hometeachcolo
- Reviewed on Thursday, August 19, 2010
- Grades Used: 4th
- Dates used: 2009-10
I was disappointed with this program. The manipulatives looked interesting, but the texts were not our style. There was no workbook for the student, either.
We never used the books, as they were below level and/or too simplified, and it would require I make tons of worksheets on my own to practice the math concepts. We looked at the 3-D shapes and the fraction circle manipulatives, but my son felt they were a waste of time as he already knew all the shapes and the fractions.
To make bad matters worse, we were promised Shiller would buy back the materials at a reduced price for resale as reconditioned merchandise, but they refused when I contacted them. So don't get tricked into trying because they will buy back!
We found Horizons exactly the fit for us. Shiller might work for some, but for us, it was an expensive mistake.
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katpat23
- Reviewed on Wednesday, August 12, 2009
- Grades Used: K-4th
- Dates used: just starting
Unlike the previous reviewer, I am delighted with the materials I have received, the quality of the workbooks, and the customer service.
I have not begun the work yet, but when my husband and I were reviewing the extensive sample downloads before purchasing, he was very impressed with the material that was being taught, the way it was taught, and the level of understanding it provided.
And this from a math professor at Oxford University in England!
A quick look at the review tests, which I will need to help place my four children in their correct levels, has revealed very easily to me where my 9-year-old should begin.
I have seen lots of Montessori math albums and dabbled in teaching math with those hands-on manipulatives, but without the extensive training a Montessori teacher receives, I really could not begin to teach my children in this hands-on way with any success (I know -- I tried it for a term last year). Then along comes ShillerMath with all the preparation and thinking done for me, and I'm really hopeful of our success in the years to come.
Finally, a word about this versus Singapore math, which I've used for 5 years. We did well with Singapore, but I found the children and I muddled through the practical issues of learning new material without really understanding the "why" behind it. Take a look at the ShillerMath sample lessons, and you'll see the theory and the vocabulary all explained for you. It seems to me if you can afford, you should get it.
By the way, when thinking about affordability -- work out how much you'd pay in workbooks for your children from age 4 to 12, and you'll probably discover the ShillerMath programme is either not too much more or even cheaper.
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Lolosoli
- Reviewed on Friday, September 05, 2008
- Grades Used: Shiller Math 1
- Dates used: 2008
I just received my Shiller Math box and I was not impressed with the quality of the products.
This program is a manipulative based program, therefore I expect the materials to be good quality...especially for the price of the curriculum.
I did not pay $329.oo+ to receive less than a handful of plastic coins in a sandwich bag. In comparison, a brand new 140 pcs. coin set sells for $10.95! Why this company wouldn't include such a set I have no idea.
I also didn't like that the answers were given in the workbook.
It is still a great program, however, far to expensive.
I am returning the Shiller Math and purchasing Math-U-See.
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tara3437
- Reviewed on Thursday, February 23, 2006
- Grades Used: 1st-3rd
- Dates used: 2005-2006
I am currently using Shiller Math kit 1. The kit is for use with kids in the approx. grades of K thru 3rd. My 1st grader has moved through book 1 and is starting book 2. My 3rd grader started in book 2 to solidify his math foundation and moved quickly through book 3.
I love the way that Shiller teaches very young children math! This is a very manipulative rich and hands on approach to teach children concepts of math, rather than just drilling math facts.
I feel that Shiller is a solid math foundation for the first few years of school. When my 3rd grader finished out his program early, I moved him into Saxon 3. It took him a little while to adjust to a more pencil and paper math, but I think that he's adjusted well now. Most importantly, his conceptual understanding of numbers and how they relate to eachother is excellent because of Shiller's style.
One negative aspect I will mention is that the downloadable materials can be a pain to get. This is mostly because they limit you to 20 lessons to email at a time. When you have 2 kids in the program, that's only 10 per child. Sure, you can do it the next day...but, it's one more thing to remember. Also, it emails the lessons out of order, so that it's a lot of papers to shuffle around.
The only thing I would mention...and it's not a "negative" ...it's just a fact that you may consider. This seems to be more of a 2 year program than a 3-4 year program as it is labled. The lessons are very short and they encourage you to continue as long as the child isn't bored...Well, you can accomplish many lessons in a day if you have a child that's fairly attentive. I started my son in book 1 and I don't see how he wouldn't move through book 2 and 3 by the end of 2nd grade. So, we'll switch to Saxon 3 at whatever point that he finishes.
They have developed a kit to be used for 4th to 6th graders. However, I am a little bit hesitant to use such a new program as there is normally much erratta, etc. and I just don't want to deal with that. JMO.
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