Category Archives: Math Curriculum

CTCMath Review

1 Reply

If you are looking for online math curriculum for your kids, or a supplement to the math curriculum you are already using, then you might want to check out a Family Membership to CTCMath.

CTCMath

Family Membership

Online Subscription

1,400 Math Lessons

Access

24/7/365

At Your Convenience

CTCMath is an online Math Curriculum and Math Supplement program with over 1,400 Video Tutorial Lessons in all grade course levels.  Video lessons are taught by Pat Murray and he has a very pleasant easy to understand voice with an Australian accent.  Every lesson has a tutorial video, a written lesson summary, questions, and quizzes.

Math Courses & Lessons:

CTCMATH has courses for every grade level include:

Elementary Grades:

  • Kindergarten
  • First Grade
  • Second Grade
  • Third Grade
  • Fourth Grade
  • Fifth Grade
  • Sixth Grade

Middle School Grades:

  • Basic Math
  • Pre-Algebra
  • Elementary Measurement
  • Elementary Geometry

High School Grades:

  • Algebra 1
  • Algebra 2
  • Triganometry
  • Geometry
  • Calculus

As you can see from the above grade course list, they have something for every age level.  Lesson lengths for the various grade level courses varies.  For example an Elementary School lesson might consist of a 2 to 4 minute video, and then another 5 – 15 minutes of problems to complete.   The Middle School and High School lessons might include a 4 to 10 minute video, and then the assignment problems might take another 10 to 30 minutes to complete depending on the level of difficulty.

Video Example 2nd Grade:

Summary Example 2nd Grade:

Video Example 3rd Grade:

Summary Example 3rd Grade:

Video Example Geometry:

Summary of Elementary Geometry Lesson:

CTCMath offers both monthly and yearly memebership options.  You can subscribe to CTCMath for one individual student, or get a subscription membership for the entire family for one low price.  See the current special at the time of writing this review at the bottom of this post.

Parents are kept informed of their student’s progress every step of the way.  Parents have their own dashboard in addition to the student’s dashboard.  In addition to checking on student progress, parents can make changes to assignment tasks and more if desired.  Parents are also sent progress emails and weekly summary reports.

Our Experience

We have been using CTCMath since we were first introduced to it three years ago.  It is an audio visual online math program and it has greatly helped my kids (who learn better with audio visual courses than text book courses) math scores improve.  The various CTCMath course levels my kids have used over the past several years include:

  • Kindgergarten
  • First Grade
  • Second Grade
  • Third Grade
  • Fourth Grade
  • Fifth Grade
  • Sixth Grade
  • Basic Math PreAlgebra
  • Elementary Geometry
  • Algebra

I was very excited to learn that we would be reviewing this program this fall for the The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Review Crew.  Though we have a paid subscription to CTCMath, we were also sent a new Family Membership 1 Year Subscription for the purpose of writing this review and they added the additional time onto our current subscription.  The folks at CTCMath are very easy to talk to and you can always email them with any questions or needs you have.

All of our kids use CTCMath as their main math curriculum.  Our oldest kids have used the program the longest, since 2014, and our younger kids have used it for about two years, and the youngest son who is 5 years old, is just starting out.  Kids can move around to different grade levels if they choose.  If one level is to difficult, you can go back to the previous level and build those skills needed to be ready for the next level.  You can also move ahead if a level is too easy or if your kids already have learned those skills.  There is an optional placement test with suggestions if you wish for your kids to take the test, CTCMath will offer suggestions about where they have mastered certain skills and where they still need more work in a specific level.

Also I have tried out several of the lessons myself in the past as a parent, and recently I asked CTCMath to give me one of the student spots (you can have up to 10 student spots with the Family Membership).  This isn’t necessary as parents can do any of the lessons they want to from their dashboard.  But I wanted to put myself into my kids shoes, and log in as they do and have a student dashboard in addition to the parent dashboard and just try it on for size.  The kids think it is hilarious that I became a student too.

For this review I skipped around and tried out several lessons in Kindergarten, Second Grade, Geometry, and Algebra. Though the younger levels were fairly easy and went quickly, it took me longer to complete the lessons in the upper levels.  The methods to solve the questions for each lesson are clearly explained.

Math and Bible are our first and second courses of the day.  We have two computers for the kids to use (we recently got these inexpensive ones when our one nicer computer died).  So usually two kids are working on their CTCMath at the same time (usually the first two that wake up), and the other kids (who wake a little later) are usually working on Bible or another course while they wait for a computer to be available.

My younger kids typically spend about 20 minutes on their math lessons each day and the older kids typically spend about 40 to 60 minutes each day.  Typically they view a video lesson, then complete the assignment or quiz.  If the lesson is fairly quick, then I ask them to complete two lessons that day. Most days they complete two or more lessons. The program automatically shows the children on their dashboard what they still need to complete to move forward to the next level.  They love getting awards and love the opportunity to repeat lessons and improve their score.

The parent dashboard lets me know when they have logged in, what video lesson they viewed, and how they scored on the lesson questions.  This gives us a chance to talk about where they might need to review some more or retake the lesson.  It also allows me to set tasks or assignments for them to do if I wish or just let it alone in default mode.  I receive email reports from the program when the kids have achieved various levels in a section: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum, and weekly updated summary reports too and these are available on my dashboard, but it is really nice to get the email too.  I can also delete a lesson so the kids will repeat the lesson if I feel they need more practice.  I also have the option to print out each lesson tutorial page.  A nice option is that you can create a folder or a binder with the printed lessons and a copy of their worksheet answers, and awards if desired.

All of my kids are different and learn somewhat differently. I like that I have to option to set the passing grade level for each of my kids at a level that works best for them.   The default level to move forward to the next level is to acheive an 80% or better on the lessons within the current level, though you can skip around on different lessons within a level as much as you want.  It is up to the parent to decide if they want to leave it at default or to adjust the passing score based on how challenging they feel the work is for the student and if it needs adjusted.  For a few of my kids that are either just starting out or are slower to grasp details, need directions explained more than once, and need a little more room for mistakes, I have left the level for passing the lesson at 80%.

However, two of my kids learn quickly, seldom need anything explained more than once, are very detail oriented and math comes easy for them.  I have increased the passing level for lessons at 90% for these guys and their scores are usually consistently at 95% to 100% every time.

A very nice feature for the younger grades is the ability to improve one’s score.  The younger grades are much easier fix mistakes and improve one’s grade by retaking the lesson and quizzes as many times as you like and then the top three scores are kept and averaged together.

However, in the older grades, students are only allowed to take the lesson one additional time if they want to try to improve their score.  The first score is kept and if you retake the lesson that second score is kept and the two are averaged.

For the older student, it is much harder to improve your score just by retaking the lesson if you didn’t score very high to start with.  If you did very bad the first time, for example perhaps only got 50% correct, and then re-watched the video and understood what you did wrong and got a 100% the second time you took the lesson, then your grade is a 75% and not a 100%.  This part of the program is frustrating for the older kids and for me as a parent.  The kids were very motivated in the younger levels because of the opportunity to record their highest score or highest three scores.   I wish the program would allow the first score to be discarded if the teen student shows improvement in their knowledge and understanding of the lesson, especially if they are able to master the lesson and get a 100% the second time around.  I do love the feature for the younger grades that allowed them to retake the lesson as many times as they desired and then it averaged the top three scores and threw away the rest.

I found it was easier to listen to the video lesson, then select to view the optional written lesson summary below the video before moving on to the other tabs to view and complete questions, worksheets, and quizzes.  I don’t know why I never realized the importance of the written summary in this program before.

This tip became very helpful for one of my kids.  He is 12 and likes to hurry through the video and jump right into the questions before really understanding the method.  He has finished pre-Algebra and is now taking some lessons in Elementary Geometry and Algebra.  I have had to ask him to listen again to the video lesson when he is struggling with answering a problem.   Sometimes he fusses about listening more than one time to the lesson, though his two older brothers have no hesitation to listen to the lessons as many times as needed to get the understanding.  This one’s personality is different and he doesn’t like to repeat anything and gets frustrated if he has to repeat it.  Though when he plows through things in life, he often ends up redoing them because he didn’t listen or didn’t review before jumping ahead.  So having the written summary of the verbal lesson has made a huge improvement for him in his Elementary Geometry course.  Though he is dedicated to do his lessons and he is highly motivated (sometimes will complete three or four lessons in a day), he likes to do his lessons quick and doesn’t prefer to redo them.  So he now is able to reduce his mistakes by reviewing the written summary after hearing the video lesson. Win! Win!

I am definitely rusty on the upper grade level courses like Algebra and have struggled to help my three older boys with Algebra type problems in their course work over the years.  For some time now I have wanted to take the upper level math courses, but I find it hard to sit down on a regular basis and get it done with my other responsibilities.   When I was in school, I struggled in math, especially Algebra.  I never took Calculus or Trigonometry back then.  Thankfully I had a wonderful Algebra teacher in college who took extra time to tutor me back then and though I struggled through it, I passed the course.   So I am greatful for the CTCMath program with video lessons where my kids have an instructor that is tutoring them in these areas that I am not as strong in.  However, I plan to do better and be a student of CTCMath myself and use this program to it’s fullest potential to improve not only my kids math skills, but mine as well.  With a family subscription opportunity, why not learn or relearn these great skills right along with my kids?

What do the kids have to say? 

I caught up with two of my guys and asked them to share their thoughts about using CTCMath:

View from my almost 15 year old son (this boy has completed over 230 CTCMath lessons):

“I am currently taking Algebra.  I have taken CTCMath 5th Grade as review and completed 6th Grade and Basic Math and Pre-Algebra courses.   As long as I stayed with it and wrote down the examples, I did fine.  The questions with lots of Algebra calculations involved are the hardest. But it is easier when you have a person explaining it rather than just seeing it on paper in a book.  CTCMath is my favorite class.  I like that you are not listening to a robotic computer voice, but you are listening to an actual person instructing you step by step.  I had another program before that was not like this and I hated it. My younger brother tried this program on the individual membership and liked it and Mom wanted me to give it a try.  It worked out a lot better and I finally felt like I understood my math.  I like CTCMath and it is the best way for me to learn math.”

View from my 12 year old son (this boy has already completed over 470 CTCMath lessons over the past few years):

“I am currently at the end of the Basic Math PreAlgebra course. I am almost finished with Elementary Geometry too. I have taken CTCMath lessons in 3rd and 4th Grade as review, and completed the 5th Grade and 6th Grade courses.  I like using CTCMath. I am looking forward to starting Algebra soon and hope to bypass my brothers!”

Printables

You have the option of printing out student awards they earn. You also have the option to print lesson worksheets with some of the courses, mainly the middle and upper grade levels.  So far we printed only a couple of awards and do not usually print the rest because of the cost of ink.  But I like having the option to print things if I want to, and I think if I get some extra time, and extra ink, printing all of these things out and putting a binder together for each of the kids of their lesson summaries and awards would be a nice thing for each of them to have.  This feature would also help homeschool families who are required to create portfolios.  However in the state we live in, portfolios are not a requirement, but would be nice to keep as a keep sake and for later review if desired.

Final Thoughts

Our family has really enjoyed using CTCMath for the past three years.  I have seen a huge improvement in my slower audio visual learners as well as my kids who are quick to learn no matter what method is offered.  I would encourage families with all types of learners to look into using this program with their families and see if it meets their needs as either a full curriculum or a supplement to a curriculum.  I think most families would be pleasantly surprized as we have been at how well this program works.

CTCMath Special Offers

60% Off  & Free Trial Offers

Be sure to check out the CTCMath website and Social Media links for all the latest sales and special offers, news, tips, and product updates. They are currently running a Special Sale of 60% off + 6 bonus months for Homeschool Memberships.  They also offer a FREE Trial to try before you buy.

Social Media

CTCMath (US and Canda)

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ctcmath?ref=hl
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ctcmathofficial
Periscope: https://www.periscope.tv/ctcmathofficial
Pinterest: https://au.pinterest.com/ctcmath/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWn5e6974bpIEAe46VnovZw

Maths Online (Australia Only)

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mathsonline.com.au
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/MathsOnlineAU

Homeschool Review Crew

Be sure to check out what others on the Homeschool Review Crew had to say about using products from CTCMath in their home.

Please share.

Math Essentials: No Nonsense Algebra Review

Leave a reply

Is your student ready to learn Algebra?  Then you might want to try No-Nonsense Algebra from Math Essentials.

No-Nonsense Algebra

Softcover Book

275 Pages

95 Lessons

Online Access to Video Lessons

10 Chapter Reviews and Final Exam

Retails $28.95

The No-Nonsense Algebra book includes access to online instructional videos that can be used for teaching the lessons if desired.  This book is self contained as a textbook and workbook all in one and is designed to help your student master the concepts of Algebra.  The online videos are optional and require an access code that is found in the book.  It is not required for the student to use the online videos, but they are available if they need audio visual help from an instructor in completing the lesson.

The book contains 275 pages with 10 chapters, 95 lessons, 10 chapter review tests, a final exam, glossary, Solutions (answers key), and many help pages such as important formulas, symbols, fraction and decimal conversions, charts, etc at the back of the book.

10 Chapters:

  1. Necessary Tools For Algebra (22 Lessons + Chapter Test)
  2. Solving Equations (9 Lessons + Chapter Test)
  3. Graphing and Analyzing Linear Equations (6 Lessons + Chapter Test)
  4. Solving and Graphing Inequalities (7 Lessons + Chapter Test)
  5. Systems of Linear Equations and Inequalities (4 Lessons + Chapter Test)
  6. Polynomials (13 Lessons + Chapter Test)
  7. Rational Expressions (Algebraic Fractions) (10 Lessons + Chapter Test)
  8. Radical Expressions and Geometry (10 Lessons + Chapter Test)
  9. Quadratic Equations (6 Lessons + Chapter Test)
  10. Algebra Word Problems (8 Lessons + Chapter Test)

Final Exam

Glossary

Important Formulas

Important Symbols

Multiplication Table

Commonly Used Prime Numbers

Squares and Square Roots

Fraction and Decimal Equivalents

Solutions

Our Experience

My oldest son is ready to learn Algebra.

He has taken pre-Algebra, and uses an online math curriculum.  When we were offered the opportunity to review No-Nonsense Algebra, I thought this would be a perfect supplement to his main curriculum.

After looking through the program with my son for this review, including the HUGE book and online video lessons, I can see that this is a complete Algebra 1 program that can be used as the main curriculum or as a supplement.

My son can easily access video lessons from his dashboard.  Each video listed corresponds to a lesson in his student book.

I am personally most excited about the student book.  It is easy to use. It follows the same structure for each lesson.

  • Introduction to Lesson
  • Examples
  • Exercises
  • Review

In addition to the reviews at the end of each lesson, there is also a larger Chapter Review at the end of each chapter.  So students are getting a lot of review to be sure they have mastered the concepts.

He has used an online math curriculum for a few years now.  However his other program does not come with a written workbook.  We have an option to print his pages but he usually just answers them online.   I like the fact that No-Nonsense Algebra combines both online video instruction options with text book lessons as well as written assignments.

Learning Algebra can be complicated for many students, but following a few simple steps can help make it go as smooth as possible.  It is recommended that each time he sits down to do a lesson, he gathers his student book, a pencil, ruler, graph paper, and a notebook.  Then he watches a lesson on the computer and reads the lesson in his book.  Next he writes the examples down in his notebook.  Then writes and solves the problems, and completes the text book problems and the review.  By following these steps each time, he is setting himself up for success with this course.

The huge student book contains written lessons with lots of examples, easy to read instructions, and fully explained step-by-step solutions.

Rick Fisher, Author

Rick Fisher has been a math teacher for over 31 years.  He is the founder of Math Essentials and Americas Math Teacher and he is the author of several award winning math books, DVD’s, tutorials, online courses, and more. 

Math Essentials offers several award winning math courses.  They have a progressive series called Mastering Essentials.  Students move from Mastering Math Skills in upper elementary school, to Mastering Math Skills in Middle and Highschool.  Then they progress to Mastering Essential Maths Skills in Pre-Algebra Concepts and then to No-Nonsense Algebra.

Rick Fisher has also developed award winning online math courses in Basic Math, Advanced Math, Pre-Algebra, Algebra through his AmericasMathTeacher.com website.

Be sure to check out all of the great Math curriculum resources that Rick Fisher has created at Math Essentials and Americas Math Teacher.

FREE Resources

Rick Fisher offers a 14 Days Free Trial for his America’s Math Teacher online math courses.  Be sure to check it out if you are interested in seeing his teaching style, or if you are interested in an online math course.

Social Media

Be sure to check out the social media links for all the latest news and product updates.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/math.essentials/

Homeschool Review Crew

Be sure to check out what others on the Homeschool Review Crew had to say about using this product with their families.

Please share.

Metric System Project Pack Review

Leave a reply

Our homeschool has officially started our 2013-2014 school year!!!  Yeah!  The very first project we are working on is a math lapbook or project pack called The Metric System Project Pack by In The Hands Of A Child. 




The Metric System Project Pack

Project Packs, Lapbooks, Notebooks, and Unit Studies are a great way to start a new school year.  They are fun and really ad excitement to a subject.  Let’s face it, MATH (and many other subjects too), could use a little excitement!  Can I get an AMEN?!!



The Metric System Project Pack is designed for students in grades 5-9.  It retails for $12 (on sale now for $5) for the eBook, and $20 (on sale now for $13) for the printed version.  Other versions are available too, please check the website for a version that suits your needs.  

They are currently running a BACK TO SCHOOL SALE.  All of the E-BOOKS are on sale, and many other things are on sale too.  This is a great time to buy!

                                            50% OFF eBooks
 
                                        ENTIRE Month of AUGUST!!! 

                         Plus all other versions are discounted too! 

                                        No coupon codes needed!

                    Sale Begins August 1, 2013 and Ends August 31, 2013

In the Metric System Project Pack, we did vocabulary words, reading and research, history and math, hands on learning and application, cooking, writing, cutting, coloring, and more.   We love doing unit studies with these because it is easy to adjust, can accommodate a flexible schedule, and flexible learning styles.  It is easy to include your younger children in some of the learning too, even if the subject mater is mostly geared toward older learners.  But you can also order a similar project pack for younger learners so the whole family can enjoy the fun.



So what is a project pack or lapbook you might ask?  It is a re-folded file folder filled to the max with printable mini-book activities and worksheets. It can be expanded to hold several file folders or flaps.   It becomes a fun memory scrap book of the learning that is done around a specific subject.  Subjects can be on anything as simple or as complicated as you desire.  



The great thing about Project Packs from In The Hands Of A Child is that they can be used as a stand alone unit study, or as a supplement to your other curriculum.  They are flexible and you can do as much as you want.   You can use them with all ages of kids too.  They are adjustable to accommodate various skill levels.



My kids love making lapbooks and these Project Packs from In The Hands Of A Child are perfect for them.  I need to write more about the HOAC Unit Studies and Project Packs we have done as I have a huge collection.

 

Before starting a project pack, we like to print out the worksheets and mini-books, put the shutterfold file folder together, and cut out the mini-book activities.  In the past, I have also purchased the pre-printed worksheets on colorful paper, and pre-folded and glued folders as a kit from HOAC.  This is so handy and cuts down on my prep time and they are more colorful than printing it out on black and white paper and black ink at home.  But either way, we love using these Project Packs.  They run several sales through out the year, and I always try to take advantage of these sales and buy a few units for our school year.
 

Overall, In The Hands Of A Child has made the process to complete this project pack easy, and all it takes 4 STEPS or less for each unit section.  You can condense this study into 6 days by doing one unit section a day, or stretch it out to 6 weeks by doing one unit section and various activities a week, it is up to you.   The project pack comes with a complete set of directions, research reading materials, vocabulary, and printable templates for mini-book activities to include in your completed lapbook folder.  There is a list of suggested books to acquire through your local library, and website links to use in your research too. 



I personally love making learning units last as long as we can by adding in as much learning materials, books, related science projects, crafts, etc. as we can acquire.  Our family enjoys Unit Studies!   Here is a run down of how to study the units in this project pack in 4 steps or less:
        1. Complete vocabulary words.
       &
nbsp;2. Read the scheduled research guide sections.
        3. Read additional books (or do science kits, crafts, recipes, field trips, etc.) 
            you have collected on the topic for that research guide section.
        4. Complete the scheduled mini-book and worksheet related activities for that 
            research guide section of the project pack.



The six units in The Metric System Project Pack (and what is in each unit) are:

          1.  Research Guide: 
                    Introduction To Early Measurement
                Vocabulary: 
                    Volume
                Activities:
                      Vocabulary List
                      Beginnings
                      Pro & Con

        2.  Research Guide: 
                    “Why Metric?” The Metric System
             Vocabulary:
                    Metrication
                    Meter
                    Liter
                    Gram
               Activities:
                     Importance
                     History
                     Basic Units

         3. Research Guide:
                    Using the Metric System To “____” In The Kitchen
             Vocabulary:
                    Measure
                    Decimal
                    Length
                    Mass
                    Capacity
                    Weight
                    Liquid Volume
                    Temperature
              Activities:
                    Metric Prefixes
                    Classify Units
                    Kitchen Help
                
         4.  Research Guide: 
                    Blueberry Muffins
                    Metric Time Saver
              Activities:
                    Convert Recipe
                    Celsius
                    Time Saver

         5.  Research Guide:
                    Converting One Metric Unit To Another
                    Metric Equivalents Of US Customary
              Activities:
                    Convert Everyday Activities: a cup of milk, desk length, pencil length,
                         volume of toothpaste, car travel, area of your room, temperature, etc.
                    Converting One Metric Measurement to Another
                    Measure Your Feet in Inches and Centimeters

          6.  Research Guide:
                     &n
bsp;  Metric Conversions
                Activities:   
                        Your Weight
                        Unit Pricing



 

You can see how fun it can be to take a potentially boring subject such as math, or metric conversions, or measurements, and turn these into a fun learning adventure with your kids.  They will always remember the fun time they had learning in a hands on way, and when they are through, they will have a unique lapbook / scrapbook record of their learning adventure.

 

In The Hands Of A Child is a wonderful company providing awesome learning activities for kids.  Their products are a perfect main course or supplemental curriculum for homeschoolers and there is a huge variety of subjects to choose from.   They offer a FREE product on their website, and this changes from time to time so keep your eyes open if you already have the current one.  The current one is a downloadable project pack all about Metals.  You don’t want to miss this freebie! 



They also offer a new $5 project pack each week.  This is a great value.   If you want join as a special member and use their unit studies through out the school year, they have an optional membership program available and you get lots of great units, a yearly schedule, support, and more.  You can sign up for their newsletter to learn about special deals, and also follow along on their blog, and learn great tips and deals on Facebook too.

Photobucket
    
Be sure to check out what other homeschool families on the Schoolhouse Review Crew had to say about this product.

photo DisclaimerGraphic1_zpsf612f371.gif

Please share.

Mastering Math Essentials

Leave a reply


My oldest son, age 12, is working through a math workbook called Mastering Essential Math Skills: 20 minutes a day to success.  

                                            

This is Book Two in the Math Essentials math program and is geared for middle school and high school.  Book One is geared for elementary students in grades 4th-5th.  You can read the program overview for both books here.  The next book in the set is Pre-Algebra Concepts. Then the next book is  No-Nonsense Algebra.   Each of these books are available as a workbook, as a DVD, and as a set containing both.

                                                Photobucket

The focus of the Math Essentials program is a system of progression in teaching the essential math skills.  It is accomplished by doing 1 page each day, a 20 minute daily assignment, that covers:
                two speed drills
                review exercises
                helpful hints / teacher tips
                introduction to new material
                a daily word problem

Mastering Essential Math Skills has 8 chapters full of 1 page daily assignments covering: 
                                        numbers
                                        fractions
                                        decimals
                                        percentages
                                        integers
                                        geometry
                                        charts and graphs
                                        problem solving

  

Book Two in Mastering Essential Math Skills is 144 pages and included a sample day of how to use the program in the front of the book, followed by daily worksheets, and an answer key in the back.  Assignments are on pages 5 – 127.   This workbook can be finished in 122 days if you follow the 1 page for 20 minutes a day plan.

The workbook and DVD set retails for $33.95. It is also available for $15.95 for just the workbook, and $24.95 for just the DVD.     The sets (book and DVD) also come bundled with book one, book two, and Pre-Algebra for $89.95  You can buy all these products from the Math Essentials website.
          
Math Essentials keeps it simple and straight forward.  There is no glamor, color, fun stories, or games.  It is basic problems geared to help you master a basic skill.  The introduction explains the reason for this is that often kids miss learning the essential skill when all the “other stuff” is mixed in to the learning process.  

Math Essentials was created by an award winning math teacher named Richard W. Fisher.  On the back of the book, it states: “At least a third of the 6th grade students who use his program, bypass math in the 7th grade and go directly into 8th grade algebra”.  

This statement really peeked my interest.  Not because I want my son to bypass 7th grade math, but because I want him to feel confident in his math skills, something I personally never mastered.

About a year ago, I went to hear a guest speaker talk about Math at a homeschool mom’s get together.  He stated the biggest problem he see’s in kids who reach 7th and 8th grade and older, is they failed to learn the basics of math.  They don’t know their multiplication facts. They don’t know the fact families.  They aren’t confident in the four basics of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.  He encouraged homeschool parents to practice the math facts with our kids from k-6th grade, so they were ready for higher level math by the time they reached highschool age.

Math Essentials has several wonderful math books and DVD’s to help your child master the essential math skills. In addition to the Mastering Essential Math Skills books 1 and 2, they have pre-algebra, algebra, and lots of workbooks that specialize in specific areas.

We are also working at Fractions by Math Essentials.  It is available on the Math Essentials website and retails for $11.95  It is an 80 page workbook that specializes in mastering fractions.

           &
nbsp;                                

It is also a simple book full of black and white pages of math problems.  Again, no more than 20 minutes a day is expected to master the workbook.  Check out the table of contents to see what is covered.  Assignments are on pages 4 – 63.  This book can be done in 59 days.



Both books are a great addition to our homeschool.  These would also be wonderful to use in a coop situation, an after school program, schools, and math tutoring programs.  Both books are easy to use and implement.  I definately recomend these books to my homeschool friends.

122 days to master essential math skills and 59 days to master fractions.  We are planning on success!  We are planning on mastering essential math skills!  We decided to shorten our goal into one simple statement:

                   Math Essentials + 20 minutes a day = success!!!

Please check out what others on the Crew had to say about this product.


Photobucket

Disclaimer: We received a copy of the above mentioned product in exchange for writing an honest review.

 

Please share.

enVision MATH

2 Replies


Pearson Homeschool has many products to help the homeschool family with their curriculum goals.  You probably already familiar with several of their educational products. 

Pearson has been publishing educational products for schools for many years.  It was began as a construction company in England that contributed to the direction of world economics in transportation, trade, and communication links in 1724.  It began publishing a newspaper The Economist in 1843 and many authors in 1848. They began printing in the US under the Scott Foresman imprint in 1880.  And the rest, as they say is history.  

Pearson is the world leader in educational products.   Now, they have a homeschool line of products too.

                                                    Photobucket

Description about Pearson Homeschool from their website:

“Since each home environment is unique, our homeschooling programs are created to adapt to your needs. We help you create a solid foundation in reading and language arts that is fun and engaging. In science, you can explore with your child, opening their eyes to the wonders around them. You can fine-tune your approach to math, to take the time you need for your child. In social studies, a journey around the world will help your child understand, connect with and experience various cultures and civilizations.

Thousands of parents like you are already using popular homeschool products like “Sing, Spell, Read & Write,” “Plaid Phonics,” and “MCP Math” to bring lessons to life. Your child will learn core fundamentals in ways that are meaningful to each child. The built-in reviews help students master the concepts, while the assessments guide your way to easily pace the programs to meet your child’s needs.
             
           Photobucket

Pearson Homeschool has a new product called enVision Math by Scott Foresman and Addision Wesley. 

We received the enVision MATH Homeschool Bundle grade 3 for review. Homeschool Bundle retails for $124.99, or you can buy each piece separately.

The homeschool bundle includes:
Student Hardcover Text
MindPoint Quiz Show CD-Rom
Teacher Edition CD-Rom
Parent Guide



There is also a math manipulatives kit and a student workbook you can order seperately too.  We have lots of math manipulatives at home so I did not order those.  Some are made by Harcourt a subsidiary of Pearson, so I felt pretty good that we already have what we need in that department.  But I would like to purchase the student workbook to go along with the hardcover textbook.



Right at the starting gate I was impressed with the problems in the student text.  It was colorful, relatable, and parts of it reminded me of the Living Math approaches I have read.  Though it is not a living math book.  But much of it is relatable to everyday life and our cultural history.  



One thing that really impressed me in addition to the fun and exciting pages, was that it tied math problems: addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, measurement, and geometry in with history and geography right in the beginning.

The Hardcover Student Textbook is divided into 20 units and has daily lessons, a review, and a test.  Within each unit, the learning sections are color coded and include:
            Number and Operations
            Geometry
            Data Analysis and Probability
            Algebra
            Measurement
            Problem Solving Activities
            Review Tests

The teacher CD-Rom has wonderful helps to walk you through teaching the class.  It has planning pages, lessons with overview of objectives, essential understanding, vocabulary, guided practice, teaching tips, ideas for engaging students, and materials lists to aid in teaching.  The teacher CD-Rom also contains the answers to the test questions. 

There are lots of printable materials and teaching resources on the CD-Rom you can use.  
            Center Activities
            Vocabulary Cards
            Interactive Math Stories that introduce the learning ideas to your student
            Lesson Masters
            Problem of the Day
            Quick Check
            Extra Help
            Practice Problems
            Enrichment
            Assessments including a variety of tests for each lesson.
            Printable Games
            Manipulatives
            Grid Papers
            Number Cards
            Material Guides
            and more.

The enVision MATH is set up to cover one lesson per day, and there are 20 topics covered in 160 school days.  But you can progress as fast or slow as you need to.  You can read the 
table of contents and see the subjects covered.

I really like the tests. They are bright and colorful and show many descriptive pictures for the student to use when computing the math problem.  This is such a welcome change from other boring, black and white tests.  These test problems give the student a point of reference when answering the questions.



The MindPoint Quiz Show CD-Rom is a fun multimedia game that makes learning math fun.  It helps the student understand and apply what they are learning.  One or more students can play at a time.  They can race the clock, each other, or play as a team.  

How many peelers does it take to peel an apple?  Peeling an apple comes to mind as I think about peeling away at the complicated task of teaching math to kids.  And it also comes to mind as I ponder the various authors and creators of this product.   It is amazing how many people collaborated on the enVision MATH product.  You can read about the various authors and writers and consult
ants here on this page from their website.


Our Opinion (based on a 5 star rating):

enVision MATH

Quality:  5 stars.
Very well made with quality material and colorful too.

Price:   4 stars
$124.99 is pricey, but is reasonable in today’s market for a quality math curriculum.  We generally pay anywhere from $50 to $170 for homeschool math programs.

Ease Of Use: 4 stars
Very easy to implement, and your student can work independently, or with little or a lot of teacher guidance depending on what you want to do with it.  It does require reading skills to read through the problems.

Adaptable: 5 stars
Easy to adapt to various skill levels.  Easy to skip around and work on various sections or leave out sections if you choose too.  Easy to use as a full curriculum or a supplemental resource.

Faith Based: 3 stars
It is neutral and is not for or against biblical teaching.

I used enVisionMATH 3 grade with my 9 year old son.  He stuck with the problems and really liked the interaction of the material.  He is a child that is hard to keep focussed on books for very long at his age.  But this math program did keep his interest.  Sometimes he needed help reading the pages.  He does not particulary like to read alot, though he is getting better at this skill with age.  He did not complain while doing this math book.  Trust me, he usually complains some.  He enjoyed the CD-Rom game and we plan to continue using this product in our homeschool.  He gives it two thumbs up!

I think that enVision MATH is a good product. It comes with helpful teaching resources. It is well made, covers all the learning skills for the specified age, and is a fun math program for kids to learn.


Read the TOS Homeschool Crew blog to see what others had to say about Pearson Homeschool curriculum products and enVision MATH.


 Photobucket


Disclaimer:  I received the product mentioned above, as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew, in exchange for writing an honest review.  All opinions expressed are my own honest opinion.

Please share.