For some, the idea of trying to choose a homeschool math curriculum can be incredibly daunting. They are expensive. You’re concerned whether your child will be reduced to tears like a lot of marketing would have you believe is the result of choosing the wrong one.
I’m going to start off by saying that I am totally biased when it comes to math education because I am a former high school math teacher. I currently run my own tutoring business teaching math and statistics. So I’ve seen the results of poor mathematics education. I think how you choose your homeschool math curriculum is incredibly important, no matter which field your student chooses to pursue in future.
However, instead of saying why one particular curriculum is incredible, I’m going to take this post to argue that you should be using multiple curricula for your student. I think using multiple curricula is more important than choosing one homeschool math curriculum. Because no one curriculum is perfect.
1. The Power of Different Approaches
Different students grasp abstract concepts in different ways. It can be your choice of wording, a specific example – you never quite know what the winning combination will be. All I can say is that you have to know your subject inside and out. And the more unique ways you can approach the same challenging concept, the better your student will understand. For me, this is reason enough to use multiple curricula for homeschooling math. A student is not stuck with one particular wording or set up for a particular type of problem.
Believe it or not, excelling in mathematics requires creativity. And it’s difficult to approach a problem creatively when you have only ever used one type of math textbook. Don’t get me wrong, that one textbook may be great. But if a student cannot see that same type of problem written in a different format and recognise it, let alone solve it, then it’s useless. As homeschoolers, we shouldn’t be trying to teach our kids how to do well on exams. We should be teaching them how to do well in mathematics. They should understand the material so well that they can solve the problem no matter the format in which it is presented. Then the exam scores – which are important – will take care of themselves.
Caution Against Switching Curriculum
If your student is seriously struggling, I know some of the advice might be to switch curriculum. This can be a solution, but I want to suggest it be the solution of last resort. This is where you have all kinds of potential for gaps in a student’s instruction. As a math tutor who sees this kind of struggle all the time, I honestly think it’s better to choose a curriculum, stick with it, and simply use additional resources to make sure a student is understanding. When you start switching textbooks to get that “different approach” I’m talking about, then you have the possibility of real problems.
2. Repetition for Mastery
Mathematics is one of those subjects that requires consistent repetition to master a skill. Just like an instrument, the more quality time you put into practicing, the better you will be at playing. The same goes for mathematics. When you double up on curriculum, you have that crucial, additional repetition built in.
3. The Summer Dilemma
If you’re homeschooling your child, you’ve probably already had to think about how you handle summers. Some homeschoolers do school year round to avoid the wasteland of summer. If you’re traditional, like me, you still like to take the summer off in some sense. There is just something about the academic calendar that is forever ingrained into my soul, for better or for worse. That being said, that are certain non-negotiables that have to be done during the summer even though our homeschool is not in session. One of those non-negotiables is math.
But here’s the dilemma: If you follow a typical curriculum’s schedule, a typical textbook will last the length of a school year. So do you start the next grade at the start of summer? You can. Especially if your student is mastering the material quickly and starting to get bored. This won’t be most students though. Even my daughter, who has a photographic memory, does not get bored easily when it comes to math.
This is where having a secondary curriculum comes in handy. By doubling up on curriculum, you can make your material last a full year and not get too far ahead (or “ahead” at all if you don’t want). It solves the problem of having meaningful math work for your student to work on over the summer – as opposed to busy work like random worksheets.
A Math Teacher’s Thoughts on “Getting Ahead” in Math
Something to consider when you’re deciding whether or not to let your homeschooler get “ahead” in math is the scope and sequence of your chosen curriculum up through high school. A lot of students will not get to calculus let alone any other type of advanced mathematics before they graduate high school. I think this is a shame. If you’re a parent who hates math, you might not think this is a bad thing. I just want to say, as someone who went on to get an undergraduate degree in mathematics, the fun stuff doesn’t start until calculus. It’s when you finally get to see why you were doing what you were doing in algebra and trigonometry. The dots start to connect. You see the interplay between mathematics and science, especially physics. And I daresay it’s fun.
Homeschoolers have so many options when it comes to pursuing advanced subjects even if a parent isn’t comfortable teaching that subject. Homeschooled high schoolers can dual enrol in local universities to study a subject, simultaneously earning high school and university credits. There are also tutors such as myself who earn a living teaching their specialised subjects. So please don’t let the fear of a “scary subject” hold your child back when they can do well in math.
How did you choose a homeschool math curriculum? Do you use multiple curricula? What combinations do you use?
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