I received the online membership at no cost and was compensated for my time to review this curriculum. However, I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions are honest and 100% my own. Please read my disclosure policy for more information.
Math.
How do your kids react when they hear you utter this four letter word?
Do they shout with excitement, eager to learn more? Or do they shriek and groan with deep agony at the mere thought of it?
It seems that children often fall into one category or the other with a small multitude falling in the middle of indifference. Either way, the subject of math can cause numerous feelings and emotions to arise in kids (and adults too).
I’m guessing you can relate to one or the other scenarios with your own children (or even yourself). Thankfully their are resources we can turn to when we want to change things around or encourage the passion that’s already there.
Math Brings Out Extreme Emotions
With my own eight-year-old and two almost six-year-olds, we have yet to experience any of the most extreme emotions when it comes to math. But I’ve heard the stories. Oh the stories. From both friends who are homeschoolers and traditional schoolers alike, they have children who, dare I say, *hate* math. That makes life pretty miserable for those parents and kids when it’s time to do math.
There can be many factors involved as to why this is. Whether it has to do with the curriculum, the teacher, the method of teaching, the expectations, or all of these things, one thing is clear: the kids who are extremely frustrated are struggling and unfortunately their love for math is probably not developing.
There’s got to be a better way. But what?
CTC Math ~ An Online Math Curriculum
Although there is never a silver bullet, it is always advantageous to learn about alternative resources. It is terrific for us folks who want to give our kids a great education without boredom or tears at the kitchen table.
And so I was excited to learn about CTC Math, a self-paced online math curriculum for kindergartners through high schoolers.
When I heard about CTC Math, I immediately knew it would appeal to my eight-year-old, Kellan, who loves doing any kind of work on the computer. And since he experienced some frustration in math this past year I definitely wanted to give him the opportunity to try it out.
The result? Kellan has really thrived in math with this curriculum. He doesn’t complain when it’s time for math work. He gets through the lessons quickly and has been receiving 100% accuracy on a majority of the lesson questions.
When he first began using CTC Math he wanted to learn division (his request). He started out feeling a little confused by the concept but since he could replay the lessons he was able to go back and listen to them again. I sat with him to see if he had any questions and within a couple of minutes he understood it and was able to complete the questions.
That feeling of success is invaluable. It’s what keeps kids hungry to learn more.
Some of the CTC Math lessons are longer than others but Kellan has completed some of them in 10 minutes or less which keeps him motivated and free from the distress of a lesson dragging on. He then feels excited to complete another lesson as he enjoys the progress he is making.
What are the other benefits of CTC Math?
- Prep time is eliminated. As busy homeschool moms, it’s great when we don’t have to spend time preparing materials for a particular subject.
- No more papers to grade. After each lesson, students complete the online follow-up questions and it’s automatically graded and tracked within your account.
- Access at all times. If there is computer access then there is always access to your account. So, your child can complete lessons at any time of day and you can also find out their progress at any time by logging into your account.
- Each lesson is short, thorough and effective. This is much quicker than any other math we’ve done but it is also teaches what it’s supposed to. The kids are actually learning and don’t need to sit at the table for an hour or more to get through each lesson.
- The teaching instruction. The instruction via online video is easy for the kids to understand. Although the teacher is from Australia, and has what we Wisconsinites consider to be an accent, our kids were able to understand him and follow his instruction.
- No more tears. Because of the short, thorough lessons, the easy to understand online instruction and the ability to replay the lessons if needed, there may just be a lack of tears at your kitchen table. Yay!
- The family membership plan. With this plan, all the children in your family K-12 can use it and each child will have their own account.
- The reward system. Kids will be excited and gratified to earn new awards. Like our kids, they might even challenge themselves to earn a higher medal.
- Detailed reports. You have access to detailed and summary reports for your child. You will know exactly what they are working on, what they are doing well on and which areas they need some additional practice.
- Younger learners can use CTC Math. My five-year-olds have very little experience using a laptop computer and I wasn’t sure how they would do with the online instruction but they did incredibly well. (You can also use your tablet with online access but we have not done that). My girls really enjoy math worksheets and activities but this is a great supplement for them. And that leads right into my next point.
- CTC Math can be used as a supplement. While CTC Math can be used as your primary math curriculum, it can also be used as a supplement. If your child enjoys the traditional math book and handwritten problems and you are just looking for some additional instruction and challenges for them, this might be a great option.
- Access to all grade levels. Students have access to material within all the grade levels. They may learn some of the material quickly and can move on to the next grade level at any time. Our girls, for example, have been working on material in both the Kindergarten and First Grade levels.
If this sounds like a good fit for your family, I have some good news for you! As a homeschooler, a 12-month membership to CTC Math is available to you at 60% off the normal rate! Make sure to click on this link for the discounted membership.
You also have the opportunity to try out CTC Math at no cost with a free trial! If you want to make sure this will be a good fit for your family before purchasing the full year subscription then you’ll want to be sure to take advantage of this offer.
For more news and information, be sure to follow CTC Math on Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest / YouTube / Periscope.
And you have a chance to win a 12-Month CTC Math family membership! 5 winners will be chosen! Giveaway ends at 10pm CST on August 15th, 2016.
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