Blue Collar Homeschool Curriculum Criteria
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!
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We are not affiliated with any of the curriculum providers we recommend here, and receive no compensation in any form for our recommendation.

Math

High school level math is where many parents find themselves trembling in terror (Heck, some of us do that at 5th grade math!).  It is one of the main reasons many families hesitate to homeschool. There are plenty of self-teaching resources for high school level math, and they do an outstanding job of helping your high schooler tackle upper level math.  Here are some options for you to consider: 

A+ Education Services
​Algebra 1, Algebra 2, and Geometry textbooks written with "A fresh approach", these textbooks present difficult math concepts in conversational language.  Offering multiple examples of each concept, this may be the way your child best learns!  There are sample lessons on their website for each textbook.  Written by a tutor who has worked with students for years, there is an understanding of where the typical roadblocks to learning Algebra are, and how to overcome them.  
 
Aleks Math
Another recommendation carried over from our elementary curriculum suggestions, Aleks Math offers an online subscription based curriculum.  Unlike Teaching Textbooks, Aleks Math offers Trigonometry, Foundations of High School Math, Math Intervention and more.  If you have a struggling math student, you are likely to find a remedial course that is perfectly suited to your student's needs.  Another Tried and True resource!

Basic Technical Math 
Basic Technical Mathematics shows how algebra and trigonometry are used on the job. It addresses a vast number of technologies including aeronautics, construction, energy, environmental, electronics, computer design, automotive, fire science and more!
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Chalk Dust Math
Professor Dana Mosely has created a full high school math curriculum offered in DVD format with an accompanying textbook.  This is an oft used curriculum which has been around for a very long time, and has produced thousands of satisfied homeschool math learners.  While this may have no fancy bells and whistles, it is a great math instruction program and curriculum which is easy to use, and gets results.

​Charlotte Mason Approach  
Looking for a unique approach to teaching business math?  How about this Charlotte Mason approach, where you own a book store, a pet store, or a sports business and learn business math through those experiences?

​Key To...Math Series 
This series is a worktext based math curriculum broken down by topic, and at the high school level would be considered remedial or for the struggling learner who needs a "cleaner" look to the page.  With course offerings in decimals, fractions, percents, measurement, algebra, and geometry, you can break math down into components and focus on areas of weakness, or work your way through the entire series for a basic, general math course at what would likely be considered a lower end high school math course.  Step by step visual instructions help a learner grasp information that other explanations rushed through.  For a strong remedial program, this is what you need!

Learn Math Fast System
This is a curriculum that provides a nice overall review of concepts in a quick and easy to work through format.  Some will use it for a full curriculum, but most will find it isn't quite suitable for that, but more of a refresher for concepts already studied more in depth.  Also a good help for special needs for revisiting and restudying concepts not quite understood but not desirous of an "overkill" curriculum to cement concepts.

Math and YOU 
Students who read and study Math & YOU will feel at ease using mathematics to make important decisions for individuals, companies, and governments. The program shows students how mathematics can be used to analyze hundreds of different important situations in real life.  The math in this book is easy.   The decisions in the book are difficult. This downloadable PDF math curriculum is unique, and well suited for Blue Collar learners looking for practical math with terrific real life scenarios, which also help deepen logical thinking.  

Math & YOU integrates mathematics with lessons about history, science, finance, pop culture, and many other topics. It is non-Algebra based, highly visual, and is for people who have been frustrated by math courses that have no relevance in their lives.

​Math for Business and Life
Looking for a math course that will teach math as used in real life scenarios?  This is it!  Online grading and quiz options available, along with an online "Help Line" feature. A more engaging text for math than one usually finds, this has photos, business articles, tips and fun tidbits to keep the student interested.  There are sample pages online for you to peruse.

Practical Math
Math curriculum that is PERFECT for kids heading into the trades. It is a two book set, including a math dictionary that can be used for years, and a 21 module workbook that utilizes the dictionary and has practical, real life problems.

Teaching Textbooks 
We recommended Teaching Textbooks for the elementary level, and we even more heartily recommend it for high school.  These self-teaching CD-Rom courses were created by brothers, both Harvard graduates, and they know how to explain complex math and illustrate it in ways that students just "get".  Offering Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Geometry, and Pre-Calculus, they have your high school needs completely covered.  These self-correcting programs make your homeschooling job much less stressful,.  This is a Tried and True resource!

Thinkwell Math
Thinkwell Math is an online format, in which you view a professor in part of your screen, and online animations or white board explanations on another.  Offering everything from Pre-Algebra through Calculus, you could easily use this to teach math all the way through high school.  While there are no remedial offerings, these courses are highly rated for providing strong standard high school math courses.  With automatic grading, parental involvement is minimal, and there are free placement tests offered. A Tried and True resource!

Webber Text Math 
​Math for Business and Life is a solid math curriculum for your high school learner, including both business and consumer math instruction and practice.  This may be one of the best textbooks out there for these subjects!