Choosing a Math Curriculum

One of the struggles in homeschool life is that parents are now responsible for selecting curriculum for their child's academics. One particular area that gives parents headaches is MATH!

Let's break it down!

Mastery vs Spiral

Homeschool math curricula tend to come in one of two approaches: Mastery or Spiral.

The Mastery Approach tends to focus on one concept at a time for a long period of time. A concept will be introduced, practiced/drilled at length, reviewed, and assessed before a child moves on to a new concept in the curriculum. Review of past concepts are usually done via quick cumulative reviews before larger assessments.

With The Spiral Approach, multiple concepts tend to be introduced piece meal and woven together in a cyclical way where one concept is introduced and practiced, then another concept is introduced while the first gets practiced at the same time, then another is introduced while the first two get practiced at the same time, then the cycle comes back to the first concept again and repeats. How many concepts are worked on at one time, and how different they are, vary by curriculum.

The main thing to remember is that there is no right or wrong approach.

Both Mastery and Spiral curriculums have their benefits and are wonderful ways to learn math. Making a choice really comes down to which method works better for the way your unique child processes information and learns best. Some children need the variety and frequent review that Spiral offers while other children need the focused attention and deep practice that Mastery provides.

In addition to the main approaches, homeschool math curricula also vary widely in their parent intensity and formats. Some are written directly to the child and made to be open and go. Others come with lots of manipulatives and games that need consistent parental involvement. Some are completely online while others come in book format, and some come in both! You'll likely have to do some research and trial and error before finding a curriculum that works for your family.

If you’re homeschooling multiple children, don’t be surprised if one math curriculum works great for one child but you need a different one for your other child.

To help make the search easier, we've provided a short list of common homeschool math curricula below.

If you're interested in a Mastery curriculum, try one of these:

Math Mammoth - https://www.mathmammoth.com/

Khan Academy - https://www.khanacademy.org/math/k-8-grades

Beast Academy - https://beastacademy.com/books

Singapore Math - https://www.singaporemath.com/pages/what-is-singapore-math

Dennison Math - https://www.denisonalgebra.com/

Jacob's Math - https://www.masterbooks.com/jacobs-math-series

If you're interested in a Spiral curriculum, try one of these:

Saxon Math + Nicole the Math Lady - https://nicolethemathlady.com/saxon-math/

Right Start Math - https://rightstartmath.com/

The Good and the Beautiful - https://www.goodandbeautiful.com/pre-k-8-curriculum/