You would think, wouldn’t you, that after ten-plus years of home educating my children, I would have settled–gosh darn it–on a math curriculum.
Do you remember this post? Problem still not solved.
Why do I belabor this issue?!
Why? Because I am a type-A Artistic Type and that is the very worst kind of person to have choose and then–gasp! Not that!–stick with a Math program.
(Talking to Erin the Math Wizard at Donut Sunday this morning helped, somewhat.)
(Though my past failures in Follow-Through haunt me.)
Updated to Add: For the record and because I know you need to share in my madness, I have decided to stick with Saxon Math. Having FINALLY reached this decision–a ruling made all the harder by the stacks and stacks of options that surround me–I am now going to go see Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows Part II with my husband.
In 3D, no less.
Because my sanity is worth it.
I love math…sigh…glad you found a curriculum. 😀
I love math too, Therese–believe it or not! My husband thinks that my problem is that I dislike math but that's not it at all. The problem (as always) is picking and choosing.
It's the little kid in a candy store syndrome. Everything looks so good…
Glad you settled on Saxon! I used Saxon starting in 4th grade and used it all the way through high school (Calculus). I then went on and got a Bachelors (and now a Masters) in Math, so it served me well! 🙂
I'm still using Saxon and still loving it. I used Teaching Textbooks for Katherine last year, and it was great to just send her to the computer, but I found she didn't learn her multiplication tables as good. I don't think it was enough. So we are back to Saxon for her and Saxon has always worked for Nicholas.
It's a lot of work but covers all that is needed. I find it interesting that Seton has the kids a grade behind CHC in Math though. We are doing it the CHC way.
Hope your "date" with your hubby was nice!!
Jamie, I found the same to be true with my Cate. She got good grades using Teaching Textbooks but at the end of the year did not "get" division, and she still struggles with her multiplication facts so…
Timed drills and Saxon it is.
I love math – I majored in it :). We use different programs for different kids. Although I do agree that sticking with something for a particular child is better than continually changing (did that with my first – never again). Due to time; teaching 6 kids, a toddler, a baby on the way, etc. I am using TT for 4 kids – but have added timed drills. No program I have ever used (and there have been many) gets those facts ingrained as well as the timed tests over and over and over….and really…as monotonous as they can be…they only take A FEW MINUTES a day 🙂
If I was the one doing school, I would do Saxon, but since my kids are really the ones doing it, Saxon just required too much from me (my oldest is only 8). I might go back to it in the older grades. We use Math-U-See now and I love it! It's gentle, it's thorough and I love the blocks! Glad you decided!
Some day our greatest decision will be red wine or margarita. Can't wait. 😉
I really am not a math fan. However, I find it is much easier for me to teach and the kids to learn using Saxon. This year we have started to use Saxon Teacher and my kids are loving it. They think the time on the computer is "cool" and I think having the computer do most of the work is WONDERFUL! 🙂
I hope you have a great day!
The hit and misses of "math" (apply a shudder of anxiety here). We've tried TT, Singapore, Saxon, Aleks, MCP, Think Well and HSP Math. We had issues with TT as we got into the older grades, thus it went out into the math graveyard.
So no I have found; Singapore works for one child, Saxon (though not MY favorite) is the answer for another child, MCP is a good start for the kinder and an outside class (taught by a math wiz) is the my answer for the Algebra I. Math this year is selected 🙂
Margaret I agree, I like math but can't decide, or find, that one magical curriculum for all my kids.
Wish you luck!
Not a homeschooling Mom but our parochial school uses Saxon with great results.
I am a Math and Science lover and although we use a virtual school, I felt it important enough that I twisted arms to be allowed to continue using Saxon. We tried others, Saxon just works for our family. Test scores bore that out.
Have you tried the teaching CDs? Starting in fourth grade they have this wonderful set of CDs. I was hesitant at first, but they have been a Godsend for me with so many little ones running around as I try to disseminate the basics of geometry 🙂 I still check all their work, and occasionally have to explain something more thoroughly, but the cds have been worth their weight in gold for us.