Hello Homeschooling Parents,
Many parents ask what is a good math curriculum to use for their child. Below I have developed a few questions to think about when picking a curriculum to use.
Does your child like math?
How does your child learn best? Visual, auditory, Tactile
Does your child get easily distracted?
Does your child get bored easily?
Does your child get easily discouraged?
Does my child like math?
I know this seems like a crazy question to ask yourself, but it will help in picking a curriculum for your child. If your child loves math, then you will want to pick a curriculum that will go a little more in depth about the subject. Maybe even be a little challenging then normal. If your child does not like math, you will want to pick a curriculum that gets straight to the point and not go around talking about how it applies to physics or chemistry, for example.
How does your child learn best?
Some children learn better by reading and hearing about the subject, while other children may need to see a picture or demonstration. If your child is a visual learner, you will want to pick a curriculum with lots of pictures, diagrams, and color. Also having videos that go along with the curriculum will work well for your child. For children that learn best by auditory, a book with less pictures and more words will work best. Some curriculums come with CD’s that read the problems aloud for the student. This will be very beneficial for them.
Does my child get easily distracted?
Some children get easily distracted while working. The may need a curriculum with less pictures and colors to keep them from stoping multiple times to look at the pictures. Keep in mind they may need a curriculum that has shorter lessons to keep them focused.
Does my child get bored easily?
Some curriculums stay on one subject until it completely teaches you everything with that particular subject. There are other books like Saxon Math that changes the subject from lesson to lesson. If your child gets bored easily, try a book like saxon that changes the subject up every couple of lessons. Also if your child is bored the curriculum may not be challenging enough. They may need something else to keep them motivated.
Does your child get easily discouraged?
If your child gets easily discouraged, you may want to try a book with shorter lessons. This will give them the feeling of a small victory, every time they finish a lesson. Lessons that are long and confusing will cause the child to not want to do any work.
These are just five things to consider when you are choosing a math curriculum for your child. You will want to pick a curriculum that will help your child succeed and feel accomplished when they are finished.