If you didn't like Horizons, Why did you choose CLE Math?

[aquiverfull]

To make a long story short, Horizons is not working out for us. We've used it for 3 years now. It just moves too fast for my daughter and there is not enough time for practice for her on the new concept but tons of review of addition/subtraction and place value which she has more than mastered. We are really frustrated with Horizons. In a way, we need a spiral approach because if my dd doesn't do something often enough, she will forget it. Yet, we need something that has better presentation, teaching, and possibly moves a little slower.

My dh looked at CLE samples last night and he really likes it. I'm afraid it might be too much like Horizons.

So if you used Horizons and switched to CLE, why do you like it better?
Thanks!

[Teresa in MO]

I'm interested in this answer too.

[TracyR]

You could ask on the CLE (http://groups.yahoo.com/groups/ChristianLightFamilies) yahoo group if anyone there has switched from Horizons. I'm sure there are. I know there are quite a few who have switched over from Abeka math and their child prefers the CLE format.

[ThriceBlessed]

We used Horizons for 1st and 2nd grades, I became frustrated with the lack of instructions (for me) in the TM and my son became bogged down with the amount of questions per lesson and eventually it moved too fast for him overall causing the lessons to take him an hour or more (and he was getting A's on tests).

We switched to CLE 300 this year with *GREAT* success. I have seen CLE referred to a marriage between Horizons and Saxon on steroids, as funny as that sounds I have to agree.

I love that it has great instructions written directly to the student, includes drill work, and the lack of color has been a plus. My son says CLE is "easier" than Horizons. In actuality, it is NOT but the way the lesson is presented is much more logical and simplified therefore it seems easier to him.

I hope that helps.

Blessings,
Trishe

[3byzaz]

I have used Horizons for K-3rd and different times with different kids. I only found CLE last year after floundering with others. I agree with the pp...much, much better explanation to the student. They can either do it themselves or you can teach it to them with the excellent instructions. There is plenty of room to write in the lightunit's and they are small and fun to finish and move onto the next one. The quizzes and tests and drill is all there. It is very solid and yet gentle. Some color--not too much. Very sweet and Godly (not so much in Math, but in other subjects)! We love it!

Horizons also has the spiral approach, but we felt like it would introduce something new and then we wouldn't see it again for a while. There were also a lot of problems--of course, I crossed them off...but just a lot on the page. I'm also not big on the number line thing in the early K-1st books instead of working on simpler facts first and then re-grouping. But, these are just my opinions!

Good luck!

[Tree House Academy]

We love CLE. It is slower and more thorough than Horizons was. Horizons went too fast for ds. I feel like it is better laid out, the lessons are in good sized "bites," the drill and repetition is quick and fun, and there is a lot of hand holding for the teacher.

Oh...and the best best best part is that I can use it all the way through their schooling because it goes into Algebra and Trig. :)

[aquiverfull]

Thank you all for sharing your input with me. I went back and looked over the samples. I thought it looked more visually pleasing than Horizons 4. The print looked bigger and it didn't look so cluttered like Horizons. That alone would probably make my dd feel less overwhelmed. I'm also glad to know that it is gentle.

I agree with you 3byzaz, we also feel like we haven't seen several things we have previously done in Horizons in quite a while. The pace of the lessons are just too much for my dd. We have slowed it way down, yet my dd still feels intimidated and overwhelmed with Horizons. She's beginning to think she's stupid in math. We definitely need a change and CLE is looking great.

Thanks again!!!