I am frequently asked about what I use for our homeschool curriculum. I am never quite sure how to answer the question. Not because I don’t have A LOT to say about the subject but I’m never quite sure how much an individual truly wants to know. A few months ago our family had been invited to dinner with some friends. We were eating dinner and the dad of this family was asking me about homeschooling. He asked which curriculum I used for school. I’m not sure if my husband sighed because he knew this could take awhile or if he knew he wouldn’t have to say another word the rest of the night. He swears it was the latter but I have my doubts. FYI – I kept my answer very brief and gave others the chance to speak during dinner. My husband was very proud. It took a tremendous amount of self-control on my part!

I admit, I have a lot to say about the matter and after 16 years of trying multiple options and pouring my heart and soul into homeschooling, I am always excited to share what I have learned with those who want to know. I also wish that when I started homeschooling I had known someone willing to give me some direction and quiet some of my fears. I have a pretty simple homeschooling philosophy. I quickly learned that in homeschooling I could not teach everything. This was a hard lesson to accept. I lived in fear of ruining my children and was determined to not let them leave home with any gaps in their education. This was a ridiculous idea! How could I possibly in 12 years teach them EVERYTHING?! I gave it my best effort and just about made myself and my kids (not to mention my husband) crazy trying.

Over time I came to the realization that if I made sure they had strong reading, writing and math skills they could do anything they wanted to in life. Their own God given curiosity and motivation would make up for any gaps they might have in their education. When I narrowed down my expectations to three basic subjects the weight of homeschooling suddenly felt manageable. I found that with time and space to explore and learn on their own they were getting an education far superior to the one I had been cramming down their throats.

Math Struggles

Often the trickiest for mom and kids is math. I love math and have a strong background in math but it is a subject that requires consistent discipline. I have found that even for the kids who enjoy math, on a daily basis, it is often infuriating and maybe a little (or a lot!) bit boring. The best advice I can give anybody about math has nothing to do with which curriculum to use. My advice is to do small manageable amounts of math several times a week. We try to do math 5 days a week, but call 4 a success, and some weeks 3 times takes Herculean effort. At one point I heard someone say that the best math curriculum on the market is the one that you will use. I agree 100%! Success in math is not about the curriculum but is instead about consistently and frequently opening it up and using it.

Which Curriculum is best? The one you will use!

I have used Singapore Math which is great for kids who don’t need a lot of extra practice. It is also very affordable and doesn’t take up a lot of room. We currently use Saxon which I have felt is worth the money. Saxon is more money than some families want to spend and the books and manipulatives take up some space. Both, things to consider when purchasing materials for school. These are not the only options or even the best options, they are just the two that I have used. So many families have success with other curriculums, print and online. The best advice I have is to make sure math is happening on a regular basis. Falling behind in math is very hard and takes considerable effort to get kids caught up. On this point, I speak from personal experience. Several years ago I had a daughter get very sick and the next two years of our lives revolved around doctor appointments, treatments and trying to survive. I am still paying the price of putting math off so frequently during that time.

Math Games and Books – the fun stuff!

Now for the fun stuff – after you have a math curriculum don’t hesitate to throw in extra math activities to keep kids engaged and remind them that math is fun and exciting. Math games can be played while driving in the car, waiting in line at the store or on a walk. I found the book Games for Learning by Peggy Kaye to be very helpful. The possibilities for math games is endless! You can find lots of books in print or ideas online. One of my favorite math days was when we used conversation hearts to learn about bar graphs. It was a great break from our regular lessons and you can’t beat a handful of sugar to make the math lesson a little more bearable (cue the Mary Poppins music). You can also buy lots of games that require math skills. Some of our favorites are skip-bo, rummikub, battleship, q-bitz, sleeping queens and qwirkle.

My kids have been more open to math when they can see how it will be useful to them in “real-life.” Having them use their math skills at the store, while cooking, packing for a trip, projects around the house, etc. will make them aware of how often they use math and nothing is better than seeing your child’s face when they shock themselves at what they know and can do.

One of my favorite parts of math is picture books. So many great picture books have been published about amazing mathematicians who have changed the world because they loved numbers and couldn’t stop thinking about numbers. Some of my favorite math picture books are

Fannie in the Kitchen by Deborah Hopkinson

The Librarian Who Measured the Earth by Kathryn Lasky

Five Little Monkeys Series by Eileen Christelow

Nothing Stopped Sophie by Cheryl Bardoe

Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine by Laurie Wallmark

How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin? by Margaret McNamara

How Much is a Million? by David Schwartz

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

Two of Everything by Lily Toy Hong

Billions of Bricks: A Counting Book About Building by Kurt Cyrus

I had to control myself and keep my list of picture books to only 10. I love picture books and think they should be part of every subject for every age. But that is a topic for another post. Happy reading and happy adding!