What About Teaching Homeschool High School Math?

Do you need help teaching high school mathematics in your homeschool?

By Wynne and Harriet Yoder (homeschool parents and owners at Lamp Post Homeschool Store)

Many homeschool parents have concerns about teaching upper level math at home. Sometimes this can be the deciding factor about whether to continue to homeschool in high school.

Don't give up because math is a difficult subject for you. There are several ways to be successful at teaching high school homeschool math in order to keep on homeschooling through high school. Here are our suggestions:

Mathematics for the Academic Track

Traditional High School Math Curriculum

Some curriculum publishers offer traditional math curriculum. BJU Press Mathematics for grades 9 to 12 is a more traditional textbook approach. With Teacher's Guides and tests you should be able to teach the different levels if you have a good background in math.

Another high school homeschool math curriculum that is traditional is LIFEPAC Math from Alpha Omega. Saxon Math is another popular curriculum for teaching math at home.

Choices for Saxon Homeschool Math

For most of the Saxon high school math, Homeschool Teacher Lesson and Test CDs will provide your student with instruction for every lesson. The instructor also shows how to work each problem in the text and the tests.

There are DIVE CDs that help with Saxon Math, if your children do well with Saxon.

In addition, every level of Saxon Math from 54 and up now has a solution manual where the steps to solve the problems are shown. Worked-out solutions are sometimes what the homeschool parent needs to be able to teach high school math at home. I know it works for our family.

Ask Dr. Callahan

Ask Dr. Callahan offers DVD instruction for Geometry, Algebra 2 with Trigonometry, and Calculus. We carry the Harold Jacobs Geometry used in the Geometry course, as well as the Ask Dr. Callahan Geometry DVD.

CD-ROM Curriculum

Switched-On Schoolhouse from Alpha Omega is an interactive CD-ROM curriculum. Each SOS product can be used with up to five students. It is a Christ-centered curriculum that covers grade-level math for grades 3 to 12.

Mathematics Electives and Alternatives to the Academic Track

If your student needs math electives or needs to take a math course that is not necessarily on the academic track, there are other options.

Practical Accounting Fundamentals

Practical Accounting Fundamentals introduces your student to the basics of accounting.

Barron's E-Z Series

Barron's E-Z Series offers several different self-directed math books. Barron's E-Z Business Math had three parts: Business Math Review, Personal Finance Math, and Applications of Business Math. Barron's E-Z Bookkeeping covers basic bookkeeping topics. These are geared toward high school.

Arithmetic the Easy Way is an excellent way to review basic arithmetic skills before moving on the Algebra. Use the chapter pre-tests to measure your student's knowledge of each chapter topic. The results show which lessons can be skipped and which need to be done in order to master the material in the chapter. It's is a good way to pinpoint problems or gaps in addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions, percents, and decimals.

LIFEPAC Math Electives

LIFEPAC Accounting is a one-year accounting course for grades 7 to 12. LIFEPAC Consumer Math is also a one-year course to be used after Algebra 1 and Geometry are completed

BJU Press Consumer Math

The BJU Press Consumer Math is a one-year course for grades 11 to 12. It covers topics budgeting, banking, interest, savings accounts, credit cards, and more to prepare your student to make good personal financial decisions.

Key to Geometry and Key to Algebra

There are Key to Geometry and Key to Algebra which we like for two purposes. First if your student is not going to college and needs to meet the algebra or geometry requirements, then Key to Algebra and Key to Geometry will work. If your student is on the academic track for college, I recommend these courses as prep courses for algebra and geometry. If your student needs to review more basic math, Key to Math Series topics include Decimals, Percents, Fractions, Measurement, and Metric Measurement.

Math Flippers

If your student needs help to learn math terms and formulas, you might like the Math Flippers®, a useful reference that fits in a 3-ring notebook. Access terms, definitions, and formulas to refresh your memory. There are Flippers for all the different levels of math including geometry, calculus, financial accounting and more.

Hire a Tutor

Hire a tutor to help the ones who need help. This has to be cheaper than private schooling! If funding is a problem, then check with friends and family. Maybe you can find a volunteer who would donate time and talent to help your student.

Homeschool Co-op Classes

Find or start a homeschool co-op that offers a math course.

Take Math Class at a Christian or Private School

Your local Christian school might let your students take their math class.

Take Math Class at a Public School

In Pennsylvania (and perhaps some other states), the public schools will allow homeschoolers to take one or two classes on a space available basis. It's been helpful in certain situations. Math is a course that deals strictly with math and doesn't typically get into controversial issues. Older students are usually more mature and have immunity against the "stupids"--doing dumb things because of peer pressure.

Other Options

Some companies have videos or satellite instruction. Usually they are expensive and often leased for only one year's use.