SunnyDays Posted May 11, 2012 Share Posted May 11, 2012 This is our first year homeschooling, and I have been waffling on math all year. We just couldn't find our fit. We went all the way through one 3rd grade curriculum, and knew we wouldn't continue there. We bumped through a few more and finally settled on CLE. It is a good program. I think for most kids, it would work well. However, I have a very mathy DS... he thinks mathematically and gets concepts so easily. He has been enjoying CLE and I finally realized why... it's incredibly EASY for him, even using a grade up. He finally admitted that to me today, that he's not really even trying hard. There isn't any challenge. We've been using the IP/CWP Singapore books and I see those really stretching his brain. He needs more of that! So... even though I wasn't sold on Singapore at first glance... even though I don't like juggling all those books... we're taking the plunge. I ordered Singapore today, we're going full enchilada. I am concerned that he gets enough review (which is why I originally wanted a spiral curriculum) but not so much that it bores him. But we're getting the Standards edition, which has some review built in, and we're going to do the IP's a bit behind (a trick I learned here!) and I think that will blend things well for him. I just wanted to say that I'm really grateful to this board for always giving such great ideas and keeping me on top of our curricula to make sure my son is really getting the challenge he needs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dana Posted May 11, 2012 Share Posted May 11, 2012 I use standards with IP on level and have felt that my son gets enough review with the review sections at the end of each chapter. There are occasions where I think he needs extra practice and I supplement. I'm very pleased with the foundation from Singapore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunnyDays Posted May 11, 2012 Author Share Posted May 11, 2012 I use standards with IP on level and have felt that my son gets enough review with the review sections at the end of each chapter. There are occasions where I think he needs extra practice and I supplement. I'm very pleased with the foundation from Singapore. I'm glad to hear it's working for you! We do have plenty of supplemental material, so I'm sure I can find something if we need reinforcement on a topic. Do you use the workbooks too? We're starting with them but I don't know if we'll find the text and IP enough after a while... I'm keeping an open mind there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted May 11, 2012 Share Posted May 11, 2012 The "core" SE books probably won't be super brain-stretching for him either, but ought to develop far-more sophisticated facility with manipulating numbers than CLE, so that's a good thing. There is plenty of review in the Standards Edition and the math operations are interwoven thought different topics, so I would fear not. The bad news is you may still want/need to throw more challenging mental work at him on top of the core books, the good news is Singapore is a pretty efficient program that leaves one time to supplement and highly develops the procedural math skills one need to do ever more challenging work. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dana Posted May 11, 2012 Share Posted May 11, 2012 I'm glad to hear it's working for you! We do have plenty of supplemental material, so I'm sure I can find something if we need reinforcement on a topic. Do you use the workbooks too? We're starting with them but I don't know if we'll find the text and IP enough after a while... I'm keeping an open mind there! We use the textbook (generally orally), then I have my son do the workbook. After we've covered a topic, I have him do the IP. As we progress through the text, we do the CWP. I aim for a couple of problems every day. As a result, we don't whip through the books, but I do feel good that he's got a solid foundation :) There have been some places (notably long division) where I've needed even more practice, and I've reviewed when I see him struggling with a skill (this past year we needed extra review with some multiplication and with fraction to decimal conversion... I think). I do get the HiG and sometimes will use their examples for extra practice and extension. I also like how they show mental math. The Singapore boards are also very good if I ever have a question. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunnyDays Posted May 11, 2012 Author Share Posted May 11, 2012 (edited) Thanks. We're starting in level 4, so he's got the operations down pretty well, at least the basics. And he has done the 2B and 3A IP, and working on the 3B, so we have a feel for the Singapore method. I think we'll do the TB & WB, and the IP a couple units behind for reinforcement. I might use CWP for "Friday math" problems or something like that. And, in addition, we have Life of Fred up through Fractions and Decimals (and may get more as needed), the Beast Academy guidebooks (and we'll keep getting those, he just thinks they're fun reading but doesn't want to do the practice books), Primary Grade Challenge Math, and I've been looking at EPGY. He also seems to think it'd be fun to keep working through CLE on his own... fine by me, it's more review for him. If all that's not enough for him, then I give up. :D Edited May 12, 2012 by SunnyDays Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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