Combining Horizons and Beast Academy?

[Aspasia]

Ugh. My head is spinning. 

My oldest dd is heading into 6th grade and we've been using Horizons since 2nd (started with Singapore, then MM, before realizing she really needs a spiral program). I like Horizons. I think it's thorough and rigorous, and my kids like the colors and pictures. :)  I just wish it had more story problems and conceptual stuff. So I'm kinda thinking of supplementing with some Singapore word problems and BA next year, for both her and my rising 3rd grade ds. I would work a year behind in BA for dd but probably on grade level for ds, as he is fairly mathy. 

I just...Is this crazy? Is it a bad idea to mix spiral and mastery like this? 

 

[8filltheheart]

I combined Horizons with MiF for one of my kids.  I took that approach simply bc she was as stubborn as a mule and she would complain all the time for the simplest of assignments.  Knowing that she was capable of what was assigned plus more without much effort, I told her if she kept it up that I was doubling her math.  Well, you can see how that turned out. I kept my promise to her. ? (She did eventually learn to stop complaining, but she doubled up on math for 4th-6th. )

Based on what you are describing, however, I would recommend an alternative approach.  I would supplement with Hands On Equations Verbal Book.  It has excellent word problems.

FWIW, I tried to use BA 2A with my 2nd grader this yr. (She was doing Horizons 3 at the time.) It did not offer her any additional challenge and was not a good fit at all.  I do not know if it was bc it was 2A and she was already well into Horizons 3. I have wondered if BA 3 would have been a better choice.  

Out of all of the supplemental options, I think that the Verbal Book is my personal preference.  (I qualify that with the fact that 2A is the only BA book I have used.  I have used AoPS for high school level courses. )

ETA: FWIW, my older 5 used absolutely nothing for elementary math other than Horizons.  All 5 went from Horizons 6 into MUS alg/geo (they used to sell a combo book of the 2 courses combined) the following yr followed by Foerster's alg the next.  (I use the MUS text as a pre-alg/pre-geo text).  All were strong high school/college math students. (2 went on to math heavy fields--chemE and physics.)  #6 is my stubborn one who used MiF as well.  #7 and 8 use Horizons with HOE.  #7 will start the MUS combo book this fall. 

None of them have had a weakness in conceptual understanding.  Nor have they had any difficulty with applying concepts to word problems.  

Anyway, that is my long story sharing that I, for one, have never witnessed any of the inadequacies others say they see in Horizons in my children's math abilities from having used just Horizons.  Having used MiF alongside Horizons, I did see word problem weakness, but in actual content taught, I prefer Horizons teaching approach.  I prefer HOE word problems over MiF.  But, my older kids never had any problem solving word problems, so Horizons equipped them well even without the additional word problems.

[Aspasia]

This is 

On 6/22/2018 at 11:16 PM, 8FillTheHeart said:

I combined Horizons with MiF for one of my kids.  I took that approach simply bc she was as stubborn as a mule and she would complain all the time for the simplest of assignments.  Knowing that she was capable of what was assigned plus more without much effort, I told her if she kept it up that I was doubling her math.  Well, you can see how that turned out. I kept my promise to her. ? (She did eventually learn to stop complaining, but she doubled up on math for 4th-6th. )

Based on what you are describing, however, I would recommend an alternative approach.  I would supplement with Hands On Equations Verbal Book.  It has excellent word problems.

FWIW, I tried to use BA 2A with my 2nd grader this yr. (She was doing Horizons 3 at the time.) It did not offer her any additional challenge and was not a good fit at all.  I do not know if it was bc it was 2A and she was already well into Horizons 3. I have wondered if BA 3 would have been a better choice.  

Out of all of the supplemental options, I think that the Verbal Book is my personal preference.  (I qualify that with the fact that 2A is the only BA book I have used.  I have used AoPS for high school level courses. )

ETA: FWIW, my older 5 used absolutely nothing for elementary math other than Horizons.  All 5 went from Horizons 6 into MUS alg/geo (they used to sell a combo book of the 2 courses combined) the following yr followed by Foerster's alg the next.  (I use the MUS text as a pre-alg/pre-geo text).  All were strong high school/college math students. (2 went on to math heavy fields--chemE and physics.)  #6 is my stubborn one who used MiF as well.  #7 and 8 use Horizons with HOE.  #7 will start the MUS combo book this fall. 

None of them have had a weakness in conceptual understanding.  Nor have they had any difficulty with applying concepts to word problems.  

Anyway, that is my long story sharing that I, for one, have never witnessed any of the inadequacies others say they see in Horizons in my children's math abilities from having used just Horizons.  Having used MiF alongside Horizons, I did see word problem weakness, but in actual content taught, I prefer Horizons teaching approach.  I prefer HOE word problems over MiF.  But, my older kids never had any problem solving word problems, so Horizons equipped them well even without the additional word problems.

This wonderful advice and reassurance. Thank you!