How Did I Choose a New Homeschool Math Curriculum for My Elementary?
My son is studying common core math from the Go Math curriculum, which is used in public and private schools in Virginia. As far as I know, both Fairfax county and Loudon county use the Go Math curriculum. When my boy was in private school, I bought Grade 2 in advance to work with him during Summer 2020.
When I withdrew him from school in Fall 2020, I decided to stick with what I had at the time. One was because I wasn’t sure how long we would do homeschooling. Second reason was I didn’t want to complicate our new journey.
What I like about Go Math is each chapter bundled together in one book. Go Math has 11 chapters for grade 2 means we have small 11 books to work with. The book is light and easy for crab-and-go. My son is very proud of himself each time he finishes a chapter (a book). It also has a variety of skills practices and higher order thinking problems.
However, Go Math doesn’t have the support system for homeschoolers. They have Thinkcentral where teachers use videos to show their students. My son loves watching those videos and online practice programs. I think they are fun and simple explanations for kids. I can’t have access to the system for further support because I am not a teacher.
In addition, Go Math doesn’t have practice books or challenges. I have been searching math books for my son to practice or printing practice worksheets online. It is challenging because there are so many math books in the market, but I am not sure which one works the best to match with Go Math teaching. I feel disorganized to have many different types of math practice books, such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, math comprehensive and Spectrum Math.
For the next math level, I decide to change to a different math curriculum that has more support toward homeschooling families.
What Do I look for in a math curriculum?
I think it is important to know what I am looking for before searching. It makes the process easier since so many math curriculums are available for homeschoolers.
One mistake I made at the beginning of my homeschooling journey that I was rushing into buying books and programs that favorite homeschool bloggers were using. I just wanted to get started and follow others without a specific goal. I ended up buying programs that are good but not sure works for my kids’ needs or fit with our schedule.
This time I want to make sure that I am doing it right. Here is my list:
1. The combination of both “spiral approach” and “mastery based”: I have found that my son can’t focus for long but he is bright. He can finish the work and then forgets when he moves on to the next chapter. Spiral approach doesn’t work well with him because sometimes he needs more work on the subjects than the other. However, master based doesn’t give the excitement of learning math. I like the mix of 2.
2. Challenge supplements: I like to push the limit a little and make that little brain think as much as he can. I look for critical thinking math or challenge word problems for example.
3. Drill and practice supplements: I look for a program that comes with a lot of drill and practice.
4. Color books with less pictures: at the age of 6 and younger, I found colorful books are exciting. However, I believe less is better because it is less distracting. Fun to work with but focus on the main subject.
5. Curriculum matching with State requirement: As a homeschooler, we are required to submit the proof of academic progress every year in Virginia. Therefore, I want to stay as close as possible to state requirements.
You can find this article is useful on things to consider when choosing a math curriculum.
Which resources I relied on during my research?
It took me days for this research. There are so many suggestions and reviews form other homeschool moms. I was grateful for all the information I found. Here is the list of math curriculum reviews that I found helpful and educational.
1. Katehomschoolmath.com by Kate Snow: If you are new to the process like I am, I think it is useful to check out her math curriculum review first. First, she helps you set a mindset about curriculum, “There is no perfect curriculum.” Second, she is a math educator who has more knowledge about elementary programs than middle school. In addition, she gives clear and easy understandable definitions of math languages, such as conceptual versus procedural and mastery versus spiral.
2. The Cathy Duffy Reviews: Cathy’s website is full of curriculum reviews. She is best known as a curriculum specialist. In the math curriculum review page, you can find math reviews for every single program out there from PrK to 12. I came to her website after I have picked a couple math programs to compare more closely. Her reviews are detailed and in depth.
3. Homeschoolon.com by Rebecca Spooner: She has two ultimate math comparisons for homeschooling. I love the video on her YouTube channel more. However, I found her math comparison chart from the article is super useful. It helped me narrow down my research without doing extra work. If you don’t know your child’s learning style and your own homeschool style, Rebecca has provided links for free quizzes.
4. Myjoyfilledlife.com by Sarah Avila: She offers the free long version of math curriculum comparison chart including price, homeschool approach, learning style, and format. In addition, she also adds where she got the information from which gives readers more resources to check for further questions.
In addition, also you can check out my list of top 5 homeschool blogs which are useful for curriculum searching as well.
Which math curriculum do I choose?
I have a couple friends who have their kids taking Singapore Math after school programs. They suggested that I should give Singapore Math a try. After hours of research, I decided to go with Singapore Math curriculum.
It is almost identical to the common core method in the U.S. It also offers Common Core Edition. You can get extra workbooks and challenge books if you child is advanced.
According to most reviews, they say that Singapore Math is a more advanced curriculum compared to other math in the U.S.
My son is 6-year-old and in grade 1 right now. However, he is doing grade 2 math. I also work with him on timetables every day. He is advanced with his math.
However, before making my purchase, I wanted to make sure I choose the right level for my son. I ordered The Singapore Math Word Problem grade 2 workbook from Amazon to test my son and prepare us for the new curriculum.
The Singapore Math curriculum teaches multiplication and division in grade 2. I am happy that I wasn’t rushed in buying the grade 3 for my son.
Singapore Math grade 2 is my choice.
Which Singapore Math Edition do I choose?
It can be confusing if you don’t know the difference between Primary Mathematics versus Dimension Math.
Dimension Math is a new Singapore Math curriculum. It is an expanded teaching material which includes videos and online books. However, some homeschool moms found activities and games are not designed for homeschooling. They have to be creative and feel guilty if skipping it. Those games and activities are designed for classrooms with big groups of kids.
Primary Mathematics has 3 different editions: according to the Singaporemath.com
1. Primary Mathematics U.S. Edition: identical to the original program from Singapore. It uses U.S. measurements and currency.
2. Primary Mathematics Standards Edition: Written to meet the California Public School standards prior to Common Core.
3. Primary Mathematics Common Core Edition: it aligns with Common Core.
My decision is going back and forth between Primary and Dimension because of the teaching manual for Dimension, which is more detail and comprehensive.
I decided to try Primary Math grade 2A for this summer. I didn’t buy the set for the whole year, but part A only.
The beautiful part of homeschooling is that as an educator of our children, we have freedom of choosing between curriculums, books, and systems. We don’t have to stick with one and avoid the others.
To help with your search and save you sometime, I combine a review list on Singapore Math below. I hope this list can save you sometime. Enjoy your searching.
And please feel free to share your thoughts on which Math curriculum you have been using or choose for your homeschoolers.
I would love to share your story with other parents here on my blog.
More Reviews on Singapore Math Editions
You can find out more about which edition you should go with here:
- Singapore Math Review: World-class math Education, Right at your Kitchen Table by Kate Snow
- Dimensions Math Review: Should you Switch to Singapore Math’s Newest Programs by Kate Snow
- Video reviews on YouTube:
Singapore Primary vs Singapore Dimensions Math II by Science Mama from YouTube
Singapore Math: Which Edition to Choose? By The Balanced Mom
Homeschool Math Curriculum Review: Singapore 2A 2B Primary by That Homeschool Life
Singapore Primary Mathematics review by Meg Jensen:
Primary and Dimension Math: What is the difference by Mrs. Mom’s Homeschool
Singapore Math – Dimension Curriculum by Gigi Shadid: A math teacher
Books and Manipulative Sets:
