The right math homeschool curriculum makes all the difference in your child’s math success. That’s why it’s important to choose one that fits your style of teaching and your student’s learning needs.
Top 5 Math Homeschool Curriculum
Ideally, your program will teach both conceptual and procedural approaches to math. Procedural curricula focus on teaching students a series of steps to solve problems (aka algorithms). Conceptual programs teach kids the whys behind mathematical operations, such as why we need to find common denominators when adding fractions or why we “borrow the 1” when subtracting.
Math-U-See
Math-U-See is one of the most popular homeschool math curriculums because it uses a mastery approach. It doesn’t organize lessons by grade level, but rather by topic, which makes it easier for kids to grasp each concept without having to be overwhelmed with too much material at once.
In addition to a 4-step method and helpful suggestions in the instruction manual, Math-U-See also comes with manipulatives, allowing children to practice and reinforce their learning with hands-on exercises. This includes colorful blocks, which are a great way to visualize abstract concepts and get a feel for how numbers look.
The blocks are made of durable plastic and last a long time, so parents don’t need to worry about having to purchase them again later on. For higher-level concepts, the company sells fraction overlays and Algebra/Decimal inserts to supplement the blocks.
The Art of Problem Solving
Art of Problem Solving is a series of rigorous math instruction textbooks and programs designed to help high-performing students gain a deeper understanding of math concepts. It was founded in 1993 by former USA Math Olympiad winner Richard Rusczyk.
The curriculum uses a more conceptual and constructivist approach to teaching mathematics. Instead of learning algorithms, students learn why the rules are true.
While this approach can be a bit dry and conceptual for some kids, it can also be extremely helpful to students who are not accustomed to learning the whys behind math and how to use their knowledge to solve new problems.
The textbooks feature a lot of word problems, as well as review and challenge problems that test students’ mastery of the material. These are often difficult to understand and may take some time for students to get used to, but they can be extremely useful for students who want a more challenging math homeschool curriculum.
Life of Fred
Life of Fred teaches math with a storybook-like approach that incorporates lots of humor and illustration. It also aims to make learning math as painless as possible and in a way that students will understand.
Life of Fred has a variety of books that span the elementary, middle and high school levels. It also extends well into college level math with books on Calculus, Statistics and Analysis.
The elementary series of Life of Fred texts includes ten books that are usually used in grades one through four. The intermediate series consists of three books that should be used in grades five through six.
The elementary series is fairly short and covers a lot of concepts at a lesson a day, making it an ideal spaced repetition program for parents and students. The intermediate series is a good fit for students who have already mastered addition and subtraction, fractions, decimals and percents, and are ready for a more comprehensive introduction to math.
Time4Learning
Time4Learning is an online homeschool curriculum that can be used as a core program or supplement. It offers lessons in four subjects – math, language arts, science and social studies – as well as art courses.
Time 4 Learning combines interactive video lessons, graded practice activities and quizzes that are correlated to state standards. It also includes printable worksheets to reinforce concepts.
The curriculum is student-led, which means students learn as fast or as slow as they want to. They can start the curriculum at any point during a year and finish it whenever they feel ready.
The homeschool program also has a variety of electives for middle school and high school. These include art, fitness and environmental science. It also includes Time4MathFacts, an online math facts practice program that allows students to master crucial math facts, such as addition, subtraction and multiplication.