Math Resources
Here is a roundup of all of my favorite resources for math instruction, practice, games, and exploration. Included are links to the math curriculums that I recommend, my favorite math stories, my go-to resources for practice and games, and more. Enjoy!
Math Curriculum
The math curriculum that I most highly recommend is MEP.
From using several math programs and extensively reviewing many, I have formed the opinion that MEP can be used by nearly everyone and is extremely conducive to a living education. Here are the reasons I love MEP.
1. It is a brilliant blend of the mastery and the spiral approaches to math instruction. It provides mastery based material with a variety of exercises and types of practice.
2. Because of its format it is very versatile. You can skip portions of the books, moving forward at a faster pace. You can go through the material very slowly, not using the entire year and still find opportunity to master new material and build upon previously mastered material from the previous year. You can use only portions of the books or all of them. (Because it is free, you can do this without incurring any cost)
3. It is perfect for a Charlotte Mason education because the lessons can be kept short, the written practice is not extensive, and the material promotes mathematical reasoning.
Other Programs I Recommend:
1.Life of Fred- Mason didn't use math stories to teach math material and I do realize that some would label the Fred stories as twaddle. However, I think they are brilliant and the concepts are explained very well. The written work is very minimal, fitting Mason's heavy lean upon oral work in the younger years. There is also a huge focus on mathematical reasoning, and the stories and questions naturally form relations between math and the rest of life.
2. Khan Academy- I LOVE the videos on Khan Academy, and I think they are a great math supplement or great math lessons themselves. The videos are short, the instruction is straightforward, and the exercises are the perfect length and helpful to understanding.
3. Math Primers- I love out of print math primers from the public domain. I often take a concept from a math primer and build short lessons following the format of introduce, demonstrate, narrate, practice. I also use math primers to help me progress through math concepts in lessons that I form myself, giving me a list and an idea of what concepts are included in a thorough math education.
(There are a few math books linked here, in my Public Domain Roundup Post)
4. Singapore Math- Singapore is a mastery based program that mimics Mason's approach to math concepts by following a concrete-pictorial-abstract progression. However, lessons must be shortened and written work must be decreased. Narration of concepts should also be added, along with math games to encourage mathematical reasoning.
5. Art of Problem Solving by Beast Academy
6. Under the Home- uses Ray's Arithmetic, which are classic Math Primers that build strong computational skills and mental calculation, and include many word problems. You can use grades 1-4 for free on UTH (with more to come), broken down into daily lessons and with a free lesson guide. Or, you can purchase all of Ray's on CD for a great price from Dollar Homeschool.
7. Purple Math is a free online algebra program that is straightforward and easily adapted.
8. Applied Math Series
9. Barron's Painless Math Series
There are other programs that I believe can be adapted to fit into a Charlotte Mason education (such as Teaching Textbooks and Math on the Level). These programs (and any others) need to be adapted to fit into short lesson times, and the repetition of practice needs to be decreased. Math games should also be added.
1.Life of Fred- Mason didn't use math stories to teach math material and I do realize that some would label the Fred stories as twaddle. However, I think they are brilliant and the concepts are explained very well. The written work is very minimal, fitting Mason's heavy lean upon oral work in the younger years. There is also a huge focus on mathematical reasoning, and the stories and questions naturally form relations between math and the rest of life.
2. Khan Academy- I LOVE the videos on Khan Academy, and I think they are a great math supplement or great math lessons themselves. The videos are short, the instruction is straightforward, and the exercises are the perfect length and helpful to understanding.
3. Math Primers- I love out of print math primers from the public domain. I often take a concept from a math primer and build short lessons following the format of introduce, demonstrate, narrate, practice. I also use math primers to help me progress through math concepts in lessons that I form myself, giving me a list and an idea of what concepts are included in a thorough math education.
(There are a few math books linked here, in my Public Domain Roundup Post)
4. Singapore Math- Singapore is a mastery based program that mimics Mason's approach to math concepts by following a concrete-pictorial-abstract progression. However, lessons must be shortened and written work must be decreased. Narration of concepts should also be added, along with math games to encourage mathematical reasoning.
5. Art of Problem Solving by Beast Academy
6. Under the Home- uses Ray's Arithmetic, which are classic Math Primers that build strong computational skills and mental calculation, and include many word problems. You can use grades 1-4 for free on UTH (with more to come), broken down into daily lessons and with a free lesson guide. Or, you can purchase all of Ray's on CD for a great price from Dollar Homeschool.
7. Purple Math is a free online algebra program that is straightforward and easily adapted.
8. Applied Math Series
9. Barron's Painless Math Series
There are other programs that I believe can be adapted to fit into a Charlotte Mason education (such as Teaching Textbooks and Math on the Level). These programs (and any others) need to be adapted to fit into short lesson times, and the repetition of practice needs to be decreased. Math games should also be added.
There are also programs which I believe have no place in a living education (such as Math U See and Saxon). It is important to understand the principles of a living approach to mathematics, so that you can quickly identify the programs that can be easily adapted to fit those principles, and those that are foundationally different.
The underlying principles for choosing and adapting a math program are to ensure that lessons are short, written work is purposeful and not repetitious, oral work is prioritized, mathematical reasoning is built, exercises are varied, concepts are narrated, facts and formulas aren't drilled without understanding, and mastery of concepts is built upon.
The underlying principles for choosing and adapting a math program are to ensure that lessons are short, written work is purposeful and not repetitious, oral work is prioritized, mathematical reasoning is built, exercises are varied, concepts are narrated, facts and formulas aren't drilled without understanding, and mastery of concepts is built upon.
Math Stories
My absolute favorite Math Stories are the Charlesbridge Math Adventures .
A few other favorites:
Anno's Counting Series (These are so fun.)
Bunches and Bunches of Bunnies
Sea Squares
One Grain of Rice
A few other favorites:
Anno's Counting Series (These are so fun.)
Bunches and Bunches of Bunnies
Sea Squares
One Grain of Rice
Elinor J. Pinczes series.
David M. Swhartz series. (We LOVE these books and have read them over and over.)
Huge Index of Math Stories for All Ages:
Living Math Stories Index
David M. Swhartz series. (We LOVE these books and have read them over and over.)
Huge Index of Math Stories for All Ages:
Living Math Stories Index
Books About Math Itself:
String, Straightedge and Shadow (for older kids)
Number Stories of Long Ago (Mason sometimes used this book)
Growing Patterns
Wild Fibonacci
The Golden Ratio (high school and adults)
Books About Mathematicians:
Blockhead
The Librarian Who Measured the Earth
Mathematicians are People Too
Number Stories of Long Ago (Mason sometimes used this book)
Growing Patterns
Wild Fibonacci
The Golden Ratio (high school and adults)
Books About Mathematicians:
Blockhead
The Librarian Who Measured the Earth
Mathematicians are People Too
Math Practice
Bedtime Math Series and Bedtime Math Apps (we LOVE Bedtime Math, and use the apps regularly)
Doodling in Math Class Videos
Greg Tang Math Riddles (these are favorites!)
Great Estimations
Mission: Addition, Subtraction Action and other books by Loreen Leedy
Hershey's Math Series
The Math Chef
The Painless Math Series (middle school or high school, depending on child)
Two Plus Two is Not Five and Five Times Five is Not Ten
(I don't recommend using the heavy number of problems in these books, but the tricks are extremely helpful, and a few problems can be completed for practice)
Math is Everywhere Series by Evan Moor (these are so much fun!)
Milliken Reproducibles Series (these are easy, affordable resources for extra practice)
Take it To Your Seat Math Centers by Evan Moor (we have used these extensively, in many ways, for all of our homeschool years, and we have gotten so much mileage out of them!)
Usborne Math Practice Books (we use these in Morning Baskets, Evening Basket, and for extra practice and we LOVE them!)
Math Reference(These books are like Math Encyclopedias, useful for looking up a concept to understand it better or to simply explore Math and its huge impact on our life and world)
How Math Works
Go Figure!
Bedtime Math Series and Bedtime Math Apps (we LOVE Bedtime Math, and use the apps regularly)
Doodling in Math Class Videos
Greg Tang Math Riddles (these are favorites!)
Great Estimations
Mission: Addition, Subtraction Action and other books by Loreen Leedy
Hershey's Math Series
The Math Chef
The Painless Math Series (middle school or high school, depending on child)
Two Plus Two is Not Five and Five Times Five is Not Ten
(I don't recommend using the heavy number of problems in these books, but the tricks are extremely helpful, and a few problems can be completed for practice)
Math is Everywhere Series by Evan Moor (these are so much fun!)
Milliken Reproducibles Series (these are easy, affordable resources for extra practice)
Take it To Your Seat Math Centers by Evan Moor (we have used these extensively, in many ways, for all of our homeschool years, and we have gotten so much mileage out of them!)
Usborne Math Practice Books (we use these in Morning Baskets, Evening Basket, and for extra practice and we LOVE them!)
Math Reference(These books are like Math Encyclopedias, useful for looking up a concept to understand it better or to simply explore Math and its huge impact on our life and world)
How Math Works
Go Figure!
Games and Manipulatives from Triumphant Learning (we love ALL of the math products from Triumphant Learning- so affordable, so useful, so user-friendly, so flexible, so fun!)
Two favorites from Triumphant Learning:
Math Games Bundle
Math Manipulatives Bundle
Let's Play Math
Math Games with a Pack of Cards, from Practical Pages
Family Math and Family Math 2 (Family Math is a staple in our curriculum!)
Pizza Fractions
Games for Math
Dominoes Around the World
Making Math More Fun Printable Games
Pay Day
Buy It Right
For Mom(A few reads for any mom who is wanting to understand Math in general, Mason's approach to it, the teaching of it, and its proper place in our curriculum.)
Afterthoughts Math Week (blog series)
Living Math Blog
The Math Myth
Arithmetic for Parents
Two favorites from Triumphant Learning:
Math Games Bundle
Math Manipulatives Bundle
Let's Play Math
Math Games with a Pack of Cards, from Practical Pages
Family Math and Family Math 2 (Family Math is a staple in our curriculum!)
Pizza Fractions
Games for Math
Dominoes Around the World
Making Math More Fun Printable Games
Pay Day
Buy It Right
For Mom(A few reads for any mom who is wanting to understand Math in general, Mason's approach to it, the teaching of it, and its proper place in our curriculum.)
Afterthoughts Math Week (blog series)
Living Math Blog
The Math Myth
Arithmetic for Parents
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