Elementary Math Curriculum
Homeschoolers are often intimidated at the thought of teaching their own children math. When you begin looking into math programs it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. There are a lot of choices! Keep in mind that there is no wrong choice. The key is to find what works best for your child. Within families it is not uncommon for each child to work with a different program. A few popular math programs are listed below to get you started.
• ALEKS – ALEKS is an online program available for all grade levels – it is even used for some college math programs. The program assesses your child and starts him at the appropriate level. Your child sets the pace for learning and progression. The biggest drawback to this program is that some children do not retain information from a screen as wells as they might with a traditional book.
• Khan Academy – Another online program, the beauty of Khan is the fact that it is free. You can have your child take a class suited to their grade level or you can simply use the videos to explain concepts. Khan is thorough, well-funded and continually expanding its resources. You cannot beat it for the price!
• Life of Fred – The Life of Fred series provides a different approach to math. Each book follows Fred with a storyline and examples of how Fred runs into situations where he needs math in everyday life. These are excellent books for children who “hate” math. Many parents use this series as a supplement, though it can work as a full program.
• Math-U-See – Math-U-See is a wildly popular choice for math. Steve Demme, the author, presents short classes on dvd and you follow up with various worksheets. The program relies heavily on manipulatives and works well for visual and hands-on learners.
• Miquon – Covering grades 1-3, Miquon is another popular program that makes use of manipulatives for each topic. Many parents dislike that the program does not include higher grade levels thus requiring them to find a new program.
• Saxon – Saxon is the most traditional option for homeschoolers. The lessons are straightforward and provide plenty of practice and review. Saxon is used in many private school around the country as well.
• Singapore – Singapore math is a rigorous math program based on how math is taught in, you guessed it, Singapore. As the teacher, you may have to do a little studying yourself to understand how concepts are taught and explained.
