Mathematics

Although the most popular math programs at ASCEND are listed with a short description below, but additional reviews can be found at Home School Math and Exodus Books for your reading pleasure, when you are ready to grapple with the most difficult decision every homeschooling mom makes: which math program to use… and stick with. Best of luck!

• Math with Confidence––a brand new, but highly praised math program that takes a Charlotte-Mason, common sense approach, also incorporating a variety of games, and suggesting household items as manipulatives. Very innovative and home-friendly!
• Singapore Math––a thorough but efficient approach for K-6, often slightly ahead of BC grade-level outcomes. Available through Classical Education Books and The Learning House.
• Math U See––a K-12 program focusing on conceptual understanding through visuals, manipulatives and games. Video lessons also available  which is a selling point for many parents and for students who struggle with math (as they can rematch videos as necessary).
• RightStart Math––an excellent math program to build skills, incorporating many games and manipulatives, and geared to a variety of learning styles. A word of caution though, that this program does require significant parental planning and involvement, especially at the younger ages. Available through The Learning House.
• Snap Mathematics––grades 7-9 only. Aligned to BC’ standards, with a straightforward approach and just a few practise questions before each review. These workbooks really do get students through math in a snap, perfect for middle graders who just want to get things done!
• Life of Fred––an innovative K-12 math program incorporating a continuing narrative into each lesson. Great for those who are always asking, “Why will I need to know this??” Note, however, that this program does not emphasize numeracy drills, so is often used as a supplement to other programs. Available through The Learning House.
• Math Lessons for a Living Education––like the Life of Fred series, this Charlotte Mason approach to math breaks down the barriers between math and humanities, following the narrative of two children as they learn about numbers at their grandparents’ farm. Available at The Learning House.
• Aleks Math––an online math program that also meets BC standards (more closely than Teaching Textbooks)
• Ikoma Abacus––this is an interesting approach to learning about numbers, but so far only currently available in Vancouver.

Great math additives….

• Bridge the Gap Math––for intermediate students struggling or missing some concepts, Bridge the Gap Math addresses those ‘golden keys’ of intermediate math. For students in grades 4 -7 who need to fill in some blanks, this is a great resource.
• Math Antics is a series of video tutorials that clearly and efficiently fills the gaps without overthinking the details, another great resource for exploring particular skills and concepts.
• Xtramath.org––good for practise with the basic operations. Simple but intuitive.
• Math is Fun––an amazing compilation of math games and other resources for math learning.
• The Verbal Math Lesson––developed to help make mental math fun, and less paper-oriented
• Anno’s Math Games––a book of math games reinforcing key mathematical concepts for primary students, especially focusing on charting and sorting skills. Available as a free pdf (linked above) or through Amazon.
• Singapore Word Problems––an addendum to the Singapore programs, but it can supplement any math programs to encourage and develop problem-solving abilities.
• Life of Fred––while this can be used as a stand-alone program, it is more appropriate as a fun and creative supplement to encourage children to see how math fits into other areas of life, and vice versa.

Math Tutorials Online

• BC Exam Bank––this is a great place to start when figuring out placement according to BC’s outcomes, or to test students as they work through curricula
• THSS Math – for secondary math, and geared to BC outcomes
• Purple Math––a great tutorial site, even for secondary math
• Math Is Fun––a good games site, to build skills
• Khan Academy––excellent tutorials for both math and science topics, with a searchable database