Choosing the best homeschool math curriculum can be quite tricky. This is because the best homeschool math curriculum has a lot of requirements to meet. The best homeschool math curriculum has to be complete in the knowledge it gives. It is also responsible for teaching problem solving and mental math skills.
The best homeschool math curriculum includes all these skills and departs complete knowledge of maths to students. There are different criteria under which people select the curriculum. These criteria differ from person to person.
Importance of good foundation of math
Math involves a variety of competencies and abilities which we use every day. A basic grasp of the concept of mathematics helps us to analyse, solve problems , make choices, and more. Learning Math also encourages students to think out of the box, which will help them immensely in their academic as well as professional careers.
A weak mathematical base can also lead later on to mathematical anxiety due to lack of confidence. This can lead to anxiety in testing and embarrassment in answering a question. The main challenges in learning math are understanding the concept properly and the lack of practice.
A good math curriculum helps us to understand math in easy way. Here, we are giving few tips about “how can you choose the best homeschool math curriculum for your child?”. Follow it closely.
Step 1: Decide what you want from the best homeschool math curriculum
The very first step to selecting a homeschool math curriculum is to understand what you want. You have to decide on the difficulty level, depending on your child’s ability. Then, you look at selecting the grade levels you want to target. These things are essential to understand since they help shape the entire program. This step also makes the selection process as a whole a lot easier.
Also, decide what concepts you want to achieve and learn through the program. Observing these concepts and then the procedures will help you understand precisely what program meets your requirements better. Keeping the cost in mind is also a good idea. Set a budget and then check out which programs meet all the criteria.
Step 2: Research about best homeschool math curriculum programs and see which one fits your requirements
Researching about pre-existing programs is always a good idea. This research work is helpful because you can get an idea about these organized math lessons. Here are some of the popular programs that help students in learning math through homeschooling.
♦ Miquon Math
Miquon Math is one of the rather challenging math programs. It is also comparatively cheap. Students come across various challenges with this curriculum. Miquon Math is an excellent choice for gifted students. This is also a perfect choice to help the students think critically. Students are encouraged to think critically in the program. The program also lets the teacher explore different teaching methods. It is essentially one of the most popular math programs for homeschooling students.
♦ Singapore math
Singapore math combines both the traditional and modern approaches to teach maths. It includes textbooks and critical thinking to help students understand maths. Singapore Math is Singapore’s latest designed homeschooling math program.
The program also happens to be one of the most popular homeschooling programs. The cost is about $70. The program is affordable enough to invest in and is also quite rewarding to study. Students can learn different math facts and apply them to real-life after choosing this program.
♦ Saxon math
The Saxon math program is a bit towards the expensive side. The expense is because of the textbooks and the visual learning methods that it comes with. It also includes a lot of video lessons for students. The program teaches the kids advanced maths and helps them strengthen their math skills. Several families are opting for this option to help give their kids a higher understanding of maths.
♦ Horizons math
Horizons math comes with a spiral learning approach, which means that it uses a workbook style technique. It comes with different school year options. The program is one of the best options to select for those who are visual learners due to its visual elements. Saxon math is relatively affordable and doesn’t come with a high price tag.
♦ Life of Fred
Life of Fred is a math program more widely used as a supplementary resource rather than a complete curriculum. It is a secular, story-based math curriculum that is neither spiral nor mastery. Instead, it has funny stories that children enjoy and excel in the concepts and more word-problem discussion questions. The program is also one of the go-to options for children who do not seem interested in school. It is a fun way to help students understand pre-algebra and other such mathematical concepts.
♦ Teaching Textbooks
Teaching Textbooks is one of the homeschooling mom’s favorites. Due to being easy to use, it is easy for moms to understand this homeschooling program. It is also because it makes learning fun. There are software discs that come with textbooks. You can use the program’s online version only for one child for one year. However, that does come with the option to pause the subscription for up to 3 months. It is a very affordable way to teach your children maths. The program is one of the most creative ways to help kids learn maths.
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Step 3: Get a glimpse of these different best homeschool math curriculum
It is essential to check the samples of these different programs. The checking is because getting an insight into these programs will help you to determine which you want better. This will also help you understand the exact way these programs work.
Keeping a close eye is vital to these programs. You can also ask different math teachers their opinions on these programs. However, we recommend that you check these programs out by yourself. The reason is that these programs have to satisfy all criteria you want.
Step 4: Buy your preferred program among these best homeschool math curriculum
After conducting thorough research, narrow your options down. Filtering is vital because it helps make a clear cut decision about what you want. You must be sure about what you want. Once convinced, invest in that program. However, one thing that you must know is that it is okay to change programs halfway.
Sometimes the programs might not exactly be what you are looking for. In that case, changing programs is the most important thing. There is nothing wrong with that. It is also okay if you wish to change the programs because of the teaching techniques. Sometimes, the teaching technique might not suit your child as much as you initially thought it would. In that case, too, changing your program halfway is fine.
What if the math curriculum is not right for the student?
Imagine you’ve used a specific curriculum for a while, but you don’t think it works too well afterward. Know that you don’t have to pick that curriculum always. You can only purchase a new curriculum and attempt to sell the previous one if you can afford it.
Before switching to another new one, please try these tips once-
- If the curriculum is filled with too many repeated sums, then skip a few. Try to follow even nos or odd nos sums.
- If there are not too many variations in the sums, then try the free worksheets. This worksheet will help your child a great deal.
- Search free online math curriculum, where topics are given with graphics, animations, and full of videos.
Note: Do not over depend on the curriculum. It’s just a teaching tool written in the book. The objective of mathematics training is not to fill in the book. In addition to the book, there are many other teaching resources, including games, explorations, and projects — living mathematics.
Please also remember that it is much more critical than the curriculum you purchase to have a dedicated, attentive, and caring teacher for your child in maths to success.
Conclusion
These are some of the steps you can follow to help your child get the perfect math program that suits them. The steps can also help them to develop their math skills faster. These tips are ideal for ensuring that you meet all your requirements. It is imperative to conduct proper research about different math programs that exist for homeschooling students.
Different programs have different teaching techniques. They all come at several different grade levels. Some teach through storytelling; others use textbooks, and some stick to video lessons. All of these programs help the students get complete mathematical knowledge through these various techniques.
These tips are beneficial, and they can come in handy several times. It is also okay to change the program halfway if you think your child isn’t compatible with it. It is also okay to switch programs to try different teaching techniques. You can explore various techniques to help the right match for your child in terms of learning.