By Pauline Abello
“All right,” I said, gathering the Math-U-See blocks on the table. “I need you all to sit down. We need to talk.”
“We’ve been sitting for fourteen years!” the blocks replied in unison.
“I know,” I said. “And you’ve been very good at it.”
Red Hundred Block leaned forward dramatically. “Is this about… Singapore?”
“It’s not just about Singapore,” I said carefully.
Blue Ten Block crossed his imaginary arms. “We gave you mastery. We gave you clarity. We gave you manipulatives you could trip over in the dark.”
“You did,” I said. “You were faithful. You were gentle. You’ve taught thousands of children how numbers work.”
A tiny voice piped up from the corner. It was Little Green Unit Block. “Then why are there new textbooks sitting there?”
“Because the children are growing up and they’re just needing more,” I answered.
Yellow Four Block sighed. “But we go all the way to calculus.”
“You do,” I said. “But they’re ready for something different now. They’re asking new questions. They want to really see the math.”
Red Hundred Block fumed. “See the math?!?! Are you kidding me? That’s literally our name. Math-U-SEE!”
“Well,” I said, wincing slightly, “turns out you’re more like Math-You-Hold.”
The blocks gasped in horror.
“I’m sorry,” I added quickly. “It’s just the truth!”
Pink Three Block looked tearful. “This feels like abandonment.”
“It’s not,” I said. “It’s college planning. You were perfect for my early years of homeschooling,” I continued. “Concrete. Orderly. Reassuring. Gentle when I was a brand-new teacher and lacked confidence. You made math friendly. You made mistakes safe. You built confidence brick by brick.”
“But,” I said, “there came a time when my students needed to move from show me to think it through.”
Little Green Unit Block nodded slowly. “So this is where Singapore comes in. And what—with more word problems?”
“Yes,” I said. “Visual models. Mental math. Fewer steps written down and more understanding carried in the head.”
Brown Eight Block scoffed. “And Saxon? You always said you hated Saxon.”
“Now hold on, Eight,” I said. “That’s not true. I’ve always said everyone I knew was overwhelmed by Saxon and eventually quit. But Saxon has a lot to speak for. Time and time again, people who are serious about math recommend it. Daily practice. Cumulative review. A slow, steady drumbeat that keeps skills sharp over time.”
Pink Three Block, clutching her imaginary pearls, looked horrified. “But Saxon?! It’s dry! Mechanical! Soul-crushing!”
“Honestly,” I admitted, “on its own—it still kind of is.”
Orange Two Block tilted his head skeptically. “Then why is it on the table?”
“Because reality showed up with a score report,” I said. “Our older students did beautifully in reading, writing, and reasoning, but the PSAT and SAT math sections told a different story. They also struggled in college with their math classes. The issue wasn’t intelligence. It wasn’t effort. It was depth, retention, and fluency.”
“They understood the concepts…” the Blue Ten Block said quietly, realization settling over him and the others.
“…But they didn’t have the automatic recall college math assumes,” I replied. “And at this level, that matters.”
“So you chose Saxon anyway?” Little Green Unit Block asked.
“Not alone,” I said. “That’s the difference.”
“Enter Nicole the Math Lady,” I continued. “She teaches the lessons. Answers are automatically graded. Students get immediate feedback. I get an email when assignments are completed.”
Red Hundred Block finally relaxed. “So Saxon gets a translator.”
“Not just a translator,” I said. “Baked-in accountability. And let’s be honest—you guys never told me when they skipped a math day.”
Purple Six Block shrugged. “Our philosophy is hands-on! Not heads-up.”
“Exactly,” I said. “And for a season, that was fine. But now we need a little more support. With Nicole, they only get three tries on each answer, so instead of guessing and moving on, they are finally calling me over to get help because they don’t want to get it wrong on the computer. It’s a healthy dose of pressure.”
Purple Six Block paused. “I suddenly care very deeply about being correct.”
After a moment, Yellow Four Block asked softly, “So we’re… retired?”
“Honored veterans,” I said.
“You’ll still be here. Arabelle and Leeshy will still stack you, line you up, and knock you over dramatically. You’ll even show up for Singapore from time to time. But for our older students, it’s time for a math curriculum that looks like formal problem-solving, more like the rigor students will encounter beyond high school—more like college.”
The Yellow Four Block sighed. “We did good work.”
“You did excellent work,” I said. “And because of you, this next step is possible.”
Why the Change
After 14 years, and after reviewing PSAT and SAT math results, and difficulty with college math classes, it became clear that our older students needed greater depth of content, fluency, retention, and in general – a lot more practice. Singapore Dimensions Math is an excellent foundation for younger students (it goes through 5th grade) and after that Saxon — both paired with Nicole the Math Lady’s online instruction, tech help, and accountability— has been providing the consistency and structure our kids needed to strengthen their performance and confidence in these more challenging math curriculums.
Singapore offers:
• visual problem-solving
• mental math development and mastery
Saxon shines in:
• cumulative review
• college readiness and pacing
• long-form reasoning over step-by-step scripting
This isn’t a rejection of Math-U-See; it remains a wonderful, gentle curriculum that builds confidence and understanding, especially in the early years. However, for students aiming to score well on standardized tests, pursue scholarships, or prepare for math-related fields, I’ve found that a more in-depth progression is needed—Singapore Math in K–5th grade, followed by Saxon beginning in 6th grade, paired with a tutor or a digital support system like Nicole the Math Lady provide the accountability and guidance that is needed to get the most out of these curriculums. To further support our older students, Excelsior will also offer tutor-led math classes on our second day, providing another layer of structure and encouragement. The goal is math that holds up when students are tested, challenged, and stretched. A rigorous curriculum, steady progression, and weekly accountability work together to prepare students for future academic demands.