tuckabella Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 Hello, DS can do math pretty darn well for his age, and he has been doing Horizons K. I want to change curriculums next year. I want the Teacher Manual to be of actual use! I want it to tell me what I need to say, help me teach it. Color is helpful. LOVES manipulatives. Also, if you recommend Saxon, then what in the world is the meeting book for??? Is it just calendar stuff? DS knows the calendar. Thanks so much! If you need any other info from me, just let me know! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsmomof2boys Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 My children and I LOVE Saxon Math! I used it for two sons starting with K. They enjoyed it. The K - 3 curriculum includes a lot more than math facts--they learn a lot of basic things that they need to know. The meeting book is for the calendar, but it's also for graphs, counting, etc. The boys enjoyed filling out their calendar everyday. We plan on using Saxon all the way through graduation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cornerstone Classical Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 My dc drool over BJU curriculum, but I have been a die-hard Saxon fan because of the scripted TM---that is until last week when I found out that Saxon K-3 is scripted then in 5/4 the format changes to it not being scripted, just a solutions manual. So we are going to be doing BJU Math next year, and continue from there--hopefully!! BJU is classroomy, but alteast they have a scripted TM, and if I feel like I can't teach it myself, we can always opt for the teaching DVD's. We are also looking to change our science(a lot of people on WTM highschool board likes this for science in the upper grades), bible (I love the thorough bible), and spelling (I like it because it switches to vocab the very year WTM finishes up SWO and goes to Classical Roots, without us having to do 2 years of SWO to finish on time) now we can just do 1 yr of BJU Spelling instead of killing ourselves to fit 2 yrs into 1. HTH:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momof165 Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 We really love Saxon Math at our house. Currently, we are doing Saxon 3. I love that the TM is scripted. However, as mentioned before, starting at Saxon 5/4 the format changes drastically. No more scripted TM's for the teacher. It just depends how you feel about teaching math. Some people like the scripted TM's, other prefer not having them. I guess, it's just a personal preferance! Sonja ______________________________________ Homeschooling JUST ONE - ds 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samiam Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 We used Saxon K for the first half of K, as it was given to me, all I bought was the manupalitve kit. I saw no purpose to the Meeting book, guess it was for learning the calendar, and also patterning. After four months, my son did learn basic stuff, but overall, I thought the program was boring. Bought BJU, using it for the last month. LOVE IT. Colorful, has a story line, extra activities if wanted (for example, we made triangle hats out of newspaper on the day we did triangles). BTW, both have scripted TM's if that is what you are looking for. But that being said, why are you going away from Horizons again? If your child is doing well with Horizons, I think both BJU or Saxon would be a back-step as I have read/heard that Horizons tends to be advanced. hth K Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annabel Lee Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 (edited) I can go around and around in circles trying to choose math curriclulums. I've used Horizons (and am currently as well) and have also used Saxon. I'm trying to choose between the two for my sons again now, not because one curric. is better than the other, but to see if Saxon might be a better fit (esp for my older). Saxon might be a step back because Horizons does move quickly. Veritas' Press recommends Saxon and in their catalog they state that when they spoke w/ John Saxon himself he recommended starting it a year ahead (Saxon 1 for kg, 2 for 1st grade, etc). The Saxon website's placement chart goes by age - 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 for Sax. K, 5 1/2 - 6 1/2 for Sax. 1, etc. All this to make the point that although it moves slower, it covers a broader range of concepts earlier. In Saxon 2 division is introduced, but both mult. & div. are only taught for certain number families. The meeting book that I've seen (only level 2) was not just for the calander, but for making a weather graph, and the patterns become increasingly challenging and are something that I like about the program. Saxon does teach a few little neat mental math tricks, not the same type of mental math as Singapore or others referred to as such, but for ex.: when learning addition, first you learn all your doubles (1+1, 2+2, 3+3, etc.) so that then you can learn your "doubles plus one" (2+3 = 2+2+1), "doubles plus 2", and so on. They also teach kids when adding 3 or more numbers, to look for the 10's or other helpful ways of rearranging things. So instead of tackling 18+9+21, you'd rearrange the one's column to be 10+8 (18), and then do the same if possible w/ the ten's column. Horizons has very loose, unscripted TM's and I wish they would change it. Even if they don't tell us exactly what to say, if they just gave bullet-point hints for multiple ways to explain things or neat jingles to help the kids remember things - that would be better than what it is now. I do alot more than just what the Horizons TM says though - for my K'er we sing the days of the week and months of the year, he practices telling time, counting money (and making change), etc. I just keep a running list on notebook paper of "extra" skills I'm teaching him, as well as things listed in the TM to continue reviewing (as needed per my kids - not for concepts they have down solid) for those times in the Horizons spiral when the TM doesn't say to review those things. We do hands-on things to demonstrate concepts (measuring, etc.) on our own- it doesn't have to say to in the TM. We add living math books in regularly as well - not as many as I'd like but we get at least one into our schedule per week. Today my perception of Horizons as too unscripted may have changed though. In the waiting area of my sons' drum lessons, I saw another homeschooler working in a higher grade elementary Horizons math book. It had a large blocked off area where it explained the "how-to" of the problems and gave examples as well. When his mom came in he asked her a question about something in it, and she pulled out her TM and was pointing to things in it to help him better understand. He seemed to get it after that and finished the page on his own. This was an eye-opener because my main worry with Horizons was that while it's easier to fly by the seat of our pants and just make up reviews, calander time, patterns, hands-on activities, etc. in the younger years, it would become increasingly hard (and a big challenge for me) as the math gets harder. I need to look at some later elementary Horizons books before straying away. So my vote, if you are set on leaving Horizons and going w/ something else, is for Saxon. Sorry for being so longwinded! I hope it helps. Edited January 21, 2009 by Annabel Lee oops, pushed 'post' too soon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tuckabella Posted January 21, 2009 Author Share Posted January 21, 2009 But that being said, why are you going away from Horizons again? If your child is doing well with Horizons, I think both BJU or Saxon would be a back-step as I have read/heard that Horizons tends to be advanced. The bouncing around is driving me nuts (I know this will still happen in the other programs too) and it is getting harder for DS to shift gears after to few problems. I wish I could see the darn programs in person - that would really help me make this decision! We have no homeschool store in the area. The conference is not until the middle of June. We will definately finish well before that. I have thought about slowing the pace or planning on more games to stretch it. I am afraid if Math is just games, it might not get done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tuckabella Posted January 21, 2009 Author Share Posted January 21, 2009 Thanks for the replies so far! Keep them coming if you don't mind! :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorningGlory Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 We love, love, love BJU Math. I've taught all the elementary levels from Math K to Math 6 and plan to use Pre-Algebra next year. The TE is the key to this curriculum. It is jammed-packed with review ideas, enrichment, "hooks" for the lessons, mental math, and clear instructions on teaching concepts. I read the TE lesson the day before I teach it, make notes, prepare materials, etc. So this curriculum (if done right) requires a good deal of teacher preparation. I also like how the student worktexts/texts are arranged. They seem to have just the "right" number of problems...never too many. And they use different activities and paper "games" to make it more interesting. Plus they are in full color (which matters to my fellows). Having said that, I do teach BJU a grade level ahead. In other words, I started Math K in Pre-K with my younger son; he is now in Math 3 as a 2nd grader. I started my older son with Math 3 in 2nd grade (after completing the Miquon sequence) and now he is doing Math 6 in 5th grade. He will take Pre-Algebra next year as a 6th grader, and honestly, he could probably go straight into a gentle Algebra like Jacobs. Math 6 has plenty of pre-algebra built into it. HTH! Or maybe muddies the waters even more...:) Jetta Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paisley Hedgehog Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 nm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnowWhite Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 BJU Math will *not* have the "bouncing around" you describe in Horizons. Saxon will. BJU sticks with a topic for an entire chapter, and there are enough practice/review pages if you buy the Reviews book to spend twice as long on a topic if it requires more practice for your individual student. It is also colorful and so easy to use for the teacher (definitely get the TM). We have tried 4 math series (not including Saxon, which I knew I didn't want from my student teaching days) and BJU has beat the socks off the others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cornerstone Classical Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 (edited) BJU Math will *not* have the "bouncing around" you describe in Horizons. Saxon will. BJU sticks with a topic for an entire chapter, and there are enough practice/review pages if you buy the Reviews book to spend twice as long on a topic if it requires more practice for your individual student. It is also colorful and so easy to use for the teacher (definitely get the TM). We have tried 4 math series (not including Saxon, which I knew I didn't want from my student teaching days) and BJU has beat the socks off the others. Good to hear, I'm making the leap myself to BJU for Math, as well as, science, spelling and bible! We're excited! My dc love the look of BJU! Edited January 21, 2009 by Cornerstone Classical Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in MI Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 Saxon is going to have the bouncing around you described, not sure about BJU. Saxon is not colorful at all. My dd loved the Meeting Book, which included doing the calendar for the day and taking the temperature during the winter. Amy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnowWhite Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 Good to hear, I'm making the leap myself to BJU for Math, as well as, science, spelling and bible! We're excited! My dc love the book of BJU! I'm seriously considering BJU for science for my third grader. I'm still not positive. I guess I'll look at the new SL Science 3 and our budget before I decide. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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