Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post. All opinions are my own.
One of the best parts of homeschooling is having the ability to try various curriculum until you find something that works for your family. My boys are currently in Pre-K, 2ndgrade and 4thgrade this academic year and we have started working with traditional text books with a “lecture” then individual practice model. This method works but lacked some creativity, interactivity and my boys often seem uninterested. We were introduced to Teaching Textbooks Online Math Curriculum and immediately my children loved the program and so did I.
The first step for using the Teaching Textbooks curriculum is deciding which level your student is on through a short thirty question printable placement test. The directions for the assessments are pretty simple and straightforward: the student should work independently without a calculator and should complete it in 90 minutes or less. The answers are provided to score the test and calculating their level will be pretty simple. The grade range is from Math 3-Pre-calculus, after giving the assessment to my 7-year-old, 2nd grader, he placed in the Math 3 where he would cover an array of topics including addition, subtraction, odd & even numbers, doubles, lines, line segments, common shapes, angles, pictographs, bar graphs, line graphs, fractions, perimeters, multiplication, word problems, money, number lines, time and some division.
Setting up the parent profile is fairly simple. Once, you log in using your email address and password, you are immediately taken to a screen with various options. In the parent portal, you have the ability to view/print student grades, view/print student textbooks and answer keys, change parent/student passwords, change hint/second chance rules, manage subscriptions and contact Teaching Textbooks for assistance. In the parent area, it is easy to toggle between your students and access their scores, grades and curriculum.
The gradebook allows me to see my sons’ grades broken down by each lesson at a glance plus it goes more in depth by telling me which questions he may have trouble with as well as letting me know if he tries the question several times or needed a hint to answer it. This information is great because it allows me to identify and review the subject areas that he is having difficulty with instead of wasting time on material he has already mastered. I am able to access my parent home page remotely on my laptop and mobile device, which allows me to keep up with the work he is completing even when I am not home or even in the same state.
After learning your child’s level, it is time to set up their profile and start using Teaching Textbooks. The student homepage is pretty straightforward, the student has access to the E-book for their level or the Main Interface where they can access lessons, settings and their gradebook. The E-book is basically an online textbook showing the subjects in the table of contents and an index for reference purposes.
The student is able to personalize their Teaching Textbooks experience by choosing their buddies, wallpaper and even sounds. My son loves switching things up every couple of lessons to keep things exciting by changing his buddy and sounds often.
The Teaching Textbooks curriculum breaks up the material to be covered into lessons which consist of an audio lecture (which is great for my son who prefers having things read to him) with graphics, practice questions to practice the new concept and finally problems to asses if the he understands and can apply the concept.
For example, in Lesson 10: Lines and Line Segments, the lecture is a fun animated lesson that introduces and explains the differences between line and line segments.
The practice questions are a mix of review and new concept questions. I really like that the student is reminded which lesson they were first taught the concept to and can
I have the hints and second chance option turned on, just in case he needs a little nudge or an additional chance to get the correct answer. I really like that if he gets an incorrect answer, he is able to see how to do it and hopefully understand it better.
After several lessons, there is a quiz that covers an array of topics as well as Bonus levels that are fun educational games. The quizzes can also be printed out and given as a traditional paper test.
Teaching Textbooks has allowed my children to be more independent in their Math studies as well as giving them some much needed real-life computer skills practice. We have been using Teaching Textbooks for a couple months now and my 7-year-old has definitely shown lots of advancement in understanding and applying Mathematics concepts.
Here is your chance to try out Teaching Textbooks 3.0 for FREE whether it is for your homeschool curriculum or math supplement!