Math Pairings

[AggieMama]

Currently I'm using Saxon Math 1 and Singapore Math 1A. Most of this is review for DD as she has self-taught herself a lot. I don't use a lot of the meeting stuff with Saxon, as we are afterschoolers. I just started using Singapore and I like the program and I am going to keep using it as I want to work up to Beast Academy and AoPS. I want DD to have a solid math background and mastery of subject matter because mastery is not important at her school as they rush through material to cover it for state testing (that's another subject, I would homeschool if I could afford to stay home). I am looking at R&S and wondering if it would be good and more economical than Saxon when I move up to grade 2 level in June? I understand that DD is young and she may not need two curriculums in addition to her B&M school, but she thrives on learning new things and needs to stay busy to stay out of trouble. DD has plenty of time to be a kid playing with her sister and others, as well as extra curricular activities. Please don't judge I would like an honest opinion as to whether or not I should look further into switching to R&S from Saxon for my fast moving child.

[SilverMoon]

If by economical you mean less expensive, yes, R&S is less expensive than Saxon. I'm doubtful of it fitting your situation any better than Saxon though. The early years of R&S are very gentle and behind other curricula. By grade 4 or so it's caught back up to the average coverage. Have you looked at samples? The 2 book will cover facts up to 20, skip counting, fractions, clocks, and such.

 

I assume by "fast moving child" and grade 1 of Saxon and Singapore behing mostly review this is a kid who takes to math easily and understands it well. If that is the case, as much as I really, really like the simplicity and thoroughness of R&S math, my mathy kids outpaced it. Only the first two grades have workbooks. My strong math students got so far ahead in R&S that their little hands couldn't keep up with the maturity expectations of the textbooks they needed. When I got to the point of an 8yo who'd need the grade 6 textbook, which is very developmentally appropriate for an 11-12yo, I started shopping for a workbook course.

 

If you don't mind a spiral approach, Horizons absolutely built mastery in my kids. This is the workbook my mathy kids moved to from R&S. They were rock solid in their basics, and had the foundation they needed for more challenge in AoPS, MOEMS, and such. My 7yo with a fire and ice personality uses Horizons and Math in Focus. (I make no attempt to line them up; she goes back and forth between them as she gets irritated with one for whatever reason.)

[mathmarm]

Well, you could do the full Singapore PM program at home since you like that one and feel it offers solid prep for Beast Academy. Get the Singapore PM HIGs and you can figure out how best to conduct the 3 stage lessons and then decide which "add ons" you want. You could do TB and WB 4 days a week, and CWP (or FAN Process Skills) and IP 3 days a week.

 

I don't use Saxon K-3, but based on my reading,  the math meeting is a favored and critical part of the program and I really like the idea of it so I have adapted the idea of the math meeting and we do something similar to it here. We do a lot of living math, and math play and we're going to begin using Miquon soon. I think that doing Singapore PM and Saxon 1-3 will give your little one the best of both worlds as far as a math education is concerned--the hands on fun and exploration with the manipulative, the cumulative review and incremental instruction means it can be fun and fast for you guys to do Saxon in the evenings. While Singapore PM will give her the chance to sink her teeth into each topic and really master it and to stretch her problem solving skills.

 

If you have a little one that learns well with the manipulatives, then I vote that you keep using Saxon as opposed to switching for her, because otherwise she'll be doing 2-3 math programs--all of them work book based. (Or, if you have the HIG for Singapore, you need to take the time to do the concrete presentation of the lesson and you can drop Saxon if you really don't want to keep going with it.)

 

Best of luck! :)

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

Well, you could do the full Singapore PM program at home since you like that one and feel it offers solid prep for Beast Academy. Get the Singapore PM HIGs and you can figure out how best to conduct the 3 stage lessons and then decide which "add ons" you want. You could do TB and WB 4 days a week, and CWP (or FAN Process Skills) and IP 3 days a week.

 

I don't use Saxon K-3, but based on my reading,  the math meeting is a favored and critical part of the program and I really like the idea of it so I have adapted the idea of the math meeting and we do something similar to it here. We do a lot of living math, and math play and we're going to begin using Miquon soon. I think that doing Singapore PM and Saxon 1-3 will give your little one the best of both worlds as far as a math education is concerned--the hands on fun and exploration with the manipulative, the cumulative review and incremental instruction means it can be fun and fast for you guys to do Saxon in the evenings. While Singapore PM will give her the chance to sink her teeth into each topic and really master it and to stretch her problem solving skills.

 

If you have a little one that learns well with the manipulatives, then I vote that you keep using Saxon as opposed to switching for her, because otherwise she'll be doing 2-3 math programs--all of them work book based. (Or, if you have the HIG for Singapore, you need to take the time to do the concrete presentation of the lesson and you can drop Saxon if you really don't want to keep going with it.)

 

Best of luck! :)

 

I agree with this.  I would flesh out SM with the Challenging Word Problems books before adding in another program.  

 

If you are looking for more economical than SM, I would suggest Math Mammoth and still adding in the SM CWP.   

[MrsWeasley]

I would not change your math curriculum this year if it's working for your kid. Wait to change to Beast in third.

[debi21]

It sounds like you don't want to drop Singapore, you want "more" to keep her busy, and your main reason for wanting to switch Saxon is cost. Why not then supplement Singapore with free materials if you need to supplement more? I don't see why you would necessarily prefer a third (Singapore plus P.S.'s) complete curriculum. As far as resources, MEP comes to mind. I think there are some free out of copyright old math texts you could consider too. At this age group there are also millions of free addition/subtraction and similar worksheets. Khan Academy is an option, as is the free 20 questions/day from IXL. Other computer options, like Prodigy or Xtra Math are possible. Or, I like mathmarm's idea about having something more manipulative focused to contrast to workbooky style. If you buy (or have bought for Miquon) c-rods you could work on all the Education Unboxed material. Buy pattern tiles or tangrams and let her explore on her own with those - you can find free pattern tile printouts. If you have an iPad I also like a lot of the relatively cheap apps as a supplement - definitely some cool ones. Look up the list of living math books and use your library is another option for free math.