't tried it yet, because I just haven't gotten to it. Hopefully by the end of the week.

[hmschooling]

MM was it for us!

[Guest]

We never followed one particular curriculum and our math was largely activity based for a number of years because of dysgraphia problems. But my daughter would always complain that she hated math while happily doing the current project, or ASKING to play a math game in the morning or at bedtime.

 

I don't get it.

[Crimson Wife]

My DD claims that she "hates" math but will play math games or work in the Challenge Math or Problemoids books for "fun". She also likes the "take the challenge" questions in Singapore Intensive Practice.

 

It isn't that she dislikes the subject so much therefore but rather that she dislikes drill-type worksheets. Well, any math program is going to have a certain amount of that, sorry!

[Brindee]

what curriculum are they using?

 

As for my family, neither of my oldest sons like math and we have been Saxon users since we started. I just bought the MM deal through Homeschool Buyers Co-op and I'm hoping for a change. Fingers are crossed.

My dd was a little older, but when we went to Teaching Textbook math it helped her. My ds, now 16, liked Life of Fred.

 

Math CAN be fun, especially at those ages, so if they're not liking math, I'm glad you're looking at switching curriculums! It doesn't mean the curriculum is bad, it just means it doesn't fit your child!

 

My ds16 said he hated grammar, but when we tried Rod & Staff it just clicked, and he took off with it. He said, "Wow, mom, this went from a subject I hated to my favorite subject!" He was thrilled!

 

So, sometimes the way a different curriculum presents something will be just what that child needs to get past their fear/phobia, and move forward! :001_smile:

 

Best wishes!

[Tree House Academy]

My non-mathy kid is going through R&S Math. It is NOT his favorite subject...nor is it easy for him, but it is doing its job as far as I can tell.

[Mommy22alyns]

Becca disliked math until we went to Right Start. She despised Saxon and called Singapore "that boring math we used to do."

[SilverMoon]

My ds that growls over math uses Rod and Staff. I'm certain it's not the curriculum though. We've tried quite a few over the years, and this one is working the best so far. He may not like it, but he's understanding it and moving forward at a pretty good pace (for him). That's not something I could say for the others he's tried. My husband and I are so impressed we plan on sticking with R&S until he finishes their last book (their math only goes up to 8th grade).

 

He also does LoF on the side. It's good for light days when he's feeling in over his head, but doesn't provide nearly enough practice problems to be a main program for him.

[Jen+4dc]

Dropping Saxon saved our homeschool! Literally, it was tears and frustration and conflict for all concerned! (7/6 and 6/5 and Saxon 1 for 6th, 4th and 1st grades). When we moved and had to give the Saxon back to the charter school we had been using the kids had a party and I promised to find something new. We used Teaching Textbooks for the olders last year and MUS for the younger. Wow, peaceful homeschooling, who knew that could happen??:tongue_smilie:

 

Of course, it turns out that TT was easy for the olders but they didn't learn a whole lot from it. So, this year, after a very brief stint of Lial's BCM (which they detested even *more* than Saxon, I didn't think that was possible!), they are now loving CLE math!! I love it too. It's self-teaching (at their ages) and easy to grade and in short enough bites that they don't get bogged down. Love it!:D:D

 

The youngest is thriving with the mastery method in MUS so he'll stay with that until a change is needed.....Why mess with a good thing?

[Debbie in OR]

Ditto for Saxon..we started it in 1st grade and I can't be certain, but I think that was what set the precedent for hating math. It took two years but we found Rightstart and used B,C,D, and part of E. Ds tolerated it but I think that was because we were trying to unlearn how much he hated math. He learned so.much though.

 

We've moved on to Math-U-See and he loves math now. Truly.

[prairiegirl]

My dd simply cannot abide math but it wouldn't matter what program we used, the result would be the same. We are now using MUS and, considering everything, it is working out okay.

[cathmom]

what curriculum are they using?

 

As for my family, neither of my oldest sons like math and we have been Saxon users since we started. I just bought the MM deal through Homeschool Buyers Co-op and I'm hoping for a change. Fingers are crossed.

 

That could be the problem right there! Saxon caused a math phobia in one of my children, and the others just hated it.

[In2why]

That could be the problem right there! Saxon caused a math phobia in one of my children, and the others just hated it.

 

 

I would love to hear more about what it is about Saxon that caused a math phobia. We are using Saxon 1 so this is all pretty new to us, but so far I like what I see. I don't want to do anything that will harm my child as we go along. Is it the constant reviews and spiral approach you do not like?

Thanks

[KJsMom]

My dd "doesn't get" math. She does fine when she applies herself, but would much rather whine than actually do the work. We switched to MM about a month ago and things are getting better.

[JaniceO]

The DS that I'm still homeschooling says he hates math (actually all of my boys hate math, lol). We are using CLE, but it wouldn't matter what we used, he'd still hate it. CLE is working so we'll keep using it. He has learned SO much this year with that program. I can't wait to use it with my other boys next year.

[Matryoshka]

I have two dds who claim math is their favorite subject, and then there's the one who hates it. Using Singapore with all 3.

 

For the one who hates it, I still think Singapore's been very good for her. She may have liked math more if she could've just plugged into an algorithm - her quote: "I don't like to think" :glare: - but I don't think it would've helped her mathematical understanding. Something like Saxon would've given her fits, though - all those problems, every day??

 

Very shortly we'll be done with 6b, and I'm switching that child over to Lial's BCM (her choice) for hopefully both a complete review and a different approach. And I think I may have her go to dh for help... we've been butting heads over math lately!

[Closeacademy]

We use Singapore and Rod and Staff but I also have Rightstart card games and file-folder games and use Waldorf stories, notebooking and lots of fun manipulatives.

 

Math is just hard and sometimes children don't want to work at something and use their brain.:001_smile:

[Jen+4dc]

I would love to hear more about what it is about Saxon that caused a math phobia. We are using Saxon 1 so this is all pretty new to us, but so far I like what I see. I don't want to do anything that will harm my child as we go along. Is it the constant reviews and spiral approach you do not like?

Thanks

 

Saxon is a very thorough, solid program that works for a lot of people. Constant review and the spiral approach are what a lot of kids need. But, other programs have this, too.

 

However, if you see signs that your dc is hating math, you may consider switching. Saxon is just drudgery (in my oh so humble opinion;)) with all that black and white and the millions upon millions of problems.......

 

If it's working for you, don't worry what other people think of it, it's a solid program! But, don't be afraid to change if it begins to bore or overwhelm your dc. Every kid is different.

 

HTH

[Penny]

I would love to hear more about what it is about Saxon that caused a math phobia. We are using Saxon 1 so this is all pretty new to us, but so far I like what I see. I don't want to do anything that will harm my child as we go along. Is it the constant reviews and spiral approach you do not like?

Thanks

 

For us it was the fact that the child never felt like he understood anything. Those little bites that do not completely explain nor give time for mastery are un-nerving for some. In Saxon, the child is learning multiple things at once, and never conquering any. I know several moms who have used Saxon (with naturally gifted children) with success, and will not give it up, even if their other (not so gifted) children are floundering.

[NanceXToo]

"Drudgery" is a good word for Saxon, and I haven't even actually used it (and won't be as I have already sold on ebay the set I bought brand new a little while back intending to use this coming fall. Luckily I got almost all of my money back on it).

 

I had started looking through it (Saxon 5/4) and it made my eyes bleed and my head hurt. It looked sooooo tedious and dry and boring. My daughter does not love math- and truth be told, neither do I. Never have. I could foresee Saxon making us both downright miserable, and that was just by looking at the very first lesson in the book. Which, by the way, was focused on addition review. And if it made THAT seem horrid, I shudder to think what the more complicated stuff would have been like.

 

We're doing the Oak Meadow curriculum, which up until now (4th grade) has its own built in math curriculum which we supplement a bit with math games (both board and online) and of course "real life math skills" like at the store or in the kitchen. But next year (5th grade) Oak Meadow was going to have us using Saxon for the math curric part of things.

 

I've decided to go with Teaching Textbooks instead. It looks easier, and by easier I mean explanation wise- the problems are laid out in such a way that I think she'll "get it" without a one dimensional and very dry textbook or a mom for whom math was never a strong point trying to explain it to her, and I love that it will show step by step both audio and visual demonstrations exactly how to do each problem. And it will never lose patience or throw up its hands and say "ugh I hate math, go ask your father" :) (Okay I haven't said that yet either, exactly, but if I went with Saxon next year, I probably would!!!)

 

I did show her the demos and samples on the TT website and she's actually excited about doing it. Excited! About a math program! That right there tells me I'm on the right track. I sure hope so!

[Rhonda in TX]

We're currently using CLE, but we've tried several (A Beka, MUS, Saxon, BJU). It doesn't matter which one it is, he hates it.

[cathmom]

I would love to hear more about what it is about Saxon that caused a math phobia. We are using Saxon 1 so this is all pretty new to us, but so far I like what I see. I don't want to do anything that will harm my child as we go along. Is it the constant reviews and spiral approach you do not like?

Thanks

 

For us it was the fact that the child never felt like he understood anything. Those little bites that do not completely explain nor give time for mastery are un-nerving for some. In Saxon, the child is learning multiple things at once, and never conquering any. I know several moms who have used Saxon (with naturally gifted children) with success, and will not give it up, even if their other (not so gifted) children are floundering.

 

Penny, it was the same for us. This child used Math 1 and seemed fine. Math 2 and I had to bribe her with chocolate chips as manipulatives. Halfway through Math 2 she had a meltdown. And that was exactly it - she never understood anything! She is very bright but she has an immediate "I don't get it" approach to anything. We need to stay on the same topic for a while to overcome that. With Saxon, it would introduce something and she wouldn't get it. Then the next day, it would drop that and bring up something else, and she wouldn't get that. And then the next day...ad infinitum. She felt stupid and she was more and more upset each day. Finally we stopped. We did no math for a while. Then we did a bit of Singapore. Then we finally switched to MUS and she is now beginning to get over the math phobia four years later!

[Tracy]

Using Horizons Math now. Taking the jump into CSMP when we finish Horizons. (She gets the work done, although she says she hates math. So as long as she is doing the work without too much trouble, I want her to finish the program we paid for. If I were fighting with her to do the math, we would switch sooner.)

 

Tracy

[SilverMoon]

For us it was the fact that the child never felt like he understood anything. Those little bites that do not completely explain nor give time for mastery are un-nerving for some. In Saxon, the child is learning multiple things at once, and never conquering any.

 

This was my oldest's reaction to Abeka math. All those little bits thrown at him drove him nuts.:tongue_smilie: (My second, a kid who does extra math for the fun of it, loves the Abeka books the oldest left behind.)

[Debbie in OR]

I think Saxon works great for those kids who like the spiral...little chunks of new material followed by review of already addressed material.

 

I have since learned that my ds is VERY mastery-bent (finally switched to a mastery latin program as well and he is excelling). He would just start to figure out something with Saxon and then they were on to something else. But the review annoyed him.

 

Righstart is also more of a spiral approach but because I was very involved in that, I could stop and hang out in whatever area he was struggling in. Plus, he's also visual and the manipulatives were great.

 

MUS is so much mastery that he can relax if he's not getting something because he knows we have a whole week of review on what he's learning. Plus, the DVDs suit his visual learning style.

[Brindee]

Saxon is a very thorough, solid program that works for a lot of people. Constant review and the spiral approach are what a lot of kids need. But, other programs have this, too.

 

However, if you see signs that your dc is hating math, you may consider switching. Saxon is just drudgery (in my oh so humble opinion;)) with all that black and white and the millions upon millions of problems.......

 

If it's working for you, don't worry what other people think of it, it's a solid program! But, don't be afraid to change if it begins to bore or overwhelm your dc. Every kid is different.

 

HTH

 

For us it was the fact that the child never felt like he understood anything. Those little bites that do not completely explain nor give time for mastery are un-nerving for some. In Saxon, the child is learning multiple things at once, and never conquering any. I know several moms who have used Saxon (with naturally gifted children) with success, and will not give it up, even if their other (not so gifted) children are floundering.

 

"Drudgery" is a good word for Saxon, and I haven't even actually used it (and won't be as I have already sold on ebay the set I bought brand new a little while back intending to use this coming fall. Luckily I got almost all of my money back on it).

 

I had started looking through it (Saxon 5/4) and it made my eyes bleed and my head hurt. It looked sooooo tedious and dry and boring. My daughter does not love math- and truth be told, neither do I. Never have. I could foresee Saxon making us both downright miserable, and that was just by looking at the very first lesson in the book. Which, by the way, was focused on addition review. And if it made THAT seem horrid, I shudder to think what the more complicated stuff would have been like.

 

We're doing the Oak Meadow curriculum, which up until now (4th grade) has its own built in math curriculum which we supplement a bit with math games (both board and online) and of course "real life math skills" like at the store or in the kitchen. But next year (5th grade) Oak Meadow was going to have us using Saxon for the math curric part of things.

 

I've decided to go with Teaching Textbooks instead. It looks easier, and by easier I mean explanation wise- the problems are laid out in such a way that I think she'll "get it" without a one dimensional and very dry textbook or a mom for whom math was never a strong point trying to explain it to her, and I love that it will show step by step both audio and visual demonstrations exactly how to do each problem. And it will never lose patience or throw up its hands and say "ugh I hate math, go ask your father" :) (Okay I haven't said that yet either, exactly, but if I went with Saxon next year, I probably would!!!)

 

I did show her the demos and samples on the TT website and she's actually excited about doing it. Excited! About a math program! That right there tells me I'm on the right track. I sure hope so!

 

Penny, it was the same for us. This child used Math 1 and seemed fine. Math 2 and I had to bribe her with chocolate chips as manipulatives. Halfway through Math 2 she had a meltdown. And that was exactly it - she never understood anything! She is very bright but she has an immediate "I don't get it" approach to anything. We need to stay on the same topic for a while to overcome that. With Saxon, it would introduce something and she wouldn't get it. Then the next day, it would drop that and bring up something else, and she wouldn't get that. And then the next day...ad infinitum. She felt stupid and she was more and more upset each day. Finally we stopped. We did no math for a while. Then we did a bit of Singapore. Then we finally switched to MUS and she is now beginning to get over the math phobia four years later!

I have to agree with these as to why Saxon didn't work for our family. It's a good program for some, it just was a TOTAL bomb for my kids.

 

cathmom--that's what happened to my dd with 7/6! That happened about 3 years ago. It's almost better now, but it sure threw her for a loop that we've struggled to get past! The jumping to something else and the repetition drove her crazy! I feel so bad, as dd was my one that LOVED math! :( We're just now getting to Algebra 1. We're going to do TT Algebra 1, but will continue to move forward as she finishes it up. I feel the explanations and seeing how to work out each problem will help her gain that last bit of confidence she needs to move forward finally!

Edited March 30, 2010 by Brindee

[In2why]

Penny, it was the same for us. This child used Math 1 and seemed fine. Math 2 and I had to bribe her with chocolate chips as manipulatives. Halfway through Math 2 she had a meltdown. And that was exactly it - she never understood anything! She is very bright but she has an immediate "I don't get it" approach to anything. We need to stay on the same topic for a while to overcome that. With Saxon, it would introduce something and she wouldn't get it. Then the next day, it would drop that and bring up something else, and she wouldn't get that. And then the next day...ad infinitum. She felt stupid and she was more and more upset each day. Finally we stopped. We did no math for a while. Then we did a bit of Singapore. Then we finally switched to MUS and she is now beginning to get over the math phobia four years later!

 

I appreciate all of you telling me about your experiences. It is hard to tell how things will go based on the first year, but I will make sure to think about this while he moves through it. He is also has the "I don't get it" problem if it isn't instant, but so far not with Math.

If anything my concern with Saxon is how much I need to tailor it. Lots to think about.