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Originally Posted by tammyw
Zoiks. Well I'm still so confused on where to start! DD (just turned 5) has various learning styles. She LOVES being read to - anything I read to her, she is happy. She loves listening to audio cds. She loves watching videos. She loves playing games. She really doesn't seem to like doing workbooks. She does like playing with manipulatives (a lot actually).
So I'm thinking from the above, we might do best with something like Right Start or Math U See? But still, I don't even know if that's accurate. I really feel like I need to figure this out since I don't want to buy five different programs trying to figure it all out, as I'm sure that would put me in the poor house! And I'm afraid Dd is the kind of kid who would be totally put off on math if we start working with the wrong program.
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I choose MUS instead of RightStart b/c of MY likes and philosophy. I would go crazy always teaching a different game. I like things short and straight forward. My philosophy is to keep math very simple and very short. Then dd has time for free exploration and playing her own games. We used it for K and 1st so far (dd is in 1st now). She knows all her addition facts (without counting). I made up a game to help her drill facts She loves to hop, so I gave her a starting line and an end goal and told her to hop whenever she got one right and take a step back when it's wrong. I just noticed she needed a bit more drill.
Other than that we just do a quick page everyday. But we have blocks and a weekly video to go with it, so that's the fun part. Oh, and there is a music CD to learn the facts. If your child wouldn't be resistant to WS, I don't think she would mind. Sometimes, I fill them in for her as she answers out loud. Since we do a literature based curriculum this is the ONLY WS we do, so that helps to.
I think my dd might like the RS a bit more as far as math approaches, but she loves her free time too. We spend about 10 min. a day on math. And she can tell time and add numbers and pretty much on her own figures out that a "katrillion plus a katrillion is 2 katrillion". They do a real good job of place value too.
Right Start is also a very solid program, but it is a bunch of different games. Also, MUS goes up thru Pre-Calculus. I would definitely say no to Saxon or any typical school texts. Miquon is ok for kids that are geared toward discovering on their own. I may use it for my youngest dd to supplement b/c she would love doing it, but MUS will be my base for all my kids if I have my way.
I also use it to tutor. I have a homeschool junior who I'm tutoring about fractions and decimals and pre-algebra. He has done it all but with no understanding, so he can't do algebra. The MUS makes it all click for him. He is a completely different type learner than my daughter (I'm talking from professional learning style evaluation, not just a hunch.) So, I think it can work pretty well for any child. I hear tons of good things about, that occasionally somebody doesn't like it. Sometimes it's b/c they used the old program instead of the updated one.
I really think RightStart does help kids good the same solid foundation as MUS, but it seems to be more work. But if you like the games and don't mind more time and your dd would like the games, then RightStart might be a good choice. If you want something really simple, but that gives a good foundation and is hands on, use MUS. Don't do Saxon, Singapore is ok, and Miquon is for the bright self-discovering kind of learner.
By the way if you really want to understand how kids learn, I would not look at the visual, auditory, kinesethic approach. I would read the Way They Learn by Cynthia Tobias AND Nuture by Nature by Tieger and (something)-Tieger (married couple). B/c of the second book, I've had an easy type knowing how to adapt my dd's homeschool to her needs. But I pick curriculum based on my philosophy and desires for her education.
I hope this helps. Feel free to ask lots of questions. And look at company websites for samples so you can see for yourself.