homeschool maths program

Ever struggled to find a good homeschool maths program?

There are many times I struggled, in the early days of homeschooling my five children, in finding a proper maths curriculum. It was hard because a) I had studied and worked as a nurse and midwife all my life and had no maths teaching experience and b) I needed a complete program from Primary school to Grade 12 to teach maths. There was no way I was prepared to swap and change maths programs half-way through their education and try and sort out 5 different methods of teaching for each of my five girls. 

The Math-U-See program worked for me, and now my five girls have grown up and become successful adults. They're able to use maths confidently and easily in their career choices as well as everyday life situations.

Why choose an effective homeschool maths program?

It's super important to choose an effective maths program to homeschool your kids. If you skimp on core subjects like maths and literacy, your kids won't get the education they need for a lifetime of functioning in our modern world. Maths and English are two main subjects that you can't mess with. And it's such a pain to go back and have to do each lesson all over again if your child hasn't understood simple concepts like Place Value first. 

Amanda was taught through the research-proven and hand-on methods of the Math-U-See program as a school student. Because it worked so well for her, she quickly signed her kids up for the Math-U-See program too.

“I was in 7th grade and struggling through maths with daily tears. The oldest of five kids, we had tried several different maths programs, but I struggled to understand and relate to what I was learning. I could memorise the maths facts, but I lacked any real comprehension and couldn’t do a word problem to save my life. Friends recommended the Math-U-See program to my mom. We watched the video of “Mr. Steve” demonstrating maths concepts using the manipulative blocks, and light bulbs started going off in my head! For the first time, I could see maths and understand what was being taught. I had younger siblings who were just beginning the program, so my parents took me back to the beginning levels as well.

 

Many parents are apprehensive about backing up with an older student, but I can assure you it is worth it! Maths is sequential: each concept builds on the next. If you miss anything in the sequence, future concepts will be a struggle. For instance, if a student hasn’t mastered fractions, they will also struggle with Algebra, as fractions are foundational to success in upper levels.

 

I moved quickly through the levels. It didn’t take long for me to do a thorough review and build out my concepts so I could “see” them, this time with mastery and understanding. While not every student needs to back up to the beginning like I did, it can certainly benefit some.

 

Learning maths is similar to building a house. Without a good foundation, you won’t get a good structure. My mathematical house is well built. I am confident in the structure and have understanding, thanks to a solid foundation using the wonderful in-depth and multisensory Math-U-See program.”

homeschool maths program

What are some benefits of using an effective homeschool maths program?

Here's some other great features that parents love about using a simple and effective maths curriculum like the Math-U-See program for their kids:

  • Step-by-step instructions are provided for the teacher for each lesson, so you know exactly what to teach and how to teach it
  • Lesson-by-lesson online videos explain each topic that is being taught - like your very own private tutor
  • The use of manipulatives in each lesson is research-proven to dramatically engage and enhance learning for each student 
  • Practicing the questions in the student workbooks reinforces what has been taught
  • End of lesson tests make it easy to see what your student has understood - and which topics needs more work

Where is your child at with their maths?

homeschool maths program

It's important to know where your student's maths understanding is at, before jumping into any structured curriculum. You need to assess firstly what they know and don't know. Especially if your child has had a mix of school-based learning and home-structured content, there might be a few gaps in their knowledge. 

Here's a few basic questions to ask yourself:

  • Is your child still using their fingers to count?
  • Is your child able to confidently understand Place Value?
  • Can your child read, write and count numerals 0-9 and understand basic addition, subtraction and multiplication? Where are the gaps in their knowledge?
  • Does your child struggle to identify when to add, subtract or multiply?
  • Do they struggle with word problems?
  • Are they struggling with their current maths classes or maths program?

If you answered yes to any of the above, it's a good time to choose a more effective maths program for your child.

Firstly, ask your child to take the free Online Placement Test here. This will determine what they know and what they don't know. Remember, watch your student and see if they really know the answer or if they're struggling with place value or finger counting. They are two of the most common identifiers that students have missed a big gap in their maths!

Here's some free maths activities

Plus, if you want some maths activities and games to get started with right away, we've put together a great freebie. You can download this printable version and get started right learning maths in a fun, engaging way. You can also bookmark this for future reference and come back to it later.

homeschool maths program

We've put all 100 Maths Activity Ideas into a handy PDF!

Want to download a copy?

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Good luck choosing an effective homeschool maths program,

Warmly,

Esther White

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