Who uses 2 different curriculum for math

[Amber in AUS]

I have noticed in a few peoples sigs that they are using more than 1 math curriculum for the one child and wondering why?

 

Are you using 2?

Which ones?

Why?

 

Thanks

[Arch at Home]

We use Miquon and Singapore. We generally use each program until we hit a mental block on a concept and then switch. I find that the variety and repetition of concepts from a different approach very beneficial.

[arcara]

We supplement Saxon with Singapore's Challenging Word Problems. This helps round out Saxon's program with more problems which require more thought.

[fractalgal]

I have noticed in a few peoples sigs that they are using more than 1 math curriculum for the one child and wondering why?

 

Are you using 2?

Which ones?

Why?

 

Thanks

 

My two favorites, and I use both for each of my children, are Saxon and Singapore.

 

Saxon is great at drill. It also is very good at teaching pattern recognition, which becomes very important as you progress with math. It also is productive at reinforcing what has been learned in previous chapters (which may or may not always be necessary depending on the child.)

 

Singapore is very good at presenting concepts, mental math, and word problems. I like the bar graph model that Singapore uses, and I make my kids sketch the bar graph even when they are able to solve the problem without needing to draw it. It helps to reduce the number of errors.

 

Pictures or "seeing" math is important when attempting to solve complex math problems, so I also use a wide variety of manipulatives; and I encourage the drawing of pictures, especially on two or more step word problems.

 

Using more than one math curriculum can be more work for the parent, however it also keeps math interesting and presents it from different angles which is very beneficial. ;)

[Ummto4]

I use Right Start B and Math Mammoth Light Blue grade I for my son. I use both to help my son solidifying math concepts.

 

E.g. When we did place value, we used RS B manipulative first. But he had difficulties in answering: 30+ 6 = ... So we used MM to solidify this concept. MM is a bit like Singapore but it has more practice and is cheaper in the long run.

 

In our homeschool, Math Mammoth is invaluable in making my son understand the concept taught in Right Start B.

RIght Start B moves from manipulative to abstract (worksheet). But a lot of times, my son is not ready to move that way. So I add Math Mammoth which is great to nmake him move from manipulative (RS) to pictorial (MM) to abstract (MM and RS). In addition, MM has lists of online game and other games (card games, hands-on math) to solidify a concept. So I often use them for variety.

 

In short, they both complement each other very beautifully.

[Mommyfaithe]

BUT....welp...

We are using Life of Fred to introduce topics and BJU math as practice for those problems. I use Fred as our main book and then look though the BJU text and pick out problems she needs work or drill on. It is working out great.

~~Faithe

[oliveview]

We use two, Singapore and Saxon.

 

We use one at a time. We work in one until we need a break or when we hit a wall as somone else said. When we do Saxon, we do the entire meeting, the quiz, and both sides of the workheet. When we do Singapore we use the textbook, the workbook, and the Intensive Practice book.

 

My boys are together in Saxon 3, but are at their own levels in Singapore. Each program has it's own strengths and it amazes me how well they work together.

 

As for why, I think it really does help them to think about math in a "fuller" way. They seem to reallly be able to understand math. When they are presented with math situations in real life they handle them way above where I would think. I think this stems from them learning how to really "think" about math.

[Mesa]

We are using Saxon and MUS, then on a whim I also bought Singapores challenging word problems. We dont do MUS everyday, we just watch the lesson 1-2 times a week and apply what we learn to our Saxon math. The Singapore I'm planning on working on twice a week or so.

Next year I'm going to try Singapores text and workbook instead of MUS.

[bigdogs29906]

Yes, Singapore & Miquon.

 

Why? This is just what works. I like the approach of each of these and by using two different "maths" we don't get bogged down looking at the same thing everyday. I think these two programs compliment eachother nicely.

[Narrow Gate Academy]

We use Singapore and Miquon here K-3. I like the concept presentation and mental math components of Singapore and the hands on aspects of Miquon. The overlap in topics provides the review and extra practice my kids have needed to develop a firm math base. HTH

[Sunshine State Sue]

We used MUS alone for several years. Around 4th grade, we added Singapore's CWP because MUS is weak in word problems. I would have added them earlier had I known about them earlier.

 

This year, we are using MUS Algebra and LoF Algebra. Why? MUS Algebra is not so challenging. I had heard a lot about LoF and was curious and it's inexpensive.

 

FWIW, I have a degree in math and ds is math-oriented. If one or the other of us didn't lean towards math, we probably wouldn't do 2.

[Stacia]

For my 5th grader, we are using MUS (Epsilon/Fractions) and Life of Fred Fractions.

 

MUS is fine & working well. But, I was curious about LoF & ordered it. My dd loves it & begs to do it. She likes MUS fine, but actually asks/wants to do math w/ LoF. I think LoF gives more 'real life' examples as practice to what we're already learning in MUS. So, I think of it as just additional practice, hearing problems worded slightly differently, seeing it applied to 'real life' scenarios. Even my 2nd grader loves listening to the LoF 'story' (though he's not doing those type of problems yet).

 

Why two programs? Why not? I think math (understanding & ability to do) is a very important skill that too many adults don't have & which you need every day of your life. The better foundation we can build, the better off my child will be when living life.

[elegantlion]

We are using Singapore and LOF Fractions. I love Singapore and felt no real need to supplement it, but LOF is just fun. It's an alternate way for ds to approach math and really cements the ideas he has learned in Singapore.

[Karen in CO]

I have used as many as five at one time and as few as NONE.

I do it to meet my dd where she is and move her through the concepts to where she needs to be.

 

Right now I am using Math Mammoth and Singapore including IP, CWP , workbook and text book. When we hit a subject in Singapore that needs more practice or a different presentation, we switch over to MM until it is easy then switch back. MM is a great complement for Singapore. Right now.

 

I have learned that no math program is perfect, but elementary math is easy. It isn't rocket science. There is a finite set of operations that must be mastered without frustrating the child, and they progress in a logical fashion. It doesn't really matter what you use as long as you teach the concepts and the child learns them. Throw in some great, challenging word problems, and you are golden until Algebra.

[Amber in AUS]

Thanks for your responses. It has made me think more about what i want in our math area and where we want to go with it for the future. Looks like math is the same as everything else 'variety is the spice of life'.

[langfam]

We used to use Saxon and Singapore, but now use Horizons and Singapore. Horizons is more challenging than Saxon and has the just the right amount of drill.

[siloam]

Amber,

 

I use both Right Start and Singapore. Singapore is my favorite. I love the base 10 and problem solving both in word problems and bar graphs. But my kids are pretty kinsethetic, so adding Right Start was a great fit. RS is a much stronger program at the Pre-K, K and 1st grade level than Singapore, it also has the same base 10 approach and probably edges Singapore out a little bit on teaching concepts.

 

The other factor is that we hs year around, so we have more time than most.

 

Heather

[Sahamamama]

Horizons Math K -- for the sequencing/spiraling of concepts and the ease of a workbook approach (at least that's what I think it'll be, we're just starting)

 

Hands-On Standards with manipulatives -- for the hands-on work

[Jumping In Puddles]

I am just using RightStart A for the moment and it is way more rigorous then I ever expected K math to be! Maybe next year we'll add Math Mammoth or Singapore but I do like to keep an eye on threads like this. :)

[LanaTron]

I use Singapore math. Ds does great with only this. Dd, OTOH,...well, she struggled with basic addition and subtraction with Singapore. I switched her to R&S, which did help her learn the addition facts, but by the end of R&S 2 she was begging to go back to Singapore. I started her in the beginning again, and she did really well. Until Singapore taught the mulitplication facts. She just didn't get them down very well. SO, I switched her to MUS Gamma (which focuses on multip.), and she is doing very well, but she is bored with it and asking me once again to go back to Singapore. So, I'm having her do both. She does two pages in MUS and one lesson in Singapore daily.

 

I just ordered both Life of Fred Fractions and Decimals & Percents for my ds. I just want to make sure he has those concepts down well before he goes into algebra, probably next year.

 

So far, my younger dd an ds don't need two math programs. Thank goodness!!

 

But let me add that I don't think two programs are necessary. It just depends on the child and the parent's expectations.

[Linda...inOwasso]

We use 2 complete math programs:

 

Dd8 does Horizons 3 and Singapore 3a. Dd5 does RightStart B and Singapore 1a. Math is a very important subject for us. Considering how low the U.S. standards are in regards to mathematics.... I don't feel comfortable with merely meeting them. So, my hope is to exceed them by placing a strong emphasis on math in our schedule.

[AnointedHsMom]

Right now I am using 2 math curriculums. We use Singapore and BJU. I will continue to do both through this year and then might just go to only Singapore but right now I LOVE both of these.

[Amber in AUS]

Linda, i'd love to know why you use Horizons with one and RightStart with the other.

[Lori in MS]

I am using MUS and Singapore. I love the way MUS teaches math facts and fractions. The explanations are great. We use Singapore for the mental math, the bar diagrams, and complex word problems.

[Linda...inOwasso]

Sure Amber,

 

For my dd5 I like the RightStart/Singapore combo. I believe RS lays a strong foundation without a lot of writing and I enjoy the hands on/teacher intensive aspect of it. Singapore is the best program I've seen for developing mental math skills. It doesn't include an excessive amount of writing either and dd5 likes it so it's a keeper.

 

I've used Singapore with my older dd from the beginning. I didn't know about RS then, or I would definitely have used it as well. Dd8 has used a Singapore/Horizons combo from the beginning and it's perfect. Again, I like the mental strategies & concept explanations that Singapore provides and I find Horizons to be a strong, overall math curricula.

 

When dd5 completes RS B, she will begin a Horizons 1 & Singapore combo as well. I ordered Horizons K, but didn't feel like it would do as good a job of providing the "understanding math" foundation I was looking for so went with RS instead.

 

FWIW, I believe Horizons is a stand-alone math curricula. Dd8 is in 3rd grade, and Horizons has covered time, days of the week, shapes, money, Roman numerals, measurements, etc... very well. Singapore has covered a few of these topics, but to a much more limited degree than Horizons.

 

It's late, so I hope I've made sense. If not, shoot me a PM and I'll try to do a better job of explaining my insanity. :)

[Crimson Wife]

I'm using Right Start C plus the Spectrum Grade 2 Math workbook. I really like RS but some days I need a math option that's not so teacher-intensive. Also, I want to make sure that my DD will have seen everything that will be on standardized tests since my DH periodically brings up wanting her to take one (they are optional in our state so it'd just be for our own reference).

[dragons in the flower bed]

Are you using 2?

Which ones?

Why?

 

I have combined (not all at once for the same child) Miquon Math Labs, Math-It, Singapore Primary and Earlybird series, LivingMath.net, Life of Fred, Teaching Textbooks, and Time4Learning.com. We benefit from all of these and will continue to use them in various constellations.

 

When we want to raise readers, we're instructed to flood their environment with literature and words in general. We talk to them more, read to them more, put shelves of books in every room, and expose them to many different books. On a daily basis a young child in a literate home will encounter adventure novel read-alouds, easy readers, picture books, poetry and devotional texts. As a result, words and books become part of the world they live in, and the children learn to have relationships with them.

 

I'm hoping for the same experience with math. I want to have conversations about math, play math games, point out the ways that math is present in our lives outside the textbooks, and see that different mathematicians approach the same problem with alternative methods and perspectives. I want them to play around with math, experiment, get messy, so that they develop a relationship with numbers. Two of my children fancy themselves scientists. To succeed in that field, they'll need to not just be able to do math, but understand it. Looking at each concept from many angles will, I hope, solidify that understanding.

 

I would no more use just one math text than I would use just one series of literature textbooks. There's just such a wealth of math out there! Why stick with the canned once-a-day diet?

[mcconnellboys]

I use Singapore because I like the way it teaches kids to think mathematically. It does not include a lot of drill in the basics, however, and I've used MUS last year and this to help me cover that thoroughly (multiplication and division). Next year, I'll use some of the Singapore extra practice workbooks and Key to.... series books to help drill on whatever I think needs more work.

 

This year, I've also printed off some order of operation worksheets I've found online because my son loves doing this and wants more!

[Stacia]

I have combined (not all at once for the same child) Miquon Math Labs, Math-It, Singapore Primary and Earlybird series, LivingMath.net, Life of Fred, Teaching Textbooks, and Time4Learning.com. We benefit from all of these and will continue to use them in various constellations.

 

When we want to raise readers, we're instructed to flood their environment with literature and words in general. We talk to them more, read to them more, put shelves of books in every room, and expose them to many different books. On a daily basis a young child in a literate home will encounter adventure novel read-alouds, easy readers, picture books, poetry and devotional texts. As a result, words and books become part of the world they live in, and the children learn to have relationships with them.

 

I'm hoping for the same experience with math. I want to have conversations about math, play math games, point out the ways that math is present in our lives outside the textbooks, and see that different mathematicians approach the same problem with alternative methods and perspectives. I want them to play around with math, experiment, get messy, so that they develop a relationship with numbers. Two of my children fancy themselves scientists. To succeed in that field, they'll need to not just be able to do math, but understand it. Looking at each concept from many angles will, I hope, solidify that understanding.

 

I would no more use just one math text than I would use just one series of literature textbooks. There's just such a wealth of math out there! Why stick with the canned once-a-day diet?

 

Wow. Excellent post.

[Amber in AUS]

Dragons in the flower bed - THANKYOU!! Thankyou so much for your post. You hit the nail on the head. This is what i want for my kids. I was talking with DH briefly last night about multi text approach when the kids are bigger and he was like 'why?' all i could say is 'because variety is good'. You have answered that for me so very well.

 

I LOVE math although i am not excellent at it. I have lots of bad habbits, skip counting to multiply is just one. I want my kids to love math too and be just as knowledgable about math as i know they will be in other areas.

[gardening momma]

Linda, i'd love to know why you use Horizons with one and RightStart with the other.

Before I read Linda's answer, my first thought was maybe learning styles. So far, we're just using Right Start Level A, but I made that decision based on reading about learning styles here: http://www.successful-homeschooling.com/learning-styles.html Dd5 is so kinesthetic/auditory! Reading this article, if I didn't know better, I'd think those portions were talking about her specifically. Right Start fits her style so well. I was going to get Singapore math until I read this learning styles article.

[lovemyboys]

We supplement Saxon with Singapore's Challenging Word Problems. This helps round out Saxon's program with more problems which require more thought.

 

We use Saxon and Singapore. I often do a Singapore lesson at the end of the week, with Saxon for the other days, like a mental math Friday. :001_smile:

 

I'm getting the Challenging Word Problems for ds2 and might use it for ds1 if it looks like a good fit. Ds2 will enjoy the extra challenge.

[lovemyboys]

We benefit from all of these and will continue to use them in various constellations.

 

When we want to raise readers, we're instructed to flood their environment with literature and words in general.

 

I'm hoping for the same experience with math. I want to have conversations about math, play math games, point out the ways that math is present in our lives outside the textbooks, and see that different mathematicians approach the same problem with alternative methods and perspectives.

 

Excellent perspective! Can I ask the ages of your dc?

[dragons in the flower bed]

Dragons in the flower bed - THANKYOU!! Thank you so much for your post. You hit the nail on the head.

 

Wow. Excellent post.

 

 

:blushing: Thank you for saying so.

 

Amber, I'm not very good at math, so this philosophy is just a guess at what the kids need to succeed.

[dragons in the flower bed]

Excellent perspective! Can I ask the ages of your dc?

 

Sure. I need to add that stuff to my siggy, don't I? I haven't yet because it's excessively complicated: The 22yo was homeschooled just for a short while and is now in college, planning to go on to get his Master's at SUNY IT. The 11yo was homeschooled WTMishly from age seven and has just last month returned to public school, sixth grade. The littles are 3, 5, and 8, and have always been homeschooled. The 8yo is in Singapore 3B, Life of Fred Fractions, and T4L 4th grade at the moment.

 

Forgot to mention the Key to series from Key Curriculum Press, which we have also used, and liked.

[Amber in AUS]

Would i be right in thinking that some of you -

 

a) Use 2 or more complete math programs and use teaching methods from each program as it suits your dc

 

b) Use 1 main program for the teaching side and use additional workbooks from the other program as 'practice'

 

So then, if you are using Singapore and something else are you using Singapore as your main teaching text?

[dragons in the flower bed]

So then, if you are using Singapore and something else are you using Singapore as your main teaching text?

 

Umm, no, not exactly. My current third grader does Singapore Math and Time4Learning equally thoroughly. I would say that my fifth grader, last year, did Life of Fred just as thoroughly as Teaching Textbooks. I do take teaching ideas from LivingMath as they suit the kids', but in a way that is more true to LivingMath's plan than to where my kids are in their other math programs.

[sagira]

Thanks, dragons in the flowerbed. I like your posts too. We're not very math-oriented here, so it's something to think about.

 

For my part, ds is doing K, and we're using MCP Math K and reading Living Math books. I consider one the main part of math (MCP) and Living Math the inspiring part. He understands concepts better too, if approached from different angles.

 

Next year we'll be doing MCP Math Level A on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and Miquon Math on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Every day we'll be doing a Calculadder drill. I'll try to keep a Living Math book going, in a very relaxed fashion, to keep interest and motivation high. I notice the Living Math books also really solidify that math is used in our daily lives.

[LG Gone Wild]

We use Professor B and Horizons and sometimes MUS.

 

ProfB is brilliant but kids like the colorful worksheets of Horizons. One is mastery approach and the other is spiral. I switch it up just to switch up and get around mental blocks.

[Amber in AUS]

Thanks for all your responses. Much appreciated!!

[mamato4girls]

We use R & S for 2nd grade, and supplement a lot. I am not as thrilled with their Math for 2nd, as I am for 6th. My other 2 girls use just R & S and just TT Math.