Best Homeschool Math Curriculum for 2024 and Beyond
When we started homeschooling, our first major decision was what math curriculum to use. My oldest son loved math and had a great aptitude for it. My husband was previously a math teacher and would introduce higher-level concepts early on to gain familiarity. His reasoning was to familiarize our son with these concepts early on, to remove the fear and unknown later.
We used to jokingly (sort of) talk about the Pythagorean theorem with our son at 4 years old. After enough times repeating it to him, he memorized it without actually understanding what we were talking about. He used to tell us in his sweet little voice, “A squared plus B squared equals C squared” with a huge smile of accomplishment. We weren’t trying to teach him this advanced concept, rather we were familiarizing him with it so that later on when he learns about the Pythagorean theorem, instead of feeling like this was a new language, he would say, “Hey, I remember this.” Taking the fear out of math helps everyone. We call this “preview” teaching. When we discovered Beast Academy Math, this is exactly what we found. They introduce high-level concepts early on, much earlier than most math curriculums. They do this in a way that creates an excellent foundation of math skills for the future. Not only that, but Beast Academy is FUN!
In the vast world of math, finding a curriculum that engages and challenges young learners can be daunting. Beast Academy Math Curriculum, developed by the Art of Problem Solving, offers a unique and captivating approach to mathematics that goes beyond the traditional methods. We want to help you decide if Beast Academy Math curriculum is a good fit for your family.
Overview of Beast Academy Curriculum
Beast Academy teaches math to 6-13 year olds through 5 levels. Each level corresponds to an age range as opposed to a grade level. This allows you to tailor the curriculum to your child which is one of the beauties of homeschooling. There are placement tests on their website to help you find the right level for your child. Each level is broken into four parts A-D and you can purchase them individually if your child is halfway through a level. You have the freedom to start anywhere, and you don’t have to feel committed to an entire year if your child is somewhere in the middle after completing a placement test.
If you are switching to Beast Academy from another curriculum rather than starting at level 1, I would suggest going back a book or even half a level for you and your child to learn how to learn with Beast Academy. It is easier to transition to this style of education if you are reviewing content you already know, rather than trying to learn a new math concept at the same time. It also takes time as a parent to redefine our idea of learning. The most beneficial thing I have learned from Beast Academy is that it is more impactful to answer one complex problem than 100 busy work memorization problems that don’t actually teach you how to solve problems.
Each level of Beast Academy contains guidebooks and practice books. The guide books are in graphic novel (comic book) format, providing visual representations of problems. They often show multiple ways to solve a problem. The answers in the back of the practice book also give you multiple ways to solve a problem, fostering different learning styles and comprehension levels as well as creative thinking applied to math. I have never seen a math curriculum encourage creativity in this same way.
In the back of the practice book, there is a section called ‘hints for selected problems’, these are for the more difficult problems. They are questions to ask your learner to help prompt the first steps of solving a problem. These are really helpful for those of us who aren’t teachers or mathematicians.
Guides introduce concepts and workbooks are for putting those concepts to use. There are fewer problems in Beast Academy than in other math curricula, but each problem is far more complex and takes time and critical thinking to solve. Overall, we spend the same amount of time with a higher level of understanding and less repetitive, boring memorization.
Reasons Why We Love Beast Academy:
Engaging and Interactive Content
Beast Academy is designed to captivate young minds and spark their interest in mathematics. The curriculum presents mathematical concepts through an exciting comic book-style format, featuring intriguing characters and captivating storylines. This visually appealing approach helps to create an immersive learning experience that students find both enjoyable and memorable. Our kids absolutely love that the guidebooks are in comic book format. They are fun, filled with humor, and have an interesting storyline. There are great characters, both teacher monsters and student monsters, with unique personalities and their own senses of humor.
Our kids also love that the monster characters grow and age at each level just like them. There is a huge difference between the monsters in level 1 and level 4. This really helps kids relate to the monsters, keeping them coming back for more. I never thought our kids would be so excited to get their math books each year. When the box arrives they spend hours looking through them, excitedly showing each other pages in each of their levels.
Conceptual Understanding
One of the strengths of Beast Academy is its emphasis on developing a deep conceptual understanding of mathematical concepts. Rather than relying solely on rote memorization and repetitive practice, the curriculum focuses on problem-solving and critical thinking skills. It encourages students to explore and discover mathematical principles on their own, promoting a more profound understanding of the subject, and teaching your children skills that will carry them throughout their lives.
We have experienced this firsthand by watching the spark and the joy in our children’s eyes as they figure something out on their own versus being told concepts repetitively. That is the definition of homeschool success. Beast Academy helps students (and parents) understand the “why” and not just “how” to solve math problems. I have learned so many tips, tricks, and higher level understanding that I often tell my son, “Wow, I wish they taught me this in this way when I was in school!”
Rigorous and Challenging Problems
Beast Academy’s curriculum is known for its challenging problems. It goes beyond the standard grade-level curriculum, presenting math concepts in a more advanced and thought-provoking manner. By exposing students to complex problems, Beast Academy helps them develop problem-solving strategies, logical reasoning, and perseverance– essential skills that go beyond math and apply to all areas of life. Beast Academy is the best preparation for higher-level math. They introduce higher-level concepts early on so that in middle and high school, these same concepts will not be foreign to them as they begin to study more complex math.
Sequential and Coherent Progression
The curriculum is carefully structured, ensuring a seamless progression of mathematical concepts. Each level builds upon the foundation from previous levels, allowing students to strengthen their skills gradually. The content is logically organized and aligns with the Common Core State Standards, providing a comprehensive and coherent curriculum. Concepts are constantly building upon each other so that each new concept has a familiarity to it, creating less stress over new topics. Revisiting previous chapters’ concepts while introducing new ones, allows for a deeper understanding than just introducing new concepts and reviewing old ones separately like other curricula often do.
Parent Resources
Beast Academy provides ample support and resources for parents. The curriculum includes detailed lesson guides, answer keys, and online video tutorials, enabling parents to facilitate learning effectively. These resources allow for a smooth implementation of the program, regardless of your mathematical background.
Conclusion
Beast Academy stands out as an exceptional curriculum for nurturing young minds. By combining engaging content, conceptual understanding, and rigorous problem-solving, Beast Academy provides an effective and enjoyable approach to learning math. Students who use Beast Academy are likely to develop not only strong mathematical skills but also strong critical thinking skills. Beast Academy takes patience and perseverance, and kids who are “good at math” may be frustrated at first with this style of learning. Kids who are used to math being “easy” and students who excel at worksheets and fact memorization will find themselves challenged in a completely new way. But struggling and learning to persevere are crucial life lessons that are hard to watch our children go through, but are so necessary. This helps build a growth mindset. (For more info about growth mindset and why it is so important, visit biglifejournal.com). It took our son some time to transition because of all of the reasons I just mentioned, but now he absolutely loves it. He looks forward to math every day, especially when we read the guidebook/ comic book. We are thrilled with this curriculum and all of the benefits and we hope you love it as much as we do.
Please share this article with all of your homeschool friends! Happy Homeschooling!
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Your article helped me a lot, is there any more related content? Thanks!