A "Build-Your-Own" Math Curriculum

If someone were to ask me what homeschooling philosophy I follow, I'd probably say, "A little of this…a little of that." I don't subscribe to any one philosophy—or curriculum for that matter—because there's not one that fits each one of my children's learning styles.

Consequently, I'm the epitome of the eclectic homeschooler; our "curriculum" is just about as varied as you can get.

To illustrate what I mean, just take a look at the wide variety of curriculum we're using, or have used, this year. (I definitely didn't call up Abeka or Bob Jones and tell them to send me their curriculum for grades K, 3, and 5):

• Language Arts: Explode the Code, Reading Detective, McGrawhill and Instructional Fair Grammar books, Write Source 2000 Daily Language Workouts, a Reason for Handwriting, Wordly Wise, journal writing, blogging, mom-created spelling lists
• History & Geography: Story of the World, Seterra, Abeka Geography Bowl, Mrs. Waffenschmidt, Standard Deviants DVDs, a globe, a map, and an atlas
• Science: Usborne Science Encyclopedia, American Red Cross Community First Aid book, HowStuffWorks.com
• Math: Key to series, Math U See, Saxon, the Math Worksheet Site

As you can see, I like to pick and choose curriculum based on how well it meets my children's learning styles—and, of course, how well it helps us meet our learning goals.

I'm pretty happy with the curriculum we've chosen for all the subjects except math. Math seems to be the one subject for which I haven't found the "perfect" curriculum yet (maybe that just means there isn't a perfect math curriculum?). The kids have used various curricula over the years, including BJU, Saxon, Math-U-See, the Key to Series, and Singapore, and while they have learned what they're "supposed to" learn (and even more in some cases), I haven't found that one curriculum that meets all their needs from year to year.

So now I'm faced with what to do in math for next year.

Saxon is completely a "no" because I always have to re-explain their explanations and there's too much busy work in each lesson (the only reason we did Saxon 76 with Jaden this year was…well, I did get the book for just $8…but really all we did was do a quick "review" through the book to make sure he didn't have any gaps in his knowledge.)

Jerah hasn't liked Math-U-See (I think) mainly because the way it's taught is not the way she thinks. It's a great curriculum, but it just doesn't fit her.

The only curriculum that has worked really well for both Jaden and Jerah is the Key to… Series; but of course, the Key to… Series not a complete curriculum, so I'd need to supplement it (the Key to…Series is topical, covering Fractions, Decimals, Percents, Geometry, Measurement, Algebra, etc.)

So, after thinking long and hard about what to do about math for next year, I've finally determined I'm going to be making up my own math curriculum for all three kids, similar to what I've done with language arts. I won't really be making it up completely on my own, I'll just be piecing it together from various sources in order to fit each child's learning needs without excess, and unnecessary, busy work. I've done this eclectic approach with math some in prior years, but this is the first time I'm going to do it exclusively for their math all year long.

So here's the plan:

Jaden (he'll officially be in 6th grade)

1. I'm going to have him complete the first four books of the Key to Algebra series (he completed Book 1 of Key to Algebra today); that will cover some basic pre-Algebra concepts. He's already completed Key to Fractions and Percents this year, so he's got a good grasp of those concepts already.
2. I'll print off customized worksheets from the Math Worksheet Site to help him review basic operations (i.e. math drills) as well as any other concepts that he needs to review. This site is invaluable! I used it the first couple years we homeschooled and it was such a lifesaver. It was so easy to customize and print out assignments that increased in difficulty as the kids progressed.
3. I also picked up a couple of word problem books that Jaden will complete throughout the year that will help him apply the concepts he's already learned: Word Problems by Instructional Fair, and Math Word Problems by Anita Harnadek.
4. I'll refer to Maximum Math by Kathryn Stout to help me make sure that all the concepts Jaden needs to learn are covered.

Jerah (she'll be a 4th grader)

1. She'll work in the Key to Fractions, Decimals, and Percents series. I'm not sure how much of each series she'll complete next year, but she'll do at least the first two books of each series. She'll also complete the Key to Metric Measurement series in its entirety.
2. I'll print off customized worksheets from the Math Worksheet Site. Thanks to Math-U-See, Jerah knows how to multiply and divide multiple digits already, so I'll just let that concept percolate in her brain next year and provide occasional review with the printed worksheets. I'll also print off various other worksheets from the site to help her review her basic math facts, money, time, and geometry.
3. I have a Singapore Math Level 3 Intensive Practice book that Jerah will work on at the beginning of the year to help her review. Singapore's Intensive Practice books can be quite challenging, so it'll be a good way to review what she learned this year.
4. I'll refer to Maximum Math to help me make sure that all the concepts Jerah needs to learn are covered.

Joely (my baby will be in 1st grade!)

1. I'll refer to Maximum Math and Ruth Beechick's An Easy Start in Arithmetic to direct me in the activities Joely and I do together. We'll be using lots and lots of manipulatives, which Joely loves.
2. I have several K-2 math workbooks on my bookshelf; I'll pull those out to use when they're applicable to the concept that Joely and I are working on. Joely really likes doing worksheets; it's still "fun" for her.
3. I'll also print off customized worksheets from the Math Worksheet Site to help Joely review sequencing, additions, subtractions, money, telling time, etc. I'll use worksheets less with Joely than I do with Jaden and Jerah since Joely and I will be using manipulatives to review concepts as much as possible.

Of course, since I won't be using a full-blown curriculum, I'll have to do a lot more planning ahead of time to make sure I know what I'm going to be covering each week. But thankfully I'll have the Maximum Math and Beechick book to help me with my planning. I also use Homeschool Tracker Plus which will make creating my lesson plans easier.

I know a lot of homeschooling moms may feel more comfortable with a ready-made math curriculum, but I've always loved math, so this patchwork approach to math is something that actually appeals to me greatly. With an eclectic apporoach to math, I feel like I have more control over what—and how—my kids are learning, and that I have the freedom to customize their instruction to meet their individual needs.

So a "do-it-yourself" math curriculum really works for me.

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