Our Choice for Math- CTCMath (Review)

We’ve started a new school year, and this year we have decided to do things differently than the previous years starting with our math curriculum. The girls were becoming burnt out with our previous text which led us to the decision to move CTCMath to the forefront versus using it as a supplement. Last year when we reviewed the CTCMath Homeschool Membership , I shared that it could be used either as a full curriculum or as a supplement. This year when the one year subscription became available for review again, I knew I would be focusing on using it as a main source of math education for my daughters.

Why are we using CTCMath as a full math curriculum?

CTCMath has a clear scope and sequence of the mathematics concepts taught in each grade level.  My oldest daughter who is using grade 6 appreciates the video instruction that is provided while my youngest daughter who is using grade 4 appreciates the fact that she doesn’t have to write as much along with having shorter lessons than traditional math texts.  I appreciate the fact that I will less likely get behind in grading since CTCMath keeps track of the girls’ progress for me.  I am able to use this information to pull out the mathematical concepts which need further development if they do not do well on a particular topic.  This will also help them from becoming frustrated from repeatedly doing multiple problems of skills that they are able to confidently solve or have mastered.

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How are we using CTCMath as a full curriculum?

As you may know, I still have an affinity to seeing some math completed with paper and pencil.  This is so I am able to see the mistakes they have made, and then be able to help them correct from there.  Since CTCMath is totally online, I have to make sure that they take the time to write out the methods they are using for some of the problems.  The girls are scheduled to work on CTCMath four days each week.  In their weekly schedule, I list the topic they are to work on along with the specific sections for each day.  I have found keeping them in one topic for each daily lesson offers less confusion and bouncing around since the lessons are not required to be done in a particular order we can focus one topic of math each day or each week, and then rotate to a different topic for variety.  So far this has been working for the girls.

Final Thoughts …

This is our second year using CTCMath and out of all the online programs we have tried it has stood the test of time.  The online instruction is clear and concise.  The presentations are not dragged out nor have I noticed the instructor losing his train of thought which is nice since this can often cause confusion.  We appreciate the shorter online lessons.  If the girls need me to go further with a topic offline, then there is ample time for us to work on additional skills or methods.  I also am thankful that the videos now include handouts or notes than can be printed for the girls to add to their math binders.  This is a huge blessing especially if it is a new skill or a more difficult that they have yet to master.  I am looking forward to seeing how our school year unfolds now that we have made math time a little more enjoyable.

Are you curious about CTCMath? Consider signing up for a free trial.