Making Homeschool High School Math a Breeze (For Student & Mom)

Published:
January 31, 2020

Annette Breedlove

Contributor:
Annette Breedlove

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My oldest officially entered high school this year. It is a bit surreal to think we have less than 4 years with him at home now. At least full time in our homeschool. His courses are on track, he’s even ahead in a couple of subjects and we have started looking at dual enrollment options for next year. Frankly, it all seems to be moving too fast!

And while we seem to have it all together right now, it wasn’t always the case. In fact, I really struggled to make the transition from middle school to high school. I didn’t know how to create a transcript or how to make sure we covered all the classes he needed to graduate.

high school boy with over the shoulder school bag

However, there is one class we have completely covered – Math. And I couldn’t be more thrilled. Math isn’t my most favorite subject, but it’s not my worst. But teaching it at the high school level, to an advanced student, was a whole other story. 

Thankfully we found CTCMath several years ago, which has really truly made high school math a breeze. The subject I feared the most, I have come to love – at least the ease of it. And while we use this program with each of our children, the value for high schoolers is huge.

No Stress Planning

I love planning. Planning parties. Family Trips. Meetups with friends. I even enjoyed planning lessons and units for my kids when they were younger. However, planning out four years of high school literally sent me into panic mode. I had a hard enough time planning one school year, let alone four.

CTCMath Solution: Even though I loosely plan the lessons for my oldest, CTCMath offers a variety of planning tools. My children are allowed to do as many lessons a day, so long as they understand the concept. However, if you have those that struggle with math, you can assign them daily tasks in the form of lessons and diagnostic tests. This may not only keep them on track but also give them a guideline for their week.

Ease of Record-Keeping

One aspect of high school that really tripped me up was the record keeping. While I kept track of what my children did for their schoolwork through the years, I never kept strict records. In our state, homeschool laws are very relaxed, which means we didn’t have to report to anyone. And while I love that about our state, I was terrified that I was going to mess up the high school years with record-keeping.

CTCMath Solution: While I can’t help you with every subject, I can take the burden of record-keeping away for math. With CTCMath, it not only grades every lesson instantly, but it also records them neatly in the database. You can pull them up at any time and even download a PDF of their results for your records.

Online Video Lessons

If you’re like me, math may not be your forte. Oh sure, I can do the work for the most part, but I can’t teach it to save my life. With a traditional book curriculum, the lessons may be written in the teacher’s edition, but you still have to teach it. And if you don’t know how to teach the concept, you’re left trying to find a supplement or online video to help.

CTCMath Solution: Online video lessons have completely saved us and helped us stay on track. With online lessons, each child can sign in to their account and watch the daily lesson on their own. You can easily rewind and even pause the lessons so the student can go back over the examples. My son often pauses them on parts he needs to remember so he can refer to it throughout the lesson.

Go at Your Own Pace

Being able to take subjects and learning at our children’s pace is probably my favorite part of homeschooling. If they are struggling, we can slow down and help them catch up. If they are excelling, we can help push them forward.

CTCMath Solution: With six children in our family, we go through quite a bit of curriculum. Our oldest enjoys math and is already on his second level for this year. If we used a traditional book curriculum, we would’ve spent hundreds of dollars just for this year. But with CTCMath, students can move at their own pace through the lessons. Whether they do one lesson a day, two a day or take several days to fully comprehend and complete a lesson – they are free to do so.

Budget-Friendly Price

One of the biggest issues for us in choosing high school curriculum was the price. Many of the more advanced math levels are pricey. They can range anywhere from $60/year to $150, which only covers the specific class or curriculum you purchased.

CTCMath Solution: As a homeschooler when you enroll with a single or family membership, you not only get a discounted rate, you also have access to every level CTCMath offers. So if your student works quickly or grasps Geometry easily, they can easily work ahead and move on to the next subject with no additional charge.

When we found CTCMath several years ago, I was desperate. I was just moments away from giving up on homeschooling altogether. The daily tears were stressful and no one was having fun learning. Thankfully, in just a few short weeks, that all changed

My children that struggle with math have easily caught up and exceeded their grade level. And my children who enjoy math are being challenged and excelling far beyond what I ever imagined.

Whether you have a high schooler or one approaching, we believe CTCMath is a wonderful choice for the entire family.

high school boy with over the shoulder school bag

 

 

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