Curriculum Fair: Math--Take 2

   One of the greatest things about homeschooling is having the freedom to modify and re-vamp as needed.  I usually take a look at where we are in the fall and do a little tweaking wherever it may be needed.  I posted a while back about our math curriculum for this year, and we have recently incorporated another program into our math studies:  Teaching Textbooks.

   The main reason we decided to go with this is that the program is highly interactive and computer-based, and it is like having a math tutor in your home.  As I mentioned earlier, math is not my strong point, so I felt I needed a program that could virtually "take over" for me in many ways.  I am still able to assist my kids if they need it, but this program is really all-inclusive, and the boys are having fun using it.  My oldest commented that his favorite part is knowing how much time it will take him to do a lesson.  Each lesson is broken down so that you watch the lecture, do some practice exercises, and then complete the problems.  If you miss one, you get immediate feedback, and then you can ask for an explanation for solving the problem.  The student can master each concept before moving ahead.  All the prep work is done for you, so all the student has to do is pop in the CD and start working.  It even keeps a "gradebook" for you. 

   We are still using the other materials I mentioned before as supplements, but I felt like we needed to add more "meat" to our math curriculum, and this seems like a good fit for my older two.   After taking the placement tests, we chose to start with Math 5 and Math 7, and if all goes well, we will add Math 3 for my youngest next year.