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The Best Math Curriculum Options for Homeschoolers

Choosing curriculum for your homeschool can be downright stressful and overwhelming. There are so many resources and curriculum to choose from, and of course you only want the best for your kids.

But what is the best? 

There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to homeschool curriculum (if we wanted that, wouldn’t our kids just be in public school?).   One family’s absolute favorite curriculum, might be a failure in your home.  What works for one child (even within the same family), might not work for another.

Journey Homeschool Academy


So how do you choose? 

My best advice is to do your research, narrow your choices down to your top three, do even more in depth research on those three, pray, and then make your decision. 

And to be honest, you might choose something that doesn’t end up working for your family or your child, and that’s okay!  It’s okay to ditch what’s not working and try something else.  Thankfully, many homeschool companies offer free trials and free samples for you to try out before you buy, so be sure to take advantage of these and use them before you hand over your money. 



This curriculum post is all about math and what I feel are the top 12 math curriculums on the market. As a homeschool mom of 8 for going on 14 years, and also a homeschool curriculum reviewer, I’ve used, tried, researched, and explored a lot of homeschool curriculums.

Now that we are half way through our homeschool journey (yes, I’ve been homeschooling for 14 years and have 14 more to go), I’ve decided to really reevaluate the curriculum and resources we are using in our homeschool and make some changes to breathe life back into our homeschool.  So now I’m researching and exploring even more!

I’m hoping to save you all some time and energy and do some of the legwork for you.  Since I’m already doing my own research, why not share what I’ve found and what I believe to be the top math options available?

Below you’ll find a breakdown of what I feel are the best math curriculums on the homeschool market – I’m calling it the Homeschool Curriculum A-List! I’ll be creating more lists for other subjects throughout the summer as I do my own research for my own family.

You’ll also find a printable comparison chart of these top 12 math curriculums below. Once you narrow down your options, you can really start digging into your top choices and doing your own research.  To help you with that, just click over to the publishers website, check out the reviews I’ve linked to from some of the top homeschool bloggers, and use these curriculum comparison sheets to take notes.

A note on the prices listed – these are the suggested retail prices and/or the regular prices listed on the publishers’ websites, but in some cases you may be able to find the curriculum for cheaper through places like Christianbook.com or Rainbow Resource Center or you may even be able to find some good used copies.

A note on secular listings – the downloadable comparison chart makes mention of whether the curriculum is secular or Christian.  Now with a math program, you aren’t typically going to run into secular/religious topics that you likely would in a science or history curriculum.  So, since it’s hard to tell a publisher’s or author’s worldview in a math curriculum based on the material, I simply noted if there is Christian content in the material (that I am aware of based on personal experience and research) or if there isn’t, in which case I denote them as either Christian or secular (meaning secular homeschoolers will likely have no problem with the content).

Grade level: 3rd – 12th

Price:
Starts at $43/year for 3.0 grade level subscription
Starts at $120 for 2.0 grade level materials
*family pricing available for 3.0

Consumable: 3.0 subscription is; 2.0 discs are reusable

Prep Time: Low

Teacher Involvement: Low

Teaching Textbooks is an award-winning math curriculum with options for computer-based, online, or textbook instruction for grades 3 through 12. 

Teaching Textbooks was designed specifically for independent learning by providing thorough instruction and step-by-step explanation of every single problem through multimedia teaching.  Plus, the automatic grading makes this program even more hands-off for homeschool moms.

You can choose between a yearly subscription option or CD-ROMs that you can use, and reuse, at your own pace.

Homeschool Approach: Traditional, Textbook/Workbook, Eclectic

Learning style(s) suited for: visual, auditory

Format: 3.0 subscription is online; 2.0 CD-ROMs are reusable (workbooks for 2.0 are consumable, but not essential)

Read reviews from My Joy-Filled Life, Everyday Graces Homeschool, Intentional in Life, Heart and Soul Homeschooling

Grade level: K – 12th

Price:
$15/month (single)
$20/month (family)
$99/year (single)
$149/year (family)
*You get unlimited access to all lessons, across all grade levels with subscription

Consumable: Yes – monthly/yearly membership

Prep Time: Low

Teacher Involvement: Low

CTC Math is an online, subscription math program for grades K-12.  The short and to-the-point lessons are appealing to kids and helps build their confidence in math.  Kids can learn at their own pace with the ability to stop and rewind the tutorials as much as needed, and students have access to all grade levels throughout the subscription so they’re able to work ahead if desire and ability allows.   

The automatic grading, weekly email updates, easy navigation, and parental controls for advancement are appealing to moms.

Homeschool Approach: Eclectic

Learning style(s) suited for: visual, auditory

Format: online

Read reviews from – In All You Do, Hess Un-Academy, Wellness in a Drop, Hip Homeschool Moms, Homeschooling in Progress

Grade level: K – 12th

Price: Sets start at $68
Block kit is $83 (can be purchased for less w/ a universal set)

Consumable: Workbooks are consumable

Prep Time: Medium – High

Teacher Involvement:
Medium – High

Math-U-See is a skill-based, multi-sensory homeschool math curriculum for grades K-12.  The Math-U-See program uses a step-by-step system for introducing, reviewing, practicing, and mastering concepts.

The lessons are taught using a multi-sensory approach such as manipulatives, videos, and other resources that appeal to and benefit a variety of learning and homeschool styles.

Its hands-on presentation of math concepts, along with the use of the manipulative block set is the cornerstone feature of this math curriculum.

Homeschool Approach: Traditional, Charlotte Mason, Eclectic

Learning style(s) suited for: visual, kinesthetic

Format: workbooks, textbooks, manipulatives, videos

Read reviews from – Living the Unexpected Life, Life Abundantly, Homeschooling Along, Only Passionate Curiosity, Life Over C’s

Grade level: 7th – 12th

Price:
$49/month (single)
$299/year (single)
*family discount available

Consumable: Yes – monthly/yearly membership

Prep Time: Low

Teacher Involvement: Low

With UnLock Math, it’s like having a math teacher right in your own home.  They offer online math courses for junior high and high school levels – pre-algebra through pre-calculus, and they do ALL the teaching, testing, and grading for you. 

UnLock Math builds confidence and boosts learning by presenting bite-sized bits of information through engaging videos, as well as by offering continual review, unlimited practice, immediate feedback, and live chat support.

Homeschool Approach: Eclectic

Learning style(s) suited for: visual, auditory

Format: online

Read reviews from – Delightful Learning, Five J’s, Day by Day in Our World, Blessed Learners

Grade level: K – 6th

Price:
$30 for eBook versions
(levels K-5)
$43 for physical workbooks
(levels K-5)
$58 for eBooks (level 6)
$83 for physical books
(level 6)

Consumable: Yes, unless you purchase eBook versions

Prep Time: Low

Teacher Involvement:
Medium to High

*Christian

Math Lessons for a Living Education from MasterBooks is a gentle approach to math with a Charlotte Mason flare, including copywork and narration.  Using stories to convey the material in short, engaging lessons, Math Lessons for a Living Education is easy to use, easy to teach, and very open-and-go.

The daily lesson schedule in the beginning and minimal manipulatives that you can easily gather from around the house make this curriculum very teacher-friendly.

Homeschool Approach: Charlotte Mason, Eclectic, Traditional

Learning style(s) suited for: visual, auditory

Format: workbooks/worksheets

Read reviews from – Nature Homeschool, Lea Ann Garfias, Learn with Emily, As They Grow Up

Grade level: 1st – 7th

Price:
$37.50 for digital download
$42.50 for CD
$48+ for printed books

Consumable: Yes, unless you purchase CD or digital download

Prep Time: Low

Teacher Involvement: Medium

Math Mammoth offers full math curriculum and supplemental worktexts and workbooks for elementary and middle school.  It’s a simple, yet effective math curriculum that lends to independent learning and self-direction, requiring very little preparation on the part of the parent.

Math Mammoth is a mastery curriculum and focuses on conceptual learning, mental math, and number sense.  It is very straight forward without a lot of busy work or hands-on activities.

Homeschool Approach: Eclectic, Traditional

Learning style(s) suited for: visual

Format: digital download, CD, or printed book

Read reviews from – Crafty Homeschool Mom, Grace Grow Edify, Math Geek Mama, Meaningful Homeschooling, Autistic Mama, Our Crazy Adventures in Autismland

Grade level: K – 8th

Price:
Grade level sets start at $80

Consumable: Yes, student books are; teacher guides are reusable

Prep Time: Low

Teacher Involvement: Medium to High

*Christian

Horizons Math from Alpha Omega Publications uses a spiral learning approach to math that helps students master concepts through continual review and reinforcement.  Using hands-on activities, a variety of manipulatives, and straight forward lessons, Horizons math lays a solid foundation. 

It’s simple and easy for kids to understand, as well as for parents to teach. It’s a workbook-style program that must be taught, although requires only a minimal amount of prep work.

Homeschool Approach: Eclectic, Traditional

Learning style(s) suited for: visual

Format: workbooks w/ teacher guide

Read reviews from – Just a Simple Home, Teach Beside Me, Simple Living Mama, Simply Heartfelt

Grade level: 6th – 12th

Price:
$197 one-time fee, plus $29/month for 10 months (online curriculum & class sessions)
$197 for online curriculum only

Consumable: Yes

Prep Time: Low

Teacher Involvement: Low

Mr. D Math is an online math program for upper level math – Pre-Algebra through Calculus and Trigonometry.  They also offer consumer math and ACT/SAT bootcamps.

You can choose between self-paced courses or live online classes that meet once a week.

Homeschool Approach: Eclectic

Learning style(s) suited for: visual

Format: online

Read reviews from – The Modest Mom, Intentional in Life, Heart and Soul Homeschooling, Purposeful Motherhood

Grade level: K – 12th

Price:
Grade level kits start at $100

Consumable: Yes, worksheets and tests are

Prep Time: Low to Medium (K-3)

Teacher Involvement: Medium to High (K-3)

Saxon Math uses a spiral approach to teach students math in small amounts, continually reviewing concepts to keep them fresh and memorable. 

The early grades (K-3) are substantially different from the older levels, using manipulatives heavily and requiring much more teacher involvement.  As kids progress into the older levels, they are able to work and learn more independently.  You can purchase third-party video lessons to aid in the teaching at the older levels.

Homeschool Approach: Eclectic, Traditional

Learning style(s) suited for: visual, kinesthetic

Format: text, worksheets

Read reviews from – This Bit of Life, Happy Homeschool Mom, Orison Orchards, Homegrown Learners, Jen Merckling

Grade level: 1st – 6th

Price:
Grade levels start at $97

Consumable: Yes, workbooks are

Prep Time: Low

Teacher Involvement: Medium to High

Singapore Math Primary Mathematics teaches children to think mathematically instead of simply memorizing processes and facts.  They use a three-step process by starting with concrete learning, then moving onto pictorial models, and finally using abstract approaches.  The goal is understanding and Singapore Math Primary Mathematics uses a mastery approach to accomplish this.

Singapore Math Primary Mathematics is a more advanced curriculum compared to other math curriculums in the U.S.

Homeschool Approach: Eclectic, Traditional

Learning style(s) suited for: visual, kinesthetic

Format: workbooks & textbooks w/ instructor’s guide

Read reviews from – Math Geek Mama, Oaxacaborn, Busy Birder, Brookdale House, Homework and Horseplay

Grade level: K – 8th

Price:
$91 for leveled book bundles
$210 for manipulatives (one time purchase)

Consumable: Yes, worksheets are unless you buy the e-version

Prep Time: Medium to High

Teacher Involvement: Medium to High

RightStart Mathematics is a complete elementary and middle school math curriculum that uses hands-on methods, visualization, and provides strategies and games to stress understanding and problem solving.

The primary learning tool is the AL Abacus, a specially designed two-sided abacus that is both kinesthetic and visual.  A high level of parental involvement is necessary but the scripted teacher’s manual takes away the guesswork.  The goal of RightStart Mathematics is to give children a solid understanding and love for math. 

Homeschool Approach: Eclectic

Learning style(s) suited for: visual, kinesthetic

Format: manipulatives, discussion, worksheets

Read reviews from – Lextin Eclectic, R.E.A.L. – World Learners, True North Homeschool, My Mundane & Miraculous Life

Grade level: K – 12th

Price:
Grade kits start at $97 for textbook learning
Grade levels start at $297 for video courses

Consumable: Yes, except the Teacher’s Edition

Prep Time: Low to Medium

Teacher Involvement: Low to Medium

*Christian

BJU Press Math is a mastery-based program but also provides a good level of review. The course is available in textbook format or video format (either online or DVDs). 

The engaging and colorful lessons will help strengthen the child’s reasoning and problem-solving skills, relate math to real life, and teach about the biblical basis of math.

Homeschool Approach: Eclectic, Traditional

Learning style(s) suited for: visual, auditory, kinesthetic

Format: textbooks/workbooks and/or video courses

Read reviews from – 4 One More, Joy in the Ordinary

Now that you have seen what has made the Homeschool Curricuum A-List, you might be wondering which ones my family has used and which ones I have the most experience with.

The curriculum we have used the longest is Teaching Textbooks.  This has been a really great curriculum for our large family because it pretty much does all of the teaching and grading for me.  And as a homeschool mom of many, I need all the help I can get.

We have also used Math Mammoth and Math Lessons for a Living Education in the early years before the kids were old enough to start Teaching Textbooks.  Both of these curriculums were easy to use, very open-and-go, not requiring much planning or prep work on my part.  Lessons were short which is what this busy mom needed.

We have also tried Math-U-See, Saxon, Singapore, and Horizons in the early elementary years but just didn’t seem to be a good fit for us, mainly due to time constraints.

And we also gave CTC Math a try but preferred Teaching Textbooks.

As you can probably guess, time was a big factor for us when deciding on a math curriculum.  Now that we are 14 years in and I’m more knowledgeable and confident in my abilities, plus I have more time to devote to math instruction now that I have 4 kids that are practically independent with their math, I’ve decided that I want to try something new with my younger kids.  This time around I want something with a little more hands-on activities, something that will give them a solid math foundation, and something that will be fun and enjoyable for them, and me.  After lots of research we have decided to do RightStart Math; we will be starting in the next couple of weeks with level A for my 7 year old and level C for my 9 year old twins.

What math curriculums have you used?  Which one is your favorite?

Are you in the market for a math curriculum?  What qualities and characteristics are you looking for in a math curriculum?  Do you have any questions about the ones listed above?

 

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