Math-smart kids—that's what you will have if you use Singapore math! Asian students are famous for their mathematical prowess, and these are the books that they use to gain those skills. If you want your child to learn to think mathematically, not just be able to solve math problems, you will be pleased and surprised with how well your student progresses. The textbooks teach the concepts and the workbooks are designed to be done independently by your student, and are paperback, with happy, color illustrations—very kid friendly and activity based. We offer the U.S. edition (which has been minimally modified to teach American money and U.S. spellings). Test scores conclusively and repeatedly put Singapore Primary Mathematics in top rank in international tests! Singapore's genius is in a unique pattern of moving from hands-on demonstrations, to picture drawings (concrete examples with pictures) to the abstract (numbers and symbols) in a natural, easy-to-understand progression. This works! Students go right from Singapore level 6 into Saxon Algebra 1 with ease.
At the elementary grade level, Singapore Math includes two semesters of instruction per year, with a paperback textbook (non-consumable) plus a write-in workbook per semester. You may buy extra write-in workbooks for additional students, and share the textbook.
Placement Tests are available online to print at no charge here.
Each Primary Level Kit includes Textbook and Workbook A and B for that specific grade level.
Have 2 children working on Singapore Level 1? Save money by buying a 2nd Student Kit, which contains the consumable workbooks. These kits include only the workbooks A and B for any given level.
Complete Level Kits include textbook, workbook, and home instructor's guide A and B for that specific level, PLUS the corresponding answer key (except for level one, for which there is no Home Instructor's Guide). For example, the complete level 1 kit includes textbook, workbook, and home instructor's guide 1A, textbook, workbook, and home instructor's guide 1B, and the answer key for levels 1-3.
For more information, click on the textbook titles below.
Saxon Math Complete Homeschool Kits, Middle Grades 15% Off
I wish all curriculum choices were as easy as this! Saxon has proven to have the best mathematics text available today. Every school in the U.S. that has used them has raised college board scores 20% and has tripled Calculus enrollment, has doubled Physics enrollment and has reduced the number of kids on the slow track by over 50%. The reason? Normal math books introduce a new concept with each chapter, then drop that topic as the next chapter goes on to something new. This week, it's multiplication; next week it is fractions, and I can't remember multiplication! In Saxon books, the concepts are practiced daily, over and over, until they are fully automatic and math becomes easier and more enjoyable.
For more information regarding the Saxon Math Program (getting started, which books are essential, placing your child in the correct book, etc.), click here.
Placement test available FREE online at www.homeschooling.net/saxontests/. When your student scores 85% or better on the test, he is ready for that Saxon textbook level. For example, if your student takes the Algebra 1/2 test and scores 90%, then he is ready to begin the Algebra 1/2 textbook.
Here's what each grade has to offer:
Middle Grades 4 - 8: Complete kit contains paperback non-consumable Textbook, Tests and Worksheets, and a Solutions Manual.
Customized for homeschoolers, this 2-color textbook contains 120 lessons and 12 investigations. Approx. 630 pages. There are no answers in the back of the book. A separate consumable workbook contains worksheets, facts practice and tests for one year. Solutions Manual has full step-by-step solutions to all lessons and tests.
Upper Grades 9 - 12: includes a non-consumable hardcover Textbook, Tests and Answer Key
For Pre-Algebra through Calculus. Hardcover textbook has approx 125 lessons plus additional topics. Answers to odd numbered problems are in the back of the book. Approximately 500 pages. Tests and Answer Key included. The Solutions Manual (sold separately) which gives step-by-step solutions to all the practices and problems.
Imagine your homeschool without Mom having to be the math teacher! Imagine your children going quietly to the computer with their Saxon math book and having a gentle, soft-spoken male tutor explain the lesson's concept and working the practice problems on the chalkboard just for them. Imagine no more frustration and tears because things are so very well explained, and they can be re-explained as many times as needed in the same patient tone of voice!
You don't have to imagine any longer, because this is exactly what "D.I.V.E. Into Math" has done for my homeschool! Hurrah! D.I.V.E. means "Digital Interactive Video Education," and what your student will see is the computer screen transformed into a chalkboard and the teacher's chalk writing appearing as he talks and works the problems. I balked at spending $50 to explain an already pricey math book, until I used this fabulous program. Now I say: "It is worth every penny!" I haven't taught math in my homeschool for 2 years now—and my children are doing better in math than they ever have before! Note: you will need the matching Saxon textbook (of the same edition) to use this program. Each level includes one or two CD-ROMS teaching every lesson in the book!
This DIVE CD plays on Mac and Windows 98 and higher operating systems, including Vista.
Very motivational for kids burned out on textbooks, these inexpensive, non-intimidating workbooks teach basic math skills in an easy step-by-step approach. The workbooks look fun to do, begging kids to pull to their pencils and get started. These are great for over-the-summer skill review, or particularly if a certain subject (like fractions) gives them trouble. Each set contains several workbooks and an answer key. Covers the subject from 4th to 12th grade concepts (Geometry is 5th through 12 grade). Guaranteed to be successful with your child or your money back!
Learn to use decimals:
1. Decimal concepts
2. Adding, subtracting, and multiplying decimals
3. Dividing decimals
4. Using decimals
5. Answers and Notes
Set of 5 books.
Louisa used to hate math. Then we discovered The Life of Fred and now she LOVES math!
I was highly suspicious as I listened to Louisa laugh through her math lessons and totally enjoy doing them. I was stunned to watch her go straight for math when she started her homeschool work each morning. I picked up the book and read an outlandish story about a miniature boy named Fred and all his adventures. I couldn't imagine she was really learning math, so I asked her to tell me what she had learned so far in the 16 lessons she had completed. She quickly jotted down this list for me:
infinite sets
natural numbers
integers
set notation
ratios
coefficients . . . (need I go on?)
I was impressed to say the least! How could a girl who hates math actually be enjoying Algebra and really learning the terminology as well as how to do the operations? I contacted Stan Schmidt, the author of the Life of Fred, and a retired college math professor of 28 years whose self-proclaimed mission is to help kids love math. I asked him, "How do I know a student who does Life of Fred will retain it?," to which he replied, "How much of your school algebra did you retain?" Ouch!
The idea behind Life of Fred is that if students have an enjoyable experience and have fun doing their math, they will remember it and use it and have a good taste in their math about the whole subject. The sub-title on each of his math books is "As Serious As it Needs to Be". And that is just the point: math doesn't need to be horrid and dry. This is math—just as serious as it needs to be—and I can tell you from Louisa's smiles and chuckles, that's not very serious at all!
As a bonus, these books are very low priced compared to any other math books on the market. (Compare to Saxon at $50-70)
If you have a creative child who is languishing on traditional math programs, try Life of Fred!
Math, As Serious As it Needs to Be!
If you know your math facts (addition and multiplication) and you can read well, then the next step is to get to know Fred!
Beware: This is not a traditional math book. This is a child-directed course. The student reads the adventure story, does the math problems that occur as a natural part of the story, and checks their answers (the solutions are right there for the looking.) And learns to love math in the process! You will not get the detailed formula explanations that you get in a traditional math book. I am still amazed that kids can read the story and learn the concepts, but they do!
Begin when Math-it or the addition and multiplication facts, plus long division have been mastered—about 5th grade.
Contents: Less Than, Billion, Cardinal and Ordinal Numbers, Diameter and Radius, Savings and Expenses, Definition of a Fraction, Sectors, Comparing Fractions, Reducing Fractions, Adding and Subtracting Fractions, Common Denominators, Roman Numerals, Least Common Multiples, Improper Fractions, Lines of Symmetry, Division by Zero, Circumference, Multiplying Mixed Numbers, Commutative Law, Canceling, Definition of a Function, Area, Unit Analysis, Division of Fractions.
Contents: Number Systems, Adding and Subtracting Decimals, Multiplying by Ten, Functions and Inverse Functions, Pi, Multiplying Decimals, Whole Numbers, Squaring a Number, Subtracting Mixed Units, Sets and Subsets, Union and Intersection of Sets, Rules of Divisibility, Division of Decimals, Repeating Decimals, Bar Graphs, Prime and Composite Numbers, Consecutive Numbers, the Goldbach Conjecture, Area of a Circle, Dollars vs. Cents, Pie Charts, Conversion between Percents/ Fractions/ Decimals, 40% of 15, 30% off, Distance Equals Rate Times Time, 15% more, Area of a Triangle, Square Roots, Area of a Parallelogram, 13 Is What Percent of 52, Ratio, Ordered Pairs, Graphing, Negative Numbers, Elapsed Time, Probability.
If you are a nervous mother who really wonders if this could possibly work, these Home Companion books were written for you. These books are study guides that give daily lesson plans, lecture notes for teachers, outlines of the lessons, extra problems not in the book, answer key, quiz and test materials. I have a divided opinion on using these books. If the Life of Fred is working for your child, and they are learning and enjoying, then why mess it up? Life of Fred is meant to be self-taught and I found with Louisa that she just zoomed on her own, and any interference from me would truly have been just that: interference! On the other hand, if you need the security of knowing what is going on and making sure your child is progressing, then buy these books. Hardcover, 128 pages.
Contents: Ratio, Proportion & Variation, Radical Equations, a 12-page History of Mathematics, Irrational and Imaginary Numbers, Logarithms (3 definitions), Exponential Equations, Four Standard Equations of the Line, Review of Beginning Algebra (exponents, rationalizing the denominator, significant digits, graphing by point-plotting, factoring, complex fractions, linear, fractional, quadratic, and radical equations), Systems of Equations (3 methods of solution), Conics, Graphing Inequalities in Two Variables, Functions, Linear Programming, Partial Fractions, Math Induction, Sequences, Series, Matrices, Permutations & Combinations. Hardcover, 318 pages.
Life of Fred—Fred's Home Companion: Advanced Algebra
If you are a nervous mother who really wonders if this could possibly work, these Home Companion books were written for you. These books are study guides that give daily lesson plans, lecture notes for teachers, outlines of the lessons, extra problems not in the book, answer key, quiz and test materials. I have a divided opinion on using these books. If the Life of Fred is working for your child, and they are learning and enjoying, then why mess it up? Life of Fred is meant to be self-taught and I found with Louisa that she just zoomed on her own, and any interference from me would truly have been just that: interference! On the other hand, if you need the security of knowing what is going on and making sure your child is progressing, then buy these books. Hardcover, 128 pages.
Begin when Math-it or the addition and multiplication facts, plus long division have been mastered—about 5th grade.
For Geometry you will need a pencil and a paper, a compass, a protractor, and maybe a hand-held calculator.
Geometry Contents: Points and Lines, Angles, Triangles, Parallel Lines, Perpendicular Lines, Chain the Gate, Quadrilaterals, Area, Jr Geometry and Other Little Tiny Theories, Similar Triangles, Symbolic Logic, Right Triangles, Circles, Constructions, Non-Euclidean Geometry, Solid Geometry, Geometry in Four Dimensions, Coordinate Geometry, Flawless (Modern) Geometry.
Contents: Sines, Cosines and Tangents, Graphing, Significant Digits, Trig Functions of Any Angle, Trig Identities, Graphing a sin(bx + c), Radian Measurement, Conditional Trig Equations, Functions of Two Angles, Oblique Triangles, Inverse Trig Functions, Polar Coordinates, Polar Form of Complex Numbers, Preview of all of Calculus.
If you are a nervous mother who really wonders if this could possibly work, these Home Companion books were written for you. These books are study guides that give daily lesson plans, lecture notes for teachers, outlines of the lessons, extra problems not in the book, answer key, quiz and test materials. I have a divided opinion on using these books. If the Life of Fred is working for your child, and they are learning and enjoying, then why mess it up? Life of Fred is meant to be self-taught and I found with Louisa that she just zoomed on her own, and any interference from me would truly have been just that: interference! On the other hand, if you need the security of knowing what is going on and making sure your child is progressing, then buy these books. Hardcover, 128 pages.
Jacob's math takes a gentle approach and includes good explanations, comic strips, visual puzzles, and practical examples. The textbook contains 1/4 of the answers, and the Instructor's Manual contains very helpful teaching instructions plus the other 3/4 of the answers—not very convenient, I need all the answers! If you are coming from Saxon, Jacob's Algebra can be started right after Saxon Algebra 1/2. Following Algebra, the Geometry book offers a classic approach to Euclidean geometry that includes proofs, deductive logic, and plane geometry in an appealing presentation. Hardcover textbooks.
Hands-on Equations is an innovative teaching method which was even awarded a U.S. patent. Studies show this visual, hands-on system really works! For 3rd - 8th grade, and for older children who are stumped with algebra.
Contains:
Manuals for 3 levels of difficulty
Write-in worksheets pack
Answer key for worksheets
Game pieces
Flat laminated balance
This is fun to teach to 2 children at the same time. Give them each a kit (additional kit sold below) and an equation from the worksheet pack. Let them race to lay out the game pieces and find the solution. The first one to reach an answer gets the opportunity to demonstrate working the problem, provided his answer is correct!
More info:
Can your child solve this equation?
2 (x + 4) + x + 2x + 9 = ?
Well, my "math-hater" can!
Hands-on Equations is the best-kept secret for teaching Algebra! I discovered it about a year ago, and have been kid-testing it to make sure it was as great as I am going to tell you it is. Louisa flew through the whole course happily—a huge accomplishment. She can do equations faster than I can slice bread. . . and with a smile on her face! Hands-on Equations is the mastermind of a math professor, and works amazingly well for teaching children as young as 8 years old how to do complex algebraic equations using playing pieces and a balance scale, understanding just what they are doing too! I have to admit that as Louisa neared the end of the course, I was no longer able to keep up with her flying fingers, as she solved her equations using the playing pieces quick as can be! Watch this video of Hands-on Equations in action and see if it could make the difference in your homeschool!
We've had fun with this hands-on approach to enjoying math with lively activities and games. This book is especially good if your child "hates" math or is intimidated by it. Chapters begin with early math skills (counting, coins, odd/even, etc.) and advanced word problems, logical reasoning, measurement, geometry, spatial thinking, probability, statistics, calculators, estimation, arithmetic and more. Each activity begins with "Why?" and follows with "How?" so you know both how to play the game and what math concepts are learned. Some gameboards and activities are included that you will want to photocopy (although we have "played" right on the actual book page). Parents don't have to have any math aptitude to use this book! Paperback, 319 pages, for ages 5 to 12 years.
Ta-dah! Here is the BEST thing ever invented for learning math facts! Instead of teaching your child to memorize math facts, teach him how to figure them out and he will never "forget"! For example: learning the "9 times" is easy when you realize that every answer is two digits that add up to 9: 4 x 9 = 36. The digits 3 + 6 = 9. The first digit of the answer (3) is easy to figure out because it is just a count back one (from 4 to 3). Games include Add-it, Double-it, Half-it and Times-it, plus a teacher-friendly, illustrated manual. I don't know how any teacher gets along without it. (Take my advice and laminate the game boards and cards before you wear them out like I did.) Highly recommended!
You never forget what you sing, so why not memorize those elusive multiplication facts! Learn all the times tables 2 through 12 with this easy sing-along CD. Echo style songs are repeated for you to sing in the answer. Many different styles of music, but no rock. Comes with a large times table poster.
Why read cereal boxes?. . . when you could be learning the planets, the periodic table, the systems of the human body or the states and their capitals? These colorful, wipe-off placemats are a favorite. Since it seems that my children spend most of their time eating, perhaps this is the right place for study! Standard placemat size: 12" x 18". Placemats feature full color front; the reverse side is the same picture outlined in black and white so your child can color or write in the information on the write-on, wipe-off surface.
Muggins really helps you to think fast, do mathematical figuring in your head, and consider many possibilities—all great skills! A tactile delight with its 1" thick hardwood board with holes and grooves and its brightly colored glass marbles, this is a well-made, sturdy game—a good investment that will last long after all the cardboard games in their deflatable boxes have bit the dust. The object of the game is to get your marbles into a row before the other players do the same. Roll 3 dice and add, subtract, multiply, or divide the dice numbers. Then pop your marble into the hole that corresponds with your answer. Many answers are possible for each roll of the dice. Young children will like using the standard dice. A 12-sided die makes it even more challenging for older players. Because chance enters in with the roll of the dice, even the youngest player, not just the smartest, can be the winner. Recommended for ages 9-adult.
Bonus! Knock-Out Game on reverse side of the wooden board!
Roll the dice and name your price! Shop for everything from skateboards to ice cream cones. Take turns purchasing, adding up prices, and making change. The first player to fill his shopping cart wins. Kids roll three dice and determine how much they will spend or earn by the way they read the dice. If I throw a 2, 5, and 9, and if I am buying, I'll want to call that $2.59, the lowest possible price. But, if I am selling, I want to call it $9.52. This calls for some strategy skills. Unlike a lot of shopping games directed to girls in malls, this is a gender-free game where the accent is on the math. Includes game board, coins, bills, calculator, and lots of shopping fun. 1 "AA" battery required for calculator. 3 skill levels, 2 to 4 players, ages 5 to 9+.
I am sure that I am not the only one who has experienced having a teenage clerk stumble through trying to count back change. This is a needed skill, and one that children don't just absorb from daily dealings. This game was my daughter's favorite, but as I played it with her, I realized there is far more here than I bargained for. Presto Change-O will teach your children how to make change, how to count change back, how to be comfortable using the right coins and bills while making purchases, and how to figure out if they are given the right change back. Rather than just being a "luck" game, children get ahead by being able to handle their money well and make change accurately. Includes full-color playing board, play cash and coins, dice, and playing pieces. If you have an ample supply, using real money would make it even more educational. This is a fun, ingenious, educational game that I highly recommend! Ages 6 and up.
What makes this program so incredibly popular?! I wanted to find out, so I installed it on my computer and let my kids try it out. I could hear Ammon (then 7 yrs.) at the computer making racing car sounds with his mouth and getting quite excited. Why? Because he was beating his own previous scores at "multiplying by 9's"! Well, I was instantly sold! I haven't seen anything generate so much enthusiasm for mastering basic math!
The game is very simple: you race smoking dragster cars or beautiful wild horses by answering math problems. The game paces itself to your student's responses, and competing cars only race as fast as his own previous scores, so winning is really just improving day by day. This is a good one, and my children will work at their math on their own just for fun! Covers whole numbers, fractions, decimals, percents, integers, equations, estimation, plus math tricks. Cross Section gives you a sampling of all grades. Graded CD's go into greater depth on each subject. Requirements-PC: 384K min, Windows 98-Windows 7. Mac system 7.01 min, 8 MB Ram.
