Math Mammoth Homeschool Math Curriculum Review
Math Mammoth is a homeschool math curriculum that has been on my radar for a few years. It seems that everyone searches for the “perfect” homeschool math curriculum. They scour books and blogs and websites. They ask friends and stop at every math resource booth at the local homeschool convention. I’m here to let you in on a secret that I’ve found in our years of homeschooling.
There is no one “perfect” math curriculum.
Gasp! Yep. The reason that there are so many math programs available to homeschoolers is that there are many different types of learners, personalities, and situations. You need to find the program that fits your student’s learning style at that time and that fits your teaching style. That is your “perfect” math curriculum.
The reason people rave about their favorite math curriculum and think it is the only one to use is that they have found the curriculum that works for them. They have found their “perfect” homeschool math curriculum.
Have you found yours?
Math Mammoth
A few of my local homeschool friends Math Mammoth it in the past with their children with great success. I was excited to get the opportunity to review Math Mammoth’s Light Blue Series curriculum and get to see it first-hand.
Math Mammoth was developed and tested by its author who has taught for many years. The curriculum has also been available for a long time and used my thousands of homeschooling families. I like that it has a proven track record. There are a lot of reviews for Math Mammoth, so check them out too.
Math Mammoth Light Blue Series is a mastery oriented, complete homeschool math curriculum available for grades 1 through 7. It contains student text pages that also serve as the workbook. Tests and answers are, also, included.
Plus, there are videos that show problems being explained and worked. I like that the videos are arranged by lesson # and there are some listed by concept being taught. So, if you have a visual or auditory learner, the videos are a great addition to help reinforce information and mastery.
I downloaded the Math Mammoth, grade 6 level for my son. It includes beginning algebra and geometry. The curriculum does a good job of explaining new concepts with plenty of opportunity to practice the concepts (math problems) with occasional help along the way. It is designed for the student to teach themselves.
What We Like About Math Mammoth
- Complete curriculum
- Combined text and workbook
- Easy to follow explanations
- Online videos for each lesson to explain the concepts being taught. The instructor works out problems in the video.
- Plenty of practice problems
- Self-teaching with minimum planning and teaching time on the part of the parent/teacher
- Mastery-oriented
- Focuses on conceptual understanding not memorization. It’s important our students get the solid foundation and truly master the concepts, or they will struggle with higher level math courses.
- Placement tests
- Downloadable so it can be used for multiple students.
- Lots of math resource and learning games links
There are a few logistical points to consider:
- Some people may not want to print out the entire program. A printed version is available, but costs more. However, the Epson Ecotank is very popular among homeschoolers. Increasingly, we are using downloadables. (That’s all we offer here on The Homeschool Scientist!)
- The area available for writing the answers might be a bit small for some students, but you can always use extra paper.
I love the way Math Mammoth teaches students to keep their number columns organized.
Would I Recommend Math Mammoth?
In your pursuit of the right math program for your children, I would definitely take a look at Math Mammoth. It is a quality, well-planned curriculum that will teach your children to understand math not just memorize math facts.
Math Mammoth would be great for motivated, self-starting students to do on their own or as a great way to start to teach your children to be independent learners.
Connect With Math Mammoth
Sign up for the Math Mammoth e-mail list and get a free book!
Other Math Resources You Might Be Interested In
40+ Math Manipulatives and Games – We have always used games and fun math-related books to go with our math curriculum. Try some of these alongside your Math Mammoth!
Here are some ideas for math activities when you are on summer break or taking a curriculum break around the holidays.