Uncategorized – Homeschool Smarter

Math Curriculum We Love

Our goal in homeschool math is to keep it practical and avoid the tedious textbooks that struck fear in my heart during my own school days. Math is a subject that my family has a love/hate relationship with…as in some of us absolutely love it, going so far as to do math for fun, and others of us hate it with a fierce passion.

Every resource on this list we use or have used at various times. Smartick serves as sort of a spine for all of arithmetic and the rest of the resources we use on an as needed, as wanted, per kid basis.

Smartick is an app based program designed for kids ages 4-14 and it is the one program that I can honestly say that I think everyone should try. I have seen it work for children who love math, hate math, struggle with math, and those who are working grade levels ahead. My kids do it on weekends and holidays, for fun (completely unprompted), and I’ve heard from other parents who have said the same thing. This is the one resource I consistently tell everyone who asks me about homeschooling to try, and I have heard from others who have had the exact same experience that I have: it works, its fun, kids love it, and it completely turned math around in their homeschool. Smartick was originally designed to be a supplement, a sort of virtual math tutor, but it doesn’t have to be. It’s not just extra practice for math students already know, it teaches new concepts extraordinarily well. Explanations are clear and visual and it demonstrates concepts in a variety of ways with a variety of types of problems. It uses AI to design personalized lessons so that your child can learn at their own pace. Because of this I’ve found that the difficulty level remains fairly consistent- difficult enough that it takes work but easy enough that they can be successful. Lessons are limited to 15 minutes a day but once that 15 minute lesson is complete students gain access to a virtual world complete with logic games, math competitions, and a virtual store where they can spend the “ticks” they earned for correct answer in their lesson. Students can correct missed problems for extra ticks, and the student and parent can go back and review missed problems as well.

Beast Academy is available as an online program or as a printed book/workbook for elementary school students. The “text” book is actually a comic book with a cast of monsters who make even the most complicated concepts fun. This program emphasizes mathematical thinking and problem solving and there is no “drill”. There are very few problems in each lesson which may cause it to appear deceptively simple but the problems are challenging and require the student to really understand the material in order to solve them. Because of this it works especially well for students who are mathematically inclined, students who struggle with math may need a curriculum that breaks concepts down into smaller steps with more in-depth instruction. The program is leveled 2-5 but in my experience this does not corelate directly with grade levels so you probably want to use their placement test to find the right fit for your child.

Life of Fred is one of the most unique math curriculums on the market. It is a complete Kindergarten-High School Match curriculum based around the (often ridiculous) adventures of a 5 year old math professor named Fred. This curriculum is light on drill (although in the higher levels there are supplemental books with additional practice problems if you choose to use them) and heavy on application. If Fred isn’t using it in “real life” then it doesn’t make it into the text. The book are hardback and non-consumable (and they’re often available at the library if you want to try them out or use them for free). The author makes a point of saying that Life of Fred is a complete curriculum and not a supplement, but practically speaking it would work either way. This curriculum is engaging even for the kids who don’t love math, and while it is a much better choice for those who struggle with math than something like Beast Academy it may not have enough explanation on some concepts for those who find math difficult. In many cases, concepts are only explained one way, which can also be a downside for those who don’t grasp math quite as quickly. But it’s also possible to supplement just those few concepts with something like Kahn Academy.

ST Math is an online math program for preK-8th graders. At the moment it’s Adobe Flash based, but its supposed to be updated this summer and I’m exited for the changes. ST Math does one thing really well, and that is to illustrate math concepts visually. If you have a student who is a visual learner or who struggles to see how numbers or math concepts work then ST math might be a good choice. It shows both the problem and the answer in a way that lets your child see why their answer is correct or incorrect, and it introduces concepts with visual objects before introducing the numeric symbols. For some children this approach is really helpful, for others its repetitive. The manufacturers consider it a game-based program and while I’m not sure I would have thought to qualify it that way it is certainly more fun than pages of practice problems or math worksheets. There is little to no instruction, and I haven’t figured out if its designed that way because students are expected to use the visuals to discover how the math works of it its because it’s designed to be supplemental, extra practice for concepts they have already learned. Either way it’s an important thing to be aware of. The other thing worth noting is that in most cases you have to get all of the problems right to move on to the next level, but it doesn’t start you over once you’ve missed too many to move on. You finish the level and then don’t pass it and have to begin again. This is a good way to make sure a concept is fully understood before moving on, but it can be really frustrating for some kids. Oddly enough, this only applies to the intermediate levels and not the final tests s at the end of each chapter. If you don’t pass the final tests it moves you on anyway. However all of that is minor if you have a student who learns visually, who needs to see concepts illustrated and demonstrated in order to understand them, or who needs to see why an answer is wrong before understanding how to get it right.

Math with Confidence is an elementary math program designed by Harvard graduate and homeschool mom Kate Snow. At the moment this curriculum is only for Kindergarten and 1st Grade, with subsequent grade levels expected to be released each year. At first glance Math With Confidence may appear to be more of a traditional curriculum than the other resources listed here, with the traditional teachers guide/workbook model, but looking closer you see this is not your ordinary math program. The meat of the program are the games and activities in the teachers guide, the workbook is more supplementary. The games are simple and use simple household objects but they demonstrate the concepts in a very thorough way. The activities are also designed with a small kindergarten attention span in mind. My favorite part is that in the Kindergarten curriculum (the only level I have used) there is a recommended picture book for each week designed to illustrate and reinforce that week’s number concept. This is simple but thorough, and my experience with Kate Snow’s products is that the scope and sequence are spot on. The concepts not only build on each other but build with the child’s developmental readiness and they’re thorough without busywork.

Math Facts that Stick consists of 4 books, addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. These books are also written by Kate Snow (See the Math with Confidence review above) and have one purpose- to teach the basic math facts. In that sense they’re all about drill, but in a way that’s a lot more fun than you would expect from a math book designed to drill basic facts. They are mostly game-based, she introduces a series of basic games in the early chapters that you then use to practice the facts through out the rest of the book. Each day you play the assigned game and complete the assigned worksheets. But in my experience, it works, it works well, and it’s a fun way to learn the basic facts. These books make an excellent supplement to the other curriculum I have listed here.

Your Business Math is an upper elementary/junior high school math “currlculum.” While I’m calling this a curriculum, it is not a full year program. It’s either a supplement or a quarter-long “detour”. This is practical math at it’s finest, as kids run their own business (chose from a pet store, book store, or sports store) and do all the accounting that goes along with it. There is a surprising amount of math packed into this course and its a very good crash course or review of decimals and percent as well as basic accounting and arithmetic skills. It’s listed as ages 8-12 and while that will certainly be the interest level, tread carefully on the younger age of that spectrum; most 8 year olds I know can not multiply decimals well enough to calculate a 6% sales tax. If you are having your child do all of the math by hand, realize that this will be labor intensive…calculating markup, totaling orders, ledgers, profit loss statements, writing checks, tracking inventory, and paying bills adds up to a lot of math! Also be warned that because the student has the ability to make a number of choices as they go through the program, the answer key is of limited use- by and large you will need to run the calculations yourself to check their work and that adds up to a lot of number crunching for the parent! Also, while I believe this program is probably designed to be done by hand, depending on the ages of the kids, and whether it was our primary math or a supplement this could be used to teach calculator skills. You could easily allow your child to check themselves with a calculaotr, or even do part of the work on a calculator. Because of the wide age range, this can be fun to do with multiple kids and have them “compete” to see who can make the most profit. Because there is an element of chance but you also make decisions on spending that affect your outcome, this is a really fun competition. Also, you can “hack” this and use it to teach Microsoft Excel skills having your students setup their business in Excel instead of on paper.

Barron’s Painless Series In some ways I guess this is the most “text-bookish” of the resources listed here. But seeing as it comes in a small, non-intimidating, paperback volume and lacks the mountains of busywork often associated with math texts these are very practical, approachable books. Honestly, I started out grabbing them as a reference for myself, just so that I could work though it and refresh my memory on algebra/pre-algebra before I am expected to help my kids through these subjects, but I like them so much that the kids and I now work through them together. We are working through the Painless Word Problems book together as part of our morning time, and we are happily making our way though the algebra series as well. Even in the algebra books they are heavy on word problems, with strong real-life application. The explanations are very clear, and easy to follow. My only, sort-of complaint, more caveat is that if your child really needs extra practice in an area then you may need to supplement with some additional practice problems. Most of the time I love the bite-sized lessons and practice problems, but once in awhile we need a little bit more.

How to Help Your Child Follow Their Interests

One of the key concepts behind the Homeschool Smarter approach is that home learning is easier when you’re learning things you are interested in. We’ve established that real learning happens when children are interested and engaged in what they’re learning, and that as homeschoolers we have the opportunity to tailor-fit our child’s education to their unique personality, learning styles, and interests. Bur practically speaking, how do we do that. What does it look like to encourage your child’s interests?

1. Start simple

The first place to start is with the things your child is already interested in. What do they like? Once you know what they like, start simple. There is no need to turn your entire house into a live-action version of Minecraft, and an interest in Ocean life doesn’t necessitate an investment in a massive home aquarium. In her article for the website Simple Homeschool Cait Curley describes how to embrace your child’s interests with what she calls “lazy unit studies”. The idea behind “lazy unit studies” is that instead of our natural inclination to jump head first into our child’s latest interest (some of which will end up being fleeting and may not actually last long enough for all the specialized resources we ordered to actually arrive), we should start with the simplest thing. An internet search leading to some YouTube videos or a website and a few articles, stream a documentary (curiosity stream makes this really easy), or grab a few books at the library. For the fleeting interests this will be plenty, they will learn something and then move on. If we start simple and invest more as we go along, then if the interest lasts we will still have the opportunity to fully support those interests that evolve into passions.

2. Share in their interests

We need to show genuine interest in the topics that have captivated them. Yes, this might mean listening to endless amounts of information about dinosaurs when you’ve previously never cared enough to be able to tell a T-Rex from a Brontosaurus. It might mean that despite never once caring about anything having to do with space you now know more about Neil Armstrong than you do about your own cousins. We don’t have to actually be interested in the things are children are interested in, we just have to care about our children and the fact that they’re interested in it. We need to listen and actively participate in the conversation as they share their interests.

Our children’s passions don’t need to be our passions, in fact adopting their passions as our own can easily lead to “helicopter parenting”. We don’t want to take over their interest, we just need to show them we care. We need to listen for endless hours while they tell us everything they know about the Great Barrier Reef. When we’re too busy to listen to their research on horses, we show them that their interests aren’t important, and we also miss just how much learning is happening in the course of their everyday lives. We can help them solve problems or help them access the information they need to solve their problem or answer their questions for themselves. We can help them learn. We can choose to see their interests as learning in progress rather than a kid who talks too much. We can be on the lookout for information or resources related to their current obsession. We can plan a zoo trip or bring home a book about mammals for our animal loving child, but oftentimes simply sharing a fact or a piece of information about a topic they care about is enough to show support.

3. Let them be the teacher

One of the best ways to support our children’s interests and encourage them to take what they’re learning and put it to use is to give them the opportunity to be the teacher. If you have one child who is excited about biology, ask them to put together a lesson for their younger (or possibly even older!) siblings. Or ask them to create a presentation or a book or some form of information for the family and to teach you about what they’re learning. In places of tests, which can evaluate specific learning objectives but not the breadth of information that a child may have learned about a particular topic, have them share what they’re learning. When you listen to their presentations you can ask questions, not to “quiz” them on their knowledge but so that you can genuinely learn from them. In most cases, when the child has the opportunity to teach you, if they don’t know an answer to a question you ask with genuine interest they will be eager to look it up and get back to you with an answer. Children can teach grandparents or share what they’re learning with their friends. The same way kids line up to play their latest piano piece for guests, they will likely find a willing audience for other types of interests as well.

4. Play matchmaker

Sometimes the best way to support a child’s interest is to play matchmaker. Keep an eye out for other people that share your child’s interests. They may be able to find peers with similar interests but you can give them a hand in seeking out adults that share their passions, either as a career or a hobby, and make introductions. Most people are excited to talk about the things that interest them, and when you connect two people with the same or similar interests age won’t matter quite so much. My young, emerging chess player challenged everyone he could find to a game. He carried a chessboard with him and if he discovered that someone played the game age didn’t matter. The majority of opponents were decades older than him, but he would observe their play and discuss strategy, putting to use the skills he had learned on his own and from each of the previous opponents, to develop his own game.

5. Realize interests are often cyclical

A child’s interests are often a bit fickle. They only have so much attention to go around and interests will fade in and out of their current focus. Some children take on one or two interests and explore then with gusto, diving in deep to study every aspect of it before it is abruptly left behind for the next interesting thing. Some kids have a variety of interests, enjoying each one more broadly and with less depth. But over the longer term you’ll find that a handful of those interests don’t fade out with the others and remain, slowly adding depth to their knowledge and understanding over a long period of time. Most kids have some of each. You’ll find that interests are often cyclical, often they’ll show an interest in something and then eventually moving on to the next project until something reminds them of their first interest and they cycle back around to it. This is completely normal, and I suspect if we are honest with ourselves we will notice that we do the same thing as well with our own interests and hobbies. None of this is concerning and while we want to teach our children commitment and follow through, we want to be careful that we don’t destroy their love for a particular activity, topic or subject in the process.

6. Focus on progress not performance

The problem with growth is that it is often made up of an endless series of imperceptible changes that only add up over the course of time. Its easy to see how much the niece or nephew we only see during the holidays has grown, but the changes in our own child’s development catch us by surprise, despite spending ever day with them. Academic growth works the same way, and we need to focus on seeing the progress unfolding in front of us, rather than focusing on arbitrary performance metrics

. Julie Bogart of Brave Writer explains in her book the Writer’s Jungle, that “…any mistake that goes uncorrected today will magically reappear in another paper; you can fix it then.” Julie is referring specifically to correcting and editing writing mistakes, but this truism has far greater reach than just grammatical errors. When we want a perfect performance, when we give into that desire to “fix” all the mistakes at once, we risk killing our child’s joy and interest in learning.

In the book French Kids Eat Everything, Karen Le Billon discusses reframing foods our child doesn’t like as foods they don’t like yet. That “yet” makes all the difference in my attitude and my child’s. It removes the pressure that comes with the more definitive like/dislike but more importantly it reminds us both that there is still room and time to grow. A lot of anxiety can be relieved when we remember that our (and our child’s) current state isn’t permanent. Focusing on progress rather than performance grants us the freedom to focus on what our child is learning and has learned rather than on what they haven’t learned yet.

7. Give Them the Gift of Time

Following interests, and developing new interests requires time. Preferably large blocks of uninterrupted time to read, experiment, create, and explore. There are things you are going to want to insist that your child learns. There are so many good resources out there and it is so easy to fall into the trap of wanting to “do it all.” But “doing it all” comes with a cost- the cost of the free time required for your child to delve deeply into their own interests and set their own priorities. When I’m selecting resources for my children’s school, I make a point to measure the value of that resource, book or curriculum of my choice against the value of the time my children need to fully explore their own interests. I want my children to take ownership of their own learning and that is something that can’t be squeezed into a half hour block on the schedule. Plan your day in a way that maximizes the time they have to peruse their own learning and carefully weigh the benefits of parent chosen curriculum against the benefits of time for your child to learn and explore.