Mathematics
There are lots of math programs out there,
but there are a few that I like, and two that we use. Here they
are:
Horizons
Math
This is the program we have been using for years. It's colorful
and appealing to look at, it uses a spiral approach, but it doesn't
stick to one exercise ad nauseum. Instead the student does 5 or
10 addition problems followed by 3 clock exercises followed by 5
fractions, etc. They introduce finding the unknown very early,
hopefully making algebra less daunting later on. This series goes
through 6th grade, at which point, your child should be able to go on
to pre-algebra or algebra, depending on him. The link here leads
you to Christianbook.com as Amazon doesn't have these on a consistent
basis.
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Saxon
Math
This is the standby of
homeschoolers for many years. It's solid and thorough and
straightforward. However, in my experience, it doesn't tend to
engender a tremendous enthusiasm for math, but they'll definitely know
it by the end! This program goes all the way through high
school. In fact, Saxon's Algebra I is a good place to go after
Horizons if that's the route you choose.
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Math-U-See
Many people are quite enthusiastic about about this program. It's
sort of a simplified Montessori method to math using colorful blocks
and making everything very concrete. Years ago, we used this, and
I liked a lot about it, but it didn't really "click" for us. I
continue to use the blocks and "Decimal Street" to illustrate concepts
to my younger children, however.
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Jacob's Math
Instead of Saxon, we're using Jacob's Algebra and intend to use Jacob's
Geometry as well. If your child is a science type, Saxon may be
better when you get to high school level math. If you or your
child is a humanities type, this will probably be a better fit.
It even has fun little comics and a description of why a particular concept should be
learned before it is.
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