Horizons Math 5

Horizons 5th Grade Math

By fifth grade, math moves into more abstract concepts and longer problem sets that require planning and accuracy. Horizons 5th Grade Math is a print-based, teacher-led math curriculum that gives your child daily practice at that level.

The full course runs 160 lessons across two student workbooks plus a teacher's guide, covering exponents and prime factorization, multiplying and dividing fractions and decimals, percents, ratios, multi-digit multiplication and division (up to 5-digit by 5-digit, 4-digit divisors), advanced geometry (circles, triangles, polygons, surface area), use of compass and protractor, and probability and statistics.

Horizons uses a spiral curriculum design, which means concepts are introduced briefly, then revisited again and again across the year with a little more depth each time. This contrasts with mastery-based programs, which work through one concept thoroughly before moving to the next. Spiral curricula are usually a better fit for kids who get bored doing the same kind of problem repeatedly, and for parents who'd rather their child see a concept multiple times across the year than spend a whole unit on it once.

The teacher's guide walks you through each day's lesson, with daily lesson plans, answer keys, teaching tips, learning objectives, and 40 supplemental worksheets for concepts your child needs more time with. A manipulative schedule at the front of the guide lists which manipulatives appear in which lessons. The manipulatives themselves aren't included in the kit, and many families will consider them optional.

Horizons 5th Grade Math includes occasional Christian references in its lessons, as do other levels beginning in grade 4. The K-3 levels of the series are nonreligious.

Horizons 5th Grade Math is a good fit for a fifth grader who's ready for a full math curriculum, and for a parent who wants a fully scripted lesson plan rather than building their own. The colorful pages and spiral approach make it a particularly good fit for kids who lose interest with extended drilling on one concept.