OT: Homeschool, Horizon Math

[Denine]

Anyone out there use Horizon's Math for their younger kids?
I am looking at it for Kindergarten next year.
I am thinking the Calvert math is going to be too simple for DD.
Do you like the program or have other recommendations?

 

[EOSmommy]

We're using it now. We did Math U See primer level at the beginning of the year. Lots of families I know rave about MUS, but it didn't click with my DS. We finished it up with a fair amount of struggle and ordered Horizons grade 1. While we were waiting for it to arrive, we worked a little bit in some Miquon books I already had. DS is in K, but seemed ready for the 1st grade book after finishing the other K program. We like it. It has activities to walk the kids through before you throw the workbook at them, lol. So I would definitely recommend the teacher's book. I would not like the workbook alone. I need that guidance as far as the actual teaching goes. DS likes it so far and we are not having the issues with stalling or spacing out that we were having when we were using Math U See. It's a pretty traditional method. There is a decent amount of review, but not as much as in Saxon. It is more of a drill than "mathematical thinking" program such as Singapore or Miquon. Good luck making your decision!

Tish

 

[disneymom3]

Personally I love Horizons. I think they do an awesome job of presenting new materials as well as keeping previously covered stuff fresh. For DD though, she thrives more on the Singapore model of covering one concept for an entire chapter. I think MUS would work well for her if she were so NOT an kinesthetic learner. She just hates when I make her use manipulatives for stuff! The other thing I really like about Horizons is that the teacher manual is included whereas with Singapore you have to buy the one published by Son....what is that curriculum provider?????

 

[meandtheguys2]

We used Miquon for all of the boys in K. I really liked it. Tried Horizon at one point, and didn't care for it. Passed it along to my sister, who loved it.

 

[Denine]

Thanks. It looks like it would be a good program for DD. She seems to catch onto math stuff pretty easy and doesn't use the manipulatives that came with her Pre-K program.

Yesterday, she told me 2 and 2 and 1 are 5. We are still "learning" the numbers 1-10. She is doing simple addition and subtraction on her own. The Calvert math doesn't get into addition until half way through the program.

I think I will go over that math with her this summer and use the Horizon's program with K in the fall.

The good thing is, it is not expensive.

 

[disneymom3]

Hmmm, Denine--if DD is learning stuff really quickly Horizons might not be the thing for her. Part of my DDs frustration was that there was too much spiral review. Her attitude was, "I learned that already. Why are they still making me do it everyday?" It was really a battle and she is much happier with Singapore where she can master the concept and then move on. Singapore is even cheaper than Horizons! You can get a decent look at their materials on the website and there are placement tests as well. Their site is www.singaporemath.com Good luck choosing. That IMO is the hardest part of homeschooling. Way more than the teaching is finding the right thing for your kids. And there are way too many choices!!!

 

[Denine]

Thanks for the info. I'll have to look into it more. At least I have time to sift through the million math programs I will come across!

 

[Ellester]

We tried Horizons last year (for 1st grade level) and at first I was very happy but then we realized that my dd was picking up the patterns used and not actually learning the math. For example, she would go through the addition facts on one page and since she had figured out they all carried a 1 to the tens place she would just fill in the tens digits first and then go back and do all the ones digits. I have to say that she is very good at pattern recognition. I then started her on Miquon, which I really like. We are using Math-U-See now, and for us it works very well. I stopped the Miquon just because we were simply doing too much math. I really like the MUS Primer level for my 5 year old too. She is picking it up very fast. I started my older dd with alpha last summer just to make sure she grasped the MUS concepts and she flew through that and is almost done with Beta. We'll start Gamma next week or the week after. I do agree that the spiraling can be a little boring if your child picks up on concepts quickly. My dd quickly got tired of reading a thermometer and counting quarters just about every day!

 

[princesspwrhr]

We've used Horizons Math since K and really enjoy it. I have had the teachers guides for 1 or 2 years but never really cracked them open for anything other than checking the answers quicker. But I'm also not a scripted teacher. The TGs that are all laid out and basically say this then this now that irritate me personally. Horizons TGs are not as scripted as some, but it was still to much for me. I did look to it occasionally to see if the book had a different method of explaining something if dd was having trouble initially grasping a concept. I did take mental note of the drill suggested and the use or lack of manipulatives.

If there's a concept that my daughter knows cold that is on the days assignment *again* then I either allow her to skip it or do half depending on how well she knows the concept or the purpose behind the repeated practice.

She enjoys the color on the page and finds it easier to do multiple small sections of a concept rather than an entire page of one concept. If she needs additional review we simply find worksheets online, play at coolmath.com , multiplication.com , some other website or game, or make up some games or use real life practice (shopping for money & change, baking for fractions, etc).

The downside is it only goes to 6th grade. The upside is that after successfully completing the program through 6th grade the student will be able to go straight into Algebra without a need for pre algebra.

 

[Pixiedust34]

Ds used Calvert 1, and then Horizons 2 and 3. He's doing Horizons 4 now. Dd has used Horizons K, 1, and 2. She is doing Horizons 3 now.

Horizons is more advanced that Calvert.

I like the spiral approach to math because it provides a review of skills throughout the year. I also like the fact that we work on a variety of problems every day, and not just one type of problem.

Another plus to Horizons is that if you have more than one child, you can buy 1 kit (instructional guide(s) with 2 workbooks) and then buy a couple of extra workbooks for the other child(ren). I always order a whole level for both kids together in case they edit the books from one year to the next.

I do find the instructional guide lacking starting with Horizons 3. There are not many tips about how to go about teaching new concepts. But, starting at Horizons 4, the student books have sample problems with explanations when they learn something new. I just wish the instructional guide could have more detailed tips. Don't completely disregard the IG for the lower grades. They will have you make sure your kids know how to skip count, which comes in handy in later years.

Overall, we like Horizons and it's a good fit for us. After we're finished with Horizons 6, I'm thinking of moving onto pre-algebra with Teaching Textbooks.

 

[laceemouse]

We've used Horizons Math since K and really enjoy it. I have had the teachers guides for 1 or 2 years but never really cracked them open for anything other than checking the answers quicker. But I'm also not a scripted teacher. The TGs that are all laid out and basically say this then this now that irritate me personally. Horizons TGs are not as scripted as some, but it was still to much for me. I did look to it occasionally to see if the book had a different method of explaining something if dd was having trouble initially grasping a concept. I did take mental note of the drill suggested and the use or lack of manipulatives.

If there's a concept that my daughter knows cold that is on the days assignment *again* then I either allow her to skip it or do half depending on how well she knows the concept or the purpose behind the repeated practice.

She enjoys the color on the page and finds it easier to do multiple small sections of a concept rather than an entire page of one concept. If she needs additional review we simply find worksheets online, play at coolmath.com , multiplication.com , some other website or game, or make up some games or use real life practice (shopping for money & change, baking for fractions, etc).

The downside is it only goes to 6th grade. The upside is that after successfully completing the program through 6th grade the student will be able to go straight into Algebra without a need for pre algebra.

We got bored with Saxon and are switching the younger two to Horizons. It is more advanced. My oldest is almost finished with Saxon so she will stick with that. My second is doing Teaching Textbooks and it is our favorite! They go from 7th grade up. The younger 2 will switch to TT when they are older!!!

 

[Denine]

WOW! SO much great info. I liked Horizon's because it is more advanced, but DD may get bored with the spiral approach. In some things, she is already asking why we are doing it again. So, in that respect I don't know.

Today, we were learning about weights. I used an actual scale instead of what the book recommended because I thought she would understand better. Next thing I know, she is wanting to weigh everything! I used a ruler yesterday to explain length instead of measuring things in "cubes" like they wanted us to. She enjoyed that as well. DD just seems more advanced then the concepts they are teaching and the way they are teaching in the Calvert program.

Of course, I am new at this since we are only doing PK. I can't wait to get into other stuff. DD is ready for K work in many areas, but we need to finish PK first, which we will do the beginning of March.

 

[Pixiedust34]

Hey, Lacee! Good to see you here!

It's also good to hear that you like TT, as that's most likely where we're headed once we're finished with Horizons.

 

[disneymom3]

Denine--I don't want to take your thread off course but hope you don't mind if I throw in a question--For those using Teaching Textbooks, do you know if there is a way to find the entire content of level 7? DD did a couple of the practice lessons the other day after watching a lecture and she did great on it. I am also sure she could pass the placement test but am concerned there might be holes we would come upon as she is only in Singapore 4 right now. (Which is actually not really challenging her at all.) TT looks like a good fit, but I am just not sure when to move her into it.

 

[Denine]

I found some Horizon samples on the Sonlight web page. DD was able to answer all of the questions, except counting by 10's. She liked the pages since they were colorful.

I tried to bring up the placement test for Singapore, but they didn't load.

I looked at a few other math program's and these two seem to be my favorite.

I read somewhere, that someone actually uses the 2 programs together. Not bad since they are so inexpensive.

 

[princesspwrhr]

do you know if there is a way to find the entire content of level 7? .

Here's the link from the Teaching Textbooks website that lists the table of contents for Math 7 http://d30063190.purehost.com/Assets/Math7TOC.pdf

 

[disneymom3]

Thanks for the link!!

 

[5starmom]

Hmmm, Denine--if DD is learning stuff really quickly Horizons might not be the thing for her. Part of my DDs frustration was that there was too much spiral review. Her attitude was, "I learned that already. Why are they still making me do it everyday?"

I agree and that's exactly what happened at our house. We also use Singapore but supplement in the older levels--right now they are using www.aleks.com and really enjoying it.

 

[Denine]

Thanks for the link, I will look into it.