Math Curriculum Reviews

As a former math teacher and a long time math nerd, I love Math curricula.

In this review, I am going to review 10 different programs. I have only used four of these! In my other reviews, I reviewed a lot of things that I have personally used or have purchased a component of. The rest are all ones I have researched extensively.

Even though I am including a lot of options, there are still countless math curricula out there. For more curriculum reviews, I recommend checking out Cathy Duffy Reviews for professional reviews or The Homeschool Mom for parent reviews.

Abeka

Abeka is a traditional math program for grades 1 through 12. It is the only overtly Christian option that I will be reviewing today. Abeka utilizes a spiral approach that relies heavily on drill and memorization. The program focuses on direct teaching, practice problems and testing. Abeka follows a similar scope and sequence to many public and private schools.

Teacher’s manuals are completely scripted and tell parents exactly what to say and do. Student work texts are in full color and have engaging illustrations in the elementary editions.

There are an abundance of problem sets for the student to work on. This may be too much for some students and the parent may have to choose to leave out some exercises.

While the earlier levels do have some charts, flashcards, and activities, there are not as many hands-on manipulatives as other programs. This program is geared to a child who is a visual learner. The program can be supplemented with manipulatives if the parent feels comfortable with using them without guidance.

Abeka also offers online courses for each of their subjects.

Each Level Parent Kit: $77.45-167.25

Each level Child Kit: $29.35-$44.25

You can purchase Abeka materials through their website.

CTC Math

CTC is an online, subscription-based K-12 math course designed for independent study. The program is self-paced, so students may work through the course as they feel comfortable. The program requires no preparation or grading on the part of the parent and is easy to use for the student.

Lessons are presented in video format followed by interactive review questions. Videos are short and are very simplistic. They break down concepts and focus on one skill at a time. This can make the videos seem a bit disjointed because the program does not appear to relate the concepts to one another at any point. Because the videos are so short and do not contain many example problems, students may need parents to teach a concept on occasion.

If you are worried about your students not using pencil and paper, there are printable practice problems. Your student completes these problems on paper and can then enter the answer onto the computer.

Monthly Individual Membership: $29.97

Annual Individual Membership: $197

Monthly Family Membership: $39.97

Annual Family Membership: $297

You can sign up at CTC Math. They also offer a free trial.

Horizons

Alpha Omega Publication's math program, Horizons is a simple to use program for grades K-8 that uses a traditional approach to teaching math. It uses a spiral learning technique with concepts being introduced in small segments and continuously reviewed throughout the program. There is a focus on analytical reasoning and not just a dry memorization of facts.

There are 160 lessons and 16 unit exams in each grade level. Lessons are academically rigorous and parent led. Each lesson should take approximately 20-30 minutes each day.

The program helps the parent come up with ideas for what kind of household items can be used as manipulatives, but manipulative kits are available. The teacher’s manual includes charts and number lines for further hands-on teaching.

For each level, you will need two workbooks, a teacher’s handbook, and worksheets. The worksheets are reproducible (meaning that the copyright allows you to make copies for additional children). You will only need to repurchase the workbooks for additional children.

Horizon’s Kindergarten Set: $71.96

Horizon’s 1-6th Grade Sets (Each): $80.96

Pre-Algebra and Algebra 1 (Each): $89.96

You can purchase full subject kits through Alpha Omega Publishing. If you would like to purchase optional manipulatives, sets are available through Rainbow Resources. Sonlight also offers full grade kits that include manipulatives, although these kits are closer to the $200 price point.

Life of Fred

The Life of Fred series is not a complete Math curriculum. I am including it on this list because it is such a great supplement to any math program. In each book, children follow Fred through a humorous series of events centered around mathematical problems. The children will be solving math problems as they read through the story.

Each level in the elementary series is named after a different word starting with each letter of the alphabet, starting with Apples and ending with Mineshaft. All students should begin by reading Apples. The 11 book high-school series includes books on Fractions, Percents, Pre-Algebra, Algebra, Trigonometry, Logic, and Calculus. There are even college level editions available.

Each chapter thoroughly covers a mathematical concept and focuses more on conceptual learning rather than fact and formula memorization. Math is seen as a critical thinking concept. As a math teacher, I love that the series attempts to answer the questions "when will we ever use this?"

The text is completely self-contained, meaning there are no manipulatives, workbooks, or other resources needed for the program.

The author is a Christian but there are not overtly Christian statements and themes in these books.

Life of Fred Elementary Individual Books: $16.00

Life of Fred Elementary Package (Books A-J): $152.00

Life of Fred High School: $19 or $39

Life of Fred Pre-Algebra Set: $119.95

You can purchase Life of Fred from a variety of retailers. I like Rainbow Resources.

Math Mammoth

Math Mammoth is the most inexpensive complete curriculum on this list. They offer a range of materials from their complete curriculum for grades 1-7 to supplemental workbooks that could be used alongside a separate program.

While there is no pacing guide, each level is designed for one year of math. Lessons also do not have to be taught in order although, parents are encouraged to teach basic mathematical functions first. All concepts are mastery based. Each concept is taught in a thematic chapter with some review throughout the year.

All instruction is found in the worktexts and is designed to be self-teaching. This works well for students that are confident in their math abilities. There is no teaching manual, but there is a letter at the beginning of each chapter with teaching tips. This lack of teaching support may be fine for the parent that has a strong background in math or has a child that has a natural bent for mathematical thinking; however, this could present a challenge for a parent that is not confident in their ability to teach math.

No manipulatives are used in this course and it is a very visual in its approach. The workbooks occasionally have pictures of manipulatives in the student workbook so that the student may get a feel for new concepts. The parent may choose to use manipulatives alongside the program, but would not have any guidance on how to use them.

For each grade you will need to purchase two worktexts, a test and review book, and an answer key. All products are consumable except for the key. Texts are also available as a PDF download. New editions are in color and old editions are in black and white. Color editions are a bit more expensive. Books and PDFs come with links to additional internet resources such as games, additional resources, and tutorials.

Printed grade level sets (Each): $38.95-76.95

PDF Grade 1-3 Bundle: $45

PDF Grade 4-7 Bundle: $75

Printed books can be purchased at Rainbow Resources. PDF versions can be purchased at K5 Learning.

MathUSee

Math U See is a solid program with a different approach to teaching math. The only manipulatives for most of the levels are the programs unique block set. These remind me of a combination of unifix cubes and base ten blocks. There are blocks that represent the numbers 1-10 and 100, each with their own color. For example, the 8 block is brown and known as “Chocol-eight.” You will also need a fraction overlay kit and algebra/decimal insert kit in later levels (included in the Level Up or Universal sets for those levels)

The elementary texts are named after letters of the Greek alphabet. There is also a Primer level for younger students. The high school texts include Pre-Algebra, Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, PreCalculus, and Calculus.

There is a short video for each lesson taught by Steve Demme, the creator of Math U See. These videos were designed for the teacher to watch before teaching the lesson to the child. Many parents (including myself) let their children watch the video lesson as well. These videos were not designed as a replacement for direct teaching by the parent!

On the first day of each lesson, the parent will instruct the child on the new mathematical concept being learned. The general method is to build the problem with the blocks, write the problem down, and then say the problem out loud. After the concept is introduced, the student can work through a set of pages in the student workbook. Each lesson comes with worksheets A-F. The first three worksheets focus exclusively on the new concept being taught. While the remaining sheets are a cumulative review with an emphasis on the new concept.

All levels are mastery based except for Primer, which was designed to introduce younger children to elementary Math concepts and the teaching methods of Math U See. The student should work on a concept for as many days as it takes to master the concept. This means your student may only work a few of the worksheets or you may need to get extra practice problems from the Math U See website. Students should move through the levels at their own pace rather than treating each book as a grade level.

This program can be standards based; however, standards are met in a different order than the typical private or public school course of study.

There is no need for parent prep or planning with this program. It can be very independent depending on the abilities of your student, but at least expect to spend some time each week teaching new concepts to your child.

The author is a Christian but there are not overtly Christian statements and themes in these books.

You will need to purchase an Integer Block set one time that can be used with all levels. After you have that, you may purchase a Level Up kit for each level that includes DVDs, Instructor’s Guide, Student Workbook, and Tests. Student workbooks and test books are consumable and can be purchased separately for additional children.

Primer Level Up Set: $68.00

Alpha-Delta Kit (Each): $91.00

Epsilon Kit: $141.00

Zeta Level Up Set: $122.00

High School Levels: $97-131

Integer Block Kit: $83.00

You may purchase materials from the DEMME Learning website.

Primary Mathematics (Singapore Math)

Students in Singapore have consistently ranked higher than any other country on standardized math and science tests. This led to the popularization of the Singapore method of teaching math.

Primary Mathematics is the English adaptation of a textbook series used as the standard curriculum for elementary students in Singapore. This method focuses on mental math and critical thinking skills. Some of the teaching may be a bit different that traditional U.S. methods, but the program is pretty clear in teaching new concepts.

There are books for grades 1-6 broken into twelve semester-long books. A typical first grader would complete 1A and 1B, a second grader would complete 2A and 2B, and so on. This breakdown of levels allows for a lot of flexibility. A more advanced second grader might choose 2B and 3A and a struggling learner might chose 1B and 2A. A placement test can be found here.

There are various editions of Primary Mathematics, the most popular being the U.S. Edition, the Standards Edition, and the Common Core Edition.

The U.S. edition does not offer tests but does offer extra practice books. It is typically the cheapest option, primarily because the textbooks are printed in black in white after grade 2 and they are slightly smaller than the other editions. Home Instructor's Guides are available for this edition.

The Standards edition offers tests and extra practice books. Textbooks are full color throughout the program and the workbooks have been slightly expanded upon.

The Common Core edition offers extra practice books and challenging word problems books. It is the only edition that fully coincides with Common Core standards.

These books can be used as an open and go program; however, they are very teacher dependent. The parent will read through the colorful textbook with the student and then the student will complete an exercise in the black and white work text.

Manipulatives are optional with all of the editions. For many lessons, you could use common household items as manipulatives.

I personally have used the U.S. Edition Singapore sets from My Father’s World. They come with the student text and workbook and a condensed set of lesson plans that are composed of a course pacing guide, a few teaching tips, and an answer key. I have also purchased a Home Instructors Guide for the U.S. Edition. As a former Math teacher, I enjoyed having the HIG. It provides a detailed pacing guide, ideas for games and activities, mental math exercises, answer keys, teaching tips, and goals for each lesson. On days where I don’t have the time and energy to go throught the HIG, I found myself grabbing the MFW lesson plans. I could see the HIG being overwhelming to some parents and helpful for others.

At a minimum, you will need a text book and a work text per level You will need two levels per school year. You may also want to consider a Teacher’s Manual, Lesson Plans, or Home Instructor’s Guide. Additional practice books are also available.

Two semester sets (textbook, workbook, and lesson plans): $70.40

Home Instructor’s Guides (Per Level): $19.49

You can purchase Primary Mathematics from various retailers. I like Rainbow Resources or My Father’s World.

RightStart

RightStart is a K-6 math program with a unique approach that may work well for visual learners. Students will learn math using practices from Japan. Teaching concepts are very different from traditional mathematics programs. For example, the program uses a base ten system. In order to add 8 and 3, the student would borrow 2 from the 3 (in order to add 2 to the 8) and change the problem to 10 plus 1. This program uses a combination of both a spiral and mastery based approach.

RightStart is a standards based curriculum although the scope and sequence is different than other math programs. Students should move through the levels at their own pace rather than treating each book as a grade level. If your student is starting the program after level C, there is a transitions book to help them learn concepts already taught.

You will need to purchase a manipulative set one time that can be used for every level. The primary tool used to learn math concepts is the AL Abacus.

Lesson plans are scripted and tell parents exactly what to say and do. Lessons do require a lot of parental involvement and take longer than other programs.

This program provides children with a solid math foundation; however, I do not feel like it is a good fit for families that intend to homeschool short-term. It is difficult to transfer between this another Math program because the teaching techniques are so different.

Each level: $90.75

Manipulatives Bundle: $209.50

You may purchase RightStart through their website.

Saxon Math

Saxon is a traditional K-12 math program published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (who publish a lot of books for the public school sector). It is a secular program, but is Christian friendly. The courses were originally written for use in a classroom and were later modified for homeschools. Saxon Math programs are standards based and are Common Core compliant. They use a spiral based approach with a lot of drill and repetition.

Kindergarten does not use a student book. All lessons are taught from the teacher’s manual and the Meeting Book. The teacher’s manual is scripted and tells parents exactly what to say and do to teach the material. The Kindergarten curriculum requires manipulatives, which can be pricey. Saxon does sell manipulative kits with most of the items you will need to teach. You will still need a few additional items, namely a teaching clock, geometric solids, and an outdoor thermometer.

Levels 1-3 start the day with a “Meeting” that discusses concepts such as time, weather, and calendar skills. Afterwards, the parent teaches a concept and the children complete two workbook pages. Teacher’s manuals are scripted and tell parents exactly what to say and do to teach the material. There are written and oral assessments to check for mastery. These levels are completely teacher led. There is some independent work, but the teacher will work directly with the student for most of the lesson. Levels 1-3 use many of the same manipulatives used in the Kindergarten program.

Levels 5/4 and above are a lot more independent. The student will work their way through a student text and complete worksheets and tests. There is no teacher’s manual.

Teacher’s manuals and manipulatives can be used by multiple children, but you will need to repurchase workbooks, worksheets, and tests.

Saxon Math K program: $183.69

Saxon Math 1 Program: $234.94

Saxon Math 2 program: $214.94

Saxon Math 3 Program: $189.49

Saxon Math 5/4 and above-$192.80-252.05

You can purchase Saxon Math programs through various retailers. I like Sonlight because they simplify your purchase by selling each grade level kit with manipulative sets included.

Teaching Textbooks

Teaching Textbooks is a self-directed homeschool math program for grages 3-12. They have a full course of video lectures. Each level contains 95-130 daily lessons.

There is very little need for parent prep, planning, or involvement. The program is designed to be very independent. Some newer versions even allow the student to enter their answers directly into the program for automatic grading.

Explanations of topics are clear and concise. The program does not seem as academically rigorous as other programs; however, you may proceed through each level at the pace of your child.

For the older 2.0 curriculum, you will need a set of CDs, a workbook, and an answer key for each level. Workbooks are consumable. For the newer 3.0 program, you will pay for an annual online subscription.

2.0 Version (Physical workbooks and CDs): $119.90-184.90

Annual 3.0 subscription for one child: $43-67

Annual 3.0 subscription for large families: $199.08

The 3.0 online subscription program can be purchased directly through Teaching Textbooks. They also have the 2.0 physical version available.