X-Post: CLE Math

[HRAAB]

My dd is finishing up Saxon 5/4. It's been an unpleasant struggle. She is slow with math, the length of the lessons tire her (even though I don't require her to complete an entire lesson in one day), and her mind seems to get boggled with all the different types of problems. So, I'm thinking we will go back to MUS (I switched simply because I had Saxon on my shelf). But I keep seeing CLE math come up, and the one reason I'm curious is because they are small booklets. The size reminds me of Key To, which my dd loves and has been successful with.

 

Is CLE fast paced/advanced? It appears to be mastery based - correct? Is it a good/bad choice for a student who is slow with math but needs some success.

 

Thanks.

[RootAnn]

CLE math is spiral. Definitely NOT mastery. It would have different types of problems on every page.

 

I wouldn't call it fast-paced. The "advanced" thing will depend on who you ask & what level you are talking about.

 

Re: Advanced -- I'd say that it is right on level. (It is a bit ahead of Saxon in the early levels.)

 

There are samples & free placement tests on their webpage. You can also call & see if they will send you a light unit to try it out. One light unit is about a month's worth of work -- or a little less than a month's worth, depending on your dd's pace.

[Michelle My Bell]

I just sent an email all about CLE to someone so I am going to paste it here. Hopefully you will find some information that is helpful.

 

 

Christian Light has been a huge blessing to my family and has worked with all of my kids. It is extremely easy to teach. All I do each day is open up the TM and do the following:

 

Oral Drill: At the 2nd grade level this includes things like "count forward and backwards by 10's starting at 13 and stop at 103".

 

Speed Drill: We do the daily timed speed drills most days. Sometimes we skip them. It also includes graphing their score which is a fun touch for the kids.

 

Flashcards: I don't really do these often but it is a great system. We tend to use either the flashmaster or xtra math online which is really great as well.

New Concept: I go through the new concept with the child, do the sample problems with them and then they do a few problems on their own which I monitor.

 

We Remember: This is a great section that continually reviews material they have been learning. Usually about 4-8 problems per previous concept. Because they review so much, it really gets the concepts to stick in their heads. It is a variety of different things such as clocks, addition, subtraction, fractions, geometry etc...

 

The first four items I listed are done with me and take about 5-10 minutes tops. The last item takes about 20 minutes and is done independently. Sometimes you may have to help them remember something or help them read a story problem but it is independent. This is great because I have 3 younger kids currently using CLE and while one is working on their Drill, Flashcards and New Concept, the others can be working on their Reveiw work.

 

What I love is that a hard concept is often introduced at its most basic level. Once the child is familiar with it, they continue to add layers to help build the child's mathematical understanding till they reach the most difficult concept. By the time the child gets there however, they have understood each layer so well that it is not hard for them. CLE really builds understanding.

 

Now I will also say that I have 2 older daughters who are also using CLE. They have both struggled with math until they started using CLE a couple years ago. Once they reach 4th or 5th grade, they should be working pretty much on their own. All I do is grade their quizzes and tests and make myself available should they have questions. They grade their own daily work so they can see where they made their mistake and learn from it. The TM have full copies of the workbooks in them with all the answers completely worked out for the child.

 

On top of all I said above, CLE is inexpensive. A whole years worth of curriculum is $33.00. The TM are $7.00 each (There are two of them in the 2nd grade level). I had a few math manipulatives that I had from previous years but some items I found helpful to also have are:

100 Chart

Ruler (both inches & centimeters)

Judy clock

Real Coins

Counters such as Frogs

 

Each years program includes 10 workbooks. Each workbook has two quizzes and 1 test included in it. The small workbooks have 16 lessons in them each.

 

The first book of each grade is a review book of the previous grade and if you decide to school year round or you are changing grade levels mid year because you finished the last book in that grade level, you have the option of skipping the first book of the next grade which accelerates your child's learning.

Edited May 23, 2012 by Michelle My Bell

[HRAAB]

Michelle - Thank you. Your post was very helpful. I finally found the samples and can see that it is not mastery based. Definitely looks more advanced than Saxon - which isn't bad. This might be a good option.

 

Thanks.