Welcome to RainbowResource.com — Learning Tools for Homes and Schools Serving Home Educators Since 1989

Covers numeracy beyond 100, cardinal/ordinal numbers, more complex addition/subtraction (carrying/borrowing), time, fractions, graphs, sequence, estimation, sets, and measurement.

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Customer Reviews

 
emily c. from Jefferson, ia wrote the following on 02/20/2006:
I have found Horizons math to be thorough and enjoyable. Lessons are colorful and include several different exercises, for example, a single lesson may cover time, money, addition, multiplication and word problems. This keeps each function fresh in the student's mind. The only problem I've found is that each set is about a year ahead of my child's level, so in 4th grade, she's using level 3, etc. Also additional practice in multiplication has been necessary. Overall it's the best program I've found thus far.

 
Stephanie B. from Memphis, TN wrote the following on 06/17/2008:
My son began Kindergarten with a particular math program that I purchased in a box curriculum. We both grew frustrated with the slow pace and we almost completed the entire book by Christmas. I began looking for something more challenging to finish the year with and found Horizons Math K. Since it was the middle of the school year, we began with Book 2 but had no problems transitioning from a very basic curriculum to more challenging material. My son loved Horizons (and so did I!) and really came to look forward to math. Each lesson is a mix of different types of problems (spiral method) and gives enough practice without overwhelming the student. I used the TE very little, though it is worth having as it does have more material than the student worksheets do. Because it is so easy to use, I did not have to prepare lessons ahead of time, though if you follow the TE closely, there would be some prep work needed, but mostly just having some kind of manipulatives handy. There are number lines on most pages where addition and subtraction take place and this was very helpful for my son to visually see the numbers. My second son is now doing K, and also enjoys it. I plan to use this material for the rest of my children and consider the price a great value.

 
Sandy S. from Chino, CA wrote the following on 08/17/2008:
I have used Horizon math since I began homeschooling 10 years ago. My children enjoy the colorful workbook pages. The workbook format is convenient for grading and work sample submission. Horizon 1 provides a solid foundation for further success in math. At this level the TM does provide some direction and support but for my family I usually do math with the child and correct while we do the lesson. This program is well worth the minimal cost. I have found my children have greatly benefited from the foundation set in Horizon 1.

 
Jennifer C. from Dayton, OH wrote the following on 12/23/2008:
I love Horizons Math! We are using level K for my kindergartner, and my 1st grader is using level 1. I love the review, and my older daughter really does well with it. It is broken down into small sections which makes her feel more successful and not overwhelmed by large numbers of problems. My younger daughter, with a smaller attention span, also does well with the small sections as it allows her to not linger on any one topic for too long. We plan to continue on with Horizons next year as well. I believe it is an excellent value for the quality of instruction received.

 
Kimberly G. from Phoenix, AZ wrote the following on 03/05/2009:
We started Horizons 1 with our 5 & 6 year olds for first grade in 2008. They are now 6 & 7 and over 2/3 of the way through the curriculum. Horizons was a good fit for our five year old who has a "gift" for math. We did not buy any of the manipulatives although we have many ourselves. Our 6/7 yo son struggles a little bit. He still gets 95-100% on each worksheet & test but it's a little bit harder for him than his brother. Horizons is more of a "picture - abstract" traditional way of teaching math. It's colorful and we love the repetition. For a child who "gets" math easily, it's a wonderful, enriching program. I did not follow every teacher's instruction in the book until we were about half way through. Then we started our flashcards and a lot of personal review on areas where the boys were struggling a little bit like time, money, place value. All-in-all, Horizons 1 is excellent and offered at a great price. It does not take much prep time at all and, for our family, worked well with various ages and two different learning styles (auditory & kinesthetic). However, we did supplement A LOT with Mailbox Magazine, Math Mammoth, etc. in trouble spots. Horizons does have extra work and drills that you can copy but I can't say that I found them overly helpful. I think that if a child doesn't understand why he's doing something, drills don't necessarily help. When he gets to Algebra, he'll be lost. I would suggest Horizons for the child who will easily understand math concepts without a lot of explanation. For a teacher, the program is a breeze and the teacher guides are invaluable. I did not find it necessary for our first graders to know how to skip count by 6s, 8s, 9s, etc. so we just ignored those ideas for practice. My oldest son needed a LOT more explanation and practice of place values that are so important and not heavily stressed in this program. There is lot of practice of looking at bars and units but sometimes you really need them in your hands to help you "get" it.

 
Rebeca H. from Florida wrote the following on 08/28/2009:
Horizons is one of the best math programs for K-6 . That's what Cathy Duffy said. It is very easy to use for the teacher and student, it's colorful , the student likes it . Not too many problems (only 2 pages/lesson) . However the TM is not much help. It says to teach the clock but doesn't explain or give you an idea how . Also , Horizons is not strong in conceptual math. That's why , I recommend to supplement MEP math which is free or Singapore. We do 2 pages Horizons and one page Singapore. I only buy the workbooks for all, including Horizons. For manipulatives, which I think are essential especially for K-3, I use -base ten blocks for place value (see if you can find hundreds , tens and ones in different colors , if not you can make them yourself with cardboard ) -abacus (must have for pre algebra like 4 + what makes 10) -unifix cubes -clock -pattern blocks.

 
Laura A. from Jeffersonville, IN wrote the following on 08/04/2011:
So far I love using Horizons Math for my son. He likes that there are a variety of exercises each day and the colorful pages keep him interested. I like the idea of being able to switch to other Alpha Omega systems and be on the same scope and sequence later if he needs a different method. My only criticism so far would be that the K workbook has the student learn to write a four with the triangle shape and the 1st grade book jumps in with a square-shaped four.

 
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Anissa C. from Racine, WI wrote the following on 01/09/2007:
I have gone through countless number of math curriculums. Math did/does not come easy for my daughter. This is the ONLY math curriculum she understands and enjoys using. I highly recommend it to anyone that has a child struggling in this department. I really wished it went higher.

 
Monica B. from Lancaster County, PA wrote the following on 02/07/2007:
I know that some homeschoolers prefer mastery-based math programs over spiral learning math. However, we like the quick hits on new topics with lots of short review in subsequent lessons. My math-despising daughter actually likes Horizons because she does a variety of problem types in each lesson instead of one problem type over and over. When first starting this program, you should know that is is very difficult to start in the middle of any given course because of the spiral approach. We switched to Horizons from another program mid-year. We had covered a number of the concepts already but I chose to start at the beginning of the course because I couldn't figure out where else to begin. The concepts we needed to cover were woven in a few lessons at a time throughout the entire course so I couldn't just start in the middle and go because we would have missed all the groundwork laid in the earlier lessons. It is a lot of review -- but I figure the review can't hurt!

 
Dawn N. from Ohio wrote the following on 03/09/2007:
We are using this curriculum with our third son. We like it for a child who tends to "get it" in math with little frustration. There is abundant review and variety in the daily worksheets - your child will know his facts! It's an attractive format as well. We spice up the constant flashcard review with games like hopscotch (hop on the right answer). If you have a child who struggles to understand what it means to subtract or is fearful of new concepts you may want to look elsewhere or stop periodically to supplement with a more hands-on approach. We supplement with Making Math Meaningful which gives loads of story problem practice and teaches concepts hands-on. We do this even though our son loves math because we want him to understand the whys behind what he's doing. As someone with a math background, I found little to complain about in Horizon's methodology except asking a child to cut an object into equal parts that is not symmetrical, which would not give congruent parts. Horizons gives a solid foundation in math for your easier-to-teach students. Be sure to get the teacher's guide - the "boxed set" is a good value.

 
Amy G. from TN wrote the following on 04/02/2007:
Horizons 2nd grade math program was enthusiastically welcomed by my 7-year-old after using a different program since Kindergarten. At first glance, she loved the colorful pictures, connect-the-dots, crossword puzzles, and secret code puzzles in the workbooks. As she curiously thumbed through the books, she was a little nervous that it looked “too hard” for her, but I told her just to take one lesson at a time, and she has progressed very well and with a great attitude. Horizons seems to be advanced in the presentation of multiple digit addition and subtraction, Roman numerals, multiplication, and place value compared to some of the other spiral-learning 2nd grade curricula. It teaches skip-counting by 1’s through 10’s, ordinal numbers to 100, simple equations, fractions, telling time to the minute, Roman numerals, tally marks, money, calendar, graphs, ratio, area, perimeter, volume, decimals, and much more. Our family and friends have been impressed at how quickly and confidently my daughter can work multiplication facts and four-digit addition and subtraction (with regrouping) problems. One friend told me that the work my 2nd grader is doing in Horizons 2 looks like it’s on the same level as the math her 3rd grader is doing. This program is easy to use because it is very well organized--the teacher’s manual has two parts, Part One has lesson plans, manipulatives needed for each lesson, and activity suggestions, and Part Two contains reduced-size student pages with the answers, and a section of worksheets and charts for supplemental practice. Having the answer key handy was a real time saver for us, and we did use some of the worksheets, but not all of them (for the most part, the workbooks contain plenty of practice). The teacher’s manual gives simple ideas for presenting a topic. For example, when teaching multiple digit addition and subtracting with regrouping, it recommends using base ten blocks to illustrate the concept (and if the teacher does not have base ten blocks, it gives ideas for making your own place value manipulatives out of drinking straws). Although the teacher’s manual is helpful in many ways, at times it is not very thorough in explaining “how” to teach different concepts step by step. For someone who is mathematically minded, that would probably not present a problem, but I have had to use math websites online for additional ways to explain tricky concepts such as converting Roman numerals to Arabic numerals. We have also supplemented this curriculum with file folder games and CD’s with math songs for further practice in addition, subtraction, skip counting, and multiplication. Another minor thing about this curriculum that could use revision is that there are no clear instructions for making the flashcards to go with the lessons. The manual tells the teacher to make flashcards for different topics like measurement conversions and time equivalents, but it doesn't give detailed directions for making these flashcards, so the teacher just has to figure it out. This is not a big deal, but it does take up precious time! Other than making the flashcards and gathering the manipulatives for each lesson, teacher preparation time is minimal. The Horizons math workbooks are very inviting to visual learners who don’t mind a lot of color and information on one page. To me, some of the pages are a bit cluttered, but for my daughter, the “busy,” colorful pages help hold her attention and make the learning seem more fun. She likes that there are several different topics within each lesson—it is definitely not boring! For example, Lesson 140 covers sequence, equations, addition, subtraction, symmetry, solids, and multiplication all in the same lesson. For a child (or a parent) who becomes easily frustrated with switching gears quickly, this would not work well. For us, the way Horizons presents challenging math topics in incremental steps is one of its best features. It continually reviews the topics throughout the year to help the students to remember the information. Horizons math is priced very reasonably compared to other popular math curricula. We plan to continue using Horizons math all the way through 6th grade!

 
rose t. from westerville Ohio wrote the following on 05/24/2007:
I have to say that I was very pleased with this math program. This was my first year of homeschooling and I was at a loss. We just happened to stumble across Horizons Math K and instantly was hooked. My son loved the colorful pages and I was impressed with the items that they were learning. I felt that he was learning ahead of where he should have been but at the same time he was not struggling at all. We did not use the teacher book but we did add some games and other math activities to the lesson.The other great thing about this program is that it is cost effective yet not lacking in the learning at all.

 
Sarah G. from Burke, VA wrote the following on 06/17/2007:
My 8yo daughter has been using Horizons Math since Kindergarten and I LOVE this program. More colorful than Saxon and much easier to understand. My daughter did the K and 1st grade books in one year. I like the review in each lesson, as well as the new concept covered. Not too lengthy as to frustrate a child, but only a few problems per section. One of the teacher's manuals has reproducible drill pages, extra worksheets, etc. if your child needs it. The only problem that my daughter had was this: going from the second grade book to the third grade book, the print got smaller and the space given for answers also got smaller. Students are asked to do more problems/sections than in second grade and it was a bit daunting at first. Being only seven and doing the 3rd grade book, her fine motor skills of writing her numbers pretty small just wasn't there. But, with patience and practice, this skill has been achieved and she is ready to move on to the 4th grade text for next year. I would HIGHLY recommend this curriculum to any home schooling parent.

 
Jill S. from Palm Harbor wrote the following on 06/22/2007:
We started homeschooling our oldest child beginning in 3rd grade. She had been in a Montessori school from preschool through 2nd grade and was advanced in math. We started with Level 3 because everyone said Horizons was so advanced. Overall the books are fantastic. They offer a variety of problems with each lesson. The lessons regularly provide review of past material. It is bright and pleasant to look at (no color is very dull for an 8 year old). Each lesson also provides a reasonable number of problems especially for a student who gets bored easily/tired of doing the same type of problem repeatedly. With that said, my only 'negative' comment is if you have a very advanced math learner. By the end of the 1st book, my child was getting bored with doing the problems over concepts she had 'mastered'. Therefore by the 2nd book, if it was a review concept, I would select a few problems from that particular section of the lesson (for example if there were 8 subtraction problems I would have her do 3 or 4). If a concept was being reviewed more frequently through a series of lessons, sometimes I would allow her to completely skip sections of review problems.

 
Vicki W. from San antonio TX wrote the following on 10/27/2007:
I went through several different math programs with my first child, and I finally landed on Horizon. I, too, like its variety in a lesson. I have found that I can move directly into Algebra I from Horizon 6 without any intermediate work. My biggest complaint is that they do not continue into the upper maths! I really didn't want to have to switch.

 
Holly S. from Merrill, WI wrote the following on 01/29/2009:
I LOVE this math program and wish I had used it with my older son. I've also used other math programs including Saxon. This is just as complete as Saxon, but much more enjoyable for both the child and teacher. Worksheets for first grade are colorful with varied activities. Assuming you follow all the suggestions in the teacher's manual (which you must have), your child will get lots of practice with their basic math skills, yet not feel that he's being drilled to death! Also, there is little teacher prep time needed; just grab the items noted with each daily lesson plan (common household items, flash cards, clock and number chart) and get started. This is definitely more challenging than most 1st grade math programs, but my son has not had any problems with it. We both look forward to our math lesson each day. I highly recommend this!

 
Sandra D. from FL wrote the following on 01/03/2012:
Horizons is a great math program. It is interesting and colorful. It includes plenty of drill and some mental math. It is affordable and great for fast learners. However, because I don't like rushing my children along, there is a very simple fix to make Horizons work without stressing the child out. I just use it one half grade level lower. For example my 2nd grader is using grade 2-book 1 the second half of the year. In 3rd grade she will use 2-book 2 and 3-book 1. In this way the program is more developmentally appropriate while being on par for standardized testing, and still moving quickly enough to be interesting and challenging.