Math has always been an intimidating subject for me. It wasn’t so much that I doubted my own ability in math, but I doubted my own ability to teach it to my children. I have used no less than six different programs in the past eleven years and by far my favorite one is Teaching Textbooks! My first experience with this fabulous program was while two of my daughters were in high school. I needed a geometry program that was self-directed and would have step by step instructions. This program fit the bill. My daughters were able to learn the proofs and navigate problems found on the SAT and ACT exams. I was thrilled! Students using Teaching Textbooks at the higher levels will be effectively prepared for College Board exams and also be able to handle college level courses.
My second encounter with Teaching Textbooks was a year ago when my son needed a curriculum to go to the next level. He had been using Right Start Math (which I will review here at a later date) and had completed all the levels that were available at that time. He was ready for more independent learning and so I started him in Math 6 of Teaching Textbooks. He was thrilled! We both loved the detailed explanations and the ease of use. This program came with textbooks and CD-ROMs, but we never even needed the book. He loved using the computer for his lessons and his retention of math facts soared. No longer was I the ogre when he didn’t understand a concept. With Teaching Textbooks he could go back and listen to the lesson again and watch exactly how the problem was worked. Math is now his favorite subject!
What really sets this math curriculum apart from the others, is that it is not just a textbook with problems. It is a teacher and a textbook combined into one! The problems are explained thoroughly and in an easy to understand way. With many other programs I have used, there is a brief explanation and then the problems are assigned. Even with a solution manual showing the answers, there is often no clear explanation of how to get from point A to point B. They are designed specifically for independent learning so the explanations are clear and easy to follow.
I only wish this math program had been available when I first started homeschooling. We would have had much less frustration to deal with. However, maybe I wouldn’t have appreciated it near as much!
I am also a big believer in using games for teaching. If you need some ideas for making math more fun, check out the following program.
