I don't understand why so many people use more than one Math

[SamanthaCarter]

Could you fill me in? It seems like if I feel a need to supplement, or work through two in parallel, then the curriculum probably doesn't fit us. What am I missing here?

 

(This is not meant to sound judgmental in any way. I'm just wondering if I'm naive....)

[73349]

Here are some reasons.

 

• Getting more than one perspective.
• Using a curriculum that is interesting but does not go all the way through elementary (e.g., Miquon or BA).
• Wanting to do more school days a year than 180 and running out of material, but  not wanting to advance too fast through one curriculum.

[rocassie]

I use RightStart as our main, but add in Life of Fred.   RightStart has been solid for us and the kids enjoy it (for the most part.)  LOF is extra (we got the first few books from a friend that thought my kiddos would enjoy it. I'm not comfortable with it as a stand alone, but it's great to "test" if my kiddos understand a concept as LOF presents it differently. My kiddos find it very funny and enjoy the ongoing story.  

 

 

[Wheres Toto]

Our primary program is Math Mammoth, which is a mastery program.  We use Evan Moor Daily Math and Daily Word Problems as a spiral review to make sure concepts aren't forgotten.  My son will be using Beast Academy next year for a different presentation and because it will make him have to think through the problems and get a deeper understanding.

 

So - 1 program to introduce and teach concepts, 1 program (okay 2) to review, and 1 program for more in-depth conceptual understanding.

[FairProspects]

I view math as 3 separate areas just as LA includes several different strands of skills.

 

Conceptual grade level work

Above level challenging problems/problem solving

Math fact practice & review of previous concepts

 

I use different resources in each of these areas for different kids.

[Crimson Wife]

I haven't found the one curriculum that is good in everything. Also, with bright kids, I wanted to go "deeper" in math rather than faster. My DS especially benefitted from adding in Beast Academy as a way of slowing him down.

[bluemongoose]

What they all said :laugh:

 

 

[matrips]

Our primary is Singapore which people had always said didn't provide enough practice. So from prek , I've always supplemented with MUS and I actually really love how well they have meshed together.

[SamanthaCarter]

Thanks! This helps....

[Crimson Wife]

What I've been doing with my DS is the "spine" (Singapore 1A-4B and recently MM because I needed something more independent) on M & W, and then the challenging supplement (BA or Singapore Intensive Practice) T & Th, with Fridays being mixed review (mostly Singapore end-of-chapter reviews 1 semester behind).

[wapiti]

Some older threads that might be helpful:

 

Why Do You Use More Than One Math Curriculum?

Multiple Math programs...Why??

Why 2 math programs?

Math: using two curriculum at once, how does it work?

Curious: why use multiple math programs?

Why multiple maths?

[raptor_dad]

Could you fill me in? It seems like if I feel a need to supplement, or work through two in parallel, then the curriculum probably doesn't fit us. What am I missing here?

 

(This is not meant to sound judgmental in any way. I'm just wondering if I'm naive....)

 

For math I really like MEP, Miquon, CSMP, and Singapore... each has different strengths vis a vis  mastery, problem solving, advanced content, logic, spiral, practice problems, etc etc.

 

Any two of those programs would overlap to provide a strong program. We chose MEP and Miquon. Each program offsets the others' relative weakness.

 

Likewise, when we reach high school American history, Zinn's "A People's History of the US" and Bailey's "American Pageant" could nicely complement one another.

 

For us, an ideal single math curriculum doesn't exist so combining two is our only option.

[Hunter]

Sometimes I use more than one math; sometimes I don't.

 

Right now Ray's Practical is my main text for about 5 or 6 grade levels. I skip most of the business math. That is only about 150 half sized pages for 5 or 6 years. Obviously I'm going to need to add a few pages of something.

 

I know what I want to accomplish for each grade level. I'm feeling pretty flexible about what I'm willing to use to meet those goals. So it's Ray's and whatever is handy.

 

I have found it easy to wing math when my goals are narrow and mastery based.

[SamanthaCarter]

Some older threads that might be helpful:

 

Why Do You Use More Than One Math Curriculum?

Multiple Math programs...Why??

Why 2 math programs?

Math: using two curriculum at once, how does it work?

Curious: why use multiple math programs?

Why multiple maths?

 

 

Ha! I guess I should have searched. <blush>

[Hunter]

Ha! I guess I should have searched. <blush>

Nah! People like this topic. Sometimes I ask questions that have tons of threads about them just to start conversations that people like

[SilverMoon]

Depends on the kid and the season in my homeschool.

 

Kiddo #1) Two math books is way too much. It's hard enough for him to cope with one.

#2) Loves seeing math from as many different viewpoints as possible. She usually has one main book that she works on daily, and another one or two in the closet for referencing as needed.

#3) He's a one book kinda guy, but enjoys math games, puzzles, and such. He'll have one main book, a correlated online component (optional extra), and homework from a math competition team this year.

#4) She has been driving me nutters with boredom getting her through her book this year. She is precocious, and far more interested in prealg than arithmetic. I've been tossing extras at her to keep her engaged enough to *finish* her grade 5 book. There's important stuff in there even if she is ready for more. :p She *will* move to a more challenging book this fall because I can't keep this monkey act up for another level. She'll get the same online component and math competition team as #3.

#5) The perfectionist. She alternates between saying her math book is too boring (easy) and too hard (can't do it blindfolded). I toss a fun extra at her to throw in variety and keep her from frying.

#6) He starts his very first math book this fall. It has lots of teacher interaction time and worksheets he can run himself. That's plenty for kindergarten.

[Penelope]

Also, with bright kids, I wanted to go "deeper" in math rather than faster.

Mostly this.

 

But also to have the kids see different types of problems, and to a lesser extent, break up the monotony of what we are doing. That includes making things more interesting for me, too. I like trying new things.

 

That said, I don't think it is necessary. Possibly enriching, possibly adding interest, but not needed. I would be fine with Singapore, the CWP, and something like flashcards or xtramath to drill facts if needed.

[SparrowsNest]

 

 

Our primary program is Math Mammoth, which is a mastery program. We use Evan Moor Daily Math and Daily Word Problems as a spiral review to make sure concepts aren't forgotten. My son will be using Beast Academy next year for a different presentation and because it will make him have to think through the problems and get a deeper understanding.

 

So - 1 program to introduce and teach concepts, 1 program (okay 2) to review, and 1 program for more in-depth conceptual understanding.

This is my approach as well.

[Garga]

We did Life of Fred for fun for a couple of years. I ended up really disliking the program. I think it was a waste of time for us. Nothing was retained.

 

We had been using Math U See and people insist that it's not rigorous, so we still did Math U See, because my son loved it, but also Jousting Armadillos becaue people said you could finish it in a couple of months. I guess you could have if it was the only program, but doing it with MUS ended making for very long math lessons.

 

I do not want to double up math again if I can at all help it. We're using Lial's Algebra for the oldest this coming year and CLE for the youngest. Done.

[8circles]

because i like math and doing more math isn't torture.  all my kids don't share my love of math, but i'm modeling for them a love of & interest in math which i believe is good for them.

[BooksandBoys]

I use multiple programs to slow my boy down without boring him. He's 7.5 years old and in level 3B of Singapore (using Intensive Practice and CWP), nearly done with Miquon Green, doing Life of Fred, and starting Beast. I'd rather he do four math programs at a time than be in 7th grade math when he's 8 years old. We're a math family, and he's a very mathy kid, but I suspect his brother will not be doing four programs at the age of 7.

[Tsuga]

I want them to see different approaches and different vocabularies so they have a really strong grasp of the concepts. I don't want to slow them down, but I do want to make sure they know the basic operations and concepts inside-out and backwards before moving forward. So in addition to what they do in public school, we have used a German book, Singapore, BA, and math worksheets online. It's a number-rich environment for them so they feel fluent with a lot of different ways of approaching problems.

 

I do not think this would be a good approach for a math-shy child, at least not at first, nor would it be helpful for a child who thrives on routine (more than most, of course they all need routine to some extent) unless it's really structured.

 

I have never answered a thread like this before, so I don't mind that you didn't search. :)

[scoutingmom]

We do RightStart and it 8s working well for us, but I am thinkinb if addind Simply Charlotte Mason Business math next year, to give a practical use viewpoint to the math.

 

Sent from my SM-T530NU using Tapatalk

[SoCal_Bear]

So that we can go deeper and wider while not rushing any faster towards algebra. I have a 6yo (7 in the fall). We use SM 4A with IP and SWP and add in the following to stretch things out. Beast 3A, Zaccaro, Borac, Kitchen Table Math, Life of Fred, Hands on Equations, Fan Math Express Math Strategies and CTC's Balance Benders. It looked crazy when I write it out, but I really like how the different resources bring out a different aspect.

[Hunter]

See, people love this topic! :lol:

[Soror]

I only used one RS with ds at the beginning but then RS no longer fit and I've tried in vain to find one program that did. BA is great but it is mastery and lacking in review. I tried CLE last year hoping it would work by the good reviews here but it was too easy and Horizons is too busy with too much review and incremental. So, as of right now we are doing MM to give us some more practice(we're also using it more in a spiral way than mastery to keep everything fresher), BA to go deeper and more challenging and a bit of CLE for some review. My daughters are each just using 1 program as of now because that is working for them, dd1 is using Horizons(perfect fit for her) and dd2 is doing MiF (also a perfect fit for her).

[luuknam]

I know what I want to accomplish for each grade level. I'm feeling pretty flexible about what I'm willing to use to meet those goals. So it's Ray's and whatever is handy.

 

This, minus Ray's and minus "for each grade level". Though the only actual curriculum I own is LOF, which I mostly have for fun rather than for math. But in afterschooling math with C (who was a few grade levels above his grade when I was doing that, so he wasn't really learning any math in school at the time) and in dealing with B I've just combined various things to just "make it work". Several different apps on my phone, a few workbooks, Khan Academy, the MathStart books, BrainPOP, some random stuff I made up like adding up both sides of a domino when playing dominoes, etc. Math is pretty pervasive here, not limited to just one book.

 

I guess I'm more curious why you'd limit math to just one curriculum rather than have math be as pervasive as reading and writing.

[El...]

I love this topic.  :)

 

I felt less-than-competent in math as a homeschooled student, so I am determined that my kids will have all the math they need.  

 

We started out with Miquon in preschool and took it all the way to the present.  We LOVE Miquon.  DD calls it "the fun math".  I love how they lead the student into understanding, taking a step at a time, and how deeply tactile it all is.  Somebody on the boards mentioned that they use the lab sheets in any order, letting the child choose - but then you'd lose that step-by-step development! 

 

I think DD has a very solid grip on what numbers mean, especially regarding place value.  Also, it is fun to teach her things like prime numbers at a young age in such a simple, approachable way.  Miquon is math poetry.  :001_wub:  Ahem.

 

However, there are only 3 years of Miquon!  Also, I don't make DD memorize math facts; I find that she internalizes them on her own, with a better grip on them because of figuring them out each time, if she just works them out repeatedly (apologies to the Poll-parrot passage in WTM).  Miquon isn't quite enough repetition for that.

 

So we also use Singapore.  We added that in first grade, after 2 slow years of Miquon.  I feel very secure with Singapore that it will cover all grade-level concepts.  It has lots of review and builds on itself very well.  We will continue it through 6th grade.

 

And then there is Beast Academy!  I can't let us miss something so awesome!  I want both kids to be people who persevere against hard problems.  I don't think that is a personality issue, but rather a matter of mindset and practice, and am going to use BA to teach that.  It is truly fun math, and it happens that BA3 is ready now as we are wrapping up Miquon!  So we'll be doing BA from 3rd to 6th.  I'm working all the BA problems myself in advance in the evenings, and I'm learning some things myself.

 

We do math for up to 1.5 hours a day, or until DD loses her focus and slows down.  We school year-round, and do math daily even if we do nothing else, so we are doing Miquon in the summer and alternating the other two during the rest of the year. 

 

DD believes she is good at math.  She only cries over it about once a month.  She glows when she conquers something.  It's working.

[umsami]

For most of my kids, I haven't except for when they get of the age to do Beast Academy.  I just really like it.  It's a wonderful novel way of teaching (to me) and even I learned some things from it (and I did well in math...all As....through Calculus.)

 

Now that my eldest is in 6th grade, we're probably looking at Jousting Armadillos for either later this year or early next...although I'm not sure.  I think, though, we'll complete Math Mammoth first.

 

I also use Right Start card games from time to time.  I have the cards from way back when....and some of them are a really good way to reinforce facts and such (plus the kids like them.)

[Reefgazer]

For us, in our first few years of homeschooling, it was a way for me to feel out my kids and see what worked best for them.  I have managed to narrow down what was best for DD this way, and I am working on DS now (so DS will be suing two curricula this fall).  In addition, I think that no (or few) math program is perfect and so many people feel a few programs cover their bases more than just one.  I don't think it is possible to find a "perfect math program" that meets all needs, just like there are no perfect houses - they all have pluses and minuses.  SO a program that falls short is not necessarily worth ditching if it meets most needs.

[kathkath]

We do cle and beast. Cle gives the procedures and practice; beast provides the inspiration, problem solving and challenge. My kids score exceptionally high in math as a result.

[YsgolYGair]

I use BJU with A Beka. BJU is fun, a bit Singaporean, and conceptual. A Beka emphasizes memorizing math facts and other important information. 

 

Last year I used a conceptual program (MEP) and A Beka together, and things were fine except my son asked for color. This year, I had dropped A Beka in favour of just BJU since he loved it so much. Just recently, about a quarter of the year in, I noticed he was just losing it when it came to math facts, even though we do still work on them pretty consistently. His recall had become poor, and if he could remember them, it took forever, compared to quick, easy recall last year. So, to me it became obvious, A Beka has its uses after all, so we'll be finishing some lessons we have left from last year and buying the whole set of A Beka math 2 for this year. Live and learn!

Edited November 10, 2016 by YsgolYGair

[EmilyGF]

SWB recommends using more than one math curriculum in TWTM.

 

She suggests using one as your main math and then using at least the tests of a second curriculum to make sure your child is learning math and not just figuring out how to beat the system.

For us, we used RightStart from K-3ish with Singapore Intensive Practice beginning in second grade. This provided practice and reinforcement while making sure they were actually understanding what was going on.

 

Emily

[AimeeM]

Because sometimes I like a program that just has one weakness.

For example, my boys use Miquon as their primary, core math program. But it's missing some pretty standard kindergarten things like fact memorization, coins, skip counting. So, I use CLE's flashcard system for facts and I glance through the What Your ----- Grader Needs to Know to make sure that I'm filling any gaps. Miquon is amazing, though, so I'm not willing to trade it in favor of something more comprehensive...

 

Which leads me to my oldest who is using CLE's algebra 1 as her primary, core math right now. It's great for her, but lacking in word problems, so I use supplemental books there. There are programs that would be better and that have everything she NEEDS (like AOPS), but there's generally a reason why that "great in every way" isn't a great fit for her. In the case of AOPS, she is dyslexic and it's simply too wordy for her, so even if is great in every way, the struggle for her to read the text would take away from the math.

[Hunter]

I tend to use more than one math, when I am at either end of the spectrum. When I've been over the top STEM focused, and when I'm in a super relaxed math mode.

 

When I'm middle of the road, I tend to just do Saxon or something like that. Open the book, do the next thing, repeat.

 

I'm in super relaxed math mode right now. Big whatever, as long as students are mentally healthy, moving their bodies, reading and journaling, its all good.

 

Yes, a little math is good. Especially Waldorf style with some notebook/journaling. I just can't get worked up about math right now, any more than if they are getting the commas in the right places. One hour of explicit textbook instruction of something is enough for us right now. Maybe it'll be math. Maybe it won't, and will be a pesky lesson on commas instead.

[Hunter]

Double post

[AdventuresinHomeschooling]

I started thinking the same as you, and it would be my preference to stick with one math.  For the most part, we do.  But my son LOVES LOF.  I don't feel it is strong enough, so I buy it as a fun thing on the side.  

 

There are several programs that have different strengths and weaknesses.  I needed a spiral program that emphasized math fact memorization with colorful worksheets and chose our spine based on this.  But some of those programs are not as strong in understanding the concept in multiple ways or having challenging word problems.  So I add games or challenging word problems from another math program on occasion.  I'd eventually like to transition to more Beast Academy level thinking, so we are easing into it.

 

I think with most people who use more than one, they have a main spine.  But they may draw from other parts to make their chosen curriculum even stronger.  In my mind, the curriculum is not the teacher, I am.  I think adding and supplementing is different than curriculum hopping, which I would discourage due to a disjointed scope and sequence.  I have one main scope and sequence and pull from all materials necessary to teach the concept thoroughly.