chilliepepper Posted August 12, 2014 Share Posted August 12, 2014 I'm sorry...this has probably been discussed soooo many times, but can you experts please humor a newbie who is down to the wire on selecting a Math curriculum? Saxon...Abeka...MUS...Right Start...Horizons...Singapore...all of these have been highly recommended by different people, both known and unknown to me. I just pulled my boys out of PS and I really don't know their learning style when it comes to math. I will say that I think they are both pretty handy with numbers, but that's about as far as it goes. I feel like I'm running out of time for research, and I can't afford to buy one of everything! Should I just guess, pick one, and hope for the best? :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mountains27 Posted August 12, 2014 Share Posted August 12, 2014 I was in the same boat a few weeks ago! My kids are 1st and 2nd graders and in the end I just picked one and am trying it out. I picked a less expensive one so that if it is a flop I didnt waste too much on it! So far we really like it though and it fits well into our homeschool. I went with Math Mammoth the digital copy so I can use it for both kids. Good luck choosing, it isn't an easy thing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiana Posted August 12, 2014 Share Posted August 12, 2014 How old are your kids and what grades have they completed in PS? Do you prefer black-and-white or colorful? Do you prefer manipulatives or not? Do you prefer mixed problem sets, single-subject problem sets with mixed review, or doing one thing exclusively for some time? But seriously, for neurotypical kids and parents who aren't afraid of math, most standard curricula will work just fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwik Posted August 12, 2014 Share Posted August 12, 2014 What did they use at school? Did they like it? Did you like it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chilliepepper Posted August 12, 2014 Author Share Posted August 12, 2014 How old are your kids and what grades have they completed in PS? Do you prefer black-and-white or colorful? Do you prefer manipulatives or not? Do you prefer mixed problem sets, single-subject problem sets with mixed review, or doing one thing exclusively for some time? But seriously, for neurotypical kids and parents who aren't afraid of math, most standard curricula will work just fine. Ages 9 and 7, completed 2nd and 1st grade. I don't know what I prefer...maybe black and white but I'm not sure? I don't know if I prefer manipulatives. I really don't know what any of our preferences are. :/ But I don't think any of us are afraid of math. :) What did they use at school? Did they like it? Did you like it? They used some Common Core mumbo jumbo. It provided lots of different ways to understand concepts, which is fine with me, but there comes a time when you just want to be able to do the problem and get it over with. I don't know the name of the specific curriculum, if there even was one. They never had a math book---just worksheets. We didn't like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WahM Posted August 12, 2014 Share Posted August 12, 2014 I'd recommend looking at CLE math. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmasc Posted August 12, 2014 Share Posted August 12, 2014 We like CLE here. It seems traditional and a good mix of review/new. It's in black and white, but very uncluttered, which is preferable to me. I like color personally, but I'll pick uncluttered first and foremost any day! I think a good place to start would be to look online at the samples of the ones you're interested in and see which ones appeal to *you*. Since you don't know your children's preferences yet, you could start with something traditional that appeals to you as the teacher and take it from there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted August 12, 2014 Share Posted August 12, 2014 I'm sorry...this has probably been discussed soooo many times, but can you experts please humor a newbie who is down to the wire on selecting a Math curriculum? Saxon...Abeka...MUS...Right Start...Horizons...Singapore...all of these have been highly recommended by different people, both known and unknown to me. I just pulled my boys out of PS and I really don't know their learning style when it comes to math. I will say that I think they are both pretty handy with numbers, but that's about as far as it goes. I feel like I'm running out of time for research, and I can't afford to buy one of everything! Should I just guess, pick one, and hope for the best? :confused: How old are your dc? Really, depending on their ages, I'd get something inexpensive like Modern Curriculum Press for them to work on while you figure things out. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jewellsmommy Posted August 12, 2014 Share Posted August 12, 2014 Singapore and Math Mammoth are similar (almost the same, really), except MM is easier to use, cheaper, and you can print it yourself as many times as you need it. This is a great option since you have 2 dc. We started with Singapore and switched to MM. There are a lot of problems on a page, but that doesn't mean you have to do them all. If you go to homeschool buyer's co-op https://www.homeschoolbuyersco-op.org/math-mammoth/ you can get a great deal on MM. We love MM, and find it very effective. I'm sure the last thing you wanted was another option. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiana Posted August 12, 2014 Share Posted August 12, 2014 Ages 9 and 7, completed 2nd and 1st grade. I don't know what I prefer...maybe black and white but I'm not sure? I don't know if I prefer manipulatives. I really don't know what any of our preferences are. :/ But I don't think any of us are afraid of math. :) In that case, I'd go with something inexpensive and see how it works for you. I don't see any need to start off with something expensive unless you've seen it and are convinced that it is The Right Program For Your Kids. Math Mammoth is also black and white workbooks. The grades 1-3 bundle on CD is $64 from Rainbow Resource, and that would serve both your kids. You'd have to print it yourself. Or you could buy the printed version at Rainbow Resource for $45 per year per kid. CLE is black and white workbooks, and a year with teacher manual is about $50. Both of these are traditional enough in scope and sequence that you should be able to transfer to something else if you don't like them. Both of these go all the way through arithmetic and should easily prepare a student to start algebra when finished (math mammoth's pre-algebra is not out yet, but it should be soon). ETA: Also, both of these are open-and-go (well, once you print math mammoth). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetpea3829 Posted August 13, 2014 Share Posted August 13, 2014 If they are handy enough with numbers and math isn't a struggle...from that list, I would eliminate MUS for sure. I use and love Singapore for my advanced and average math kiddos. I use MUS for my struggling math learner. I did NOT like Horizons...the spiral was too crazy. I don't have any experience with Rightstart, other than what others have said here. Again though, IMO, if you have mathy kids...you can't go wrong with Singapore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alicai Posted August 13, 2014 Share Posted August 13, 2014 When I was in that boat I bought a grade level of MathMammoth. I thought it sounded solid and it was cheap while we were getting our feet wet. Four years later, we still use it and love it. And it's still cheap :) Also, just wanted to point out, that you can get any and all of the grade levels (Light Blue Series) as a digital download. I have loved this as I can just print and reprint the pages. I've also uploaded it to Google Drive so it's available on the go, etc. What I think is particularly good about MathMammoth when you're first starting out is that it's simple and straightforward. There aren't any fiddly bits, a multitude of manuals or anything overwhelming. It's quite plain, but the instruction is solid. I have seen great results with my kids using it. HTH :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chilliepepper Posted August 13, 2014 Author Share Posted August 13, 2014 One thing I should mention is that I already have, in my possession, the textbooks and teacher guides for the (probably) appropriate levels of Singapore. All I would have to do is buy the workbooks. Based on that, do y'all think I should just go with Singapore? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jewellsmommy Posted August 13, 2014 Share Posted August 13, 2014 One thing I should mention is that I already have, in my possession, the textbooks and teacher guides for the (probably) appropriate levels of Singapore. All I would have to do is buy the workbooks. Based on that, do y'all think I should just go with Singapore? Yes. If you already have most of the program, give it a try. It is a very well regarded and solid program. If it doesn't meet your needs, you can always re-evaluate and change as needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiana Posted August 13, 2014 Share Posted August 13, 2014 One thing I should mention is that I already have, in my possession, the textbooks and teacher guides for the (probably) appropriate levels of Singapore. All I would have to do is buy the workbooks. Based on that, do y'all think I should just go with Singapore? Yes. Singapore is a solid program. I would double-check for the appropriateness of the level with the placement test -- http://www.singaporemath.com/Placement_Test_s/86.htm -- and then rock it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dereksurfs Posted August 13, 2014 Share Posted August 13, 2014 Yes. If you already have most of the program, give it a try. It is a very well regarded and solid program. If it doesn't meet your needs, you can always re-evaluate and change as needed. Agree, SM is one of the highest regarded programs. Though it is not always the easiest to use with the variety of books sometimes needed. That is why some move to MM as was mentioned earlier. We use MM and CLE. I find MM to be stronger overall, though CLE's spiral is good for its built-in review. We started out originally with MUS simply because it was recommended by others we know. Unfortunately we came to find that it was not very strong in terms of level of challenge nor depth of instruction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyforlatin Posted August 13, 2014 Share Posted August 13, 2014 If you have no problems juggling multiple books, then SM. If you like a true open-and-go book, then MM. The former can get expensive, and the latter gives you some freedom to try it without as much cost. However, what I liked about MM is having all the levels for myself, seeing the bigger picture of elementary math, and printing out a topic from the next grade(s) when we wanted to go deeper into, for example, fractions or ratios. I got both, but we always ended up using more of MM, although I did switch back and forth to keep DD on her toes. You cannot go wrong with either of them. Both prepare a student well for pre-algebra (and if we needed a std. of how well, then I would say well enough to transition into AoPS Pre-Algebra). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alicai Posted August 13, 2014 Share Posted August 13, 2014 One thing I should mention is that I already have, in my possession, the textbooks and teacher guides for the (probably) appropriate levels of Singapore. All I would have to do is buy the workbooks. Based on that, do y'all think I should just go with Singapore? I don't think you should use a curriculum just because you have it, if it doesn't work for you. Emphasis on if. If you have the textbooks and teacher guides, I would go through it. If you feel like, "Yeah, this makes perfect sense, and looks awesome to boot", you've got yourself a winner. If you're scratching your head or feeling the onset of a panic attack, I would put it away and begin with something else like one of the suggestions above. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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