Horizon math question

[becky]

On another thread some people said they use Horizons only to a certain grade. Why switch at that time?

[momothem]

That was probably me..
I have only used them until 5th because somewhere about half-way through the 6th grade they were teaching some aspect of math in a way that was confusing to me so it was difficult for me to explain it their way to my kids.
They weren't wrong or anything (I can't remember now what the specific item was) it just knew it by a different method. So I just change at the end of 5th.
I do really like Horizons, after 5th was just was a good place for us to jump out.

[Earthy]

Also, at that grade/age you can move right into TT.

[momothem]

Very true.

[TeacherMom]

horizon math only goes to 6th grade this year, prior years it only went to 5th,

[Deena]

I want TT for my younger two, but I can't afford it! :(

[KrisRV]

oh really it cost that much?

[Deena]

Close to $200.! I wish I'd known about that before I got the VideoText. My oldest did fine with VT, but people say that TT explains things more clearly.

I might as well just go with VT since I have it. In the Algebra II Level it just wasn't as clear as I thought it could be!

[momothem]

horizon math only goes to 6th grade this year, prior years it only went to 5th,
??? I have 6th grade Horizons that I bought 2 yrs. ago and didn't use.

[Jackie]

It's hard to explain. I really like Horizons. One thing I really like is that it introduces Algebra as young as 2nd grade. The kids are given problems such as 7+n=12. They make you subtract 7 from each side, and get n=5. One thing I really DON'T like is one way they work with fractions. Say you have 12 objects. What is one half? They tell you to put two objects in each group. You end up with six groups of 2. So 1/2 is six. Well, you just divided your twelve objects into 6ths, NOT halves!!! The denominator tells you how many groups, NOT how many are IN each group! I'd rather take the 12 objects and split them into two equal parts, and see how many are in each part.

I know that really didn't answer your question, Becky. And I'm sorry I'm not sure if I CAN answer it! Part of my decison to switch came from talking to a good friend of mine. She says that there's a real difference between third grade Horizons and 4th grade.

[becky]

I have heard that Horizons TE gives you answers but not an explanation of how it's done. Is that true?

[TeacherMom]

??? I have 6th grade Horizons that I bought 2 yrs. ago and didn't use.
Why did you not use it?
I did not see 6th until this year, hmm, Maybe I was not noticing because we were a couple years off when I was looking into it? could be!
I stand corrected, no problem
.... what level do they start 6th at? What type of work I mean?

[Deena]

I got the 6th grade Horizons when my ds who just finished 8th grade was in 4th grade! We only used a part of one book, but we gave it away a long time ago. It was two huge books, and they totally overwhelmed my poor ds. That's when we started LifePacs, because they're individual books, and he could handle that MUCH better! (This was a sudden thing that happened, before that he'd done great with the books, just dived right in! But for some reason something changed, and he would not work in those books---all he could see was how huge they were!)

[TeacherMom]

thats where we ended with my ds now 16 too. And went to LIfe paks, andlike I said he is doing great in Math out at the private school, they used BJU Geometry there this past year, he got B's and As in it.
He was in advanced Algerbra too the year before, so LIfe Paks do do thier stuff if you can keep them in it! My dd just slowed for her Algerbra stuff cause she hates to do it! lol, She even told me the other day, she knows how and gets it and its nto hard or anything, She just HATES it! lol thats why its taking her longer. She has to fight her will with her has to' do it's.
But she still would like to have some fun type of lesson for Geometry so I am still looking for that other threads info too! hehe
For Horizon for John I think it will work best because of his way of learning. If not , then next year I will probably go back to LIfe Paks too.