What is the most engaging and well rounded math and language arts program for home school. Just looking for some advice from experieced home schoolers. I have triplets and will be starting 2nd grade next year. Any advice?
Hi Welcome!!!!!!! Most people really like Saxon math. It spirals as they learn so they keep getting review on various topics as they continue. We have used Bob Jones Press and have loved it. But a lot of people lean towards easy grammar, that is what I am thinking of changing to for next year.
I used to be a huge fan of AOP for elementary Math & L/A....gotta say, though, at least for Math, I would go with Horizons. I'm using that now with my youngest. Love it, love the colors, love the flow, love the review, love the feeling of "successes" she feels with it.
Math U See is mastery based, meaning you will review and review ONE topic until it is completely mastered. I have not used Saxon, but what I've seen of it, it is spiral approach. MOST maths are spiral based (meaning they intro a topic, review, intro new topic, review both topics, intro a third topic, review, review, review, test. Intro more, review, intro more, review, add in review from really early topics, etc.....goes in a spiral and is constantly revisiting topics to make sure they are learned before building on them). Horizon's and AOP Lifepacs are spiral. Another mastery based approach is Shiller Math. If I'm not mistaken, so is Right Start and Math Mammoth.
I really love Christian Light Education. My daughter used it for 2nd and 3rd grade and she is about to begin 4th and my new order just came in. Each lesson begins with a speed drill which has helped her immensely, and each lesson reviews previous lessons. In each book there are two quizzes and one test.
I just saw your intro post as well and would recommend Abeka over MFW. I really like Abeka... more so the farther you get into it (middle/high, although I also like elementary). FYI - Abeka and Horizons are more advanced than Saxon in Math, so be sure to use the entrance tests to determine a level if you choose one of the three. (I've never seen an entrance test for Abeka, but I would say it's more advanced than Saxon, less than Horizons.) http://www.sonlight.com/placement-tests.html
On Abeka vs. MFW, I would say they are worlds different. If you're looking for a "school at home" approach, Abeka is it. It is a great curriculum, and very colorful, good information. But it is a workbooky intense. MFW is a more "classical" approach with lots of reading and a lot of hands on activities, crafts, etc. You really want to pick based on your CHILD'S learning style. Sometimes that's hard when it does not match your teaching style! LOL I love Abeka, but my kids would hate me! LOL
I've been schooling Other People's Kids for 12 years now. CLE is my first choice for reading, LA and math. Both the language arts and the math are incremental spirals, which means each lesson starts with a little bit of new, then mixed review of previous skills, distributed over a longer time. The explanations and examples are very clear, and even second graders can be a little independent in their work, which I imagine you might need with triplets! www.clp.org
I am a huge fan of Christian Light Education (cle) math. My two oldest are using it right now. I love how well the basics are taught. My kids are excelling at math, and they completely different in skill levels. My son is really smart, and gets math. My daughter has some dyslexia issues and she is doing well with it too. It is easy to teach, and increases the independence of the students! I also use xtramath which is an online drill program that is free. My kids love doing that instead of the speed drills. They are doing great and really learning the math facts quickly. We loved First Language Lessons, the old book where 1&2 were together. It was nice and gentle for the first two years of grammar. The newer books, and the ones further up in grade level I didn't like so much. We also HATED Easy Grammar. It was just too much and very boring. Instead of that we are using Brian Cleary books, mad libs, and I am going to buy either Caught'ya!: Grammar With a Giggle, or one of the Grammar Girls books. This is the method my Aunt used to teach her kids and one is a journalism major who just got accepted into the Masters program of her choice, and the other two are working on PH.ds as well.
YEp, Both Horizon for Math, and though I have not tried it I think that they have a great Lang arts now too with Horizon. It is mastery as well and teaches new concept, and reminds of old each day. in the math that is, lol. Math U See is awesome in the older grades have not used it for youngner kids, we used Horizon math.
There are so many options out there! But I would also look into McRuffy for math and lang. arts too if you want. My daughter loves McRuffy! My son is doing Math U See and it is a good fit for him- mastery style; we watch the video and he does the worksheets and it has hands on component. (Math Mammoth is another I've heard of- think it's mastery, and then there's Teaching Textbooks, computer based and spiral.) McRuffy also has hands on components and oral exercises- and this one's spiral. So many great choices out there- just have to find a good fit for your kids! Good luck!!
So many choices! Ok - I like the workbook based courses. I also liked Rod & Staff for language arts. My DH didn't like workbooks when we started - he always thought they should be "doing more", now - the man has become seasoned and sees our son get through lessons, fix and edit the problems he did wrong and go about his stuff each week and do well in the workbooks. We tried textbooks and that was SUCH a headache! (now we are talking 9th grade).... we used Ambleside Online for a year with my youngest and she did great with it.... went with Tapestry of Grace as well and I loved it and the kids loved the projects. I liked it because we were all "on the same page". We have come back to workbooks and I am using CLE for my 9th grader. Cheaper than LifePacs - same idea and in some cases same text from what I understand. The newer Sunrise editions make lessons SUPER EASY to plan I can sooooo ramble
I used Horizons for both Math and LA(phonics) at that age. I thought it was a great program, easy to use and dd learned a ton.
