Make It Real Learning is the most exciting thing to happen to math since the abacus. Make It Real Learning connects the textbook world of math to the physical world. The connection is priceless as you will no longer have to sit glazed eyed and listen to your child chant “This makes no sense. When will I ever use this? This makes no sense. When will I ever use this?” If your child is chanting this overplayed tune then you have a unique opportunity to show them exactly how math class applies to the real world by introducing them to … Continue reading →

At a Glance: Product: Mad Dog Math Age Level: K through 5th; remedial middle school and high school Use: Supplement or enhancement to your current math curriculum. Teacher Prep: None Format: CD-ROM or Binder (pencil and paper) What is Mad Dog Math? Mad Dog Math is a supplement or enhancement to any math curriculum. Regardless of homeschooling method or learning style, Mad Dog Math, can help a student master math facts. The program is not designed to teach number theory or comprehension of math. The program is designed to reinforce math facts and help a student successfully master this aspect … Continue reading →

At a glance: Grade level: elementary Use as: supplement or stand alone Instruction time: dependent on student understanding Prep time: low Cost: $19.00 per book I have so many wonderful things to say about Life of Fred that I hardly know where to begin. So, let’s start at the beginning: the table of contents. The book is divided into 32 chapters with a Bridge or review that appears after every five chapters. The chapters are laid out in a logical fashion each building on the one before while reviewing past skills for reinforcement. What makes this math book interesting is … Continue reading →

You may be asking yourself, “What’s Aleks?” It is a real option for homeschooling families who need assistance tackling math or want to build solid foundation. One of the most asked questions I have had over the years is about math curriculum. Due to so many questions on curriculum and math specifically I want to offer some great options. Here is a brief explanation from the site: Assessment and LEarning in Knowledge Spaces is a Web-based, artificially intelligent assessment and learning system. ALEKS uses adaptive questioning to quickly and accurately determine exactly what a student knows and doesn’t know in … Continue reading →

At a Glance: Product: Daily Word Problems Grade 1 Publisher: Evan Moor Grade Level: 1 Teacher Prep: Minimal Uses: Math Supplement Rating: 4 out of 4 golden pencils My shelves are filled with Evan Moor workbooks. I feel Evan Moor offers high quality educational materials which reach a vast range of learning and education styles. I have used Evan Moor products to enhance many subjects from science to math to history. As with my previous review on Daily Word Problems for Grade 5, I also had the opportunity to review Daily Word Problems for Grade 1. My first grader is … Continue reading →

At a Glance: Product: Daily Word Problems Grade 5 Publisher: Evan Moor Grade Level: 5 Teacher Prep: Minimal Uses: Math Supplement Rating: 4 out of 4 golden pencils Workbooks are something I never have a shortage of in my home. However, I do not use them nearly as much as the space on my bookshelf warrants. However, one company always comes to mind when I think of the workbooks which get time in little hands and that company is Evan Moor. I am never disappointed when I purchase an Evan Moor product. So when given the opportunity to review Evan … Continue reading →

Years ago my math minded husband told me that math is a language. He suggested I teach it as I teach English and show the children that equations were simply math sentences which require proper form and grammar. Not being a math minded person, I nodded my head and smiled not really understanding what he was talking about. As I learned to become a better math teacher I soon learned what my husband was talking about. With my new understanding of how to teach and apply math in a real world sense and beyond the classroom, I started to look … Continue reading →

One the most asked questions by homeschooling parents is how to assist a middle school-high school student in higher math and science. The question is normally answered by a curriculum suggestion. That is the logical answer and the proper curriculum is the best place to start. However, what if you are using the best curriculum for your child yet she still runs into a glitch or needs added assistance? Changing curriculum will not be the solution. So what is? Normally the answer would be tutoring. Since that opens you up to the search for a tutor and the high cost … Continue reading →

Throughout my years of homeschooling one math curriculum that kept coming up is Saxon. Saxon is not only popular with homeschoolers but many schools use Saxon as well. I had no experience with this curriculum until this year. I was looking for a change and my husband suggested I give Saxon a shot. With that I purchased Saxon for my 5th and 7th grader for this school year. I will be honest; I took the wrong approach when selecting a math curriculum. I failed to pinpoint the issue of previous curriculum that did not work as opposed to curriculum I … Continue reading →