Math help!

[Motsy802]

I've been doing Horizons with my K'er this year because we used their preschool curriculum last year. He's kept up just fine with it even though it is advanced. However, I wish it had more teacher help in the teacher's book. I thought about switching to Saxon until I read how many people hated it on the thread about the curriculum you liked the least. So, if not Saxon, what do you suggest? I know there's MUS, but I don't know if that would just confuse him since he's been learning differently so far. Plus I don't understand MUS one bit. Singapore? Help?

[Tanikit]

I did Horizons K with Singapore 1a last year with my DD and this year we are doing Singapore 1b moving into 2a and Horizons 1. I use Horizons for drilling and its almost entirely independent now and teach using Singapore. Horizons 1 is a LOT of revision of Horizons K so we are actually moving faster through Singapore this year as last year there were more new things to teach her in both book. Singapore is mastery based, but I find it worked well with Horizons and neither got forgotten that way.

[KristenR]

My girls and I love Miquon for early math. I eventually add Singapore math into the mix for something more structured. But Miquon has been a wonderful WONDERFUL resource here. I've done many blog posts charting our progress with it. You can see one here.

[UrbanSue]

We like Singapore. I strongly recommend the HIGs that go with each level because much of the particular approach and meat of Singapore is in there. Especially if you are going to start with a younger student, the HIG will give you tons of math games you can pause and play if the material moves too quickly for him. Singapore 1A and 1B are not too strenuous, though.

[Saddlemomma]

I have been using Horizon's Math with my dd since day 1. She is currently in 4th grade. The teacher who reviews our work each year absolutely loves this program and has advised us not to change it until we have to in the upper grades.

 

Having said that, I must admit that I don't use the Teacher's manual at all except to correct her work. If I can't figure out how to teach a concept or dd does not understand my explanation (this just recently happened) I turn to Khan Academy or YouTube. This has worked out perfectly and she usually gets it.

 

So, just a suggestion, before giving up and switching curriculum, why not see if you can get help from an online resource like Khan Academy? It just might solve your problems.

[Five More Minutes]

The Home Instructor's Guides (Standard Edition) with Singapore are excellent. They give you good ideas about presenting the lesson, additional games and activities for reinforcing concepts, mental math practice, and the answers. I understand math better having used them up to the Gr. 2 level!

 

Rather than getting all of the manipulatives the HIGs recommend, I would start with cuisinaire rods and check out Rosie's videos at Education Unboxed. A lot of the activities in the Singapore HIGs can be adapted to use the c-rods, so you just save on having tubs and tubs of manipulatives around. You can add in the other essentials (maybe a balance, and abacus, and some fun counters) as you go along.