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Topic: Math Workbook Programs?

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Maryan
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Posted: March 24 2011 at 11:26am \| IP Logged

I think I have to leave using Right Start as a primary math program.

From now on all my pregnancies are high risk with many appointments. Therefore, I've decided to just plan on being pregnant so I won't have to adjust my year while I'm pregnant... if that makes any sense.

It requires that my kids will be doing schoolwork under a sitter once or twice a week. Maybe at our house... maybe at someone else's house. So!....

I'm looking for your favorite math workbook programs. (Teaching Textbooks and other computer DVD or manipulative heavy programs won't fit my needs, so don't tell me how wonderful they are!)

I think I'm looking for workbook programs that can be used with minimal teacher assistance. Does anyone have experience with Abeka, MCP, Seton or Horizons? Others?
I'll be doing 1st, 3rd, and 5th grades.

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Maryan
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Mackfam
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Posted: March 24 2011 at 11:45am \| IP Logged

I'm sorry about Right Start, Maryan! I can sympathize SO MUCH with your post and your needs, but what a bummer when you find something you like so much, that you have to reconsider in light of new family needs/dynamics. Happy to offer our little bit of input....

Math in the early years is pretty informal for us.

Of the sources you're considering, I have found that if I need to just pull a worksheet out of a book (which I have to do if we get pregnant here), the MCP workbooks work best for us. Inexpensive. No fluff. Edited to say that the other workbook resources may be just as good - I just don't have experience with them. I've been thinking of immersing myself in the Rainbow Resources catalog and thinking this one through more myself.)

I keep Math Is Fun bookmarked for the kids.

And, I'm suggesting another source - Create Your Own Math Worksheet. That might not be enough no-brainer-just-do-the-next-worksheet-page for you, but I've found it can work if you create pages at the beginning of the week based on a concept you're working on. There are a lot of different math worksheet makers online, so this isn't the only option. Math Is Fun has a collection of worksheets. The Math Worksheet Site is another source.

I wanted the mention the worksheet generators because there might be something there that you could brainstorm - a mixing of Right Start concepts/approach (which you're familiar enough with that you can probably wing a lot of!!) and an ability to peel back a layer to supplied worksheets reinforcing concepts in time*critical seasons.

Good luck brainstorming this one out!!!

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JennGM
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Posted: March 24 2011 at 12:44pm \| IP Logged

Aw, that is too bad, Maryan. I have noticed that at different lessons RightStart is not very portable, let alone someone stepping in and teaching it.

I have no experience to share, though. My sister who does Seton might be able to share her experience...

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Maryan
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Posted: March 24 2011 at 1:43pm \| IP Logged

Fun sheets Jen!

And yes Jenn. We've had a couple "crisis" school years, and while we've made it through quite a bit of Right Start... I always have to supplement heavily those years. So finally, I'm conceding: we'll do workbooks and supplement with all the important Right Start lessons when I get the chance. I just have to figure out how to include the abacus often because some of her adding shortcuts for sure have been fantastic for my kids.

Thanks for the input! And I keep rereading some old threads about some of these workbook programs too.

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Maryan
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Donna Marie
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Posted: March 24 2011 at 1:47pm \| IP Logged

Maryan,

I used to use Right Start as my primary math program but difficult pregnancies always derailed me. I have been using Math U See for several years now and it is a great fit for all of my kids. My two kids that had some learning issues I used Key-To with and that did the trick for them and they supplement that with MUS (using 2 programs with them is probably totally unnecessary but THEY like it so we do it that way...LOL)

MUS was a great fit because there was another MAN in the house teaching (love the DVDs).
It was easy for me to keep my place as to where each child was in their studies, so in short, it made it easier for me to multitask. I used to get rather anxious about teaching math before because it needed so much of my energy, now I don't feel that way at all...FWIW.

I plan on using it for everyone for the long haul. My 15yo ds loves to do his math totally independently. I just give him a test now and then to make sure he knows what he is doing, and he does!

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SuzanneG
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Posted: March 24 2011 at 3:51pm \| IP Logged

Maryan~
I partly switched to Math Mammoth this year because of the pregnancy and new baby, etc. I LOVE the "worktexts" that she has! Logistically, it's very easy and neat and "containable" which I needed this year. I buy the download, print them off for free at my library and then punch them in my ProClick.

I have had to drastically cut back on my math time with these girls and get them more independent....this was a great way to help that transition.

I'm using the 2nd and 4th grade "curriculum" (light blue) right now, after using a couple of the Blue Series (before Christmas) to work on a couple specific areas.

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mamaslearning
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Posted: March 24 2011 at 4:51pm \| IP Logged

I use Math Mammoth as well. We just finished the first grade curriculum and will be starting second grade work next week. I like all the extra practice sheets she gives you, and the cumulative reveiws and tests. We take our time or speed up as needed. I like it so much I just purchased grades 1-6 (lightblue full curriculum) when it was on sale.

I also like that I can reprint the sheets for all four children as they move into math work. The cost was very inexpensive when spread out for the four kids, 6 years each.

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lapazfarm
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Posted: March 24 2011 at 7:45pm \| IP Logged

I'm using DK Math Made Easy workbooks with my dd. They are inexpensive and I like them a lot.
Math Made Easy

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Mackfam
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Posted: March 24 2011 at 8:26pm \| IP Logged

SuzanneG wrote:

Oh, I'm so glad you mentioned this! You've mentioned Math Mammoth before but I couldn't remember it! THAT'S the one I wanted to check out!

And of course you use your ProClick!!!! Isn't that thing amazing?!! I LOVE that I can open the spine, add, subtract, change, rearrange. Ok. I WILL NOT gush about that crazy thing again, but I'm glad you mentioned that you use it to contain your printouts!

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Jen Mackintosh
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Posted: March 24 2011 at 8:44pm \| IP Logged

lapazfarm wrote:

I'm using DK Math Made Easy workbooks with my dd. They are inexpensive and I like them a lot.
Math Made Easy

I've used these before as well, Theresa! You just can't beat the price!!! I love that! And since I hardly ever pull out a workbook, they're nice for the every-now-and-then do a page....or for the little fella that really wants something *school-ish* in his basket. I actually mentioned these on another of Maryan's threads

and she mentioned that she'd seen them (I think??) and that her little fellas didn't really care for the shiny sheets (I think that was it - Maryan?). I did notice the shiny sheets and though my little guy hasn't complained about them, it is sometimes difficult to get the pencil to show up on the paper...because it doesn't really grab the paper (though different pencils work differently on this paper, some better than others). Don't know if you've had that problem/challenge come up, Theresa. Definitely not really a deal breaker here in youngish grades, (because of the great price), but for older grades, I think I'm going to look for something with regular paper feel for those occasional times I may use a worksheet resource.

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Jen Mackintosh
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Erin
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Posted: March 24 2011 at 9:04pm \| IP Logged

Maryan,

I used Singapore Maths for many years with my children, I didn't find it too mum intensive, pretty straightforward. Up until Grade 5 that is, that is when I run into problems.

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JodieLyn
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Posted: March 24 2011 at 9:18pm \| IP Logged

I really like Singapore Math as well.

But you might not want to avoid computer based programs too heavily.. laptops are getting cheaper all the time.

You might look really closely at the cost of buying work books every year for every child vs the cost of a laptop and a reuseable computer program.

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Maryan
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Posted: March 24 2011 at 10:36pm \| IP Logged

Great suggestions ladies... I'm so grateful! I'm loving all these links. And a download math program might be even easier to put in book format for school on the go with other worksheets (more on that in a different thread). Thanks Suzanne -- I've never heard of Mammoth Math. Going to look at a few other links tomorrow. I stayed up to late watching basketball.

And Jen I'm chuckling that you remember. Theresa, when my Philip was born I bought those same books to supplement Right Start. I loved the price and the look of those books and bought them for my guys. And... they didn't like the way their pencil worked on the shiny paper.

Oh well!

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Maryan
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Martha
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Posted: March 28 2011 at 7:27am \| IP Logged

I have used MCP with good results for many years. Very teacher friendly. Nothing to print, directions are clear and written to the student, very inexpensive. I've had nothing but regret when I left MCP for other options and have sworn to stick with what works from now on.

I also started Math Mammoth last year with my 7th born whose mind is just a bit different than his siblings and the only kid that MCP just wasn't working for. I actually like it quite a bit more than i thought i would. If you want it to be very sick mom friendly tho, be sure to print off the entire grade level ahead of time. I was very glad to have done that, as I'm not up to standing over a printer or anything else for several months at the start of my pregnancies.

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Martha
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jenncatan
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Posted: March 28 2011 at 10:21am \| IP Logged

My little ones like the Abeka math books better than the MCP books. The Abeka books are colorful whereas the MCP are black and white.

I found that they enjoyed doing the "math" more with Abeka.

Abeka seems to move faster but that's just my opinion.

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Martha
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Posted: March 28 2011 at 10:43am \| IP Logged

Not to dissuade anyone from abeka. It is a very different program from MCP, which might be just the thing for many kids.

MCP is actually red, black and green. So it has limited color/distractions and is very easy to erase. It also focuses on one concept at a time for longer.

Abeka is a mixed concept program. They introduce a concept, you have some practice problems, and then a mix of lots of different things learned up to that point. Not as spiral as Saxon, but similar integration. Also, if you have a kid that is a bit persnickety, those pretty shiny pages are nearly impossible to erase neatly and all the colorful graphics can be a distraction.

Both are solid time tested programs. Just very different.

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Martha
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Maryan
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Posted: March 28 2011 at 8:48pm \| IP Logged

Thanks for the feedback! All good points!

Martha, some of my kids totally like eraser friendly paper. Others do like the color, Jenn. My sil loves Abeka, but I'm not sure if it will work with all my kids.

Hmmm... more thinking.

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Maryan
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Erica Sanchez
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Posted: March 29 2011 at 12:12pm \| IP Logged

Maryan and all,

I just re-read your original post and I'm not sure this will work for your grade levels, but I like this supplemental program very much.

Key To Math

Each topic has four simple 'workbooks' - not workbooks really as they are very slim and printed on a newsprint type paper - and an answer book. They are around $4.00 each.

Topics include:
Fractions
Percents
Decimals
Algebra
Geometry
English-Unit Measurement
Metric Measurement

The presentation in the 'workbooks' is almost handwritten looking and not at all overwhelming. It almost looks fun. It appealed to my non-academic 7th grade gal. :)

I like that one set covers one topic and takes you from the very simple to the fairly complex. I use them to supplement other programs we use (Math U See and Teaching Textbooks) and just love them. I plan to have my three oldest (10th, 8th, and 6th) do some over the summer to make sure they have a firm grasp of decimals/percents/fractions.

We've used MCP in the past and I think those would be a great fit with your needs, especially for the grade levels of your children. I remember there being color as well. :)

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Posted: March 30 2011 at 6:43pm \| IP Logged

I just saw that the Homeschool Buyers' Co-Op has Math Mammoth up for 50% off with some freebies I think thrown in.

I've never done the buyers' co-op. Looks like a great deal!

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Maryan
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Posted: March 31 2011 at 12:00pm \| IP Logged

Thanks Kacky and Erica!! Now my head is really spinning with options.... and even more so with a discount deadline!!

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Maryan
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