Has anyone used Horizons Math 4?

[JLynn1347]

Have any of y'all used horizons math 4?  I have heard so many different thinks about it.  I read yesterday that it was mostly review and that very few new concepts were introduced and that you could skip to 5 if you had a strong math student.  Mine just completed Horizons 3 with very little trouble.  But I don't want to do anything that will make math less fun for her.  She wouldn't enjoy just review all year because she is anxious to learn, but I also don't want to push her past her limit.  Anybody used the program?

[...................]

I can't imagine skipping to 5. The first book is mostly review but the second is not and anyway it's review they need. Why push ahead and frustrate your child? Horizons moves very fast as it is.

[lorisuewho]

We completed Horizons three without a problem here. I consider my son a strong math student, but we are still planning to do all of Horizons level 4, along with Singapore Challenging word problems and some MEP level 4.

[Tess in the Burbs]

Both my kids did 4. There is a scope and sequence online or in front of book showing list of skills. I wouldn't skip since it's advanced already.

[Mrs Twain]

Generally, the first workbook starts as review because the second workbook pushes ahead into the next year's content. I personally like that about Horizons. The second half of the year often seems challenging because a good amount of new material is introduced. In the beginning of the next year, the material seems easier because it is somewhat of a review. I think of the second workbook as a preview to make the next year's material easier to master. We don't skip anything in Horizons math. The program has been planned out well, building on itself.

[FriedClams]

I went through it with 2 and I definitely would NOT skip it. I found that one the most challenging of the set (1-6). LOTS of long division if I remember correctly.

 

FWIW, we used Horizon 1-6 and then on to Saxon Algebra 1/2 with no issue and fabulous standardized test scores.

[Mbelle]

I did Horizons with both my kids.  Horizon 4 does do quite a lot of long division and it was a challenge.  I too think Horizon 4 is challenging.  I did 1-6 with my oldest.  I found Horizon 6 not to be as challening, so with my next child who is much more mathy we went on to Saxon 7/6 after Horizon 5, but he could have easily gone on to 8/7 instead I think.  

[MerryAtHope]

I wouldn't skip. What I did typically do with all of the levels was have my student do the test only for the first 3 or 4 tests. Those first 30-40 lessons are generally review, and as long as my kids got A's on them, we didn't do the lessons. Then we would start on either 27 or 37 (because Horizons starts new content on day 7--for example, the test after lesson 30 would cover material presented in lessons 17-26). 

 

If there was a lot of review, I assigned:

 

all of a new section (usually the first one)

1/3-1/2 of the problems in any sections that were review, unless my student needed extra practice.

 

I'd let your dd go through it quickly if she wants, rather than skipping the level. 4 may seem like review because it goes more deeply into some known topics, and because it's a spiral program (every year starts with simple addition etc....). To some degree, every level has a lot of review--that's how a spiral program works. I think it's a rare student who would just skip a level though.