The Best Homeschool Math Curriculum: Tips for Choosing
reviewed by Jo-ann Caballes
Updated on December 24, 2024
Finding the right homeschool math curriculum is a challenge that almost every parent faces. In this guide, Brighterly math tutors share practical tips to help you find a program that fits your child’s learning style and meets your family’s needs. Read on and unlock the secret to homeschool math success.
What is the best homeschool curriculum?
The best homeschool curriculum is a tailored educational program that fits a child’s knowledge and specific interests, goals, educational needs, and other individual characteristics. You need to look for homeschool online math programs that perfectly suit the academic standards of the current grade, whether your child is in Pre-K or middle school.
If the study plan doesn’t fit in the grade-level standards, it’s not entitled to be called a “homeschool curriculum”. In this case, it’s tailored tutoring, but not homeschooling. It’s also fine, but it may not suit your needs if you looking for homeschooling.
Best online math curriculum: advice for choosing
- Look for comprehensive programs with process tracking
- Ensure that the online math curriculum for homeschool complies with the educational standards of your state.
- Choose platforms that help your kid seal knowledge gaps, not just “read the material.”
- Discover online homeschool math programs with interactive elements (video lessons, online lessons, practical projects). It will motivate and inspire the child to study at home.
No matter what platform you choose, it should provide your child with math skills and show them how math can benefit them in daily situations. Brian Galvin, Chief Academic Officer for Varsity Tutors, emphasizes the approach of “daily situations” and the importance of interactive learning techniques in math education:
“One of my favorite math teaching techniques is 'connect the dots.”
And that's valuable because
1) math is the kind of thing you need to be able to do forward and backward anyway (division is reverse multiplication, subtraction is reverse addition...)
And 2) we tend to remember what we learn through discovery – what we figure out for ourselves – far more than through just being told.
When a student gets to connect the dots between question and answer, they so often realize that there is one missing step they need, and they receive that step as a 'reward' because they figured it out, versus just an explanation.
A proper homeschool math program should be engaging yet fit grade standards. It should allow students to progress at their own pace to gain a deep understanding of each math concept. Every kid learns uniquely, so choosing the TOP homeschool math curriculum isn’t a one-size-fits-all situation. A curriculum that fits one child perfectly may not be as effective for another student.
Many parents have prejudices about math homeschool curriculum for their children since they believe that kids can learn only in a traditional classroom setting. They think that kids can develop crucial life competencies only in traditional environments. However, modern technology rejects this belief, showing that contemporary homeschooling can boost a child’s hard and soft skills.
Homeschool math for struggling learners vs Traditional classroom
| Aspect | Homeschool math for struggling learners | Traditional classroom |
| Learning pace | Flexible pace tailored to the child’s needs. | Fixed pace for all students, without any changing possibility |
| Individual attention | Homeschool online math curriculum fits the needs of an individual student, where the tutor pays all the attention to a single student or a small group (if it’s a group class) | Even private schools have at least 7-8 students in a class, while average public school classes have at least 15-20 kids. So, students get limited attention. |
| Curriculum choice | Customized to students’ knowledge gaps and learning preferences | Predefined curriculum with little to no flexibility |
| Assessment | Flexible, as here a child and tutor focus on progress, not grades | Standardized grading systems and tests to quickly examine the approximate knowledge of large groups |
| Social interaction | Limited due to individual nature. However, a child can visit interest clubs or group lessons like choir to get soft skills. | Regular interaction with peers. However, if there is some conflict inside the collective, your child might see those kids and deal with the conflict until they resolve it. There is no way to avoid the collective. |
Where can I find a top rated homeschool math curriculum?
The easiest way to find a top rated homeschool math curriculum is to research it online. You can use different articles, like this one from the Brighterly team, review sites, homeschool forums, marketplaces, etc.
Be sure to look at other people’s experiences with the platform and check reviews to create a quality learning experience for your child at home. For example, you can study reviews on the Trustpilot website.
How to choose a homeschool math curriculum? 8 proven tips
- Determine the learning format
- Understand the child’s learning style
- Assess kid’s educational needs
- Evaluate educational programs
- Seek parental advice
- Check curriculum flexibility
- Set a budget
- Try trials of different forms
Determine the learning format
Find out which learning format your child likes. Even if it is home-based learning, you can still choose whether it is better to study in a group online or individually.
If your child likes YouTube and TikTok, you may look for a homeschool math video curriculum that leverages the power of visuals to teach your child. If they like playing online, you may implement math games in your gaming sessions.
Understand the child’s learning style
It’s essential to understand your kid’s preferred learning style. The best math curriculum for homeschool will always suit the preferred learning style to provide the best results. There are 4 main styles, and your child has at least one of them:
- Visual Learners: Learn best through images, charts, and videos.
- Auditory Learners: Retain information by listening and discussing.
- Kinesthetic Learners: Learn through hands-on activities and movement.
- Logical Learners: Thrive on problem-solving and patterns.
Observe how your child naturally processes information to identify their style! Each kid has a unique learning habit combination. Leverage your child’s unique learning habits to create the best math homeschool curriculum.
Assess kid’s educational needs
The best math curriculum fits the current educational needs of your child. Some of them need to focus on how to divide, while others look at how to solve quadratic equations. Meanwhile, the third group of students may need to prepare for standardized tests like the SAT.
Naturally, 3rd grade math curriculum homeschooling will differ from the study program of their 5th-grade friend. It’s also clear that each student, even on the same grade, has slightly different needs due to different knowledge gaps and preferred learning styles.
Evaluate educational programs
Review different educational programs and platforms to determine the current state of the educational market and get curricula, resources, and classes. It helps you to determine what tutor you need for your child. Use these 5 parameters to evaluate homeschool math programs:
- Clear Objectives: Confirm the program has clear learning goals.
- Content Quality: The curriculum should be accurate, provide deep knowledge, and align with your needs.
- Engagement: Your future online homeschool math curriculum should be interesting for students.
- Flexibility: Ensure your child can change the pacing and structure to fit their learning needs.
- Budget: Assess all costs related to homeschool education. If possible, look for scholarships.
Trial period: Try as many services as you want using their trials or first free lessons. That’s a great way to find the best homeschool math curriculum for struggling students.
Seek parental advice
To choose the proper homeschool math curriculum, ask for advice from parents who have children the same age as yours and are either homeschooled (or have classes with an online math tutor after offline school). They can share their experience about specific platforms and resources and tell you about their advantages and disadvantages.
It’s also helpful to explore online communities and social media groups dedicated to homeschooling. Parents there often share detailed homeschool math curriculum reviews, tips, and personal experiences.
When seeking advice, explain your child’s specific needs — whether they struggle with math, thrive on visual learning, or need a slower-paced program. If you are looking for the best homeschool math curriculum for ADHD, the traditional programs may not perfectly fit your situation.
Check curriculum flexibility
When evaluating programs, check the curriculum’s flexibility to ensure that it meets your child’s needs. A flexible option allows you to adjust your study plan along the way to meet ever-changing lifestyle needs and ensure that your child excels at math.
Look for a common core math homeschool curriculum that offers multiple teaching methods, such as video lessons, hands-on activities, or workbooks, so you can adapt based on what resonates best with your child.
Some curriculums also allow you to mix components, letting you focus on specific areas of difficulty while skipping content your child has already mastered. This approach will especially benefit your child in middle and high school, as a properly made geometry curriculum homeschool should be as flexible as possible.
Set a budget
Setting a budget for homeschooling is a vital step to ensure that this approach aligns with your needs and a family budget. Start by determining how much you can realistically spend on educational materials for the year, including not just the math curriculum homeschool itself but also any supplementary resources like manipulatives, books, online subscriptions, or educational apps.
Consider whether you prefer an all-in-one program, which might be more expensive upfront but includes everything you need, or a mix-and-match approach, combining information from different sources.
Try trials of different platforms
Try as many platforms as you want by using their trials or first free lessons. That’s a great way to find the best homeschool math curriculum for struggling students. Many curriculum providers offer free trials, sample lessons, or limited-time access to their programs, allowing you to explore their teaching methods, content, and overall style.
These trials allow you to see how well your child engages with the material and whether the program aligns with their learning style and pace. It’s also an opportunity to evaluate whether homeschooling fits your family.
For instance, Brighterly provides the first free lesson, which will benefit you and us as the platform. During this first session, we examine your child’s knowledge gaps and determine their current needs. This helps us develop the best homeschool math program easily. At the same time, you get to know our service without any strings attached.
13 best homeschool math curriculum for struggling students
- Brighterly for elementary schoolers
- Singapore Math for elementary schoolers
- RightStart Math for elementary schoolers
- Life of Fred for elementary schoolers
- Beast Academy for elementary schoolers
- Brighterly for middle schoolers
- Math-U-See for middle schoolers
- Horizons Math for middle schoolers
- VideoText Math for high schoolers
- Saxon Math for high schoolers
- The Art of Problem Solving (AoPS) for high schoolers
- KhanAcademy for high schoolers
Best math programs for elementary students
Finding the best homeschool math curriculum for elementary students is a challenge since those kids still like to act and play with their peers. Meanwhile, the essence of homeschool education lies in independent learning.
So, you need to look for the best math curriculum for elementary homeschool students that combines the independence of home education with alignment with the latest standards. We’ve gathered the best programs that fit elementary school students, as most of them are aligned with Common Core math standards.
Brighterly online homeschool math curriculum for elementary schoolers
The Brighterly math curriculum is a perfect solution for parents who want to provide top-quality education at home without the stress of piecing together a study plan. All Brighterly programs fully align with Common Core standards: from the first grade math curriculum homeschool to the eighth-grade geometry curriculum.
We develop a tailored homeschool math plan that considers the peculiarities yet fully aligns with Common Core educational standards. That way, we can be sure that your child will learn all the necessary information for their grade without any knowledge gaps.
We also make education accessible to everyone, which is why you can find free Brighterly Math worksheets on our website. You can use them, as well as free knowledge base articles and interactive tests, wherever you want to.
Brighterly’s educational platform: Benefits
- Top tutors for children of the elementary school age group.
- Interactive classes and personalized math homeschool curriculum.
- We choose a teacher according to your goals and requirements and the child’s individual needs.
- Online lessons on a schedule that is convenient for you and your kid.
Is Brighterly a good homeschool math curriculum?
Yes, Brighterly is a great homeschool math curriculum because it combines a personalized approach with full alignment to Common Core standards. Each lesson is tailored to meet your child’s needs, ensuring they progress at their own pace while staying on track with grade-level requirements.
Whether you’re considering fully transitioning to online homeschooling or just want to supplement a current curriculum, a Brighterly math program for elementary schoolers will make this process simple and effective.
Singapore homeschool online math programs
Singapore Math for elementary schoolers created the Singapore Math curriculum for children with difficulty in mathematics at home.
This fun homeschool math curriculum is built on the tenet that students will struggle with more advanced mathematical ideas if they do not have a firm grasp of the basics. The curriculum stresses the need for memorization and creative problem-solving in mathematics, two skills that may greatly benefit students’ critical reasoning abilities.
Singapore Math for Elementary Schoolers: Benefits
- Maintains a focus on foundational mathematical concepts
- Available in various formats, such as textbooks, worksheets, and instructions for parents
- The program’s design makes sure that students focus on one mathematical concept at a time until they’ve mastered it.
RightStart homeschool math program
RightStart Math platform, with its math homeschool curriculum, learning games, and educational resources, benefits elementary students with its visual and tactile learning aids.
Kids who struggle with reading and writing may have trouble solving mathematical problems since they cannot learn by rote. The RightStart platform aims to help kids with dyslexia become better at math.
RightStart Math for elementary schoolers: benefits
- Most concepts like counting, fractions, and measuring are explained using pictures to help students understand them better.
- The curriculum includes the AL Abacus to engage the children’s sense of sight and touch.
Life of Fred online homeschool math curriculum
Life of Fred engages elementary students with story-based learning that simplifies complex concepts narratively. Adding this platform to your children’s education is an excellent idea since it is full of entertaining yet teaching stories where the main character, Fred, explains different life and math concepts.
Life of Fred for Elementary Schoolers: Benefits
- The study materials are designed to engage your kid while teaching them math with each story focusing on a particular concept like addition, subtraction, etc.
- Students won’t need a manual or course outline with this math curriculum. They may better grasp the notion of math by continuing Fred’s story.
- The plot of the story may benefit children with math difficulties, as the ideas and concepts build upon each other.
Beast Academy homeschool math program
Beast Academy provides an elementary math curriculum that helps kids bridge the achievement gap by helping them see mathematics as a fascinating and engaging field from a young age.
Beast Academy Elementary Math Curriculum: Benefits
- According to the Beast Academy, children may be better prepared to solve mathematical issues with a firm grasp of more advanced mathematical concepts. Young people may learn the skills needed to become influential thinkers and doers at Beast Academy.
- Beast Academy uses comic books as a teaching tool to engage and motivate children struggling with mathematics.
Best math curriculum for middle school
Study plans for middle schoolers should consider rebellious teenagers’ nature. While they may fall out of love with funny math songs, they are still not ready for tedious math explanations which are boring for them. So, the main task for those who want to create the easiest homeschool curriculum for teenagers is to make it easy to understand and fun, yet not childish.
Brighterly online homeschool math curriculum for middle schoolers
Switching to homeschooling doesn’t have to feel overwhelming! With the Brighterly Math tutoring platform, you can be assured that your child’s education is in the right hands. Fully aligned with Common Core standards, our program takes the guesswork out of homeschooling math.
Our tutors will create a Brightertly math program that is perfect for your child, providing additional homework tailored to your child. We want to make quality education accessible for everyone. That’s why we have free resources such as knowledge base articles, worksheets, and interactive tests. You can also apply your child for a Brighterly scholarship to potentially win six months of tutorship with top-notch teachers.
Brighterly for Middle Schoolers: Benefits
- This curriculum is fully aligned with Common Core standards, so parents can feel confident that the curriculum meets all grade-level requirements.
- Brighterly math tutors personalize each session to address your child’s unique strengths and challenges, filling any knowledge gaps while fostering a love for math.
- Whether you’re supplementing classroom education or fully homeschooling, the Brighterly math tutoring program is easy to integrate and adapt to your child’s needs.
Math-U-See homeschool online math programs
Math-U-See offers a comprehensive curriculum that can be a great choice for middle schoolers. The math homeschool curriculum has thirteen levels, beginning with algebra and concluding with calculus. The educational program uses methods that simplify math to combine earlier-level knowledge.
Math-U-See Top Math Homeschool Curriculum: Benefits
- Your child may learn more math concepts comfortably with the Math-U-See curriculum.
- The homeschool math curriculum will benefit your children by incorporating video lessons, textbooks, and online resources.
- At every grade level, an interactive strategy may be used to maintain the student’s interest in learning.
Horizons math for middle schoolers
Horizons Math for middle schoolers provides math homeschooling using a structured approach. It aids middle schoolers in grasping increasingly complex mathematical theories. If your child is homeschooled and falling behind in math, Horizons Math is a fun math curriculum that will effectively get them back on track.
Benefits of the Horizons Math Curriculum For Homeschooling
- The curriculum is designed to assist your kid in learning fundamental math concepts and includes engaging exercises to help cement those lessons in their memory.
- Horizons Math boasts two vivid, well-organized manuals with 80 lessons for a total of 160 courses offered every year.
- In addition to providing ongoing practice, it includes daily lesson plans, instructor replies, and hands-on activities.
Homeschool math curriculum for high school
High schoolers often receive greater academic pressure, that’s why they need a tailored homeschool high school math curriculum. Modern teenagers need to not only know their grade standards but also prepare for college.
The best high-school study plans teach teenagers both real-world math applications and prepare them for the next academic level. During preparation, tutors explain how to properly apply math facts and ensure the correct placement of equation terms while solving complex tasks.
High math is known for its entanglement. Meanwhile, a perfectly tailored high school math curriculum for homeschool sessions can help students untangle this complexity.
VideoText math for high schoolers
VideoText Math is an innovative program designed to help high school students master math concepts. Unlike traditional textbooks, VideoText Math uses engaging video lessons to break down complex topics into smaller, easy-to-understand chunks.
Benefits of the VideoText Online Math Curriculum for Homeschooling:
-
High schoolers easily retain visual cues rather than auditory ones. Instead of rote memorization, students may see several steps to solve a problem with VideoText Math.
- Self-paced structure, where students can work through the material at their own speed.
Saxon Math for high schoolers
Saxon Maths is a systematic approach to education, starting with the most fundamental concepts and building up to advanced ones. Saxon Math uses a spiral learning approach, which is the belief that students should revisit all concepts multiple times to fully understand them.
Saxon Math top rated math curriculum for high schoolers: benefits
- The high schoolers are subjected to assessments and examinations to gauge the extent to which the student has internalized and retained the material.
- Before moving to the next subject, students should demonstrate that they fully understand the current one.
Brittany Belizor, a teacher at Clover School District, tells us more about the benefits of the online math curriculum for homeschooling:
“The Saxon math curriculum stands out as one of the best on the market.”
Math is a continuum if one concept is missed or left unreviewed. A student, especially a struggling one, is not going to be able to advance. Spiral instruction ensures that previously taught concepts are brought back up and practiced. This allows all students to get a refresher.
One of the most difficult things for students about math is a lot of logical reasoning, which can be hard to understand, especially for younger kids. Using manipulatives like base ten blocks can transform concepts into tangible ideas allowing them to visualize what they are being taught. For homeschooling families, ensuring each math lesson includes those two things are crucial to their student's success.
AoPS online homeschool math curriculum
AoPS offers a strong curriculum and resources aimed at high school students preparing for higher education. Teachers from Art of Problem-Solving make mathematics exciting and engaging so kids may learn and like it.
Benefits of the AoPS online math curriculum and platform
- AoPS is a community, so students can ask other students for help. With the skills they develop in The Art of Problem-Solving, children are better able to tackle increasingly complex mathematical problems on their own.
- Students in AoPS classes can work through problems until they comprehend them better.
- The courses also use math worksheet activities, movies, textbooks, and online resources to assist students to commit mathematical ideas to memory,
- For your children’s advanced math needs, this curriculum offers both digital and physical copies of textbooks. Additionally, it aids students in getting ready for standardized tests like the SAT.
KhanAcademy homeschool math program
Benefits of the online math curriculum for homeschooling from Khan Academy
- Khan Academy offers free math curricula for high schoolers. Your children may prepare for various tests, including the LSAT, the SAT, and Praxis, with its instructional videos and personalized learning dashboard.
- Kids can learn mathematics, physics, history, economics, etc. Among the many resources available to pupils at this school is an extensive library of high-quality courses covering various topics.
Benefits of the right homeschool math curriculum
Personalized lesson plans
Lessons available in any homeschool math program should be adapted specifically for students struggling with math or according to students’ specific goals (e.g. preparing for SATs or standardized tests).
Today, kids are free to choose when and how they study. Online math classes can accommodate students’ specific needs by providing personalized lesson plans, age-appropriate resources, and instructional videos.
Teachers in traditional classes often design their classes with the average student’s level of expertise in mind. On the other hand, online classes allow students to customize their math homeschool curriculum to meet their specific needs.
No external interruptions
Bullying and unhealthy competition among students can distract kids. Instead of learning, they may become too focused on social interactions to seem like “cool kids” or become a victim of bullying.
Although online math curriculum homeschool may lack social interactions, you can ensure no external interruptions in the learning process. When kids use online math curricula to study, there are fewer interruptions, so kids develop their sense of self-sufficiency while learning the right way.
You can still give them the needed social interaction by signing up your child for sports, choir, drama, or science clubs. That way, they interact with peers and achieve soft skills.
Various helpful internet resources
Kids struggling with math might gain a lot from the various helpful Internet resources and their paid or free math homeschool curriculum. In addition to what they learn online, your child can continuously have access to e-books and YouTube movies.
For instance, you can use Brighterly free worksheets or online platforms like Khan Academy for additional practice.
The best homeschool math curriculum: conclusion
The best homeschool math curriculum aims to be the opposite of heavily standardized and routined traditional educational institutions, which are often overwhelming for many students. That’s why many students and their parents look for personalized learning plans.
Additionally, you may choose for your child to merge traditional schooling with a homeschool math curriculum online. In this case, you should look for a platform with certified tutors, such as Brighterly. Our platform is designed for elementary and middle school students up to the 8th grade.
In our math curriculum for struggling learners, we incorporate engaging activities and entertaining games to make even the most tedious topics engaging.
Different math course packages exist, so you can choose which excites your child most. Try a first free demo lesson to get a professional evaluation of your child’s current educational needs and see how we will work with them.
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