Choosing which curriculum to use is difficult. It has to work for the child and the parent. We chose to order separate pieces for different reasons. Math was one of the subjects I was downright horrible in as a kid and even adult. I had a hard time passing college level algebra.
I wanted to make sure that my daughters have a solid understanding of math. When we first started homeschooling we went to the homeschool convention in Orlando. This gave us a chance to look through different books and see what we liked.
We looked at quite a few different books. We brought home tons of material that I sorted through. I decided that ordering it online from amazon would probably be cheaper. I could order used textbooks.
Our family was previously public schoolers. We quit about a year and a half ago when the girls were in 2nd and 4th grades. I was lost as to what they knew and didn’t know. So I decided to take them back to 1st grade and work our way back up to grade level.
We choose to use Singapore math Singapore Primary Math grade 1 WORKBOOK SET–1A and 1B
. The program shows different ways to do math and allows the child to choose which is simplest for them. I also liked the way that it introduced multiplication in 1st grade, and it was simple to understand, just the basic concepts.
When we quit school Z was in 4th grade and could not add 4+9. They were trying to introduce multiplication and she didn’t understand adding. She is now at the end of 3rd grade math. She can add and subtract large numbers in her head, multiply large numbers and even do long division. We have learned the metric system, money, and even how to tell time on an analog clock.
She isn’t up to grade level yet, but she does understand math now. We have only been working on these books for a year and we started back at 1st grade. That is pretty good. If we work hard through summer we should be up to grade level by fall. (We take a lot of random time off during the school year; we vacationed in Michigan this fall and winter)
I believe that the review work is vital though to starting this program. We attempted to start at 3rd grade level and it was hard to understand the way that they explained things. This is a program that any parent could use; even someone that has little math skills themselves. I have learned along with my girls on some of the information. For example, I know understand the metric system. I know I was taught it briefly in school, but I don’t remember it.
The last bonus to Singapore math
is the cost. The books are paperback and costs me roughly $60 for an entire year of math. It includes 2 textbook, 2 workbook, 2 home instructors guide. That is not bad for a year of math!
The one downside is that the books are done in two levels for each grade. 1st grade has book 1a and 1b to go through. That is why above I said that there are 2 of each book. It aggravated my girls that they think they are done with a grade and then get handed the same grade.
Overall I HIGHLY recommend the Singapore math books. My daughters are going to be successful in math. It has truly helped my daughters to have a real understanding of math and not just memorizing a bunch of facts. Check out Singapore Math for your family!
