Horizons Math Review
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Math tends to always be a sore spot in our homeschool. We have been through a lot of different math curriculum options. Some have been great and others have really not been a good fit. I want my kids to have a really good grasp on math, but not with a lot of tears. We were given the opportunity to review a curriculum from Alpha Omega Publications. I could choose any one subject or grade that I wanted (Hard choice, right?!). I spent a lot of time looking through all of their programs before choosing, and it was a really tough choice! However, since my son was begging for a change in math, I decided to try out their Horizons math curriculum for my 4th grader. (I received this curriculum for free from AOP in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated in any other way. All opinions are my own.)  Â
 Horizons 4th Grade Math Curriculum
What impressed me about their math curriculum was that it had the spiral learning method, which means the concepts are introduced, then reviewed and continue to be brought back in to solidify them. I also liked the colorful and interactive style of their workbooks. They were a refreshing change for my son who had a colorless workbook the past few years for math. This math program really was a great change for my son who was really burned out from his previous math program! Â The lessons in this curriculum are not very long, but they are quite effective. They are not filled with any fluff or extras. They get right to the point and really challenge the kids. He is already saying that he is learning things that he didn’t do in his math last year.
After we got it in the mail and my daughter looked through it and started begging for the same math that her brother got. I ended up purchasing the 2nd grade Horizons math as well. I like having my kids doing the same program whenever possible, and this one seems to be working well for both of them. So far, there has only been minimal frustration! 😉
Teacher’s Guide
I’ll be honest, I rarely use the teacher’s guides for my kids math books.  However, with my son getting older, I am starting to turn to them more often to make sure things are correct. I really liked the layout of this teacher’s guide. It starts off expelling how this curriculum works and why they designed it the way they did. They talk about the change in this country and the decline of math skills. This is an important thing to me and I really think it is important for my kids to do well in math and science as well as reading and language arts, so I liked their philosophy. The teacher’s guide has a section with the list of concepts taught in each lesson. This makes it easy to be able to quickly see what is being taught in each lesson. Then they go into more detail with the Scope and Sequence.  For each lesson, there is a list of objectives, teaching tips, materials and activities to teach and expand the lessons. It is brief and one page, and I like the simplicity of it. Later in the book are answer keys to the student book as well as worksheets you can give for more practice. At the beginning of the Teacher’s guide there is even a readiness test to give to your child to make sure they are ready for this peel of math. I did not use it because I was certain about my son’s level, but I love that they have that option!
(My kids always prefer to sit on the floor to do their school work!)
What is Being Taught
In the 4th grade Horizons math, Â they are teaching Roman numerals, converting measurements, place values to the billions, story problems, polygons, fractions, as well as the basics of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Each concept is taught and then reviewed for 3-5 lessons after it is presented. Then, for the next two months, it is continually brought back as a part of the lessons to help them really grasp it. Â The approach is gentle, yet challenging at the same time. There are 160 lessons in 2 workbooks.
I definitely feel like my kids are getting a solid grasp of the concepts they are learning from this math program. I am liking the way it is taught and how little they are complaining about doing math! I am grateful for the opportunity to receive this program and try it out with my family!
Along with this review, there is an amazing giveaway from Alpha Omega Publications Homeschool Division. The winner will receive one subject from each of the main product lines plus a $50 Amazon gift card. That could be a retail value of $450! To enter, please use the form below.
