MrsMe Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 (edited) Last year we used CLE. Not bad, but the jumping around. YIKES! Also, there were so many errors in the TM I got a direct line to the error "person" at CLE. I also hear they're having problems with the level 6 TM as well. sigh. It's a little annoying to say the least when you find you mark your kids' equations wrong when they're right. But really the jumping of concepts was a little daunting. This year I opted for Rod & Staff. I knew the mastery would be a bit better with a bit of review at the end, without overkill mastery. But the lack of worksheets is completely annoying. DD does some in the book, some not due to space. It's a pain because there's 1 a), b) blah, blah... But the TM is useless IMO. Some reviews have no answers for this unmathy mom, plus the answers in a division problem for example only has the bottom line answer. So I have to do the entire equation to see which line dd got wrong. I Don't Want To! Not only that, that will be a huge problem as we move up in level. And on my not so good brain days, like today:tongue_smilie:....I'm at my wits end with the lack of teacher helps. At least if I had some line by line answers and I didn't get the problem I can figure it out. With just a bottom line answer....ugh! At least in CLE I could read the directions & or answers, AND dd could read the directions, and we could figure it out. BJU is way too busy for dd and me, too expensive and just too much of everything. I despise "wierd" math terms used by certain programs. And I don't like MM or MUS. What out there is good, basic, solid math that has a good TM and workbook? Level 5 or 6 depending upon it's difficulty for a mom that stinks at math. And don't go Asian on me. :scared: Edited September 27, 2012 by alilac Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susie in MS Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 Maybe Teaching Textbooks? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 for a mom that stinks at math. Unfortunately, math is a topic that is usually taught by a teacher, not by a curriculum. Can you outsource math? If you aren't confident in teaching it and don't feel capable of learning the material well ahead of your child, it's time to find someone else to teach that subject. Perhaps you can find a local homeschool mom to trade subjects with? There is probably a mathy mom that would love to have you teach her child <insert hefty LA subject here> in exchange for her teaching your child math. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsingscrapper Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 It's been my experience that Abeka is straight-forward and only assumes that Mom or Dad can read. Make sure you get the homeschool version of the lesson plans if you buy used. The text and teacher's edition are the same but the lesson plan books have two versions. Abeka is advanced so you may want 5th grade. Buy the student books new and the teacher's used and you'll save a ton! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susie in MS Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 ACE is another option. Like TT, it teaches the child. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clear Creek Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 Maybe Teaching Textbooks? :iagree:I have heard that TT walks the student through the problems that they miss, so that would be my preference in this situation. I am using R&S with my oldest, and I have noticed that they stopped giving answers to some review questions during the teaching time. It definitely keeps me on my toes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs. Lilac Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 Curious to hear about this too! We also switched from CLE to R&S and are having a similar experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shinyhappypeople Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 Which grade level? My favorite traditional math programs are McRuffy Math (truly idiot-proof teacher's manual) and MCP Math. Of the two, McRuffy has more hand holding, but the MCP TM is pretty good, too. I have the Level D manual if you want more details about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birchbark Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 We are really liking Systematic Mathematics this year. It starts at level 6. It is video-based with a short worksheet each day, mastery, and very incremental with plenty of word problems. It isn't super-cheap though, due to the video component. Here are some tagged threads on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaHappy Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 Have you looked into MCP? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsMe Posted September 27, 2012 Author Share Posted September 27, 2012 I haven't checked MCP....yet. But... as far as Teaching Textbooks. Does the CD teach it, then she does the work in the workbook? I wouldn't be interested if she had to answer it all online. First, we have lousy internet and can't stream much less load things when we want. So can she watch the DVD then do the workbook? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shinyhappypeople Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 I haven't checked MCP....yet. But... as far as Teaching Textbooks. Does the CD teach it, then she does the work in the workbook? I wouldn't be interested if she had to answer it all online. First, we have lousy internet and can't stream much less load things when we want. So can she watch the DVD then do the workbook? TT isn't online, it's all on the CD. She can either answer on the computer (again, using the software not the internet) or she can write her answers in the workbook. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 And don't go Asian on me. :scared: I remember when Asian math was what Asian people did. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaneP Posted September 28, 2012 Share Posted September 28, 2012 :lurk5: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsMe Posted September 28, 2012 Author Share Posted September 28, 2012 I remember when Asian math was what Asian people did. :lol: :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsMe Posted September 28, 2012 Author Share Posted September 28, 2012 So MCP would have us in one year before we change again. McRuffy is too young. The jury is out on teaching textbooks. DD does good reading directions on her own as well as a verbal instruction. Plus I wonder if you need to look up terms whether that's available with Teaching Textbooks. Ace's samples have a lot of multiple guess. Ugh...Havent' seen Abeka yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsMe Posted September 28, 2012 Author Share Posted September 28, 2012 So MCP would have us in one year before we change again. McRuffy is too young. The jury is out on teaching textbooks. DD does good reading directions on her own as well as a verbal instruction. Plus I wonder if you need to look up terms whether that's available with Teaching Textbooks. Ace's samples have a lot of multiple guess. Systematic links show another only with answers and not how you got them. Not good as you get up in math years. Ugh...Havent' seen Abeka yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted September 28, 2012 Share Posted September 28, 2012 Ugh...Havent' seen Abeka yet. Just this week someone recommended that I look at it. I was told grades 4-6 cover the content in Ray's Practical Arithmetic, but is obviously updated. I couldn't really find any decent samples to look at. But my curiosity has been awakened now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shinyhappypeople Posted September 28, 2012 Share Posted September 28, 2012 For middle school grades and above, how about Saxon with the Dive CDs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsMe Posted September 28, 2012 Author Share Posted September 28, 2012 Just this week someone recommended that I look at it. I was told grades 4-6 cover the content in Ray's Practical Arithmetic, but is obviously updated. I couldn't really find any decent samples to look at. But my curiosity has been awakened now. I looked but I couldn't find decent samples either. Even though I can make the sample bigger on the site it doesn't work right. The work looks okay from what I can barely see :tongue_smilie:, but found no sample of the TM nor a placement test. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsingscrapper Posted September 28, 2012 Share Posted September 28, 2012 Check the Abeka website. It is sound and solid but quick moving and has lots of review built in. If Rainbow carried it, I'd be ordering that. As for TT, we were blessed with a copy two years ago. My son wasn't retaining anything. When I asked the reps at our local expo what they would suggest, they said, "Just buy calculadders. Have him work in that." I walked away disgusted but glad we hadn't paid for it! For that much moolah, it better do the job without an additional purchase. Kwim? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsMe Posted September 28, 2012 Author Share Posted September 28, 2012 Check the Abeka website. It is sound and solid but quick moving and has lots of review built in. If Rainbow carried it, I'd be ordering that. As for TT, we were blessed with a copy two years ago. My son wasn't retaining anything. When I asked the reps at our local expo what they would suggest, they said, "Just buy calculadders. Have him work in that." I walked away disgusted but glad we hadn't paid for it! For that much moolah, it better do the job without an additional purchase. Kwim? Yeah, not to knock TT, but the cost is quite prohibitive. Abeka's site didn't have a TM sample for the level I looked at. I'll go back. Maybe I missed it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RootAnn Posted September 28, 2012 Share Posted September 28, 2012 Last year we used CLE. Not bad, but the jumping around. ... But really the jumping of concepts was a little daunting. Some reviews have no answers for this unmathy mom, plus the answers in a division problem for example only has the bottom line answer. What out there is good, basic, solid math that has a good TM and workbook? Level 5 or 6 depending upon it's difficulty for a mom that stinks at math. And don't go Asian on me. :scared: *Sent you a PM.* Abeka has a TM with the full answers calculated out. The Lesson Plans have the "teaching helps." But Abeka will jump around on concepts in a similar way to CLE. That's part of its "spiral" method. Just so you know. There is no placement test. (I don't think you'd have a problem going with "grade level" wherever you are currently at.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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