How many math products do you use?

[Trivium Academy]

I'm researching...

[Pink Fairy]

We bought something new this year at Rainbow Resource that I really like.

 

Arithmasticks

 

We use so many manipulatives and several different math programs, so I'd have to guess that for 4 children we've got about 10 or so things plus manipulatives.

[Kfamily]

We love Rod and Staff for older dd 11 and supplement with Singapore.

 

We use Singapore with dd5 but I have R&S grade 1 if we hit a wall in Singapore (so far so good). Rod and Staff has a great teacher's manual, really love the mental math and it steps up the problems incrementally (perfect for personality of dd 11) and has plenty of review built into it. It is thorough without being overwhelming.

 

HTH:001_smile:

[suzf242]

We teach dd6 the basic concepts orally and informally. She enjoys doing the Rod & Staff workbooks, so we have her do a lesson a day for review/practice. We also do a lot of oral, informal drill.

 

Suzanne

[ELaurie]

Professor B Math :001_smile:

[Murphy101]

MCP

Saxon 5/4

Life of Fred

Key to Series

 

I also have

Seton Mathematics FYC

Jacobs Geometry

Saxon 6/5

[~Sunny~]

We are just using Abeka K5.

[sagira]

As far as curriculum materials, two. I'm using MCP Math and supplement with Living Math books by subject to expound on the concepts he's working on in his workbook.

 

I'll use manipulatives once in a while, not as often as I should or thought I would. I'm not a very hands-on person, so it's been a bit difficult for me to use the manipulatives consistently. I think I'm going to finally start using the Cuisenaire rods when we do Miquon next year! :tongue_smilie:

[Woodland_Mom]

We use Horizons Math as our curriculum. We use lots of manipulatives (kit sold by Saxon for grades K-3) and some math games too.

 

 

• Math Bingo
  
• Math "Flash" card Game
  
• Uno games using math facts
  
• Dice math games
  
• Judy Clock
  
• Money and Cash Register to play store
  

 

I also bought a "Math Facts Times Tables" resource from Classical Conversations. My 3rd grader studies it a few times a week to aid in memorization.

[Linda...inOwasso]

Horizons 3 and Singapore 3 US Standards edition (textbook, workbook).

 

I wouldn't give up on Horizons yet Jess, unless you just can't stand it. Your dd is a young 3rd grader (as is mine) and I would just go slower if possible.

 

Peace with your search!

[Emmy]

We use:

 

Math U See (primary program)

Math Worksheet factory (I use to make review sheets for the oldest 2 boys, they complete a review sheet probably 3-4 times a week)

Singapore math (supplement because MUS doesn't take all year, particularly for my mathy 2nd son)

 

Math "extras" we use are:

 

various games (sum swamp, monopoly, trionimoes, etc)

Timez Attack (computer game to teach times tables)

Rainbow Rock (Singapore math computer game)

Math Blaster (for drill)

That math drill thingy Sonlight sells that I can't remember the name of (blush)

 

BTW Jessica - I spent quite a bit of time checking out Math on the Level today after seeing your various posts and I have to say - I can see the appeal. It really struck me that it might be a better fit for my 2nd son than completing the 2 programs since we could work at his own pace more easily. I swear everytime I open a post from you, I find a new book or curriculum I want to buy! :tongue_smilie:

[arcara]

Saxon 1 with Manipulates kit

Saxon 6/5 and Singapore's CWP

[Trivium Academy]

lol, sorry!

[Ummto4]

Right Start B + Math Mammoth Light Blue grade 1 (mastery, similar to S-pore conceptually - for grade 1 at least - but it provides many practice + cheap). I find this combination super because it really solidify my son's math:

- RS B: used for presenting ideas (using a variety of manipulative) + for informal drill (card games).

- Math Mammoth: cementing the concept by using pictorial --> abstract approach.

My son didn't do well with RS only because the gap from manipulative --> abstract is too huge. After using MM along with RS, he improves a lot.

 

For my preK daughter: S-pore Early Bird + Power MAth K (also from S-pore).

[siloam]

I'm researching...

 

 

Currently using:

 

Right Start (with manipulatives)

Singapore (with Intensive Practice, Word and Home Instructor Guides)

Other misc manipulatives.

 

I plan to use for upper level math:

 

Singapore NEM

Life of Fred

 

Enrichment for me which I own now:

 

Elementary Mathematics for Teachers by Parker and Baldridge

A Handbook for Mathematics Teachers in Primary Schools by Haut and Haut

 

Planning to buy:

 

Knowing and Teaching Elem Math by Liping Ma

Elementary Geometry for Teachers

A Handbook for Mathematics for Teachers in Secondary Schools

Foerster's texts (for the two column proofs)

Algebra by Gelfand and Shen

 

But math is probably the driving subject in our hs. I am a math nut and my oldest wants to going into a science filed, which will require lots of math.

 

Heather

[dkt320]

Hi Jessica,

We are struggling with Horizons Math 3 and now looking into Making Math Meaningful. I am also looking for Living Math books as well, and after reading this thread, am going to try and incorporate more hands on and games to our math time.

[Trivium Academy]

I'm pretty sure we need a mastery approach instead of spiral. We're continuing with Horizons until a new curriculum is decided upon, and we're adding games (board, card and online).

 

On my short list:

- Math on the Level

- Math U See (I finally get it!)

- Moving With Math (samples on their way)

[elegantlion]

We use Singapore PM, supplemented with Singapore CWP and LOF Fractions.

[Hopewell]

Rod & Staff 4 right now [daughter is just out of public school and hopelessly lost from bizarre fuzzy math] and Miquon to help with fractions right now. When we homeschooled a few years ago Rod & Staff was all we needed.

[Pongo]

5th grader- NEM spine, LOF supplement, drill alternate between Flashmaster, Calculadders and Math Shark

( Left-brained, workbookie, sequential thinker,visual learner)

 

3rd grader- BJU spine, MUS supplement, drills alternate between Flashmaster, Calculadder and Mastering Mathematics

(Left-brained, minimal work, abstract thinker, hands-on learner)

 

 

1st grader- MUS spine, BJU supplement, drills using Mastering Mathematics

(Right-brained,easily distracted, global thinker, hands-on learner)

 

I have had great results with what I am using so far, good luck!

[sweetbaby]

Hi Jessica,

We are switching from Rod & Staff Math to Math U See so we will be using:

 

Math U See Delta

It's Elementary:275 Word Problems by EPS (for extra word problem fun)

Family Math for our math lab

 

We were looking at some of the same math programs but dh and I finally settled on MUS. I love that it is mastery but also skill based, hands-on and comes with an instructional DVD so that I can learn the WHY and HOW right along with my dc.:D I love the look of MOTL also. It's a little pricey but worth considering since you don't have to buy another program. I love the fact that you could control the scope and sequence but I don't think I can devote myself to it to be honest. It appears to take a little bit of prep on my part and in reality, I know that it wasn't happening esp. with five dc and one being a toddler. :svengo:

[Paula in PA]

We're using RightStart Math for our main program. We use Evan-Moor's Daily Word Problems (1 week's worth) and Primary Grade Challenge Math (1 chapter) on Fridays. We also play a lot of the RS games weekly plus a few other mathy games as a family.

[abbeyej]

Lots! :) Ds has done Horizons (1-6) and Singapore Primary (from 2b) including Intensive Practice and Challenging Word Problems (still finishing up some of the higher levels of those). This year we're doing Keys To... Algebra and Geometry along with some basic supplements reviewing conversion of percents/decimals/fractions back and forth and working with those.

 

We've supplemented along the way with Zaccaro's Challenge Math, Number Devil (book and software), Math Olympiad, Penrose the Mathematical Cat, Right Start Card Games, Muggins game, Cinq-O, etc...

 

And lots of basic drill practice.

 

Horizons really has been our "spine" all along, but I feel seeing math from so many various perspectives as well has been tremendously helpful.

 

My little one only does Horizons with a little Singapore and drill supplementation. I keep meaning to pull out some of the old RS card games we used to play though. I think they'll help her a lot.

 

Strangely, we don't spend "2-3 hours a day" on math, as you mentioned in another post. I've seen a clear relation between doing daily drill and the length of time our other math lessons take though. Five minutes of drill every day can easily cut our main math lessons down by about half, since working through problems is so much faster when the basic facts are instantaneous. And I've found that quitting drill because facts *are* instantaneous is a real mistake. We have to keep up with it pretty regularly (though not necessarily ever *single* day once they're mastered).

 

Also, I haven't found manipulatives to be all that helpful. I have a ton, and I think they're fun to play with. But honestly, not so great for daily math. We pull them out occasionally to work on new concepts (though I can't remember the last time I used any with ds -- they just annoy him -- but dd uses base ten blocks sometimes), but not for daily work after that. Maybe we're strange. When the kids were pre-schoolers, I used to buy tons of manipulatives 'cause I liked the idea so much. But meh. Just not that useful in our family.

[Chris in VA]

We just used Saxon for math, but we did it one year ahead. Even though people say it jumps from subject to subject, I find it a combo of spiral and mastery--incremental, too. The subject for the day may jump a little, but the meeting contains the same stuff to achieve mastery, and the worksheets contain new stuff but then most of the old stuff, too--(there's gotta be a better word than "stuff!" lol). There can be 5 or 6 problems on what was in the lesson, but then every day for many days there are problems from the other days, so mastery is achieved. It's just so cleverly done!

 

We also play cards a lot--but that's just fun, not math! :D

[Matryoshka]

Our main curriculum is Singapore.

 

Supplements we actually get to regularly are:

 

Math Detective

Cranium Crackers

Math Mosaics (from Mindware - currently using 2 titles with each grade)

LOFred (over the summer)

 

I just got:

 

Your Business Math and

Challenge Math which I'm planning to do on "off" Singapore days, say once a week - so far we've managed one lesson of each. :-) They really like both so far, though.

 

I also own I think virtually every math manipulative known to man including but not limited to:

 

Cuisinaire rods

MathUSee blocks

MathUSee fraction overlays

Tons of other fraction manipulatives

Weigh to Learn (a kind of equation balance)

Solids

AL Abacus

 

I used many of them when the kids were younger, now rarely. This year I've broken out the abacus for my younger (I also have the lesson book to go with that) and fraction manipulatives for my olders, but I think that's it.

[Closeacademy]

3rd grader:

 

Started with Saxon K (kept all the manipulatives and photocopied the tanagram and pattern block pages)

 

Switched to miquon/Singapore combo (kept the rods)

 

Picked up a base 10 kit

 

Spent some time with Rightstart (kept the cards and manipulatives and games book)

 

Currently use Singapore alternated with the old public school text Math in My World for review.

 

1st grader:

 

Rod and Staff

 

Singapore

 

http://ebeth.typepad.com/serendipity/gnomes_and_gnumbers_a_mathematical_tale/ This site.

 

And I recently picked up a complete set of Mortesen math with all the blocks.

 

I also use fun math worksheets from various free places online.

 

I have lusted after Math on the Level.:001_smile:

[rafiki]

.

[King Alfred Academy]

Right Start Math...with the games and all the manipulatives

 

Singapore Challenging Word Problems

 

A few of the activities from Family Math

[mcconnellboys]

Usually a couple at a time. Singapore is a constant and if I use another that may vary.

[Karen in CO]

This, I think I am only using 1, but that might change

 

I am doing Singapore 3A with dd7 this week. That Is all I will plan.

 

Elementary math is a discrete set of information. It really is. We are working our way through it. Right now Singapore is working. When that quits working, I will figure out what we need and add that.

 

We just finished using Math Mammoth - I think it is the light blue Add and subtract. She needed some more practice with a wider variety of problems than what we had gotten with BJU 2 before we could start the SIngapore. Math Mammoth was just what we needed for the transition.

 

Singapore is working for her now, but last year it did not at all work for her.

 

I have changed from following the material to using the material to lead the child through elementary math. Perception makes a big difference.

 

If you ask me how many and what maths I am using next week, you might get a different answer depending on how this week's material goes.

[fractalgal]

I'm researching...

 

I have, from the start, always used two math programs.

 

With my daughter I use two complete programs to try to keep her more at grade level since she tested three grade levels ahead of where she "should" be. She is an abstract thinker.

 

With my son I use one program as a spine, and another as a supplement. He is more of a hands-on learner.

 

My children also play chess with their father.

 

My favorite curriculums are Saxon and Singapore. Each of these programs has its stengths and its weaknesses as do all math curriculums.

 

We are a bit of a math family, so I don't mind doing all that math. Others may not enjoy it so much. ;)

[prairiegirl]

For our curriculum we use RightStart. For supplements we do the living math thing. This year we are using the math history lesson plans from the Living Math site. We use books like Family Math, Marilyn Burns books and Games for Math by Peggy Kaye. I have also amassed quite a collection of math games and storybooks that I use. My dd has difficulties with math and I have found that the living math approach works well for her.

[nmoira]

We don't use all of these at once. I cycle in and out of supplemental materials, with the exception of Challenge Math, which we use 1 day per week.

 

Current:

 

Singapore Primary Math, IP and CWP (main program)

Primary Grade Challenge Math

Brain Maths (from Singaporemath.com)

Murderous Maths books (similar to Horrible Histories)

Venn Perplexors from Mind Benders (in lieu of formal set theory)

Math Express (Speed Math) from Singaporemath.com

lots of math puzzle and logic books

Computer games: The Number Devil, Math Blaster (old games), Clue Finders... considering Mighty Math games

 

In the pipe through pre-algebra:

 

Challenge Math and other Zaccaro books

Mathematics 6 (after Singapore Primary Maths 6B)

Life of Fred (first two volumes, at will supplement for pre-algebra)

Mathematicians are People Too (Vols 1 and 2)

Computer game: Descartes Cove