Horizons Math 3 - Scores a B-

[Laura]

We used Horizons Math 3 last year with my third grader. Someone else may have a different review, but here's mine.

I don't know if these are pros or cons, so I'll list them together and let you decide.

[*]The book is very colorful.
[*]The teacher's manual has the answers and something else that I guess is a lesson plan or shows what you're covering. I didn't know how to use that part of it, but I know some homeschoolers have to send in reports or something about what skills you're covering, so this may help you.
[*]The book seems to jump around a lot. One day you may be doing simple addition and the next you're doing complex (double digit) multiplication.
[*]It could be done independently. My son needed a lot of help with this math curriculum, but some students could do it on their own.
[*]It was easy to use. The only thing a teacher needs to do is homework help.
[*]The pages are easy to tear from the book if you like giving them separately instead of the whole book.
[*]The book is sturdy and takes a lot of use and abuse from the student.
[*]It doesn't help you teach math. It's just a math workbook...unless you know how to use the teacher book better than I did.


I can't think of anything else. The reason we didn't enjoy this curriculum is because it jumped around. I wanted a mastery curriculum and this wasn't it. We ended up dumping the book part way through the year and focusing on multiplication facts mastery.

This may be the perfect math curriculum for you, but it wasn't for us. If you are looking for a mastery curriculum, look elsewhere. If you are looking for a mixture of concepts for your child to review often, then this might be for you, especially if you're good at teaching the concepts behind math.

My son had gone to public school K-2 and I struggled to teach him the way I was taught, while he was taught differently in school. That also may have been an issue with us using this curriculum. I was trying to reteach him to do it a different way (touch point vs. number line, for example) while trying to use this curriculum.

[MAC]

So, did you have both parts of the teacher guide? Looks like the teaching part is separate from the answer keys. For $50, you'd think it would have pretty good lesson plans! If you're looking for mastery vs. spiral, look at BJUP. It's what drove me nuts about BJUP and we went back to Saxon... AOP is mastery, too.

[Laura]

Yep, I had both parts of the teacher's guide, but I only used the answer key part. The other part didn't make any sense to me.

[cassie]

The Horizon TE is very basic. It does not go step by step on how to teach but it does give you what you need.

For example in 1st grade, at the beginning of the year they have you drill addition facts 0-9 with answers showing for a few weeks while teaching basic addition in the regular lesson, then they add remaining facts. Slowly you stop showing answers for 0-9 and they answer it themselves and in time the other facts the same way. Then they start on addition drill sheets to increase speed. At that same time they are also having you teach counting first by 10's, 5's, 2's etc setting up a knowledge for when they get to multiplication.

They are an advanced program so they go through concepts fast but they are regularly reviewing throughout the booklets and in extra worksheets. Each year builds on the previous year and if you don't do the extras in the TE the child could be overwhelmed and not get the processes.

My dd was having a real hard time comprehending it (she hated the flash cards) and I was going to switch to another program but then all of the sudden it was like a light went on and she got it. She really likes the addition timed drills. Not sure what we will do next year, may change, or may not. I'll look at our convention and make my decision then.