Elementary

American Cardinal Readers: Book 4

Book cover: American Cardinal Readers: Book 4
Author(s): 
Edith M. McLaughlin
Adrian T. Curtis

Fifty-three separate stories including two stories of Christopher Columbus, "Three of Our Lord's Miracles", "The Story of Daniel", "The Angel of the Resurrection" by St Teresa of the Child Jesus, "The Children's Hour" by Longfellow and "The Church Underground". A few black and white pictures. Glossary.

American Cardinal Readers: Book 2

Book cover: American Cardinal Readers: Book 2
Author(s): 
Edith M. McLaughlin
Adrian T. Curtis

Book two begins to offer stories and poems that are enjoyable and worthwhile reading in their own right such as The Christ Child by G.K. Chesterton, The Honest Woodman, several Saint stories (Blessed Imelda, St. Teresa the Little Flower, St. Francis and the Wolf) and other short stories, folk tales and fairy stories.

American Cardinal Readers: Primer

Book cover: American Cardinal Readers: Primer
Author(s): 
Edith M. McLaughlin
Adrian T. Curtis

This book is a chapter story about a family that goes to visit the grandparents on the farm. The parents tell stories of Jesus and Mary. Some of the chapters are "Baby's Angel", "The First Christmas", "A Ride to the Farm". There are twenty chapters total. So each chapter is about 5-10 pages. There are black and white pictures with the stories that are lovely. The type is easy to read.

Singapore Math

Singapore Math Home Instructor's Set - Grade 5

Singapore students are scoring the highest in the world in math and science. The web page for these texts in the US is http://www.singaporemath.com

Singapore Math seems to solve the "conceptual/drill...Saxon jumping around problem". Here's an example from a problem in the first half of the fifth grade book:

<< Mr Li paid $36 for 3 singlets and 2 T-shirts. A T-shirt cost 3 times as much as a singlet. How much did Mr Li pay for the 2 T-shirts? >>

Saxon Math 2

Author(s): 
Nancy Larson

Saxon 2 covers the arithmetic topics of addition and subtraction of one and two digit numbers and simple multiplication and division as well as the related topics of patterns, graphing, time, measurement, money, geometry and estimating. Although it uses manipulatives it is not a "manipulatives-based" program.

Saxon Math

A Saxon Math book
Author(s): 
John Saxon
Stephen Hake

I have friends who have used Saxon for years and are very, very happy with it. Saxon's circular pattern and constant review is exactly what they love about it. However, it was this circular pattern that caused problems for us. The way Saxon works (someone please correct me if I'm off base here) is that it introduces a new concept in increments, the child works a set of problems that teach a new concept, then spends the rest of the lesson reviewing previously learned concepts.

Miquon Math

Cover: Miquon Math Orange Book
Author(s): 
Lore Rasmussen

Miquon Math is a series of 6 math workbooks designed to be used in 1st through 3rd grade. They are named by color and not by grade level, so that an older child can use them without feeling they are "remedial". The workbooks are designed to be used with Cuisenaire Rods. I have had the books for a couple of years but have only started using them this year as a supplement for my 3rd and 4th graders. I hesitated using them before because they have an unusual format -- the pages don't necessarily have to be done in order, and are grouped by topic rather than in sequential chapters.

Everybody Cooks Rice

Book cover: 'Everybody Cooks Rice'
Author(s): 
Norah Dooley
A small illustrated children's book about two children who visit a number of their neighbors of different ethnic backgrounds and discover that each of their cultures uses rice in their cooking. Includes recipes in the back. A good way to introduce children to our country's ethnic diversity without getting "politically correct." (Warning: We get hungry every time we read this book.)

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