Should I change math??

[aawtagg]

After using Saxon 1 lightly with my 2nd dd for K this year, I am thinking it is not going to be a good fit for her. My oldest went through Saxon 1-3 and has done very well with it, however she is more of a perfect paula, while #2 is a wiggly willy. I made some adjustments to the way I used Saxon to break up the lessons and change the scenery, but it didn't seem like it was enough. I think she would do better with shorter lessons and more visually appealing pages. I have stopped using Saxon and have been doing various math games with her, and for the most part, she enjoys that. I am not really sure what would suit her. I am torn between sticking it out and hoping that next year Saxon would be a better fit for her. I am also looking at Singapore and Horizons as options. At this point, I don't know if she would do better with a spiral approach or a mastery approach.

I love that my girls are so different and special in their own ways, except when it comes to changing and choosing cirriculums. I feel like I am starting the cirriculum search all over again! :blink:

Does anyone have any other ideas I should be thinking about?

[TracyR]

Hmm. Well all you can do is give it a try. Was your #2 doing okay with the spiral approach to begin with? Meaning that she was retaining the math. If not maybe a mastery approach would work well for her. Does she seem to need to focus on one topic at a time to get it?

 

Math programs like Singapore, and Bob Jones , and Calvert are great for mastery math.

[Tracy]

After using Saxon 1 lightly with my 2nd dd for K this year, I am thinking it is not going to be a good fit for her. My oldest went through Saxon 1-3 and has done very well with it, however she is more of a perfect paula, while #2 is a wiggly willy. I am also looking at Singapore and Horizons as options.

 

Does anyone have any other ideas I should be thinking about?

 

Please do not use Horizons for a wiggly willy! It is a beautiful workbook, but that is all it is--workbook. TMs do nothing more than say "teach the child how to do X"--no suggestions for games, activities, etc.

 

I am using Horizons right now for my perfect paula, and though she gets it done and is progressing, she still says she hates math. We are doing CSMP next year, hoping that the stories, games and manipulatives will liven things up and show her that math does not have to be boring.

[mommy4ever]

Math Mammoth is not tremendously colorful, but has some color, but has lots of games suggestions, even some online sites the kids can go to. DD6 has liked that. I'm finding she is pretty much a wiggly monkey most days too, but she does it with little fuss.

[Guest Cheryl in SoCal]

MUS is an excellent mastery program for conceptual understanding!! The pages aren't colorful but it has been a wonderful program for my Wiggly Willy (now 8th grade) and Perfect Paul (now 9th grade). We used Horizons and Saxon before starting MUS 4 years ago and it wasn't pleasant!

[Haiku]

RightStart Math is a perfect fit for my Wiggly Willy (who has used it as a wiggly five, six, and seven year old). The book itself is not colorful, but the abacus is, and there are LOTS (ton, loads, oodles) of games. It is not workbook-based, and in fact, in the first two levels, there are very few worksheets. It is mom-intensive, but it lays an outstanding math foundation.

 

Tara

[ChrisB]

RightStart Math is a perfect fit for my Wiggly Willy (who has used it as a wiggly five, six, and seven year old). The book itself is not colorful, but the abacus is, and there are LOTS (ton, loads, oodles) of games. It is not workbook-based, and in fact, in the first two levels, there are very few worksheets. It is mom-intensive, but it lays an outstanding math foundation.

 

Tara

:iagree:

[momto2Cs]

I'd look at RightStart or McRuffy Color Math.

[mammaofbean]

we switched to miquon for my dd, it is great and we skip around and modify and it stays quite active. it is more work for me, but dd likes the format, the lesson takes less time and requires less writing and still achieves comprehension. i was told we should start from the beginning but that was boring for dd, so as soon as i decided we could jump around and build on what she didn't already know, it worked great. i am hoping in the fall to bring back the saxon meeting and including my 3yo if he is ready.

 

another great program we do sometimes is developing mathematical processes. but it is old and out of print, so i don't know where to find the texts.