Horizons Math and Singapore Math

I finally came to a solution with my math dilemma for Autumn's curriculum. Alpha Omega called as a sales call and I ordered Horizons Math through them. I had looked at it before in the homeschool store, but it's so hard to really look when you have 3 little kids with you =) So, it arrived and I had felt peace about it so I thought, "this must be it".

But, it wasn't. My husband is a natural teacher.

You write: Teach the clock. He can do it!

I can't. How? How do you teach the clock I want to know? How do I explain the hands and the concept of time? Questions bounce around in my head!

So, Horizons said, "Teach the clock." Nope, not the curriculum for me. But, thankfully, there is a 30 day moneyback guarantee, so I'm going to mail it back next week.

But, that made me feel like I was back at square one! I have been so puzzled about math. I've felt good about the other things I've done with the kids. I'd only had to switch from The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Reading to 100 Easy Lessons last year during PreK.

I went back to my Singapore Math and the website. I know that I am frugal and I struggled with the idea of spending $150 on K math, so I had only bought the textbooks (which are really more of a workbook). What I realized this week was that was a mistake. I needed the activity books and teacher's guide and extra practice book. And for K, they don't have a homeschool guide so the teacher's guides are $46 plus $12 for the resource cards. Singapore Math (all grades) is divided into 2 books. I was able to teach through the first one fine, so I just ordered the additional activity workbook to go along with it. But, I ordered the teacher's guide and cards for the second. It was $94 more for me to complete my set. But, it was the right choice. I like the books, I like the samples of the guide. They're straight forward and easy to understand.

I'm thankful that 1st grade only cost $109. After K, Singapore Math has done a great thing and written Homeschool Teacher's Guides (just not for K!) that only cost $16 instead of the $46 for the regular teacher's manual. That's a big savings.

My husband was puzzled that I was so worried about this. But, I found that math in the older grades makes perfect sense to me. I struggle with the progression in the younger grades and I want to make sure I explain things properly. Yet, I don't have a ton of time to learn a new method of teaching Math and I am not an entirely conceptual thinker when it comes to math. I found that as I looked at teacher's manuals, either they gave too much info or too little (like teach the clock). Singapore Math was the only one that really clicked for me.

All this searching has given me more appreciation for why there are so many different homeschool math options. We all have different personalities and different bents when it comes to teaching. What a blessing it is that there are different options.