Homeschool Math Curriculum
They say experience is the best teacher, and I have had experience with several different homeschool math programs. What have I learned? Well, really, that there are many, very different homeschool math programs. LOL!
Since my 4 children have graduated from our homeschool, there are more homeschool math curricula out in the world than ever before. I like to say that the best thing AND the worst thing about homeschooling today is that there are so many options! So let’s see if I can help you narrow down your options just a little bit to make this decision a little easier for you.
What Do You Want?
What do you want in a homeschool math curriculum? Do you want something completely online? Do you want an actual textbook that you can use over and over again with each of your children? Would you rather have your children write in a workbook, so they don’t have to copy the problems onto a sheet of paper? What about grading? There are a few homeschool math curricula that are self grading, so you don’t have to grade every problem. Maybe you travel a lot and you prefer something that can be accessed from any device at any time.
Narrowing It Down: Online Versus Books
One way to narrow down your choices is to decide if you want your children to have an online math curriculum. I, personally, did not like my children to do their schoolwork on the computer or other devices until they were at least in the middle school grades. This was just a personal preference. I do know some families who had their children doing school work on a computer at a younger age with no problems. Having an online math curriculum could mean that you do not have to do as much of the teaching. Your children would most likely watch the lessons online instead. The last thing to mention about online programs is that typically you would be purchasing a new license or subscription for each child.
One of my favorite homeschool math curricula is Teaching Textbooks. This is an online math curriculum, but you can purchase physical textbooks if you prefer. After completing pre-algebra, Algebra 1, 2, and Geometry, my son received a perfect score on the math portion of his college entrance exam. At that time, the lessons were on CDs that we put into the computer. Today, they offer online access and even an app for your phone or tablet. You can take it anywhere. I will just insert here that I am not affiliated with Teaching Textbooks at the time of this writing. I wouldn’t hesitate, though, if the opportunity ever came up as I think it is a great homeschool math curriculum.
Narrowing it Down: Textbooks Versus Workbooks
Textbooks can be the most inexpensive option if that is what you need in a homeschool math curriculum. You can actually purchase used homeschool textbooks online and use them with each of your children. This would mean that each child would need to copy the problems in a notebook or separate sheet of paper to work them out. When I think of the words textbook and math, I immediately think of Saxon Math. It is now published as softcover workbooks, but they can be used just like a textbook, or you can find the older hardcover texts on websites where they sell used homeschool books such as https://homeschoolclassifieds.com . Saxon is a solid math curriculum for all grades. I mentioned above that having an online math curriculum would mean you do less of the teaching than if you had actual textbooks, but that isn’t necessarily always true. Dr. Art Robinson used Saxon textbooks with all of his children and had them read the lessons and learn the material all on their own. You can read their story here.
Workbooks can be used like textbooks as I mentioned above, but I don’t think it works for the younger grades where there are more pictures used to learn the concepts such as counting, money, and telling time, etc. Workbooks can also be a time saver since your child will not be taking the extra time to copy each problem before working them out. If your child has a learning challenge such as dyslexia or dysgraphia having a workbook rather than a textbook might also be a better option. For these children, trying to copy problems might cause more issues if they accidentally copy wrong numbers or reverse the order of the numbers.
How Much Money Do You Want to Spend?
The cost of homeschool math curricula can vary widely depending on the extras (manipulatives) that either come with the program or that you can purchase separately. It also depends on the teacher’s books or lesson plans if you need to purchase those. So, obviously, the more materials you need to purchase the more it will cost. However, you can usually use the teacher’s materials or resources over again if you have any younger children. You can also resell most homeschool curricula for close to what you purchased it for if you keep it in very good condition.
In the bit of research I have done for this article, It seems that using online programs do have an advantage over physical books when it comes to the cost. Since most online math curricula offer digital tools or manipulatives, either included with curricula or to purchase separately, it ends up being less expensive than if you purchase the physical products with texts or workbooks. However, you obviously cannot resell digital products and you may have to purchase them again with any younger children.
A Little Advice
I would like to encourage you to find a homeschool math curriculum, and do your best to stick with it. Don’t keep changing because you heard about a new program from someone else that sounds a little bit better than the one you are using. If your child does well with what you have started, then try to stick with it. I say this because I have found that different homeschool math programs can teach concepts at different paces, and they can teach problem solving differently. This could slow down your child’s progress or cause gaps in their math education if you continuously change the curriculum. My oldest son experienced some of this. In about 6th grade he hit some math problems that gave him some trouble, so I decided maybe he needed something that taught that type of problem in a different way. That just lead to us changing from math book to math book which probably caused him more frustration than the math itself.
On the other hand if you do have a child, like one of mine, who had difficulty with math due to dyslexia, it does make sense to find something that they can understand, but not without much prayer and research first. This can save you a lot of money, time, and frustration. Just be aware that sometimes there is no perfect math curriculum for your child. They may just struggle with any math program they are given. Just keep encouraging them and letting them press forward at their pace. My daughter, who has dyslexia, just passed her college statistics class. She had to take it twice, but she finally got through it. She has struggled with math her whole life, but she kept pressing on year after year doing what she could. Just keep encouraging them.
Let me know your thoughts and if you have any questions.
Email me at Mary@whatabouthomeschooling.com
“…And the sweetness of the lips increaseth learning.”
~Proverbs 16:31
I am not affiliated with any of the publishers or curriculum companies mentioned in this blog post at the time of its publication.