Unicorn Math needed: conceptual and spiral for 4th grade?

[hbodin]

I'm looking for a unicorn math program for my son next year. He will be in 4th grade. Currently using Saxon 3, and it's going okay. 

I'm worried about the lack of conceptual understanding in Saxon, but he needs the spiral in order to retain anything. Are there any programs out there that are conceptual in approach that also spiral for review?? I'd also like something scripted if I need to teach, especially once we start getting into advanced math.  Math is MY weakest and least favorite subject, which is compounding the problem. I'd rather not supplement if I don't have to with things like khan academy as I want it open and go.

We have tried in the past:

Math Mammoth (ok, but no spiral and it being mastery based until he grasped the subject made him cry)

Right Start (loved the scripted lessons, but hated the games)

Horizon (loved the spiral, but lessons weren't scripted enough for me to teach)

Singapore Primary (hated it, to many books to juggle, to many parts moving)

Help, please?

[HomeAgain]

Mortensen.

It's conceptual.  This is where Math U See came from.

It's spiral.  The books (and there are many) are set in strands.  You can do the strands however you like: going through an entire one, doing a page in each, working on something until you want to stop...

 

Shiller.

Montessori-based.  You still have the Right Start-ish manipulatives, fully scripted lessons, but a little bit of control over how long something will take and the ability to go back and forth.

 

Math U See.

Hear me out.  Many misunderstand MUS.  It's conceptual, but also reviews all the previous material constantly.  There are 3-4 review pages for every lesson.  And it has a distinct pattern to it where a child can move on after demonstrating 3 areas of mastery: doing it with the blocks, writing it on paper, and teaching it back to the adult.  As long as a kid can do that, you can skip through lessons.

 

I'm also going to throw this out there: I split my lesson time into two blocks.  The first is active teaching of a concept in a hands on way.  Games, manipulatives, anything.  The second half is always review of a different concept.  This is when the workbooks come out and kids can show their ability independently.  It's a solid way for us to use any program the kid is doing.  I currently have 1 kid in MUS, 1 in MEP and 2 in different review books of Math Mammoth.  Same approach for all of them: active learning, then workbook review.

[skctgbrlis]

BJU is great for explaining concepts, but also includes plenty of review. 

[BusyMom5]

I use a combo of Saxon and Math in Focus.  Sounds like an odd mix, but Saxon is our primary program,  and when a kid needs specific targeted instruction,  I use MiF for those units here and there.  You could also use Math Mammoth this way, since you have it.  

Best spiral math programs I know of are Saxon and CLE.  

[Sted6510]

I don't have a suggestion, but I am looking for a very similar unicorn!

[LinRTX]

Well I don't have another suggestion, but Saxon does get a bad rap for not being conceptual. It is what I used to teach my 4 children. My youngest is graduating college in May with a math major. Every teacher she has had has been amazed at her conceptual understanding.

[bensonduck]

Rod and Staff is great for this. It’s fairly scripted. One page of the lesson has practice with the new concept being taught. And the second page has review of other concepts. 

[Ellie]

The primary levels of Saxon are different from Math 54 and up. I'd do Math 54 before deciding to do something else.

[Green Bean]

Seconding BJU Math. Lovely mix if you teach it directly. It is not intended to just hand it over to the child. DLO is a good choice, too.