Singapore students are scoring the highest in the world in math and science. The web page for these texts in the US is http://www.singaporemath.com
Singapore Math seems to solve the "conceptual/drill...Saxon jumping around problem". Here's an example from a problem in the first half of fifth grade book
<< Mr Li paid $36 for 3 singlets and 2 T-shirts. A T-shirt cost 3 times as much as a singlet. How much did Mr Li pay for the 2 T-shirts?>>
Saxon is a tried and true mathematics choice for many homeschoolers, but one complaint about the high school level texts Algebra I and Algebra II is that geometry is included piecemeal in the algebra courses rather than being taught separately in a systematic fashion. Jacobs' Geometry is one alternative for those who find this to be a problem. It is a friendly, thorough approach to high school geometry that starts with an introduction to deductive reasoning and takes the student through to non-Euclidean and coordinate geometry.
Over the years I have used several different Algebra programs with my children. With Peter, this is the fourth Algebra program we have tried. For various reasons, they have never met our expectations. At long last with Teaching Textbooks Algebra I, we have found one that works.
Before writing a review, I wanted to wait until Peter had completed most of the textbook, so that I would avoid any unpleasant surprises. Right now, he has completed about 2/3rds of the text and my opinion has not changed. This program is a homeschool mom's dream come true.
Smath is a very similar game to Equate. It comes with a game board, 4 plastic tile racks and plastic tiles with a bag for the tiles. Tiles: 6 each of numbers 0-12, 10 blanks, 36 equal signs, 9 each of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division signs, and 12 clear parentheses that stack over another tile when used. There are no fractions or decimal points. Game play is similar to Scrabble. Each player draws 10 tiles per turn, but equal signs and parentheses tiles are kept separate and can be used as needed. This prevents game play from stalling.
Learning Wrap-Ups, plastic palette and colored discs with self-correcting card sets
(This review is based on use of the first and third grade sets).
Kit includes 5 flash-card sets - Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division and Fractions
Level 1 (1st and 2nd grade) includes 93 songs
130 pg. spiral-bound manual and two CDs - one learning CD and one sing-along (instrumental)
Level 2 (3rd-6th grade) includes 91 songs
142 pg. spiral-bound manual and 3 CDs. Includes music instruction and basic theory lessons
This audio tape or CD and booklet take you around the world, continent by continent, by introducing you to favorite folks songs or children's songs from each country. Someone from each country introduces themselves in their own language and then in English and the song is sung in each language as well. The booklet includes all the words to the songs in the native language and English, simple piano notation and guitar chords. There are charming illustrations including each country's flag. You'll also find a little description of each country.
Whether you are an accomplished musician or a complete novice, this simple, inexpensive book will have you playing beautiful music in less than an hour. (I have children in both categories, and have been unable to pick up the book to review it for almost three months since it's been in constant use!) By learning the nine easiest notes to play, and then playing music in parts, learners at all levels are immediately successful.
This book is a special companion to Penny Gardner's original Nine-Note Recorder Method text. Containing almost 50 traditional Catholic hymns, it offers arrangements suitable for Mass as well as lesson work. Prior recorder experience is assumed.