As we are moving around the country and struggling to adhere to the weekly schedule now that the weather is beach worthy, I find myself realizing that I really like the curriculum choices that we have settled on.  Now mind you, I’m always on the lookout for the next new thing, but all in all, I’m content with how our choices fit our individual needs.  All of our needs.  Because MY needs as the main teacher rank right up there with THEIR needs as the students.  If I can’t function within the parameters outlined by the curriculum, how could I be expected to teach something new to the kids?

One subject that I’d like to share with you today is our math curriculum.  (and NO, I’m not being paid by them to write a good review!)  We have struggled for years, yes….years, to find a math curriculum that worked for us.  It has been the bane of our homeschooling existence.  The reason it’s such a difficult subject for me is that not only is it a stressful subject because it’s a very useable tool for everyday life, but the foundation needs to be absolutely solid in order to not get lost later on.  And the problem with building your base is that you may not know it’s unstable until it all come crumbling down later on.

After many books, websites, and plain old flashcards and worksheets, our good homeschooling mom (of 7) and friend suggested trying Math U See.  What I love about this particular Mom is that while this specific curricula didn’t work for her, she still liked the program and knew a lot of folks for whom it DID work….so, we bought a set for the girls in each of their grade levels.

Can I just say “Hot Diggity Dog!”

We found something that not only worked for them, but for ME too!  One of my biggest road blocks with math is that they don’t learn it the way I understand it.  That limits the communication a bit don’t you think?  So with this program, I get to take a step back and let the video take the teaching lead while I become the supplement.  I am provided with a teacher book that has a written explanation as well as examples to use if the video didn’t do it for the student.  Then they pull out their workbooks and go to town.  I also like that they teach mastery to a point where the kids have to “teach” me the current lesson in order to take the final lesson test.

The only downfall is the cost of the sets.  It’s a little on the high side..but if you’re like me and you’ve really exhausted other, cheaper, possibilities, then the cost is minimal once you realize it works!  The kids are able to do the lesson from instruction to test almost completely by themselves.  This limits the stress of our ”teaching” relationship because it removes our frustrations from the communication break down that inevitably happens!

There is a nice write up of the curriculum here at Cathy Duffy Reviews.  And since I know that some people don’t like the curriculum, I suggest that you read the customer reviews at this site.

And while I know that not every curriculum is a fit for every homeschooling family, Math U See was and continues to be a good fit for us right now.  If you struggle with math, go take a look 🙂