Math Curriculum... breaking it down

[strawberry_fields]

Hello. I have three children who I homeschool. They are currently in fourth, first and preschool. I have been hs'ing ever since my oldest was in preschool. Every spring I have tweaked my curriculum a bit. But one thing has remained constant: a beka for math and grammar. Due to a background in Christian Education, both as students and teachers, my dh and I have always thought that a beka is best. But now I have one child (my oldest) who cries throughout his entire math time, and is also confused about grammar. He just doesn't seem to be learning anything. My middle child just doesn't understand what's going on with math and it is so frustrating for both of us. I have decided that the sacred cows must fall. (I am a little more positive about the math "cow" than the grammar "cow"... Grammar "seems" to be a beka's strong point.)

 

so anyway, now that I have decided to look at other math curriculums, I am just so confuzzled. Names are flying around in my head... singapore, life of fred, math u see, right start, math mammoth, etc. I have no idea where to start or how to make sense of it all. Could someone please break down the basic choices in math curriculums. I keep hearing the words "mastery" and "spiral" but I don't know what either of those words really mean. And also about learning styles, I'm not sure how to match those to my children (or really which learning style my kids even have?) It seems some curriculums are more hands on than others? Which ones? and what does that mean?

 

PLEASE help me!!! I may have been homeschooling for six years, but I feel like a brand new homeschooler... TIA!!!

[Mandy4]

Unfortunately I can't be of much help because I am in the same boat with my current math curriculum. I'm having the same names floating in my head as well. Can't wait to see what others have to recommend. I have, however, gone ahead and ordered Life of Fred for my 13 yo. I can't remember how old you said your kids were, but LOF starts with Fractions. Good luck!

[NanceXToo]

Have you looked at Teaching Textbooks yet for your fourth grader? Check out their website and the demos and samples and see if it seems like something he might enjoy as opposed to being upset by math. I'm going to be using it starting next year with my daughter for fifth grade and after seeing the demos and samples, she is actually excited about math and looking forward to doing it. And I am extremely relieved that such a program exists :D

[thowell]

My dd9 made it until 4th grade with Abeka and then the tears came. We just switched to TT5 for her and she loves it. My dd11 uses BJU and dd6 uses CLE. Each suit the student. Mastery means it covers one topic at a time and does not move on until the student masters the concept. My dd11 needs this as too many things confuse her. She uses BJU and I supplement with MM specific topic books. Spiral means it covers more topics in smaller parts and reviews alot. My dd6 gets this with CLE she loves it (would get really bored with only one topic). I have learned the hard way that each child is different and you have to get what fits that child. Point proven all three of my girls use a different program and are doing great. Good luck, I am sure others will have more knowledge to offer.

[t-hat]

Your situation sounds so much like mine - I have a 4th, 1st, and prek-er as well this year. I was a 5th grade teacher for a few years at a Christian school that predominantly used Abeka. I did not love Abeka and have steered away from it.

 

Since we began hsing with my eldest 5 years ago, we have used Horizons math (traditional like Abeka) alongside Singapore math. I love them together to give a broader approach to math. If I were to only choose one, I would go with Singapore. That said, I am now switching to CLE math for our traditional program, as I just needed a break from Horizons - but both are great.

 

Just my 2 cents

[PeterPan]

Thowell explained that very well!!! Math is really so individual. You might find it helpful to get a little bit of each thing and try them out. CLE will send you a free unit. Horizons is around $7 for a book. BJU, well it's more expensive, but you could probably find someone's used to look at and get a good feel. Singapore is inexpensive for a book. You get the idea.

 

When I was at that point of needing to change, that's what we did. We just tried EVERYTHING and opened our minds, waiting for something to stick. That's how you earn your PHD in education, hehe, piles hip deep of stuff you've tried. :)

 

Now this is just me personally, but I really, really like the foundation RightStart provides in their early levels (A and B, part of C). If you at all have the time for it, you might consider using it with your youngest. You could even use it to fix any troublesome areas with your 1st grader and let the kids play the math games together.

 

For your oldest, you just have to try things. I'll tell you though, I felt like I got a pretty good sense of some curricula just by doing their placement tests. You might try them and see. Saxon, Horizons, CLE, Singapore, lots of curricula have online tests. They reflect what the curricula cover and how, so they'd give you a better feel for them.

 

In addition to the spiral vs. mastery approaches you've been considering, you also look at other factors to make a good match:

 

-color on the pages vs. black & white? (some kids really do better with it one way or the other)

-learning style of the student--Some kids are very efficient and want explanations they can read and pursue for themselves. Fourth grade is about the time where that conflict erupts. Some kids that age will tolerate a shorts, short lesson with you and then want the rest by themselves, while others want to toss you entirely.

-need for context (stories, themes, etc.) vs. ability to learn isolated or sequential skills

-need for more challenging application or practical application

 

I know it's hard to toss your gold standard. My gold standard when starting was BJU, and I made it my default. If the other material couldn't prove to me it was better, I used BJU. But sometimes that doggedness gets you into trouble. I'm having to make a lot of change this year, and we're ditching almost ALL our BJU stuff. As the students get older their personalities and bents become more apparent. A school can't flex with that, but we can. There's nothing wrong with almost ANY of the curriculum popularly used on this board. Used consistently and implemented well, it can yield good results and good test scores. You can go to the high school board and see that, where some people swear by xyz curriculum and think rfdt is horrible, and somebody else proclaims the total opposite. Yet BOTH got their kids into very good schools and had good test scores. (I'm particularly thinking of a science curriculum vs. Apologia, the latter being the lambasted one. And yet both got kids into big name schools, because ultimately it's how you do it and the kid, NOT the curriculum.)

 

So do what fits your kids and experience the freedom. It's harder than just pushing them through some formula, but I think you'll like who they become as you see their individuality played to with the strengths of these curricula. So much better than leaving them in a poor fit and having them think school is only about checking off boxes, getting it done, and forgetting it. They can survive a poor fit, but they won't THRIVE.

Edited April 26, 2010 by OhElizabeth

[strawberry_fields]

Your situation sounds so much like mine - I have a 4th, 1st, and prek-er as well this year. I was a 5th grade teacher for a few years at a Christian school that predominantly used Abeka. I did not love Abeka and have steered away from it.

 

Since we began hsing with my eldest 5 years ago, we have used Horizons math (traditional like Abeka) alongside Singapore math. I love them together to give a broader approach to math. If I were to only choose one, I would go with Singapore. That said, I am now switching to CLE math for our traditional program, as I just needed a break from Horizons - but both are great.

 

Just my 2 cents

 

Thanks for your replies everyone! I have heard several times about people combining several different curriculums. How does this work? Doesn't it make for too much math work? For example, a beka math (since that's what I am familiar with) is definitely enough work for one day. I can't imagine asking my son to do even more math on top of it. Do you do everything of both curriculums? And if you don't, how do you decide what to leave out?

[t-hat]

For combining 2 programs I am just using the workbooks and my son usually does 2 lessons a day in one or the other. Mostly we alternate days: M/W Horizons, T/Th Singapore. Singapore usually doesn't have too many problems per lesson, so he can handle 2 full lessons. Consecutive lessons in Horizons always have plenty of repetition so I can cut out full problem sets that are similar or cross out a certain number of problems within a set (especially for the review), as long as I am confident the concept is understood.

[strawberry_fields]

.

 

In addition to the spiral vs. mastery approaches you've been considering, you also look at other factors to make a good match:

 

-color on the pages vs. black & white? (some kids really do better with it one way or the other)

-learning style of the student--Some kids are very efficient and want explanations they can read and pursue for themselves. Fourth grade is about the time where that conflict erupts. Some kids that age will tolerate a shorts, short lesson with you and then want the rest by themselves, while others want to toss you entirely.

-need for context (stories, themes, etc.) vs. ability to learn isolated or sequential skills

-need for more challenging application or practical application

 

So do what fits your kids and experience the freedom. It's harder than just pushing them through some formula, but I think you'll like who they become as you see their individuality played to with the strengths of these curricula. So much better than leaving them in a poor fit and having them think school is only about checking off boxes, getting it done, and forgetting it. They can survive a poor fit, but they won't THRIVE.

 

Thanks so much for your wonderful insight... so many things to think about. For all of the above questions... how do you know the answers?

My oldest son is very "go with the flow" for the most part. And he is very cerebral and succeeds under most circumstances. So I can't really pinpoint one or two things that make him frustrated. I hope that makes sense. Which might be the reason why it has taken me so long to venture away from a beka.

 

My middle child is so different. We have always said that he wears his emotions on his sleeve. And he is very hands on and musically inclined. He seems to learn so much better when he is playing games, so I think that Right Start might be a very good fit for him. And from the sounds of it, we might begin with Right Start for my youngest since it sounds like a good beginning math curriculum.

[5LittleMonkeys]

Strawberry,

 

I am a big proponent of learning styles. I believe sometimes its possible for children to learn with a curriculum that isn't geared to their learning style but boy it sure makes life easier if you customize. Check this site for descriptions and assessments.

http://kids.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Learning_Style_Test_for_Children

 

As far as a summary of math curriculums have you looked at this site?

http://www.cathyduffyreviews.com/math/math-index.htm

 

I myself use MUS with all of my dc. It seems well suited to several different learning styles. I have a kinesthetic-tactile, an auditory and a visual. It incorporates manipulatives, lessons on dvd, clear and precise explanations for every concept using examples. It is a mastery program, which means we don't move on to a new concept until the first one is mastered. Each concept builds upon the next.

 

Hope you find what works for you.

[blessedmom3]

We love CLE here . No more tears , actually my son enjoys it , especially the speed drills :)

 

Abeka is good for K-2nd but after , I wouldn't recommend it. Look at CLE samples on their website . We also like Singapore , it just doesn't work well with my son . We use it as an extra practice to view math from another angle . I do read the home guide and textbook , but I let him do the workbook only on days we don't do CLE .

[PeterPan]

Strawberries, your boys sound like interesting little people! I'll tell you though, personalities and how they learn are two separate things. You could have very different personalities and yet work well in the same curriculum. Now one thing I'm seeing here or will toss out to you is the question of how much teacher help Abeka is giving you. They're stumbling at the explanations, the actual math? BJU would be a move in the opposite direction, something that is totally teacher-driven and has lots of scripting, hands-on, explanations, stories, the whole nine yards. MUS and RightStart are also especially strong on explanations and helping the teacher. It might be you want to start with those first, to see if that would be part of the equation for you.

 

Then you have the issue of how they learn. I listed out some things for you. You really just go through them, one by one. They'll be more obvious to you as you TRY the different curricula on the kids. If you get a workbook of Horizons (again, we're talking around $7 here, not unreasonable for trying something) and your dc starts wigging out at all the kinds of problems on the pages or all the color and busyness, then you know you have issues with those things. Conversely, if you get one of those free units of CLE (or the free sample book of R&S for that matter) and your dc acts like their teeth are getting pulled out because it's SO plain, then you know that's an issue. If you try to put your dc in something totally independent like CLE or Horizons and they cry and just want you to sit and do the math with them, then you know you need a social learner (what Cathy Duffy calls a Sociable Sue) who would do better with either you sitting there or another, more interactive and social curriculum like BJU, which has stories, themes, etc.

 

So there's just a certain amount of trial to it, kwim? But think about it. You could get a dab of about 3 or 4 curriculum for under $20 and just try them out. Their online placement tests will give you a good feel for them too. You don't realize how different curricula are till you put them same levels side by side. Try it with the tests, and I'll bet some things click for you about what might fit your kids.

 

Don't be afraid to try a lot of stuff. Set aside a few weeks and just PLAN on it. Then you'll have a lot better idea of what you want to do, can place each kid, sell off the rest, and be good to go in a more stable fashion! That's what we did, and it worked out great for us. :)

 

I just realized something. What you're saying is your boys are pretty easy-going and you don't anticipate them having ANY issues with any style of curriculum? Well then defer to the one that gives you the most practical teacher helps, the one you think *you* can best implement or that most approaches math from the way they think. BJU, Singapore, MUS, RightStart. All of these are strong on teacher presentation and getting the concepts across. I haven't used Saxon, so I can't speak to it, honestly. My not listing something doesn't mean it's not a good option. TT for instance didn't have their lower grades when my dd was at that point. I looked them over last year, and I thought they were ADORABLE, loved the interactiveness of it.

 

You'll figure it out. Give yourself some grace to try a few things that don't work before you find the best for each dc. :)

Edited April 26, 2010 by OhElizabeth