Finished reading old threads.....New post w/ questions on math: CLE vs MM vs BJU

[avazquez24]

I had a thread asking about info on CLE, MM and SM...someone recommended searching old threads, and after hours upon hours of searching and reading, I think I read almost all of them lol. I had a ton of my questions answered and learned a lot, but after that I have a few more questions now.

 

Little background info: DD is in 1st and DS in kinder....we're currently using MUS (DD lsn 28 of Alpha,s o almost done and DS on lsn 9...he finished Primer months back). I'm considering switching both dd and ds to a new math program. I had assumed I was going to continue on w/ MUS, but the more I really thought of it, the more I considered switching. Things started fine w/ MUS for dd,b ut as time went on, it became apparent to me that she was forgetting much of the previous material. She was having a hard time remembering the 'tricks' or 'rules' taught for each lesson later on. She was also starting to mix up the 'tricks' between addition and subtraction. I don't know if trying to remember all the 'tricks/rules' was getting to be to much, and it it was snowballing or what. DS seems to be doing fine w/ MUS, BUT we're only on lsn 9 (and dd seemed fine at that stage too). I'm still learning about DS's learning styles, strengths, ect since he's only in kinder, but as of now I'm thinking he may do well in math. HE has always been great at solving puzzles, ect and this kid has an amazing memory! He picks something up after one time and and it's like it's then stored in his memory (esp with math).

 

I realize CLE is somewhat opposite from MM in the spiral/mastery area, as well as the traditional/drill and conceptual area.....I'm thinking BJU is somewhat in the middle, maybe, having conceptual but a little bit of drill?

 

CLE: Did you find there was TOO much review and your dc got 'bored' with it? I realize some kids need the constant review (I'm still trying to figure out what dd/ds needs...as of now, I'm thinking ds doesn't need it).

I looked at the sample and the teacher's manual looked pretty basic.....did you find it is set up well to help you teach effectively?

How is addition/subtraction taught? Do they use a number line or is it basically just memorizing w/ drill and flashcards?

 

ETA: I've read quite a few times that CLE is NOT conceptual, but is great for kids who just want to know how to get the job done (and don't care for the 'why'). When dd has a hard time w/ a concept we already learned in MUS, I bring out the blocks to really show her again thinking this will help her see it. However, she usually cares less to 'watch' and just wants me to remind her of the 'trick' so she can do it and move on.

Does it sound like she may NOT care for a conceptual method (like in MM or BJU)? DH seems to like the idea of conceptual teaching though, like in MM and BJU. Can she still thrive with a conceptual program though even if it's not her 'nature' to know why? She's a 'get down to business kind of girl.' She has her daily agenda each day and she wants to go down and get things done as quickly and efficiently as she can, and move on.

 

Math Mammoth: Since there is no teacher's manual, did you find this a problem at all when 'teaching' the concepts?

I heard some say there wasn't enough review in MM....I believe they have a separate review pages? If those were used every few days did you find that helped much?

Did you dc find it overwhelming by the amt of problems on a page, to the point where it was a problem?

 

 

BJU: BJU seems to be more traditional and more like what you may see in a PS, not sure if that is correct or not?

When showing DH all the samples of everything online ,he seemed concerned when he was the teacher's manual for BJU (he thought it looked overhwelming....I used to be a PS teacher ,so it looked like the ones I was used to...of course it's much more 'crowded' than others I'm using now though). I've also heard others say it's 'teacher intensive'....can someone elaborate on that? About how long should I expect to sit down and teach the lessons? Or how long total to do each lesson (w/ worksheet)?

 

I have to say, I never knew that choosing a math curriculum could be so exhausting! When picking MUS I really didn't research much of anything. I had heard of a friend using it, so thought, 'ok, I'll try that.' I don't want to keep switching curriculums on the kids. I want to find one that works and stick with it. I guess when starting out you don't really know what will work (and not work) with your kids until you try it though. So....any input as well would be great too!

Pros and Cons to each curriculum for dd and ds.....

Thanks

[mrs.m]

I had a thread asking about info on CLE, MM and SM...someone recommended searching old threads, and after hours upon hours of searching and reading, I think I read almost all of them lol. I had a ton of my questions answered and learned a lot, but after that I have a few more questions now.

 

 

CLE: From what I read, CLE is very spiraly (I'm not big on labeling a math program spiral or mastery, but It helps me in trying to figure out the way the program is laid out). I had read some complaining that it gets to be too much for their kids, in that it's the same thing day after day (same routine). I'm not sure if DD would benefit from a curriculum like CLE since it is spiral (vs mastery like MUS), but, we used Horizions in kinder and dd HATED it! She found it so boring and hated the repeitition. We didn't stick with it (crazy year w/ a new baby, house for sale for 5 months, living w/ my parents for a month until our new house was ready, then moving up north to a new home). So, maybe I just didn't teach it correctly. I'm thinking that CLE would not be a good fit for ds, since he doesnt' need the repeition? I also read where some people used CLE along w/ SM, but after reading about SM, I would think that would be quite a bit of work (for the child's part)?

Lastly, I read several times where it was compared to Saxon, yet, most things I read are negative about Saxon...so I'm confused why so many LOVE CLE (yet, I read so many negative things about Saxon)?

Thoughts?

 

Math Mammoth: I had both MM and Singapore on my list, but after reading and reading,it appears the two are very similar. What I got out of my 'researching' (please correct me if I'm wrong...reason I'm putting this), is that MM is like Singapore but with some differences (in which most favored MM).....SM has way more 'books' to use while teaching, MM has more drill and more review than SM, but many complained MM has too many problems on a page. I was thinking if I went with MM, I'd go with the light blue program....which I believe is a 'mastery' program (again, not big on 'labels', but trying to figure out which style will work well for the kids). If DD was having a bit of a hard time w/ MUS, could I run into some of the same problems w/ MM? I know MM will be teaching a completely different way than MUS was though (just trying to foresee any problems).

I'm thinking DS may do better w/ a program like MM than CLE? I like that it's conceptual, because as of now I'm thinking that may work w/ ds. I know he's doing ok w/ MUS as of now, BUT since MM is taught completely different, if I were to switch him I'd rather do it now than later. I would love to possibly use this w/ DD too though?

I saw where some used MM AND CLE, so if anyone would chime in on that, that would be great too.

 

 

It's really ok to label them.

 

I use CLE. And I only use MM if we need another way to approach a topic. So it isn't really supplementing. I like it though. I just know that the mastery approach wouldn't work on my children who need a lot of reivew. What I have used of MM is very well done and I'm glad to have that as a fallback should CLE not work. I also like Khan academy when a different explanation is needed.

 

My youngest gets upset about how many pages each CLE lesson has but it only takes him 1/2 hour to finish the lesson if he focusses. It's not that strenuous. He's just a goofy boy who would prefer to be outside.

 

I use Saxon but only in the middle school and now high school years. That is really where CLE and Saxon are alike. I don't like Saxon grades 1-3 and don't really think it is like CLE. In fact, I prefer to not use it until pre-Algebra, although I know 4th grade becomes fairly similiar.

[alisoncooks]

I shared our experience with CLE, MM & SM on your other thread -- but what we've settled with is BJU. :p (You didn't ask about it in the other thread, so I didn't mention it.)

 

My DD really likes BJU. It is separated into chapters by topic (so mastery b/c you've got a main focus over the course of several lessons) BUT each lesson holds some sort of review from other chapters. So, right now we're on the calendar/time chapter. At the bottom of the page was a set of addition problems. The day before it was a set of coin counting problems. So there's always review. We also like that each lesson has one page of work, front and back (as I mentioned in the other thread, CLE had too many pages -- even though we're probably doing the same amount of work...it was just the look of having several pages to do that DD couldn't get past.)

 

I am 80%** sure we're sticking with BJU. I've given myself this year to try them all out before settling on ONE PROGRAM for the long haul. :D (I'm not interested in running 2 complete math programs simultaneously!) I will say that I think (at least in Grade 1) BJU doesn't offer the caliber of word problem that you'll find in MM or SM. I am adding a Math Logic & Word Problem workbook from Creative Teaching Press. The teacher's guide is thorough, but I don't like it as well as I like CLE's or SM's. It's very classroom-oriented (CLE is, too, but I found CLE easier to follow).

 

**I say 80% simply because I have never seen Horizons in person -- I just bought it used from the boards here to satisfy that one last curiosity.

[MorningGlory]

I've used BJU from 2nd through prealgebra with one son and CLE from 300 through 600 with another son. I have not used Math Mammoth, but I plan to look at it carefully when my little girl is ready to start a formal math program. :)

 

BJU was a perfect fit for my older son. It is "teacher-intensive", but we had the time at that point in our homeschool journey, and we enjoyed the lessons together. The BJU lessons are conceptual at first (lots of paper manipulatives)...I liked this aspect very much...it is somewhat similar to Singapore in that regard. In a nutshell, you, the teacher, sit down with the student and teach the lesson...which includes review and new material. Then the student completes a worktext page or two on the lesson. To get the full benefit of the BJU program, it is imperative that the mom teach the lesson. If you just handed your child the worktext, he or she would miss the meat and the "conceptual" part of the program...which would be a shame. I would be happy to answer any specific questions you have about BJU, but keep in mind, it has been over 3 years since we have used it in our homeschool (my older son went to a Jacobs, Jacobs, Foerster line-up for algebras and geometry). I was very pleased with BJU for this son; your description "widely spiral" is a great one. This son is mathematically gifted and did not need constant review at all; he also sees math in an intuitive way.

 

I tried BJU with my younger son for several years, but he was not thriving. He needed much smaller lessons and MUCH more review. He also needed variety; a full page of multiplication problems freaked him out...but he could handle 3 or 4 problems mixed with lots of other types...this is how CLE works. He also liked the "Lightunit" approach...he could always see the "light at the end of the tunnel" so to speak. Each CLE lightunit has 4 lessons and then a quiz, 4 more lessons and then another quiz, and then 5 more lessons and a test. And then the lightunit is over and you get to move to a brand new one!! :) (this is one way CLE differs from Saxon). This set up was perfect for this son; he is a bright kiddo, but not mathematically intuitive like his older brother. He much prefers to read than study math.

 

There is very little conceptual type of math in CLE; it is EXTREMELY traditional. This has kind of bothered me several times when CLE just straight out gives the method of solving a problem without even touching on the "why", but honestly, this kid does not care one iota about the "why". He just wants the nice, sweet, short lesson (a huge benefit to me in this very busy season of my life) and then the predictable pattern of the worbook. I have read the recent thread about CLE lacking in problem-solving and mental math. This may be true when comparing it directly to a program like Singapore, but it holds its own. It *does* teach quite a bit of mental math, and it *does* teach gentle problem-solving that really ramps up by the time you hit the 600 level. Like I said in that thread, this son is scoring in the high 90th percentile in both types of Stanford 10 math achievement tests...computation AND problem-solving, so he has learned something, I suppose! :) In fact, he has recently scored HIGHER than his older brother...the math whiz (98% in computation compared to his brother's 97% the same grade). So I am pleased with what CLE has provided for this son.

 

Who knows what we will use with our little bitty? She is young, but seems much more creative and artsy at this point than either of her brothers (maybe just because she is a girl), so I will try to find a math program that fits HER when the time comes.

 

Hope this long-winded reply helps you some. :)

[Five More Minutes]

I had a thread asking about info on CLE, MM and SM...someone recommended searching old threads, and after hours upon hours of searching and reading, I think I read almost all of them lol. I had a ton of my questions answered and learned a lot, but after that I have a few more questions now.

 

Little background info: DD is in 1st and DS in kinder....we're currently using MUS ... Things started fine w/ MUS for dd,b ut as time went on, it became apparent to me that she was forgetting much of the previous material. She was having a hard time remembering the 'tricks' or 'rules' taught for each lesson later on. She was also starting to mix up the 'tricks' between addition and subtraction.

 

...

 

Math Mammoth: I had both MM and Singapore on my list, but after reading and reading,it appears the two are very similar. What I got out of my 'researching' (please correct me if I'm wrong...reason I'm putting this), is that MM is like Singapore but with some differences (in which most favored MM).....SM has way more 'books' to use while teaching, MM has more drill and more review than SM, but many complained MM has too many problems on a page. I was thinking if I went with MM, I'd go with the light blue program ..

 

 

 

I can't comment on CLE or BJU, having never used either. But I have used both MM (briefly) and SM.

 

I also don't know enough about MUS, but if your student is having trouble remembering "tricks" for addition, then that would suggest to me that a conceptual vs. a procedural approach to math would be better. Both Math Mammoth and Singapore would fit within that.

 

Math Mammoth is a good, strong, conceptual program. Its huge advantage is its cost, of course. It is also very incremental, has more problems than typically needed so that review is built in, and is intended to be written to the student. If MM works for you and your student, then great.

 

MM did not work here, though. The pages were too busy, and my dd was overwhelmed -- she started to slump when she saw math in the same way that she did when we used Saxon way back. Also, the fact that MM is intended to be almost independent did not work for my students. They like having some math instructional time, when we play games and puzzle things together using manipulatives. The HIG in Singapore provides guidance for these types of activities that work with the text and workbook.

 

And as for the critique that Singapore has too many books -- I can appreciate that, but I have simply not found that to be an issue. Our main lessons go something like this: I open the HIG and get ideas for the lesson. We do the lesson activity together, or some version of it. We open the textbook together and do some questions orally or on the whiteboard. Then my dd works independently in the workbook. I do add in the CWP, but sometimes reserve it for a separate math time or day; and I would add in the CWP if I were using MM anyway.

 

All that to say that if you choose to go with MM and it works, then fabulous: you've got a great program and you'll save lots of money! But if you find your students are getting discouraged with it, it may not be the conceptual nature of the program so much as the way it's being presented.

[lea1]

I am finishing up CLE's 1st grade with my two sons, after having completed MM's 1st grade with tears (theirs, not mine) and not a great understanding of the concepts. I also have SM's 1st grade math so I have been comparing CLE's 1st grade with SM's 1st grade as I went along and have been surprised to see that they really cover the same material, for the most part. There has only been one thing in SM that was not really covered in CLE and it was a mental math/conceptual understanding of breaking apart numbers to make ten to make mental addition and subtraction easier/faster (one of my sons has had a hard time mastering this). Other than that, I think they are really very similar in what they cover.

 

I have been very please with CLE but then read a Cathy Duffy review that said it was ok if your child was going into a trade but not for college. I posted about this and found that this was probably a review written for the older version of CLE. Someone also replied and said they had been comparing CLE's 500 level with SM's and they are very similar. And many people posted with the great testing results their children were getting with CLE. So I think it is a very solid program but the question is if it is the right one to fit your child's learning needs. You might want to just purchase one light unit so you can try it out before buying a year's worth.

 

I have purchased Singapore's newest Math in Focus and am planning to try that with my kids for 2nd grade, although they may still require additional drill and review. So I am going to have CLE on hand also and will likely end up using a combo of the two. I really like CLE. It is easy to use and it gets the job done.

[avazquez24]

Thanks everyone! I REALLY appreciate everyone's input...it helps tremendously! I sat down w/ dh and showed him all the samples online.....after we talked, I edited my post to add new questions:)

[MorningGlory]

Thanks everyone! I REALLY appreciate everyone's input...it helps tremendously! I sat down w/ dh and showed him all the samples online.....after we talked, I edited my post to add new questions:)

 

 

What did your husband think of CLE? I know you said he preferred the conceptual, but could he tolerate CLE? :)

 

I hesitate to make a recommendation on math programs unless I really KNOW the student...especially when a child is still rather young. Your daughter may change in the next few years! Maybe she isn't "remembering" because of her age...I don't know. But having said that, based on your original description and your latest edit with the statement that she is a "get down to business" type of student, you might seriously consider CLE. It is so easy to teach and accomplish.

 

You know, I forgot to mention that I do sort of supplement CLE with my younger son. He works in his CLE lightunit Mon-Thurs and then Life of Fred on Fridays. He has completed LoF Fractions and is now working in Decimals/Percents. This gives him a little break from the pattern of CLE and an alternate exposure to math instruction. This has worked well for us.

 

The BJU teacher's edition is a "packed" book! But I've used so much BJU (and was also a former public and private school teacher) that it didn't bother me. I would actually read the lesson in the TE before teaching it to my older son and highlight the parts I wanted to cover. Like I said, that was in the days when I had time for that sort of thing. Because I was so prepared, the actual teaching lesson never took more than 15-20 minutes each day. It would have taken a little bit longer if I had not already read the lesson (and punched out or prepared the manipulatives). And the worktext pages never took my son more than 20-30 minutes. So we accomplished BJU math in well under an hour a day...but again, this is with a driven, math-minded boy. He wastes NO time...even to this day as a 15 year old! :)

 

Paradox...the manipulatives can make a person batty!! I stored them in plastic bags in a storage box...and get this...I STILL have them! Ha! I decided that it would be worth the small amount of space that box requires...just in case my daughter is a BJU kind of girl. Then I wouldn't have to punch or prepare again. Crazy, huh?

[avazquez24]

I had to pull teeth to get most of dh's input lol. He's a quiet guy anyways, but when it comes to homeschooling, he always leaves everything up to me. I don't think I've ever asked his opinion before, but I'm so torn on what to do, I did this time. I made him sit down while I 'educated' him on all the math programs I was looking at lol. I showed him the websites, samples, ect as well.

 

I think my only concern w/ CLE was ds.....as of now, he seems to be 'good' at math so to speak, and from what I've heard, these 'mathy' kids get bored with spiral curriculum. I don't know how true this is, and I know it definitely depends on the individual kid too. My other option is doing two separate math programs for them. DD is a much more 'get down to business' girl. She gets mad when I try to show her WHY things work w/ our MUS blocks. DS takes a looong time to get stuff done lol. I have to REALLY keep him focused. He's also the kind of kid to ask much more questions about things....about why and how things work. This is true in school and regular life. Like today for example, we got in the car after it had been sitting outside in a parking lot all afternoon in 95 degree heat, and ds wants to know WHY it's hot inside the car. He wants to know how it gets hot inside the car, when its' hot outside. I'm wondering if he'd benefit from a conceptual program?

 

DH thought that BJU seemed to be in the 'middle' of 3 programs, so he's said, 'why not just pick that one?"

DS was in the ER other night, then at his ped yesterday morning, who then sent him to be admitted to the hospital via ambulance. So, I took a break researching and thinking of math curriculum for a few days.

 

ETA: Question about the manipulatives- what type of manipulatives for BJU use? It's sounding like they're paper manipulatives that require prepping on my part? Is that a time consuming part of the program?

 

What did your husband think of CLE? I know you said he preferred the conceptual, but could he tolerate CLE? :)

 

I hesitate to make a recommendation on math programs unless I really KNOW the student...especially when a child is still rather young. Your daughter may change in the next few years! Maybe she isn't "remembering" because of her age...I don't know. But having said that, based on your original description and your latest edit with the statement that she is a "get down to business" type of student, you might seriously consider CLE. It is so easy to teach and accomplish.

 

You know, I forgot to mention that I do sort of supplement CLE with my younger son. He works in his CLE lightunit Mon-Thurs and then Life of Fred on Fridays. He has completed LoF Fractions and is now working in Decimals/Percents. This gives him a little break from the pattern of CLE and an alternate exposure to math instruction. This has worked well for us.

 

The BJU teacher's edition is a "packed" book! But I've used so much BJU (and was also a former public and private school teacher) that it didn't bother me. I would actually read the lesson in the TE before teaching it to my older son and highlight the parts I wanted to cover. Like I said, that was in the days when I had time for that sort of thing. Because I was so prepared, the actual teaching lesson never took more than 15-20 minutes each day. It would have taken a little bit longer if I had not already read the lesson (and punched out or prepared the manipulatives). And the worktext pages never took my son more than 20-30 minutes. So we accomplished BJU math in well under an hour a day...but again, this is with a driven, math-minded boy. He wastes NO time...even to this day as a 15 year old! :)

 

Paradox...the manipulatives can make a person batty!! I stored them in plastic bags in a storage box...and get this...I STILL have them! Ha! I decided that it would be worth the small amount of space that box requires...just in case my daughter is a BJU kind of girl. Then I wouldn't have to punch or prepare again. Crazy, huh?

[MorningGlory]

I am sorry about your son! I hope he is doing better.

 

Yes, most of the manipulatives for BJU are paper. But you can always prepare them during the summer before. Store them in plastic baggies or envelopes in a shoebox or a plastic box. Once they are punched, they are ready to go and you will use them multiple times (if you teach according to the TE). At least this was how BJU was set up when I used it...I know they have revised all their maths since then, so their program may have changed.

 

Honestly, Amber, I don't think you would be unhappy with any of the 3 choices. And you can certainly use 2 different programs...that is what I did with my sons. But I didn't make this decision until my younger son was in 3rd. He used BJU for K-2nd then we switched to CLE. My older son used Miquon from PK-1st then switched to BJU. So you can always switch later if need be. I would just pick something by 2nd grade or so and stick with it to at least prealgebra...and yes, it might be one thing for your daughter and another for your son. And I see you have a 3rd...she will probably thrive with something else (cuz that is always how it works!). :)

[scootiepie]

We just finished MM1. As to not having a teacher guide.... I personally found there were times I was not exactly sure what she was getting at. I think that a couple of lines of "a note to teacher" type of instruction would be helpful on certain things. I think I lot of my problem understanding what she was getting at is just that math seems to be taught differently, in general, than how I learned. While I don't think a teacher guide is necessary for 1st grade, I also know that my son needs to be taught, so I wouldn't say it is something he can do independently without my supervision. My son hates to write and so the volume of problems was cumbersome for him. Many times I made him do it for writing practice more than math practice. He could fly through the problems when he could just tell me the answers but writing them down always took a while. I'm going to stick with it one more year before I do a big reevaluation. It might make a world of difference if we can get over this writing hurdle.

[PeterPan]

I'll jump into this, hehe... (I don't usually come over to K-8 anymore, but my kids are planting tomatoes with the grandparents, giving me time to relax. :) )

 

Yes, your dh is seeing correctly that BJU is unique among the curricula you're looking at in that it tries to have something for ALL learner types. It's not niched but is very specifically going to try to have something for visual learners, kinesthetic learners, social/narrative learners, etc. There IS an option for spiral/repetition, but it's not in the main lesson. To get that, in the old edition you used a separate workbook they sold. I *think* I've been told the equivalent is now on the cd. The cd in the back of each tm is the gem you're not seeing when you look at the online samples. They've put a TON of stuff on there. For some subjects, it will literally be the equivalent of a full extra workbook! (The grammar 9 is this way.)

 

You're a teacher by trade and training, and I think you already know that it's normal to have to teach math at this age. And of course when you teach one on one, it doesn't look the same. Your dd who's very bright, matter of fact, wants to get right to it, may not NEED a lot of manipulatives. Many kids will toss them around that age because from that point on they're VISUALIZING the math and don't need the manipulatives. That's awesome and perfectly fine.

 

Yes, you are also correct that BJU's math is very strong conceptually. MM, which we used for a while a year or two ago, is very niched. It's all on paper. It's fine. I LOVE where the new BJU math editions are going. The Dominion Math (challenging application problems) in the new editions of the pre-algebra and algebra are FABULOUS.

 

Look at my sig though, and you're going to see that with my dd I use a mix now of TT and BJU. Like Morning Glory, I've got a kid who needs repetition (spiral) to get things to automatic. For her, a mix of TT plus BJU has actually turned out to be fabulous. I do the C level problems and Dominion Math from BJU with her, and she does the TT lessons completely as her main program. TT gets done every day, rain or shine. The TT guy thinks like dd does. When we did only BJU (gr levels 3-6 and part of 7), her computation scores were never as high as her conceptual. So BJU got her there conceptually, but even with all the extra BJU workpages, working her to the point of exhaustion, and took TT's spiral to get that computation score up.

 

Math IS a hard thing to figure out. CLE will send you a unit for free. Get a free unit for each dc and TRY it, see what you think. You know I think it's good to try EVERYTHING. Take a few weeks and try CLE one week, MM one week, etc. etc. (You don't have to buy MM to try it, she gives you generous samples to try.) Then you'll see what happens to your student when they do it. When we tried CLE, what I felt like I saw happening was that it was good for the computation but causing her to think too rote. She's a rather impulsive, whiz bang sort (actually that's part of how you get labels, but whatever), and so she WILL degrade to rote if I let her. I don't let her. I let her to a program that gives her that spiral, but then I come in a few minutes at a time and say now you're going to THINK with me. You could use the Singapore Challenging Word Problems books (or whatever they call them now) during the summer and do CLE during the school year. Some people will do Abeka and alternate it with Singapore. You're creating some balance. If you don't want a full program, then bring in some math games. At one point I did some of those math olympiad books the Art of Problem Solving people sell. We'd just do one or two problems a day. It also doesn't have to be the same answer for both kids. But you know that by now. :)

[Hockey Mom]

Jetta, not crazy at all.

 

To the OP, BJU also has Distance Learning options for individual subjects if you find the TMs to be too much. My kids would not tolerate me teaching them BJU but would quite happily watch a DVD of someone else teaching it. I think BJU has a nice balence. But I like how easy CLE is for me.

 

 

This is my boys as well. They prefer to watch the video instructor using the manipulatives as well. Here is the sample video for first grade (we LOVED Mrs. Lawson!). Here is the sample video for second grade (Matt and Paddy were a blast - AND we learned all about National Parks that year too!).

 

I have often pondered using other curricula for several subjects, but BJU Math definitely isn't one of them. If you have a kid who needs a mastery program, with a twist of review added in, then BJU is the math program for you.

 

If you go the video route, the TE is available in pdf format for the online classes. In addition to the TE, they have ALL of the material from the CDs too. You could literally spend all day doing just math with what BJU provides with their subjects.

[avazquez24]

Thank you everyone for your input! I think taking a few days away from looking at everything has helped, as I now thinking I'm deciding between BJU and CLE. After coming back and looking at the MM samples, I can really see the pages being overhwhelming possibly for one or both of the kids. Many of the samples, there just looked to be way too many numbers and problems all over the page (esp for a 1st and 2nd grader).

 

Thank you for the kind words for my son. He has pneumonia and was released from the hospital and is being treated at home. Another x-ray today showed the pneumonia was larger than first suspected from the first x-ray, so his antibiotics were switched to a stronger one. It's been an emotional, stressfull, tiring week :(

[alisoncooks]

I keep coming back to BJU in my deliberating. :D

I got some Horizons workbooks in the mail this week, and it looks similar to BJU... but DD still prefers BJU.

I think I may look into the video option for DD... I find myself skipping a lot of the material in the teacher's guide, but if that's where all the "good stuff" is, I don't want to miss it.