by I was received a free subscription and was compensated for my time in exchange for an honest review.
When my daughter showed signs of wanting to learn math independently, I was a little nervous about giving up control. Still, I couldn't continue fighting with her to get her to listen to my explanations when she couldn't sit still.
So we turned to online math curriculum. It was working great until we hit adolescence and again she couldn't focus as well. I was honestly pretty frustrated with the daily fights over completing her work, then having her have to redo it because she didn't pay attention the first time. I was digging through curriculum reviews trying to find something that looked like it would fit her!
I was looking at a couple different curricula when I was given the chance to review CTCMath. It was perfect timing as CTCMath was on my short list already!
All of my kids (even the first grader) were eager to jump in and start doing lessons with the new math; maybe it was the Australian accent of the teacher, or maybe they just like new things. Either way they jumped in with gusto completely a few lessons daily as it was review.
For me, I was a bit confused at the set up at first. Each grade level is divided into general topics which are then divided into individual lessons. Looking at it all left my head spinning. Once you actually sit down and look, there are no more lessons per grade level then other curricula; it is just laid out different.
The quantity of lessons laid out before you didn't phase my children. Not one bit. They jumped in!
I struggled coming up with a SHORT list of benefits for CTCMath especially when I started digging into it a bit more, so bare with me as we go through all the benefits!
The first is self explanatory, this math curriculum is online. This is a great benefit for me because I don't have to teach math. Now, I am not bad at math, but apparently, I am not good at teaching math. Having the teacher online is great for allowing my kids to work independently too. If they don't get it, they can watch again or ask me (or their dad) for more help if they really need it. They work on computers as well as mobile devices, so now if you have internet, you have math!
CTCMath lessons are short! This one is huge in my family. Short attention spans abound, and more lengthy explanations get ignored and then the kids are frustrated they can't properly do the work. The teaching part is no more then 9 minutes followed by the problems which were not excessive at all.
Kids can work at their own pace. When you subscribe to CTCMath, you have access to all grade levels of math. So not only can your child work at any grade level, they can work at different grade levels for different objectives. Doing great with great with addition, but needed review of fractions. Head back a grade level on the fractions for review! It is so customizable!
They offer speed skills. Some parents don't worry about these because as long as the kids understand how to do the math they can solve the problem without the memorization. I agree, they can, but I have seen in my own house, when those basic skills are not memorized math becomes frustrating.
Emailed Progress Reports! If you are already a super busy homeschool mom, it can be hard to find time to log into one more site to check your kids progress. CTCMath emails them to you! No hunting them down, just check your inbox and see how your kids are keeping up. You can also set your own pass point for your kids lessons!
Checklists just for you! And for those busy parents that like to make checklists (raising my hand here), CTCMath has done it for you. In the parent section you can download the checklist for each grade level and record how your child has performed on each math skill. Great to have on had for homeschool portfolios!
CTCMath is a very affordable homeschool math choice. In fact they know most homeschool parents need to keep things affordable and offer a 60% discount to homeschoolers! Plus if you have more than one kid, the family plan is the way to go. It offers one low price for all of your kids. For a 12 month homeschool family plan it is $118.80 which is only $9.90 a month for all your kids!
There is one more benefit to our family that may or may not be a benefit for everyone, the CTCMath website is calm. The screen is not elaborately decorated or full of bright colors. For my easily distracted kids, this was a good thing. I know bright colors and illustrations are fun and enticing for many kids, but mine seem to have a hard time concentrating on the work with them there, so the calmness of CTCMath has been helpful to them. They can change the color, but there are no patterns or animations.
Ready to Sign Up? Home schooling families receive a massive 60% discount from regular price. When you purchase any 12 month membership, you receive a bonus 6 months for FREE for a total of 18 months.
Not convinced, but you want to give it a try? They have free 2 week trial! Just don't get overwhelmed by the layout of the lessons like I did!
When my daughter showed signs of wanting to learn math independently, I was a little nervous about giving up control. Still, I couldn't continue fighting with her to get her to listen to my explanations when she couldn't sit still.
So we turned to online math curriculum. It was working great until we hit adolescence and again she couldn't focus as well. I was honestly pretty frustrated with the daily fights over completing her work, then having her have to redo it because she didn't pay attention the first time. I was digging through curriculum reviews trying to find something that looked like it would fit her!
I was looking at a couple different curricula when I was given the chance to review CTCMath. It was perfect timing as CTCMath was on my short list already!
All of my kids (even the first grader) were eager to jump in and start doing lessons with the new math; maybe it was the Australian accent of the teacher, or maybe they just like new things. Either way they jumped in with gusto completely a few lessons daily as it was review.
For me, I was a bit confused at the set up at first. Each grade level is divided into general topics which are then divided into individual lessons. Looking at it all left my head spinning. Once you actually sit down and look, there are no more lessons per grade level then other curricula; it is just laid out different.
The quantity of lessons laid out before you didn't phase my children. Not one bit. They jumped in!
Unique Aspects of CTCMath Great for Homeschool
- Online
- Short lessons
- Kids work at their pace
- Speed skills
- Emailed progress report
- Checklists
- Very Affordable
I struggled coming up with a SHORT list of benefits for CTCMath especially when I started digging into it a bit more, so bare with me as we go through all the benefits!
The first is self explanatory, this math curriculum is online. This is a great benefit for me because I don't have to teach math. Now, I am not bad at math, but apparently, I am not good at teaching math. Having the teacher online is great for allowing my kids to work independently too. If they don't get it, they can watch again or ask me (or their dad) for more help if they really need it. They work on computers as well as mobile devices, so now if you have internet, you have math!
CTCMath lessons are short! This one is huge in my family. Short attention spans abound, and more lengthy explanations get ignored and then the kids are frustrated they can't properly do the work. The teaching part is no more then 9 minutes followed by the problems which were not excessive at all.
Kids can work at their own pace. When you subscribe to CTCMath, you have access to all grade levels of math. So not only can your child work at any grade level, they can work at different grade levels for different objectives. Doing great with great with addition, but needed review of fractions. Head back a grade level on the fractions for review! It is so customizable!
They offer speed skills. Some parents don't worry about these because as long as the kids understand how to do the math they can solve the problem without the memorization. I agree, they can, but I have seen in my own house, when those basic skills are not memorized math becomes frustrating.
Emailed Progress Reports! If you are already a super busy homeschool mom, it can be hard to find time to log into one more site to check your kids progress. CTCMath emails them to you! No hunting them down, just check your inbox and see how your kids are keeping up. You can also set your own pass point for your kids lessons!
Checklists just for you! And for those busy parents that like to make checklists (raising my hand here), CTCMath has done it for you. In the parent section you can download the checklist for each grade level and record how your child has performed on each math skill. Great to have on had for homeschool portfolios!
CTCMath is a very affordable homeschool math choice. In fact they know most homeschool parents need to keep things affordable and offer a 60% discount to homeschoolers! Plus if you have more than one kid, the family plan is the way to go. It offers one low price for all of your kids. For a 12 month homeschool family plan it is $118.80 which is only $9.90 a month for all your kids!
There is one more benefit to our family that may or may not be a benefit for everyone, the CTCMath website is calm. The screen is not elaborately decorated or full of bright colors. For my easily distracted kids, this was a good thing. I know bright colors and illustrations are fun and enticing for many kids, but mine seem to have a hard time concentrating on the work with them there, so the calmness of CTCMath has been helpful to them. They can change the color, but there are no patterns or animations.
Who Shouldn't Use CTCMath?
There are really not many reasons I can find to not use CTCMath in your homeschool, but there are a couple that stand out.
People who prefer paper and pencil or who have poor internet service would probably prefer a different curriculum.
Also, people who want to use common core aligned curriculum should look elsewhere. CTCMath is not common core aligned, but instead teaches through a more traditional method where students choose the way they solve problems.
Kids' Opinions!
Of course, I wanted to get my kids opinions on the curriculum as well, so I asked them what their favorite part of CTCMath was; here are their responses:
My 7 year-old, "It tells you when you will be done!" (aka a progress bar)
My 10-year-old, "It's short, and the explanations are easy, and they let you try again."
My 11-year-old, "It has fewer practice problems!"
Ready to Sign Up? Home schooling families receive a massive 60% discount from regular price. When you purchase any 12 month membership, you receive a bonus 6 months for FREE for a total of 18 months.
Not convinced, but you want to give it a try? They have free 2 week trial! Just don't get overwhelmed by the layout of the lessons like I did!
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