A Homeschool Math Curriculum for Clueless Parents: CTCMath Review
I am not a math fan. I fell out of love with math when I had a teacher who was only interested in the kids with the top grades. Anybody who needed a bit of extra help, was left behind. So the thought of teaching my kids made me anxious. I had a lot of questions. How do I get started? What do I teach them? What if they need extra help? Luckily I recently discovered CTCMath and their homeschool math curriculum, and it has made a huge difference in helping me to overcome my math fears. Not to mention giving my kids a chance to enjoy the subject and to do well. If you’re feeling clueless about teaching your kids math, then I hope I’ll be able to answer some of your questions. And to set your mind at ease.
I received a free CTCMath Homeschool Family Membership and am being compensated for my time. I am not required to give a positive review. As always, I am sharing my honest opinion with you. Please read my full blog disclosure.
Where do I Start with Math?
This was a huge question for me. I didn’t know what my kids needed. Or how comfortable they were with math. My kids are 8, so would be doing second grade in a public school. But after doing a diagnostic test on the platform, I realized that they’re not ready. Luckily we homeschool! So I took them back to the first grade, to reinforce the basics. They are happy because they aren’t feeling overwhelmed. And I’m happy because I can see they’re fully grasping the basics. And building a solid math foundation.
With CTCMath, you can easily jump between grades. The diagnostic test at the beginning of each section gives you a clear picture of what your child struggles with. Or where they are confident. I like the fact that there is a comprehensive test or standard test. But if you’re impatient like I am, then there’s a short one too.
How do I Make the Most of a Homeschool Math Curriculum?
I have tried out quite a few online math programmes. Starting out is always overwhelming. I want to be able to jump in pretty quickly. But I don’t know where to start. Either there is too much information. Or there isn’t enough. In both cases, I have the feeling that I’m missing out on something useful or important. What I really enjoy about CTCMath is their ‘getting started’ video below. It helped me so much at the beginning. And I noticed that they now have a parent user guide, where you can access ‘how to’ videos directly on the site
What if I’m Bad at Math?
As I said above, math is not my forte. But I know it’s important and I want my kids to have a good relationship with it. We have tried out a lot of programmes and I know now that whatever we choose must suit me just as much as the kids. I have found that curricula tend to be either too fun and therefore distracting. Or they are not enough and need to be used in conjunction with other resources. What we need is something that can teach me, as well as the kids, the most effective way to learn math concepts.
CTCMath is the perfect combination of instruction and testing. And it works beautifully for us. Each lesson has a short video with a bit of animation to make it engaging. But not too much to make it distracting. And also shows the kids, and by association me, how to learn math concepts. I have been able to reinforce what they’ve been learning. And it has made everything so much more understandable.
What about Reporting?
If you\’re homeschooling, you’re probably going to need to have some record of your work. CTCMath is great with reporting. You can easily access weekly reports, certificates and summaries and download PDFs. You can also quickly see the different grades, if your kids are working between grades. What I like to do, is to download the detailed report of every exercise, right after it’s been done. Once you get the results of the exercise, you can download it immediately. And I find this helps me to keep track.
What if I’m Still not Sure about using CTCMath as my Homeschool Math Curriculum?
Choosing a curriculum can be a big decision. And unless you’re a trained math teacher, then you’re going to need to choose a great math curriculum. In my experience, it’s important to make sure that your kids have a positive experience with the subject, right from the get-go. But we all have different homeschooling experiences and needs. Luckily you can take advantage of the free CTCMath trial. And you could also enter the competition below.
Do you Have an Questions?
If you’re still feeling clueless and have more questions, then please drop them in the comments below. I would love to make your decision of choosing a homeschool math curriculum, a little easier. And to take you from clueless to clued-up!
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