My Kindergartener is about 2 weeks away from finishing the Horizon's K Math. I'm thinking about ordering the 1st Grade Math. Do I HAVE to have the teacher guide? I really can't decide what to do. I know she wants to move on, but I'm not sure I want her to do the 1st grade one. My other thought was to find one of those betweener books - you know the summer bridge books for between K & 1st and then just do the Horizon's next school year. I need help deciding!!!!
Are you the type that goes by the worksheets, or do you teach all the extra stuff you're given? We're the workbook type, so I very rarely use T.E. for anything. I wouldn't get it. If you've been teaching from it this year, you'll probably do the same next year.
No. There's nothing in it you really need, though it does make grading easier to just look at the answers, rather than doing each problem. Not so much a deal with Grade 1, but it DOES get a little time-consuming. I would suggest moving her into Grade One. And that means she'll probably finish it maybe around Christmas. So get Grade Two then and move her right along.
I 2nd what Jackie said. We are finishing up Horizons Math for grade 1 now...and I rarely pull out the teachers guide. I have a between workbook he has worked on throughout the school year & to be honest, for my son...he doesn't want to do the same thing twice, he just wants to move on...so it's basically how your child is as far as learning. Do they need to move slowly into new Math concepts? Then do the between work. If they catch on quickly & are ready to move on...just go straight into it!
I got my TE used, so I used it to check his work. Kept my brain from having to work out each problem in my head. LOL But if you don't mind doing the checking yourself, and don't plan on doing more than what is in the workbook, then I would just skip it.
I 3rd Jackie! My oldest is about partway through the 2nd grade math and she is considered a 1st grader. She loves the worksheets and doesn't need the extra lessons.
I am sorry that I have to disagree with the other posters. The Horizons math program states that the TM is mandatory to the program, and after using it for the last two years, I definitely agree. Initially, I used it for my son in 1st grade and followed other people's advice that the TM wasn't necessary. At some point in the course, I realized that I had been neglecting to do many important things from the TM including drilling math facts. We are using 2nd grade now, and every day I spend about 15-20 minutes doing activities from the TM (though not necessaily all of them). The TM activites include things such as drilling math facts, skip counting, presenting new concepts, work on learning to tell time, explanation on Roman numerals, speed drills, and review of important concepts. A lot of these things are not covered in the workbooks (especially important things like speed drills). In my opinion, if you are not using the TM, you are missing about 50% of the program. Besides, it would take a very long time to grade all of the worksheets without the answer key in the TM (especially the 3-digit addition and subtraction problems). I think Horizons is the best math program I have come across, but for people who don't like using TM's, Horizons Math may not be a good fit. HTH.
I have not been using the TM this year, I don't even think I cracked it!!!. My youngest seems to have a math brain and has been doing very well with how it's introduced in the workbook pages. My oldest was this way - someone had given us an Abeka 1st Grade workbook - I didn't have the TM so we just used the book - she caught on fine, and I was able to teach her - but it was the way her brain worked.. My youngest does 2 lessons a day - even though I've told her she doesn't have to, and to only do 1, she BEGS to do the other sheet!!! I'm around when she's doing it - but she doesn't like me to sit there and hover over her - she likes to figure it out. It's fairly easy to check K, and I'm assuming G1 will be easy to check (I can add/subtract, etc LOL!!!). BUT...I do worry about what PP said regarding "extras". We haven't done any this year....so....should I assume we won't need it next year?? I'm just torn....maybe I should just spend some time on clock & money and drilling addition/subtraction facts for the summer and just let her start 1 when she's ready. I'm fearful she'll get bored - this is a kid you do not want to be bored! LOL
DS is the same....don't ever let him get bored lol I have to strongly disagree that because I don't pull out the TE he is missing 50%.....my goal is to teach him so he can learn the necessary concepts. If it doesn't require extra...then why would I spend time going over the same thing 500 times, just for sake of using the manual. I'd say 87% of kids don't need it....yes, that's my made up statistic.
I don't use the TE but we still do some extras for the challenge. She has a set of flash cards that we go over several times a week. I time her and she has a goal to reach- once she reaches the goal, she earns a prize. We keep track of her progress on a line graph. She has also asked to learn how to do "hard" addition and subtraction (with borrowing/carrying) and since the worksheets don't cover that, I give her a few problems of those to keep her from forgetting those skills. I'm also big into word problems so I use Primary Grade Challenge Math for the word problems a few times a week. As far as introducing new concepts, she doesn't need a long lesson. She wants me to show her an example, maybe two if it is trickier and then she is off and running. As far as grading, it takes me longer to find the page and look back and forth at the answer/sheet then it does for me to just grade it. Math is my strong area though and I rarely used answer keys when I taught upper math. I guess, all of this to say, what kind of student is YOUR child and what kind of teacher are YOU? With my families personality, the TE is a waste of money.
Talked to hubby last night....he told me to get the whole shebang. So I'm guessing I'll get it all. I did just take a look at the K TM....I NEVER even cracked it....do you think I could sell it? LOL
I would like to respond to the "extras" comments. For example, today in our 2nd grade lesson, the Horizons TM said to explain "numerator" and "denominator." There isn't anything in the workbook about that. I don't consider that knowledge as "extra." There are a lot of examples like that. Drilling addition and subtraction math facts up to 18 for 1st and 2nd grade is something that is particulary important and not an "extra." My son's best subject is math and it comes easily to him, but it has taken us the better part of a year of drilling flash cards for the math facts to become automatic which is the standard. I regulary read posts about how people just realized that their upper elementary grade children don't know their math facts and need remedial work. I think this is unlikely to happen if you do the work with the flash cards at younger ages. I am reading through Cathy Duffy's "Top 100 Picks" book. She recommends Horizons math but she also comments about how she fears parents will use only the workbooks without the TM. Furthermore, I would consider a post such as, "I have used the TM this year but have found it to be redundant and unnecessary," as a reliable opinion. However, what most posters write is something akin to, "I have never cracked the TM open, but I can tell you that you don't need it at all." If a person has never used or even read through the TM, how would she know that it is not needed? How would she know that she is not missing anything? I have never written anything on this forum before, but I felt that I should write a response about this question. When I was choosing a math curriculum a couple of years ago, I wish someone had written a contrarian view to the usual, "You don't need the TM for Horizons Math." At least then I would have looked at it and decided for myself. I hope others can benefit from my experience.
Narnian, glad you decided to jump in! Each of us homeschool different, and you're absolutely right about looking and deciding for ourselves. Welcome!!!
Narnian, I'm so glad you chimed in too! THANK YOU for voicing an opposing opinion, sometimes it's hard to do, and I'm glad you broke your silence. It caused me to take a greater look at the K TM I had...I realized that I had naturally added the stuff they suggested on my own (which made me feel pretty good about myself as a teacher); but it also showed me some things that I COULD do to enhance her learning instead of just sloughing off! I'm glad I took a look at it. So, thanks...I appreciate it!
