Another Math topic

[AAK]

We have been hs for nearly two months now and have been using Saxon 54. This is fine, my dd is capable and such. I like several things about it, BUT, my dd is annoyed with the monotony of it. I am trying to do other activities whenever possible so that it isn't all bookwork. And even though this program works for me, I am not really a fan of spiral programs.

All the math curriculum posts that I seem to find really talk about grades prek-3rd. So, I would love to hear about math curriculum for grades 4-6 this time. I just realized that I can't just get by with the student book and so I am trying to decide if I should order the other book or find a new program.

You have all been so great at helping me with all of the bumps in the road, I hope you can help again. Thanks!

Amy

[LilyGrace]

4th grader here...we use Math U See. It's concept mastery, but has nowhere near the intensity that Saxon requires. An average lesson here has 12 problems total. We end up doing 4 days on, 1 day off a week, and spending that last day with games, activities, and other programs to reinforce current or past concepts. Like, right now he's doing long division. Friday, we'll just incorporate a few long division problems into real life/pirate day - divvying up the crew's earnings or making the rum last among the crew.

We tried Saxon, ended up being one of the ones that hated it with a passion, and found this. We haven't tried anything else though I offer The Kid a range of what's out there every year.

[Lillian J]

I'd cut way back on the Saxon (it's very controversial over the fact that so many children hate it and end up with the misconception that math is boring and tedious) - and turn more to things that are not even part of a program but just enhance mathematical thinking and enthusiasm. I think the loose, unstructured approach is truly more beneficial in the big picture. You can find lots of ideas on this page of math articles and links to websites that have good ideas - Go Figure!. And here are some ideas for math games and manipulatives.

And if you want the security of having a program to turn to, there are lots of good alternatives you can read about in this thread - let's talk math.

Lillian

[mom2ponygirl]

We liked www.singaporemath.com for those grades. Also I hear good things about a free online curriculum, MEP. http://www.cimt.plymouth.ac.uk/projects/mep/default.htm
It is K-12 and there is a yahoo group for help in implementing it.

For fun stuff to spice up that grade level of math, check out books by Zaccaro like Challenge Math or Becoming a Problem Solving Genius. Reading books like The Number Devil or Penrose the Mathematical Cat.

[moominmamma]

Singapore has been our mainstay from 3rd through 6th grade levels. It's good for quick learners. It's not spiral, but not as obsessively mastery-oriented as some programs, in that each grade-year includes some geometry, some measurement, some multiplication, etc.. Low on repetition, high on complexity of word problems. And my kids find it friendly and unintimidating but honest -- as in, "here's the math," not sugar-coating everything in games, comics, stories and gimmicks.

Miranda

[tankgirl73]

Another Saxon dropout here! I loved it myself, and would have thrived on it if I were a kid using it lol... but I'm weird... DS HATED it and we quit about 1/4 of the way in.

I'm a bit of a fan of Teaching Textbooks, they currently start at grade 5 and are working on grade 4 now. DS did their grade 6 and *loved* it, and got 90% overall. HOWEVER we did notice when we tried the next level afterwards, that there were many concepts he had not properly internalized... he did the formulas, followed the patterns, stabbed his way through, but didn't really UNDERSTAND, so when we tried to go to the next level he was just way in over his head.

So we've switched to RightStart Math and it's revolutionary! He loves it, I love it, it's fun, there are lots of games, and the methodology is so brilliant and discovery-based and builds true mastery from comprehension rather than from rote exercises.

We're doing level E right now which is about a grade 5 level (though it's so different it's difficult to compare), then we'll do the middle school geometry course.