Clear Horizons – math choices

This week, the Virtual Curriculum Fair is focusing on Discovering Patterns: Math and the Mathematical Sciences.  You will find all sorts of ideas, helps, and surprises for practical math applications among the posts.

It is no secret that math is the hardest subject for me to write about. I could whine and complain but really, it amounts to an insecurity within myself. I know and recognize that and I fight it all the time, hoping my girls will learn to be confident in their math abilities. We have struggled with finding a good curriculum, even with our adventures as part of the Homeschool Review Crew. We have found several tidbits that help us.

1 – We do not do well with an online curriculum. Examples might be Teaching Textbooks or Khan Academy or A+ Interactive Math. We realize that these have many wonderful features; they just don’t fit our children. And that is okay.

2 – We have realized that the girls need to be able to ask questions of a real person and get multiple explanations of a concept. These explanations need to be different each time, using different words to help get the concept across.

3 – We need to practice a few problems at a time and not be overwhelmed by a huge page full of the exact same type of problem x 100.

4 – But we can do several different concepts on each page, as long as there are 5 or 6 of each type.

5 – Color is helpful and brightens up the pages but is not essential.

So that leave us looking forward at? What?

We looked at several different curriculum options – printing from online, buying a book at the store, or piecing things together ourselves. We spent a couple of hours with the girls at the store going through things and came home with a company that has been a perfect fit for us – Horizons.

Is it a perfect book that makes everything simple? No.

But, it fit our needs and has given us a way through our daily math that has made sense and we have seen really fantastic progress. All three of the girls use Horizons Math.

The pages are well set up and there is sequential progress through the concepts with a little bit of practice on following days. After a few days of this kind of practice, they might move away from that concept for a while. It will circle back, though, after a couple of weeks and then they will build on it.

We have seen the girls confidence and ability soar with Horizons. We know that there are options that may fit better in the future. Actually, the near future since Horizons doesn’t have a high school level math option so we will have to find something different. But this? It has been the answer we needed.

Pre-algebra is coming up fast. (We may start a review on a Pre-Algebra program in a couple of weeks! I’ll let you know. . .) But until then, we have clear horizons and a program we are pleased with.

I say all this to let you know, it is okay to move around a bit to find the right fit. Once we realized what was working or not working about certain programs, our view was much clearer. And with that clearer view, the right fit was easier to find.

At Home.

Please visit my fellow homeschool bloggers who are talking about Discovering Patterns: Math and the Mathematical Sciences this week:

Finding Our Math Equilibrium: Our Plan for 11th, 7th, 5th, and 2nd Grades + Free Printables! by Susan @ Homeschooling Hearts & Minds

Math Resources and Programs for All Ages by Amanda H @ Hopkins Homeschool

Math (doesn’t) Stink! by Jennifer King @A Peace of Mind

When Math is NOT Your Thing by Michele@Family, Faith and Fridays

Math U See and All the Supplements by Laura H @ Four Little Penguins

Discovering Patterns in Our World: STEM Studies by Laura @ Day by Day in Our World

Junior High Math by Jennifer @ A Glimpse of Our Life

Science & Math for Struggling Learners by Yvie @ Gypsy Road

Maths: a subject in progress by Sarah @ Delivering Grace

Taking Mathematics out of the Textbook by Dana Hanley @ Roscommon Acre

Maths for a Very Maths-y Boy by Lizzy @ Peaches At Home

Practical Math by Annette @ A Net in Time

One of the greatest benefits of homeschooling by Kim @ Good Sweet Love

Math, How I Loathe Thee by Shecki @ Greatly Blessed

Math and Logic in Early Elementary and Preschool {virtual curriculum fair 2017} by Meghan W @ Quiet In The Chaos

Low Stress High School Science and Math by Christy @ Unexpected Homeschool

Are these toys or manipulatives? This is math? by HillaryM @ Walking Fruitfully

When You Don’t Have a Math Plan by Brittney @ Mom’s Heart

Clear Horizons by Lori H @ At Home: where life happens

A Few Thoughts on Teacher Math by Kristen @ Sunrise to Sunset

 

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Tagged: Elementary, math, Middle School, VCF