4 Ways To Choose The Best Math Curriculum
By Dennis DiNoia, M.A.Ed
I
always have parents telling me that they have tried it all…and they
feel resigned and a little hopeless. I hate when that happens.
If
math curriculums have been a sore spot in your homeschooling
experience, here is the “Mr. D” List for choosing the right math
curriculum for your family.
1. Stick with it
I
have travelled across North America, stationed myself in Hawaii and
questioned select educators in Europe to research a broad range of math
programs. I wanted to learn how they are constructed, how inclusive
they are and how the concepts are delivered. What I have discovered
however, is there really aren’t major differences between curriculums
content, only in how they’re structured. What I did learn, is that the
schools with the highest performance percentages remained consistent
with their curriculum. The school system used the same textbook series
middle school to high school to create consistency and promote higher
comprehension. When students first begin a new program, it can be
difficult to adjust. But if they tough it out long enough, something
wonderful happens. Our brains begin to adjust to the new learning style,
making it easier to comprehend. So if you feel like your textbook isn’t
working for you, ask yourself “have I given it enough time?” You’d be
surprised how much you grow and develop in the course of a school year.
2. Compare your high school textbooks against entry-level college textbooks
It
is critical to have a solid mathematical foundation before entering
college. College professors spend little time reviewing concepts with
the hopes that you already have a strong grasp on what was covered in
high school. When choosing a high school curriculum, it might be
helpful to browse through the table of contents of your current math
book and compare the topics to an entry-level college textbook. If
there are some concepts missing, it might be best to invest in a
different textbook.
3. Don’t make a decision based on the price
When
finding the right curriculum, money should not be the main
consideration. Obviously it plays a role, but if you are either looking
to get a bargain or spend as much as possible for the “top of the line”
curriculum, you might be disappointed in the results. Always keep in
mind that price does not entirely reflect quality. Be sure to collect
your research and don’t make the mistake of letting price be the
deciding factor.
4. Decide what your end goal is for your education
Whether
you plan to attend college, vocational school or complete high school
and go right to work, it’s important to align your education with your
future goals. If you are still unsure, then assume you’ll attend college
and study with that mindset. By choosing the highest and broadest level
of math, it will leave your options open and help you cultivate a
deeper understanding for the concepts you’re learning. Knowing what you
want to do is key to deciding what curriculum to use. That may also
mean completing a little homework on the vocation you’re eying to learn
what kind of math skills or education levels are required. Of course,
there is nothing wrong with changing your mind, but it’s important to
actively look towards the future and plan accordingly. In my own life, I
would have never thought I would become a math curriculum creator. I
did however want to be in business for myself and play music. But when
the time came, I had to decide what would be my profession and what
would be my hobby.
Finally, if you make a curriculum switch, be sure you didn’t miss anything.
Math
is important and colleges need to know you’re on par with the nation’s
average. Their only uniform measure of knowing you didn’t fall asleep
during most your high school math classes is how well you perform on the
SAT and ACT. As of March 2016, the SAT is changing to include a higher
level of math expectancy. If a student has a solid comprehension of
Algebra I and Geometry, they could score well on the old SAT. But the
new SAT requires students to be proficient in Algebra I, Geometry and
Algebra II. By moving to a new curriculum, there’s a chance important
concepts could be overlooked if the new curriculum assumes the content
was already covered in a previous course. For example, in my Algebra II
course we cover logarithms and matrices. If a student comes to my
Pre-Calculus course without covering these concepts, it can serve as a
challenge for the student. While this isn’t a deal breaker, the start
of the semester can be a little rocky. Fortunately, I provide plenty of
review videos and extra practice for anyone in need of a refresher
crash course.
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Thank you so much for your helpful article, Mr. D! You can learn more about Mr. D Math here. It is the math curriculum we use and highly recommend!
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