If parents are wary of common core, they can simply by the first edition of the program instead. RightStart does meet common core standards in the second edition. It doesn’t require any prep time, being very open-and-go, however it does require one-on-one instruction from the parent. it is teacher intensive, every lesson in the earlier grades being written in a scripted format to be read to the child and new games to be taught. I have seen elements of Charlotte Mason in this program as well, with a math journal at the back that children copy math facts onto and new math concepts, etc. It has daily review built in, clear visuals of what you need from your manipulatives kit and how to use them, instructions for card games to reinforce the lessons and built mastery, as well as a workbook for the child to work through. It is a secular program that is scripted, meaning mom just opens up the instructor book and reads to the child. It is also one of the most comprehensive programs that has both spiral and mastery built into it. RightStart is the most expensive of the math programs I am showing you today. Take a look through the video to get an idea of the lesson worksheets and check out more details on their website. This works well for auditory learners as well as kinesthetic and visual learners however it can be overkill for some families. Each week would start with a video lesson and then have worksheets to reinforce that lesson. However, the longer you use the program the more affordable it becomes, especially for adding in younger students that can reuse the teacher resources/DVDs. Your first year with Math U See is more expensive because it requires you to buy the complete Universal set with the blocks for your manipulatives. Math U See will eventually meet standards if you continue using it through all of the levels but each level is not written directly to the corresponding grade levels core standards (does that make sense?). There is a lot of debate as to whether it is common core aligned or not and after reading their website I can tell you this: because of the mastery approach it does meet common core standards but in a different timeline. It focuses on one main topic per school year, taking the child from introduction to mastery along the way. Math U See is a comprehensive math program with a mastery approach as opposed to something more spiral and is secular in it’s perspective. Teaching Textbooks is spiral in it’s approach with review built right into the program. It is also more affordable than the software version and a great way to test out the program to see if it will work for your family. The online version can only be used for 1 child for 1 year but it does have the option of pausing your subscription for up to 3 months for vacations and summer break. There are software discs that you can use along with textbooks/workbooks or you can choose to try out their new online version of the program. Teaching Textbooks is a favourite amongst homeschool moms because of it’s ease of use. Before we begin, it will be really helpful for you to understand your child’s learning style ( take the free quiz) and your own homeschool style ( take the free quiz) as those are going to be referenced in the review below. This will help save you time and help you see the bigger picture with topics such as budget, time per day needed (by both you and the child), and learning styles. Eliminate those off your list and just read up on the curriculums you are deciding between. Use this chart to start identifying programs that right from the get go you don’t think will work for you. I want to start with a chart before I go into each program because I know that you are a busy homeschool mom and there is going to be a TON of information here and I don’t want to overwhelm you. I have charts to help you compare at a glance, I have price comparisons and pictures, I even have a detailed video with flip throughs of my books! Let me help you make a confident decision in your math program this year! I have purchased all the top math programs including: Math U See, Math Lessons for a Living Education, Teaching Textbooks, A Beka, Horizons, Singapore, Life of Fred, JUMP, RightStart, Saxon, and Strayer-Upton and put together the most comprehensive review you can find. Enter this homeschool math comparison review… I have done all the legwork for you. Everywhere you look someone has a different recommendation and let’s face it, homeschool moms are passionate about their curriculum! Bring to base your decision off of what you can gather online is time consuming and can feel stressful when you don’t really know for certain if that program is going to be a good fit for you. Shopping for homeschool math curriculum can be daunting.
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