Annabel Lee Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 After all the math discussion around here, hopefully this will be helpful to anyone trying to pick something to stick with throughout the elementary years at least. Which one, in your experience and/or opinion, prepares a child best for higher maths? Please elaborate on why you voted for your choice. :D Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BryRon Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 This is something that has been on my mind lately. I sure hope we can get some good answers! I'm in the process of deciding whether to switch math curricula or not. I'm hearing fabulous things about MUS, but to be honest, I just don't get it. I understand how to use manipulatives, insofar as using them to count, but aren't we "supposed" to be teaching our kiddos how to do math in their heads? Maybe that's kind of a silly assumption, I don't know. Let's hear from the "old hats" here! :bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angela in ohio Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 BJUP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twinmom Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 How about Singapore or MUS? I use both depending on the kiddo, and I love them both for different reasons. Singapore is perfect for my mathy kid, MUS is bringing my non-mathy kid up to snuff very fast. I don't think I saw either on your poll. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaSheep Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 I have limited experience, but so far I'd say this: Which ever one you can actually get the child to DO. Grrr. Because it seems as though a thorough understanding of a mediocre program would be better than a complete lack of understanding of an extremely good program. KWIM? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 Singapore! It does a beautiful job of teaching children to *think* mathematically. They learn to do algebra problems before they learn how to do algebra equations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhudson Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 Singapore. Used Abeka which was fine but didn't teach enough Math concepts and mental math. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perry Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 Singapore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in CA Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 BJUP :iagree: I'm a BJU Math fan. Over the years I've tried many of the 'popular' curriculum (Saxon, MUS, Singapore, Miquon, Making Math Meaningful, Modern Curriculum Press, Abeka...). BJU gets my vote and is what I will finish out my last sons school education with. :D BJU is traditional in it's approach, very thorough, and teaches the hows AND the whys...children first see the concept with manipulatives and then transition into doing the problems without manipulatives. It's not a super advanced program for the math genius. Nor is it a curriculum you just hand to your child. It is a written to be taught from the teacher's manual and thereby not always the best choice in some situations. Basically, if you, the teacher, are not willing to teach the lessons in some form or other...pick a different curriculum. ;) BJU is a "slow and steady wins the race" type of curriculum. Not flashy. Not trendy. Not super advanced, Not super slow. Just what I like! ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 We like Miquon and Scott Foresman. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TracyR Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 I wanted to pick two. BJU and CLE math definitley prepare kids for higher math. Actually CLE is a bit more ahead then BJU's math. One is mastery (BJU) the other is spiral (CLE) but they do a great job preparing kids for higher math. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeri Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 jeri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in CA Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 I wanted to pick two. BJU and CLE math definitley prepare kids for higher math. Actually CLE is a bit more ahead then BJU's math. One is mastery (BJU) the other is spiral (CLE) but they do a great job preparing kids for higher math. I'm not sure BJU would be considered a "mastery" curriculum. To me, MUS is a mastery based math. With BJU, each concept is completely retaught every year but at a more difficult level. And a concept will even be built upon several chapters later in the same year. Would that be called mastery? Not being snarky....I honestly don't know. :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacy in NJ Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 The one the parent is capable of teaching, and the child is able to learn from. I voted "other". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen in CO Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 Right Start for the young. I love the way it introduces kids to thinking about numbers. Singapore is great for challenging the child and encouraging mathematical thinking and it has the BEST word problems. I use them as a reward for my dd completing her math lesson. BJU if you want something more "traditional." Like someone else said, it introduces one thing at at time and the cycles through the topics - it isn't really mastery or spiral (ala Saxon). The pages are clear and uncluttered. It teaches several ways to do a problem. It teaches why you do problems and how. If my dd didn't love word problems so much, I'd just do BJU. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadyAberlin Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 I voted Horizons, but I actually use it along with MUS. My next one in line has a different learning style than my oldest and I think I will use Singapore along with CLE. With my oldest we will do Singapore challenging word problems and Miquon during the summers to keep math fresh, but still have a break from the math he's been doing. Just wanted to add that BJU definitely prepares you well. My friend was homeschooled using that and she was a Nat'l Merit Scholar and really strong in math. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 I'm all in favour of Math on the Level. It goes from preK through pre algebra, so you don't have to swap programs, and seems to contain everything necessary. Everything else I considered left me feeling I needed to supplement with another curriculum altogether. It's also very real world orientated, which is important to me because the ultimate test of mathematical knowledge is whether you know what it's supposed to be used for, and can make it turn out right! Really though, I'd vote "whichever one the teaching parent feels most confident at implementing." Rosie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joannqn Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 I had to say other simply because my answer is whichever one your kids do well with. For example, Saxon accomplished nothing for my daughter other than to make her cry and hate math....I mean really hate math. There's no way it would have prepared her for higher math levels because of that. We use MUS now. When needed, the kids watch the video segment (sometimes I do, especially if I see something I don't remember how to do or I think I may want to explain in a different way) and then do the worksheets. We pretty much never use the manipulatives. I plan to stick with it at least up to algebra before I reconsider what we'll use for jr high and high. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheryl in NM Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 I have a friend who is a teacher. After spending many years teaching in the public school system she is now homeschooling and teaching Algebra and Geometry in a homeschool co-op. She said the Saxon kids are the best prepared, hands down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 Singapore! It does a beautiful job of teaching children to *think* mathematically. They learn to do algebra problems before they learn how to do algebra equations. Even though Calvin has moved on from Singapore, I am still having him work through Singapore's challenging word problems (which we didn't complete at the time) because they are such great practice in mathematical thinking. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Hen Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 Singapore ---- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MgoBlue Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 I chose other because we, too, are using Singapore. We have a few extras for reinforcement...and to make sure we're covering all the bases...but singapore seems to be working for dd who says with exasperation...we did this already! --if we do things over and over again too many times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trivium Academy Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 I don't think you'll find an answer that fits by this survey b/c each child is different and each program is different. I think it is more about matching the components of the program to the learning style of the child and your teaching style. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nan in Mass Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 It straightened out the tangled thinking of my poor public school child, and was very good for my math-bright youngest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 Singapore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angela in ohio Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 I'm not sure BJU would be considered a "mastery" curriculum. To me, MUS is a mastery based math. With BJU, each concept is completely retaught every year but at a more difficult level. And a concept will even be built upon several chapters later in the same year. Would that be called mastery? Not being snarky....I honestly don't know. :confused: BJU is what is traditionally meant by the term mastery. Mastery vs. spiral is evaluated by what is done within the year, not year-to-year. MUS is a whole other animal - maybe hyper-mastery? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LizzyBee Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 Singapore Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angela in ohio Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 It's late for this now, but it may be helpful to have everyone include whether they have children in higher level math (Algebra and up) yet with their response. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dawn of ns Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 Singapore. I supplement it for extra drill and practice but at it's core there's nothing like it for the way it helps kids learn to think about math and that's what I think will benefit them in the long run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Lorna Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 Singapore Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sagira Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 I agree that the best programs are the ones that fit your child. However, I also agree that within those programs there are programs that prepare children better for higher math. Maybe the OP can cross-post this in the high school forum for more insight. I didn't vote, as my ds is only in K, but I'm curious if my current program, MCP, which I like, fits the bill. I'm also adding Miquon to the mix next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in CA Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 I don't think you'll find an answer that fits by this survey b/c each child is different and each program is different. I think it is more about matching the components of the program to the learning style of the child and your teaching style. :iagree: For example, Singapore is a great curriculum but my son (11yo) did not care for it, and it did not fit my teaching style. I could not use it as our main math program, it just felt...wrong somehow. Too....something. I can't put my finger on it exactly but I was not at all comfortable with it being our main math. Instead, I found it much easier to use as a supplement. So I now purchase the Singapore Challenging Word Problem books and use those alongside our BJU. It's a win-win for us. :D Know what YOU are looking for in a curriculum and what best suits your child. Even the very best curriculum in the world will turn out bad results if the child cannot learn from it. I force fed Saxon on my oldest in late elem/ jr. high because I was told it is the best. It was not, not, NOT a good fit for this child. I should have changed curriculum, but I thought he was just being lazy. Come to find out...no, that was not it at all! The incremental teaching of Saxon confused and confounded him. A mastery program would have suited him perfectly. But, I was under the impression that if I didn't use Saxon he would not get a good math education. Hogwash. Unfortunately, this son still hates math. I messed him up thoroughly. :tongue_smilie: So, all that to say....Find the right math for YOUR child, and a good math education will be forthcoming...despite the popularity, or unpopularity, of the curriculum. My two cents of course. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inashoe Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 How about Singapore or MUS? I use both depending on the kiddo, and I love them both for different reasons. Singapore is perfect for my mathy kid, MUS is bringing my non-mathy kid up to snuff very fast. I don't think I saw either on your poll. :iagree: Singapore for a child who understands math easily. The explanations are not very good, and rely on the parent to teach this well. The mental math is very good. MUS for a non-mathy child. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paisley Hedgehog Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 nm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angela&4boys Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 MUS and/or Singapore In this house, Math U See has worked wonders in terms of understanding and mastery for future study. However, two close family friends have had great success with Singapore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenC Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 for preparing for higher level math Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 Doesn't it also depend on how much of the curriculum you use? For example: When I research a math program I read all the parent's reviews about it on Homeschoolreviews.com. I'll often find a few people posting saying things like, "We never even use the extra worksheets!" or "They have practice problems online, but we skip those." or "I didn't bother to get the teacher's manual. We just go through the workbook." If you skip stuff in the program, don't you do it at your own risk? Later, the kids might not have a deep enough understanding to have retained what they learned. So, when parents respond that something does or doesn't work, I wonder how much of the program they used. All of it? Half of it? What? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyfaithe Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 I really like BJUP...enough review...enough hands-on...I just wist that the workbooks went up until 6th grade. All that writing makes my kids cringe. Faithe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dayle in Guatemala Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 We used a combination of Miquon Math and Singapore up through 3rd grade and then my dc went straight to Saxon 54 without any issues. They are good at math, it amazes me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom2GirlsTX Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 Depending on the child, my choices: Singapore for math type personalities Math U See for kids who math isn't their thing, because it explains it so well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Narrow Gate Academy Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 We love Singapore also combined with Miquon for grades K-3 and then as a stand alone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 Another vote for Singapore. I'm a former ps high school math teacher. I'm sure there are many programs (maybe most?) that will adequately prepare students for high school math. But for my own kids, I choose Singapore. As others have said, it develops mathematical thinking. As a good math student myself, Saxon's spiral approach would have driven me crazy (but it might be just what some kids need). I also supplement with Horizons for some exposure to different types of problems, but it does not really develop mathematical thinking the way that Singapore does. I do think you need to choose the program that fits you and your kids best, but it seems that many folks who have good math skills themselves appreciate the approach of Singapore the best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah CB Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 I'm voting Singapore as well - my dd is currently working through NEM 2 and will likely write the grade 10 provincial exam this year - even though she's in grade 7. Singapore has prepared her very well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree House Academy Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 My vote is for Singapore. We love it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen the RD Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 I think the way Singapore teaches word problems is brilliant. I excelled in math in HS, college, & grad school. After using this now for 4 1/2 yrs, I have even learned better methods for solving problems. I won't say that it hasn't caused tears, because at times, it has. But we keep hanging with it and my 5th grade dd is making great progress. We are moving at a slower pace to help lessen any frustration. Jennifer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angela in ohio Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 So, when parents respond that something does or doesn't work, I wonder how much of the program they used. All of it? Half of it? What? Or the flip side: People using a curriculum because of positive results or research, but then not using it the same way, all the while expecting the same results. I see that more commonly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary in GA Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 We are on round 2 now. I have learned so much from it! Mary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori in MS Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 Singapore and MUS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stansclan89 Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 Singapore :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonshineLearner Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 Life of Fred (10 yr old) and just "living math" with my son...and starting to use the Abacus with him... Carrie:-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.