Does anyone have experience using two math programs?

[nwmama]

Does anyone use two complete math programs, with the same child, in the same year? Either completing first one program and then the other, or switching back and forth between the two? I'm thinking about using Saxon and Singapore, just like I plan on using TWJ and WWE. The problem is with language arts, I'm confident that I know how to combine the two programs and be flexible between the two. It makes sense to me that I should be able to do the same with math but I'm just not as confident in math as I am in language arts.

[mumto2]

We have always done at least two programs. I always used Sinapore and Abeka. I think Singapore and Saxon would work well together. I generally used them simultaneously without making any effort to match up. If we had a "brain block" in one program and the other was doing something similar soon we might stop one for a week or two. This did not happen often. Generally we did math for about 1 hour a day with a break (another subject) between the books.

[Lisa in the UP of MI]

Yes, but we do not complete a whole level in each program during a school year. We only use one program at a time and switch back and forth. I don't have a set schedule for it, we just keep working until we get stuck, bored, or to a good stopping place. I feel that it's giving my kids a good math foundation (we use RightStart and Singapore).

[Murrayshire]

I posted on my blog today about our math path and about using more than one program concurrently! Feel free to read what I posted...blog is in siggy!

[fourisenough]

This year I used MM 3B & 4A; Beast Academy A-D; and SM CWP 3. Over the summer, we'll do MM 4B. We do math about an hour per day, 5 days per week. I make no attempt to match them or coordinate. We just do whichever one we feel like, sometimes 2 programs in a day, sometimes not. The variety seems to be fun and not confusing.

 

I think Singapore and Saxon would work well together. As Nike says, Just Do It!

[chicagoshannon]

We used Horizons and Singapore together our first year. It was too much. I've used just one program from then on.

[Five More Minutes]

I'm using two full programs (plus other supplements) with my dds. (I am addicted to math programs.)

 

In my younger dd's case, we use Miquon & Singapore; for my older, Singapore and Beast Academy. I don't try to match the two programs up very often, but just work through both. I also don't have my dds do every. single. problem where they demonstrate mastery.

[PentecostalMom]

Right now I am using MUS and Horizons. We alternate days, doing two lessons in each on their assigned day. Some of the Horizons lessons are really long, and when they are we only do one that day. dd is doing really well with this. She likes the "lighter" days with MUS, but is getting concrete in her concepts with MUS.

 

I do have LOF that I want to try to just read through (the elementary books) but haven't actually started. I am contemplating selling them but cannot get off of the fence.

[kiwicad]

We used both Singapore and Miquon this year at the same time-but I have a kid that loves math. I think Singapore on it's own would be enough if he didn't love math so much. I don't match them up, we just work through them as they are, seems to work just fine for us.

[Lori D.]

Does anyone use two complete math programs, with the same child, in the same year? Either completing first one program and then the other, or switching back and forth between the two? I'm thinking about using Saxon and Singapore, just like I plan on using TWJ and WWE. The problem is with language arts, I'm confident that I know how to combine the two programs and be flexible between the two. It makes sense to me that I should be able to do the same with math but I'm just not as confident in math as I am in language arts.

 

 

I used Singapore as the "spine" math for older math-minded DS and when he finished the workbooks for that grade level (usually 4-6 weeks early), we used the Saxon and did a "skim review" of concepts. During the year, esp. in grades 1-5, if he "hit the wall" with a concept, we would either try it with the other program, OR, switch for 1-3 weeks to some completely separate booklet with matching manipulatives to let the troublesome math concept "simmer" in the back of his brain. Usually, upon coming back to Singapore after a break, the concept was no longer a problem.

 

Another way to schedule is to do whichever program you want as your spine for 4 days a week, and then do a skim overview of a week's worth of lessons of the second supplement math program on the 5th day of the week.

 

Just be careful to not overload, and esp. to NOT feel you must do every single problem or every single lesson of the supplementary second math program. The key is to use it as a way of seeing math from a different perspective and to reinforce learning -- not to overload your student! :)

 

Warmest regards, Lori D.

[Lilaclady]

I have typically used two programs. One as the main spine and another to supplement. I use MEP and Singapore and MEp can usually be done in 3 days. The fifth day is review and I don't do that and I usually do 2 topics in one full day. So we have 2 days to do Singapore.

[buram]

We used both Singapore and Miquon this year for first grade. They work together very well and my daughter did well. Most days she did both programs but some days only one. Whenever she got to a point where she had enough of math for the day I let her stop. We plan to use both programs for second grade too.

[Chrysalis Academy]

Just two????!!!!

 

Well, actually, we've only *completed* two in a single year, but used parts of several others, many of which we will complete over two years. I do make an effort to match them up to some extent - that is, I have a single spine that is my guidepost through the year (though I may do it out of order :tongue_smilie: ) and I branch out into other resources to deepen and extend the study of the particular topic area.

 

So in 4th grade, we did MM4, and the whole LOF elementary series. In 5th grade, we did MM5, LOF Fractions & Decimals, the two Geometry chapters of BA, most of the Level 1 problems in Zaccaro Challenge Math, all three levels in the basic package of HOE (we'll tackle the fat Verbal Problem book next year), and about 1/3 of Math for Real Kids. And she's finished the Arithmetic & PreAlgebra playlist at Khan Academy. In 6th grade we'll do MM6, both LOF PreA books, a bunch of HOE, and the rest of MFRK, and maybe tackle Alcumus.

 

That seems like a lot. But we do math 1 hour a day, and usually get quite a lot done. This was a really, really great math year, and I'm looking forward to next year!

[knittingmama]

This year for my oldest we did Singapore 4A/4B, BA, LOF elementary, and read some random math story books that I've found that I thought she would like.

 

The two younger kids did a mix of Singapore, RS A, and some random math story books, along with a lot of free play with cuisenaire rods, geoboards, balance scale, etc.

[nwmama]

I have typically used two programs. One as the main spine and another to supplement. I use MEP and Singapore and MEp can usually be done in 3 days. The fifth day is review and I don't do that and I usually do 2 topics in one full day. So we have 2 days to do Singapore.

 

 

How much of MEP do you have to print off?

[IrishMum]

I will give you an example of what my eldest has done. He is a hard worker, not genius but has a good aptitude for math. (I am going by memory, so it might not line up exactly as it was done. Also we school year round, so we start and stop different levels mid year)

 

4th MM4 Life of Fred-Fractions, Hands on Equations

5th MM5 LOFDecimals and Percents, LOFPre-algebra 1 with Biology

6th MM6 LOF Pre-Algebra 2 with Economics

7th LOF Beginning Algebra, LOFAdvanced Algebra, started AOPS -pre algebra

8th finished LOF Advanced Algebra and AOPS -pre algebra , and has recently started LOF Geometry and APOS Algebra

He also has completed various word problem books.

 

He worked on math 5-6 days a week, about 1 1/2 hours a day maybe 4 days, an hour the rest. He did every single question. Yes, you might think over kill, I think mastery. Math is a huge priority for me. We always get math and reading done. Always.

 

Now, how I scheduled... He would generally work on MM first as his main, but in truth he has always had two mains as we complete ever last problem. So he would do MM most days for a few weeks, and LOF a couple of days a week. After a few weeks we would swap. LOF would be done for the more days, and MM was the supplement. I don't line anything up, so he could be on different topics in each at the same time. I liked this way. He was always reviewing previously learnt topics.

 

Sorry, I know I am not very good at articulating. But I hope you can see how we scheduled, or didn't, our math.

My younger boys are following a similar pattern. My youngest two do not have the same math aptitude, so I will not expect as quick a progression from them.

HTH with ideas, and possibilities!

[nwmama]

I'm so glad this doesn't sound crazy! I'm still not sure if it's going to be Saxon and Singapore or some other combination. There's just so many choices!

[Tanikit]

I use Singapore and Horizons together - we are about to start book 2 of Horizons 1 and Singapore 2a - I do not use the Teachers Guide for Horizons and most of the teaching is done in Singapore before she reaches it in Horizons. If I see a section coming up in Horizons that I feel needs proper teaching then I skip Horizons for that day and just do a teaching lesson with manipulatives. I do both programs each day, but she does not do all the problems in Horizons. When we finish a book we have a break and do MEP for a while.

[kiwik]

a lot of people seem to do a spine and then supplement but two entire programmes seems a bit much. I can see wwe and tbw covering different things and you can drop one or the other where they duplicate but with maths I can't see it.

[Tress]

It would frustrate my oldest daughter to no end, to use two different math programs. Especially if I used them back to back.

She already doesn't have a high tolerance for repetition, and doesn't need it for learning math, and first doing SM 4 and then doing Saxon 4 (for example) would drive her bonkers.

 

I can see doing two math programs if you need *more* repetition or doing the puzzle-problems from MEP just for fun.

But doing two whole math programs...just because...no.

[IrishMum]

I can see doing two math programs if you need *more* repetition or doing the puzzle-problems from MEP just for fun.

But doing two whole math programs...just because...no.

 

 

We don't need more repetition, we just want to be very strong with math. I want my boys to have math cemented into their brains, so much so that it's easy for them. IYKWIM? It's not out of necessity but optimisation. Two math programs works really well for us, but may be overkill for many.

[Tress]

We don't need more repetition, we just want to be very strong with math. I want my boys to have math cemented into their brains, so much so that it's easy for them. IYKWIM? It's not out of necessity but optimisation. Two math programs works really well for us, but may be overkill for many.

 

 

I understand working for mastery with math. And I might be able to use two math programs with my dd6, she likes doing whole pages of sums, even when they are easy. But for my dd9, the amount of repetition would just be too much.

 

And with SM, doing the IP, CWP, a daily mental math sheet and some TimezAttack for fact practice, I think you can get to mastery without the need to add to it.

 

From the samples I have seen, I think that LOF would be different enough to not feel as if it would be a repetition of the other math program. But sadly enough, it is not translated into Dutch. (As is Beast Academy...I want Beast!)

[IrishMum]

I understand working for mastery with math. And I might be able to use two math programs with my dd6, she likes doing whole pages of sums, even when they are easy. But for my dd9, the amount of repetition would just be too much.

 

And with SM, doing the IP, CWP, a daily mental math sheet and some TimezAttack for fact practice, I think you can get to mastery without the need to add to it.

 

From the samples I have seen, I think that LOF would be different enough to not feel as if it would be a repetition of the other math program. But sadly enough, it is not translated into Dutch. (As is Beast Academy...I want Beast!)

 

 

We love Beast!

[LaCEmom]

We've used Singapore & Miquon concurrently and I like the combo a lot. My son doesn't do repitition well either, but they're different enough that he doesn't complain.

[Greenmama2]

We've always used at least two. Previously Miquon and Singapore, currently LoF, Beast Academy and some topic specific workbooks.

[stripe]

I pull out things that are distinct in the second or third program, or use them when the first program is unclear or we need extra practice. I do not do the exact thing in basically the same way in two programs.