Change in Programming

Well, of course as soon as I print several organizing sheets for my planning binder, something doesn't work out the way it was *printed.*

I was getting ready to order the Teaching Textbooks materials, when I decided to look at some reviews.  WRONG.

Hmmm...I know every method and curriculum gets good AND bad reviews.  But I was reading more and more comments about kids being "several years ahead" in this program, and then being behind what they should know.

NOT good for me, who is trying to CLOSE UP some gaps by switching math programs this year.

I decided to actually look closely at the placement tests I had printed for the kids to do this week, just to be sure we were going to order the right stuff.  I remember actually printing the Math 6 placement test because I thought it might look like Katie could move on up to that level.

What I saw I wasn't pleased with.  It very much looked like even Noah could almost breeze on up to Math 6.  BOO! I was so looking forward to a hands-off completely automated Math program this year.

Instead, after much review of materials online, and reading reviews, and looking at all the scope and sequence materials for several math programs, I decided on Horizons.

Both of these I ordered from Sonlight, (along with some timeline figures I wanted for our American History study this year).  Yes, they look like they have a lot of repeated items in the kits, but yay they offered "fill in kits" for just ordering the things that were different between Math 4 and 5. I also priced out the items on Amazon thinking I could put together a set more cheaply since there are things like scissors and paper included that we already have, but even for just the "math-y" stuff we didn't have, it was way more expensive on Amazon.

So, where do I find myself this year but on the complete opposite side of the spectrum in every single subject!? ha ha!  Not only are we not doing a dvd or computer program, but now we are doing a completely hands-on, lots of manipulatives, math curriculum!

I truly am excited though.  I am mostly excited just to be finally expecting some school materials in the mail soon! We did already get some of the history and science so we will be going ahead and starting that (we did today!). And language has a lot to review already, some lessons on dictionary and thesaurus skills. And we started our first "key word outline" for writing today as well.

So far so good, and Ruby LOVES her busy boxes so far!