ok, i know we've covered this a gazillion and one times but i need it again. :lol:

give me your reviews on ALL the math programs you've used. the good, the bad,and the ugly.

OK, right up front I need to tell you about ME, so you will know where I am coming from. I like things simple and orderly and traditional. The less "out there" the better. I like efficiency. I am easily bored to tears.

Saxon- Used in PS student teaching and special ed "modifying"... I thought the repetition was over the top and the identical style of lessons was monotonous. I did think the hands-on approach to concepts in the early grades was excellent and the constant oral practice was helpful. I thought the two-sided worksheets (one for "in class", one for "on my own") were redundant.

MCP Math K- used for my nephew and niece and son for hs. I like its straightforward presentation, whimsical drawings, traditional approach (a chapter for each concept with some review in between), reasonable amount of practice. I like the little activities for introducing concepts and the mental math segment. I am going back to this for grade 1, stay tuned for further developments.

Christian Light Education- used myself in high school (as a hs student), thought it was fine. My SILs use it with my nephews and nieces all the time and swear by it. I found it too repetitious and uninteresting. I think 4 pages of work every day is too much for a first grader. It is however, a very predictable and comprehensive program.

Singapore Math- Using this one right now (1A). I like the way this one helps ds grasp the concept by showing pictures and showing the way each part of any math problem relationship fits. I like that every lesson is different and the lessons are a manageable length. I like the drawings and color in the textbook. It worries me that they introduce multiplication and division so early. I am such a traditional person that that intimidates/scares me. I will likely use this slowly as a supplement with MCP (to keep ds thinking mathematically and understanding concepts).

We have used Miquon, Developmental Math, DK Math Made Easy, and Math U See.
Miquon: While I like that they introduce concepts so early, its a little too loosely structured for me. It requires me to think of how to teach the concept, which I'm not great at.
Developmental Math: This was great for my dd. She went through a phase where she resisted me teaching anything. If she couldn't do it by herself, she totally shut down. While she learned how to regroup with adding though, she didn't learn why you do it that way.
DK Math Made Easy: This was pretty easy for the kindergarten and 1st grade, but it was just a workbook. They did like having the stickers though.
Math U See: This is what we're using now. I'm loving it, the kids are loving it. It really has made math easy for them, including my math phobic 9 year old. They don't look forward to doing subtraction with borrowing in the ten thousands, but they can do it easily. They can add with regrouping to infinite numbers, and understand why they're doing it that way. I like it because they can watch the video with me, and then I just have to re-explain things in their language if needed. It's perfect for us, because I'm not great at explaining why we do it this way.

Saxon 5/4 is all I have experience with so far. I like the repetition to a certain extent. We don't do all the facts tests at the beginning of the lesson and I've started cutting back on the number of problems she does at the end of the lesson. Some days we only do the "practice" problems, other times I assign a sampling of the "problem set". Some feel it's too much repetition, but some days we need it.

I love singapore, but we've not tried anything else. I like doing division and multiplication so early. They're not asking them to memorize it early on, but just to understand the concepts. Erik was naturally figuring it out like SM was teaching it. I like how the concepts are presented and the fact that there isn't a bunch of review for me to skip over ;)

We've used Singapore, Horizons, and just started Saxon 2.

Singapore wasn't meshing well w/ Ethan at all. I'm not sure if it was all the colors and pictures, but he just wasn't tranferring the concepts that it was covering in the workbook to other mathematical thinking things.

Horizons was a bit better. Again, I just don't think the spiral approach is the best match for DS.

We just started Saxon 2 a few weeks ago. So far it's ok. The dry-ness seems to bother me more than DS. He's very routine oriented, so even when I try to skip something for the day, he'll remind me and *want* to do it -- so I guess that means he likes it ;) He actually likes the timed drill sheets and has devised a baseball themed game to play while doing the facts on the flash cards.

I do have a question about Saxon, for anyone in the know -- how far off from typical grade level is it considered to be? I bought 1 & 2 so I could look at them both to decide. I started w/ 2, but it still seems a bit "behind" what I would have expected. DS does well w/ math, but isn't a whiz ... and he wouldn't be starting 2nd grade until next fall.

I've used AO Lifepacs, MUS and Abeka.

The lifepacs were not all that exciting. We only used them for K, so I don't know how they are for the older grades, but it was just plain boring, nothing much fun about it at all, imo.

MUS ~ I really liked this one, and ds did well with getting the ideas down, but he hated the workbook because it was just black and white. Once in a while he asks to do it, but that darn black and white workbook gets monotonous for him after a while.;)

Abeka ~ he is really enjoying this one. Lots of color and different activities in the lessons to keep things interesting. After using it, ds has said that math is his favorite subject, and I thought I'd *never* hear that! :lol:

I've used Saxon and Horizons

Saxon - I loved it for K-3. The hands on activities were great. I loved how concepts were presented in a nice mellow fashion. But when we got to math 54, I hated it. The book looked like a college textbook. I didn't like that they couldn't write in the book anymore, that they had to copy problems. It was a bad fit for us at math 54.

Horizons - The kids like that it's colorful and fun looking. I like that they review lots of different concepts in each lesson. I think the tm are weak in instruction.

We use Developmental Math from pre-K to algebra. Have since 1991. On our seventh child using it. Yep, one size fits all - I am a rabid fan.

For Algebra and beyond, used Saxon for ds #1. By the third book this got painful, so we hired a tutor from a local university to help him. Wonderful use of money - son did very well and is now an Industrial Engineering major.

*But*, next ds in line is wired very differently, so we've switched to Teaching Textbooks. He just finished pre-Algebra and I need to order Algebra. Not a mathy kid but doing very very well with TT. I love them and though they're expensive . . . honestly . . . after using this program, I'd probably pay twice as much if they asked for it.

I do have one dd that I'll probably revert to Saxon for, but the other children will do TT when their time comes as far as I know now.

bluehalo- with all my math ponderings (I really want this sorted out while he's on the K-1 level so we can be consistent the rest of our course), I have done tons of reading on the topic. From what I have read, both Singapore and Horizons run ahead of schedule on math, with Saxon being more "right at" level. My SIL also thought the Saxon she ordered was "behind" though. She has always done CLE (also rumored to be "ahead"). So maybe that gives you a little more info.

Mamaheart7, thanks for the TT endorsement. I have already mentally prepared myself to save up for that just as soon as J is at the proper level to begin it. I heard they are coming out with TT6, wonder how far down in elementary they will go? Or maybe just be a middle/high program?

Calvert- through but too worksheet intensive. Even for K DD would often have 4-5 worksheets a day.

Saxon- Too dry and repetitive

Singapore-On our 3rd yr and love it. At first I thought it lacking until I looked over the entire yr. It builds on things gradually, then repeats after covering several concepts. I think it helps build a better foundation in math this way.

We're mainly using MCP and a little Miquon for K, and I agree with previous reviews of each. One of the best things about each are that they are INEXPENSIVE. You're talking under $15 per year for the workbooks. Miquon is a little more hands on and creative than MCP, but it's also harder to teach because there are no set directions for the worksheets...but then again, you can also use them as you see fit and you don't have to feel like you're tied down to any set way. MCP is great at introducing concepts and starting things at the beginning, without a lot of extra busy work. My only complaint is with the order that they introduce nickles and pennies....too early, IMO, but I just skipped that and will go back to it another time. For K, we prefer using MCP, though once ds grasps the concepts of addition and subtraction better, we may enjoy Miquon...we'll see!

All we have used is Saxon, it's worked well for us, with tweaking. We rarely do the "meetings", I only do drill a couple of times a week instead of every day, and I put both the boys a "grade" ahead of where they technically should be. Both my boys are good in math, though.

I didn't do so well when I had one in 1 and one in 3, but once I switched Bren to 5/4, my life got much easier, as it is much more independant. We recently got the DIVE CDs for 5/4, I think Bren will do well with them, it will help him to see the process in the lesson.

I DO have Bren do the entire problem set every lesson, I don't feel like 25 problems/day is too many for a 3rd grader. I only have Ian do the front of his worksheet to start, but if he is getting a certain type of problem consistantly wrong, I will have him do only those problems on the back for extra practice.

HTH. To sum up, I like Saxon, but I have tweaked the program, and I have nothing else to compare it to, LOL.

ok. we've used horizons thus far (k and 1) and my problem w/ it is the teacher's guide..... i'm not confident in math and want more handholding, i guess. :o i'm contemplating mus but my question is placement. i feel like mus can't just be jumped into -- am i wrong? i don't want to jump around in math - and t likes horizons, it's me that doesn't ;) :lol: ---- maybe i need mus for me. :hahaha:

so wwyd? go for mus where there is more understanding and the dvd to teach me as well as my children and hope/pray that we can catch up or figure out the program or stick with what we know and just keep flying by the seat of mama's pants. ;) (that's how i feel sometimes)

and.......where would you place t in mus? i'm thinking alpha just to try to grasp the concepts -- or would that be too much review for someone who's done k and 1?

Jumping in late here, but I'm another MUS user/lover. Both my older 2 kids use it and are really learning. You can request a free demo DVD to watch that will help you figure it all out :D There are placement tests on the site here: Math·U·See Placement Tests (http://www.mathusee.com/placement.html) HTH!

This is our fifth year of homeschooling - and we have finally found a math program that I really like. Math U See.

We have used - Saxon (K-3) and also Saxon 5/4, Miquon, Singapore, K12 (we really liked this), my own conglomeration based on standards (I still do this in conjunction with MUS to make sure we are covering expected topics).

We also have at least one day a week where math consists of games/projects. I have a collection of math related books- and we love doing things from them. Family Math (the series), A Collection of Math Lessons (Marilyn Burns, love her!), Penrose the Mathematical Cat (Theoni Pappas, love her, too), etc. And we have quite a few manipulatives and workbooks that go along with them - pattern blocks, sequencing materials, base 10 blocks, cuisenairre rods, unifix cubes, geoboards, etc. We also play lots of dice games and card games. Math is our favorite subject here by far.

Does anyone *NOT* like Math U See? I'm feeling like we might have to switch at the end of the summer. I so want to find something that we groove with and stick with!

Honestly, this is the first program (MUS) that I can see us using for years. I will probably use Teaching Textbooks for the higher maths - but I can also see us getting MUS and doing it along with TT.

Thing is, it's easy to implement, simple to teach (because of the DVD) and the WAY Steve Demme explains things is so easy for the kids to understand. If you are thinking about it, order the sample DVD.

It actually BUGS me how much I like MUS (and dd does too!) I really thought up until we tried it that I would never want a curriculum for math... there are so many fun real-life ways to learn math. But, it is easy, Sage begs for it, and the cost for our family i think is very reasonable.

~jo

It actually BUGS me how much I like MUS (and dd does too!) I really thought up until we tried it that I would never want a curriculum for math... there are so many fun real-life ways to learn math. But, it is easy, Sage begs for it, and the cost for our family i think is very reasonable.

~jo

ME TOO! I kept thinking that I wouldn't find anything we really loved, so I assumed we would just use life and some fun 'extras' books.

But - I must say, it has helped me be a lot more relaxed in knowing that they are really honestly 'getting' it.

We've used Miquon, Singapore and Mastering Mathematics

Miquon -- it was weird for me. After I figured out how to use it, I really wished I would've done the workbooks first myself like it suggests in one of the catalogs. My girls used it for two years before we switched to Singapore.

Singapore -- this is the program for us. I've learned so much about math using it. ;) My kids get it and love it, except my oldest dd who is terribly math-challenged. I plan to continue with Singapore NEM through high school with my kids that are good at math and supplement it with Teaching Textbooks.

Mastering Math -- I got this to help my oldest dd who just couldn't wrap her brain around Singapore. I love, love, love the way they introduce the multiplication tables. After struggling for years with my older two dds not being able to master the tables, I finally found a way to get them to remember them. I used this method with ds and he had the tables down completely (except for 8x6, 8x7 and 8x8) in 2 weeks. Otherwise, I will never use this program again. It was recommended in Rainbow Resources for children who struggled with math.

Snow White -- Teaching Textbooks has grade 6 for sale on their website now. I may get it if oldest dd isn't ready for pre-algebra after she finishes mastering math. ETA: OOPS, I was wrong. It's Math 7, not 6.

We've only used Abeka and we do like it. We dont usually do all the problems in the lesson, i think there are too many, but Brooke has done very well with it.

it has helped me be a lot more relaxed in knowing that they are really honestly 'getting' it.

:) heather, that's what i'm looking for. i want them to "get it" and i want to *know* they are getting it, so i can relax!

thanks for all the replies! i just read cathy duffy's 100 best picks and liked her review of mus, though i am :lol: at her review of horizon and how it's one of the best teacher guides out there---which makes me cringe b/c i must be reallllllly math challenged! :lol:

We started using Shiller Math this year and it's worked really well for us so far. It's Montessori-based. We go at our own pace, but it seems to be a good format for us, introducing concepts gradually. I started my daughter on Book 1, which is really too easy for her, but it's given us a chance to get used to the format and build on existing skills. I was one of those people who really resisted any curriculum at all, and thought we could just teach math through "real life" experiences... I still belive this can be done, but as my life started to get busier and more overwhelming, I find that having some lose structure to guide us makes ME feel better about our learning experience... Just my 2 cents.

Does anyone *NOT* like Math U See? I'm feeling like we might have to switch at the end of the summer. I so want to find something that we groove with and stick with!

We are MUS dropouts!;)

As I mentioned above, I thought it was a good program, but my ds hated the black and white workbook. He also was really stubborn about using the blocks to solve the problems. Before we used MUS, I had taught him how to use a number line to solve math problems and he had memorized a lot of easy problems. Well, when we got MUS he didn't want to use the blocks ~ just his number line. My ds did well during the lesson, but another day would totally forget how to solve a problem and got so confused that he forgot how to solve problems that he previously coud easily figure out the answer to. This especially happened after Mr Demme explained that 9 wants to be a 10 so he steals 1 and 8 wants to be a 10 so he steals 2... ~ just wasn't my ds's way of thinking about math.

We switched to Abeka, which I previously didn't think my ds would be into. But one day I was going through some old hs'ing catalogs and he spotted the abeka math page which had a sample page on it. He said "That's the kind of math I want to do!" I stuck it out with MUS for a few more weeks and my ds kept asking me when I was going to get him his new math book. I finally got it and the change in his attitude concerning math is amazing!

I felt bad at first because everybody else raves about MUS, I was wondering what I was doing wrong. But after trying to do MUS a few more times with him after I have been doing abeka with him, I can see that his brain just doesn't jive with the MUS way.

karen,
tucker has also learned on a number line. i'm wondering how the transition will go if we decide to make the change.

karen,
tucker has also learned on a number line. i'm wondering how the transition will go if we decide to make the change.

We also used a number line - along with many other tools. Actually, the number line is GREAT for teaching negative numbers. Nathan figured it out on his own and thought it was fantastic. :D

We use Teaching Textbooks, and LOVE it. I wavered between ordering Math 7 or Algebra. He was ready for Algebra. But I bought Math 7 because we hadn't done anything formal with math until now, I wanted him to have a review of stuff like multiplication/division, fractions/decimals, ratios, percents, probability, etc. Math 7 reviews this, and also has some geometry and algebra. We won't do the Pre-Algebra after this, but go right to Algebra, then Geometry, then Algebra II. This is assuming that we're still loving it at that point.

Honestly, it's the only canned curriculum in our house and it's been working wonderfully. I like that the CD-ROM has solutions for every single problem. Not such a big deal now, but in complicated geometry or Algebra II? It will be great to have someone to walk him through the trickier spots. Basically, there's a lecture and set of problems for each lesson, and you can choose to do it in the book, on the computer, or both. We do both. The computer version has a handy printable record of your child's progress that will be great for our portfolio when we need to file with the school district. I was concerned about having good records for my child because now that he's into middle/high school level work in some areas, I need to be very careful about documentation (chronologically he would be in first grade). TT fits the bill for us.

There are demos on their website so you can see what it's like. I had Sam do them before we decided to buy it, and he loved it. :)

Tara

After changing my mind a thousand times, I just purchased Singapore Early Bird, 1A and 1B. MathUSee is just too much hands work with three kids and two tots.
Hope we like it, and I only spent 56 bucks.

I feel better. I can rest. sigh :cloud9:

We started with Abeka, and even doing all the practice stuff we were flying through it.
We switched to MUS, Vidura hated it, and me too, lol.
We tried saxon, Vidura didn't like it.

Now we're using Singapore, and it has the "Vidura seal of approval" :hahaha:
He loves it and doesn't want to use anything else. Currently using 3A.

I have been very informal with Annabelle all along. We did try Saxon K and it was WAY too structured and easy for Annabelle. I think that maybe by doing so much real life learning that we were thrown off by the whole "this is called a calendar" thing.

Right now Annabelle is in public school (long story). They use Everyday math, which if you do much research on will make you freak out in horror and terror. There is a good video at YouTube about it that is worth watching. There is an great response by a math professor, also worth watching. Between the two, they convinced me to keep doing Everyday Math (to learn the daily applications of math) along with Singapore (at home).