Blue Collar Homeschool Curriculum Criteria
In order to be listed in our curriculum lists, materials have to meet certain criteria:
Items noted as "Tried and True" resources have been used by our own family, and we welcome questions!
We are not affiliated with any of the curriculum providers we recommend here, and receive no compensation in any form for our recommendation.
Math
What can we say about math curriculum? You open a book, and start working the problems after reading some instructions...right? WRONG! While we wholeheartedly support the likes of Saxon and other more traditional textbooks (and we would certainly select Saxon over any other "traditional" textbook!), there are other ways to learn math these days. Because there are many well known curricula, all of which do the job well, we are not going to share those resources here, which you can find on any other web site. Instead, we will be presenting the programs that strike the least fear in Homeschool Moms' hearts or are a little different. We all know it has been 20 years or more since we did Algebra, and the terror of even trying to recall how to do fractions is enough to stop some folks from homeschooling! Have no fear, there are alternatives that can keep your child moving forward without you having to prove exactly how long it has been since you had to solve for "x".
Aleks Math
Unlike IXL math, Aleks is an online full curriculum for all levels. It is unique in that it adapts to your learner as they work through problems, using algorithms to offer continual practice in areas that are not solid, and helping to define where there are "holes", then working to fill them. This is about as expensive as Teaching Textbook for an annual subscription of $179. However, you can go month to month, and they offer a 6 month subscription as well. Everything is charted and graphed for you, so you have lots of data about how your learner is doing. A Tried and True resource in our family for both advanced learners and special needs learners!
IXL Math
This online subscription curriculum is designed to be more of a supplement to a more traditional math program and it covers all levels K-12. It is especially good at helping fill in gaps and weaknesses.
Key to...Math Workbooks
This series is considered remedial by some, uncomplicated by others. The Key To series are worktexts that cover fractions, percents, measurement, decimals, algebra, and geometry. If you have a learner who is easily distracted by a lot of material presented on one page, who needs clear visuals to explain step by step math processes, or who benefit from additional work on a particular topic, these worktexts will do the trick!
Teaching Textbooks
Want a program that is virtually hands off for mom? Do your children learn better with visual presentations? Or maybe you have a larger family and just can't possibly keep up with grading math for four, five, six or more kids. Now, on top of all that, imagine your children learning math from two Harvard educated brothers. This program was designed specifically for homeschoolers, and believe it nor not, every.single.problem for the whole year has an animated walk through of how to work the equation. This is a highly rated program that teaches math in a more lighthearted way, with monster factories and other less serious characters appearing in word problems. For the first time ever, your kids won't groan when it is time to do math, and you can heave a sigh of relief knowing that your days of having to hem and haw while you pretend to recall how to calculate percentages are over! This is a very solid program that has CD-ROM and workbooks from the 3rd grade level all the way up through Pre-Calculus...and guess what? It is self correcting!! This is one of those more expensive curriculum, but most of us would easily spend twice as much on it...it has saved many a homeschooling family. Priced from $120 - $185 depending upon the level, it is actually quite a bargain as it can be used by any learner in your family,and really, it is like having a one on one tutor sitting right next to your student, explaining every problem. A tutor would cost a lot more! This is a Tried and True all the way through resource.
You can thank us later :-)
RightStart Mathematics
For elementary students, learning math via a workbook is dry, dry dry. Math can be fun, and RightStart focuses on experiencing math through card games and other manipulatives, rather than worksheet after worksheet. Of course, mom has to be involved, but the guides make that easy enough...really.
In order to be listed in our curriculum lists, materials have to meet certain criteria:
- It must be uncomplicated to teach with.
- It must be as neutral as possible in terms of world view/religious perspectives. If it is not neutral, it must be an exceptionally good resource and be easy to "neutralize" and be able to be used by people of all faiths. This does not mean there is no mention of religion, but that religious training is not a key component of the curriculum.
- It must provide a good education which would fully prepare a student for the real world. Not all of the curriculum suggestions would be appropriate for the college bound student, but then not every student is headed for college and their needs should not be ignored as they so often are.
Items noted as "Tried and True" resources have been used by our own family, and we welcome questions!
We are not affiliated with any of the curriculum providers we recommend here, and receive no compensation in any form for our recommendation.
Math
What can we say about math curriculum? You open a book, and start working the problems after reading some instructions...right? WRONG! While we wholeheartedly support the likes of Saxon and other more traditional textbooks (and we would certainly select Saxon over any other "traditional" textbook!), there are other ways to learn math these days. Because there are many well known curricula, all of which do the job well, we are not going to share those resources here, which you can find on any other web site. Instead, we will be presenting the programs that strike the least fear in Homeschool Moms' hearts or are a little different. We all know it has been 20 years or more since we did Algebra, and the terror of even trying to recall how to do fractions is enough to stop some folks from homeschooling! Have no fear, there are alternatives that can keep your child moving forward without you having to prove exactly how long it has been since you had to solve for "x".
Aleks Math
Unlike IXL math, Aleks is an online full curriculum for all levels. It is unique in that it adapts to your learner as they work through problems, using algorithms to offer continual practice in areas that are not solid, and helping to define where there are "holes", then working to fill them. This is about as expensive as Teaching Textbook for an annual subscription of $179. However, you can go month to month, and they offer a 6 month subscription as well. Everything is charted and graphed for you, so you have lots of data about how your learner is doing. A Tried and True resource in our family for both advanced learners and special needs learners!
IXL Math
This online subscription curriculum is designed to be more of a supplement to a more traditional math program and it covers all levels K-12. It is especially good at helping fill in gaps and weaknesses.
Key to...Math Workbooks
This series is considered remedial by some, uncomplicated by others. The Key To series are worktexts that cover fractions, percents, measurement, decimals, algebra, and geometry. If you have a learner who is easily distracted by a lot of material presented on one page, who needs clear visuals to explain step by step math processes, or who benefit from additional work on a particular topic, these worktexts will do the trick!
Teaching Textbooks
Want a program that is virtually hands off for mom? Do your children learn better with visual presentations? Or maybe you have a larger family and just can't possibly keep up with grading math for four, five, six or more kids. Now, on top of all that, imagine your children learning math from two Harvard educated brothers. This program was designed specifically for homeschoolers, and believe it nor not, every.single.problem for the whole year has an animated walk through of how to work the equation. This is a highly rated program that teaches math in a more lighthearted way, with monster factories and other less serious characters appearing in word problems. For the first time ever, your kids won't groan when it is time to do math, and you can heave a sigh of relief knowing that your days of having to hem and haw while you pretend to recall how to calculate percentages are over! This is a very solid program that has CD-ROM and workbooks from the 3rd grade level all the way up through Pre-Calculus...and guess what? It is self correcting!! This is one of those more expensive curriculum, but most of us would easily spend twice as much on it...it has saved many a homeschooling family. Priced from $120 - $185 depending upon the level, it is actually quite a bargain as it can be used by any learner in your family,and really, it is like having a one on one tutor sitting right next to your student, explaining every problem. A tutor would cost a lot more! This is a Tried and True all the way through resource.
You can thank us later :-)
RightStart Mathematics
For elementary students, learning math via a workbook is dry, dry dry. Math can be fun, and RightStart focuses on experiencing math through card games and other manipulatives, rather than worksheet after worksheet. Of course, mom has to be involved, but the guides make that easy enough...really.