If you use 2 (or more) math curricula simultaneously...

[Rosy]

...what is your reason for doing so? I've heard a few people mention doing this and I'm curious. :)

[sagira]

I'm using MCP Math Level A next school year as my basal program and I'm adding Miquon to that for ds to get a sense of the discovery of Mathematics. So one is for a foundational, sequential approach and the other for a discovery-oriented, wonder approach.

 

I figure they balance each other out.

 

I will alternate between the two, so:

 

MCP M, W and F

Miquon Orange book Tu, Th

 

Oh! I forgot to add that we will be continuing to read living math books throughout our school experience, all from the Living Math website book list.

[Lori D.]

I'm a big fan of using 2 math programs, as I've really seen it help both boys think much more flexibly and mathematically. : ) MUS and Singapore has been a good match for the younger son. Older son used Singapore as his spine and Saxon as his supplement. For us, it has all depended on the math needs of the individual child as to which math programs to combine, and *how* to combine them. Below are ways we've done it over the years. Hope something here is of help! Warmest regards, Lori D.

 

 

 

- In the early elementary grades (K-4th), we did the spine math 4 days a week, and then had "Friday fun day" for math out of the supplement, or played fun math games.

 

- Or, we would complete a unit of the spine math (on a particular concept), and then go to the math supplement and for a few days or a week do selected problems (*not* entire lessons) that matched up with whatever math topic we just completed in the spine math.

 

- If the child "hit the wall" with a concept in the spine math, we would either try coming at that same topic using the supplement as the new, main way of explaining the topic -- OR -- we would set aside the concept entirely for a week (or a few weeks) and look at completely *different* math topics using math supplements for awhile, letting the "troublesome" math concept just "simmer on the back burner" of the child's mind for awhile. Often, when we came back to that troublesome concept a few weeks or a month later, the child "clicked" with the concept.

 

 

 

- In the upper elementary and middle school grades (5th-8th grades), we shifted to a different way of using more than one math: complete the spine math program; then use the remaining weeks of the school year to do a "skim" review using the supplement. This worked esp. well with MUS and Singapore.

 

- Or, review exposure of past topics. Many pages of MUS go very quickly, so I had the student also do a page or two out of a "Keys To ..." workbook for review. You could easily use that time to do a page in whatever math supplement you choose.

[jennyt]

Hi Rosy,

 

I am using Horizon math with my dcs because it focusses on a range of math areas every day. As an ex-highschool math teacher, a big beef of mine was having to spend so much time re-teaching math because you spent a "term" on one math topic, tested it and then left it behind and moved on exclusively to another math area. I like my dcs to cover as many areas of math as possible every day - so Horizons is great.

 

My dcs can work on Horizons by themselves - I've always prechecked it to make sure there's nothing they're going to stumble over - so they do it in the afternoons. In the mornings, I focus more on "mastery" of the different topics, and I have fluked various curricula which I think teach each concept with the most hands-on manipulatives and methodical approach. Now that I have a second child going through now, I am benefiting from all the research and games I made for my first. I have a favourite addition and subtraction book/method, a favourite money unit off a website, place value with MAB blocks book, fractions kit and puzzles book .... and the list goes on. I do those with the dcs seperately in the mornings - half hour each (not always with my assistance for all that time - I've got 2 younger ones) and we'll work on those for a term or something before we move onto another area. I'm really happy with both their progress in math so I'm going to stick with it.

 

Cheers,

 

Jenny

[Linda...inOwasso]

Dd5: RightStart & Singapore K (daily)

Dd8: Horizons & Singapore (daily)

 

Reason: Paranoia

[Sunshine State Sue]

Reason: Paranoia

 

:rofl:

 

We have used MUS throughout elementary, but have supplemented with Singapore's CWP because MUS is light on word problems. Now we are supplementing with Life of Fred because MUS Algebra is light period and we finished all the CWP.

[jpklehm]

Last fall, we decided to add ALEKS (online) to our son's math work weekly. We use Singapore, which we love, and added ALEKS once or twice a week to make sure any gaps were covered. He completed all of Singapore 4A and 4B, all of ALEKS grade 4 work and some Key To booklets on fractions. Now, this was not everyday, mind you, but weekly.

 

This year, he's working on Singapore 4 days a week and ALEKS 1 - 2 times a week. Each session is an hour or so long. We use ALEKS mostly for checking mastery. We'll "assign" our ds to work on a skill or skills in ALEKS that he's already completed in Singapore. We feel this gives him a better chance at mastering, and retaining, math skills.

 

He also likes working on the computer once or twice a week...a bit of variety.

 

PAM

[Mama Lynx]

...what is your reason for doing so? I've heard a few people mention doing this and I'm curious. :)

 

I have found that sometimes we just need a break from a particular approach. We will use one curricula until we hit a wall, or are bored. Then we use our other one until the same :)

[Rosy]

Thanks everyone! It never occurred to me that you could *do* that. :D

[kalanamak]

We are doing Singapore math which is designed for slightly older children. Because of this, I go slowly, with plenty of supplement. I move through card games and counting on the abacus, then pull out Miquon. We are also learning about clocks and measurement.

 

Change of pace...especially when we hit something he doesn't just get by the end of the page.HTH

[chaik76]

We do both Singapore and Saxon daily. I enjoy using both curricula because they approach things very differently. If ds doesn't understand a concept in one book, I know he'll get it using the other text.

[funschooler5]

Honestly, we use more than one because both of my kids were starting to hate math. I started them both on Singapore (which I love) and they liked it in the beginning, but eventually they got bored with it. I started experimenting with other math programs, and eventually settled on Noble Knights of Knowledge as a break from all the workbook type stuff. They love it! Even though it is easy them (especially for my 5th grader), it does reinforce a lot of the basics, along with adding some new ways to think about numbers. I really think she's getting a lot out of it. For my 5th grader, I've also added the Key To.... series, but I let her choose which workbook she wants to work from each day (we have Fractions, Geometry, Decimals, and Measurement). We bought Life of Fred Fractions few months back, and my daughter is really enjoying it. I also just bought Dinah Zike's Big Book of Math, and it looks great. I just try to mix it up a bit and get some more hands-on stuff going to keep them interested.

[Cindyg]

I just like them!

 

We use BJUP as our spine because we use HomeSat. We use MUS because it's wonderful. We use LOF because we love it. We use Hands-On Equations because my son expressed an early interest in Algebra.

 

They're all good programs, and we like them all!