Build A Solid Math Foundation with Teaching Textbooks

Unlike any other subject, math requires a solid foundation and grasp of skills in order to succeed. Starting with counting, moving on to addition and subtraction, introducing multiplication and division, and so on.

Yet typical math programs rely heavily on a mastery approach. One where a new concept is taught and practiced for a day or two before moving on to another new concept. Repeat this process for several days or a couple of weeks, pause for a review, complete a test, and move on. Round and round you and your child proceed throughout the years.

This approach, however, is one that is fraught with fallacies and challenges for the student and teacher alike. As the old adage goes, “if you don’t use it you will lose it.” In math, this rings true each and every time a review or a test comes up. Everytime a student struggles to remember concepts that were taught, but never truly learned.

You see, there is a difference between learning how to do something and truly learning it that mastery-based math programs fail to address. However, with Teaching Textbooks, this gap between learning and mastering a skill is bridged in the form of spiral-based learning. A method that allows students to truly see math success while also building a strong math foundation.

What Is Teaching Textbooks?

If you aren’t familiar with Teaching Textbooks, let me introduce you real quick. Teaching Textbooks is a digital math program that teaches your child the math skills they need. Beginning with Math 3 (about a 3rd grade level), the program continues up through pre-Calculus.

My family began using Teaching Textbooks two years ago with their disc-based program. With my oldest children moving into more advanced math, I needed something that would teach them the lessons rather than require them to read and understand. It wasn’t that I was unable to work pre-Algebra and Algebra skills, but as a busy homeschooling Mom, I simply was not always available.

A year later, when Teaching Textbooks introduced 3.0, an online version of the same program we already loved, we switched to that and added a new student. I already knew that the upper levels contained video lessons with easy to understand explanations, automatic grading, and ample review built right in, so I was confident that Math 3 would work just as well for my 3rd grader.

And now that they have introduced Teaching Textbooks 4.0, we are all excited to continue building a strong math foundation with the Teaching Textbooks math curriculum.

Elementary Math Is Vital To Math Success As A Whole

If there is one subject I am not relaxed about in our homeschool, it’s math. This subject, unlike others, requires a level of understanding that is vital to future success. While I know that not all children will learn at the same pace, I want to ensure that math skills are learned, longer than just to pass a test.

For us, building this math foundation starts long before homeschooling begins. It starts when my children are toddlers and are simply interested in everything. Numbers, counting, shapes, and colors are all introduced when they are ready because these are the building blocks on which all math skills lie.

It’s in these early years, before my children can begin working with Teaching Textbooks, that I work to prepare them. When my two older children started with Teaching Textbooks, their younger siblings were intrugued and would often watch the lessons, even if they didn’t understand what was going on.

By the time my son was old enough to join his siblings he already had a feel for the program and his interest was sky-high. He was ready to use Teaching Textbooks to continue building a solid math foundation that would propel him through his education.

Three Ways Teaching Textbooks Builds a Strong Math Foundation

As we have used Teaching Textbooks as our math curricula for two years I am fully confident in their approach, methods, and program. Unlike many other math programs out there (and we have used others), Teaching Textbooks aims to teach past the test or the end of the year. This is evident in the layout of the lessons, assignments, and exams. And while there are more than three ways Teaching Textbooks ensures a strong math foundation, today I’m going to focus on three that I feel are the most important.

1. Spiral-Based Learning

It seems like companies love to use words like mastery-based and spiral-based learning to make their programs sound, well, better. And while mastery-based learning sounds like something every homeschool parent is looking for, it’s actually a misnomer.

Mastery learning implies that a child will master a concept, yet with mastery-based learning the child actually only “masters” the skill for a short time – usually long enough to complete a few worksheets – before moving on to a new skill.

The biggest problem with this approach to math, is that skills only practiced for a handful of days are not truly mastered. In order for true learning to occur, a student needs to be exposed to it dozens of times over a period of time. Their brains need multiple opportunities to form those connections, not simply multiple problems of the same skill on a worksheet.

With spiral learning, however, the student is introduced to a concept repeatedly. Not only does this give them a chance to work on a skill over and over again, but it also gives them the time they need to go from simply being able to complete a problem correctly to truly understanding the skill they are learning.

With Teaching Textbook your child is introduced to a new math concept daily through an interactive video lesson. Following the lesson, there are five optional practice problems. These practice problems allow for practice of the concept being taught that day, as well as a review of prior concepts. At the top of the screen will be a note as to which lesson this was first introduced in.

After the practice problems, your student will complete 20-25 math problems, again covering both the new concept as well as those previously taught. In fact, about 80% of your child’s daily math work will be review from prior lessons. Not only does this give your child multiple opportunities to work a particular skill, but it also nearly eliminates your need to work on a review prior to a test. Each day you are working towards being prepared for the upcoming exam.

Additionally, the student isn’t under pressure to master the skill being introduced. Rather, they have the chance to learn a new concept, try it out, and practice other skills. This is especially helpful when a new concept is challenging. Instead of working on 20-25 problems, all requiring the same new skill, your child can work on 5 or 6 problems using the new skill. This process of learning a new skill combined with practicing older ones can help build confidence while reducing stress on your students.

Approaching math with a spiral-based program like Teaching Textbooks you are ensuring your child will still know how to complete a problem at the end of the school year they learned 3, 6, or even 9 months ago

2. Strategically Laid Out Lessons and Practice

I’ll admit that I’m a math person. As a student math came easily to me – same with college. For the most part, math also comes fairly easily for my kids.

So there are times when I wonder about the presentation of materials with Teaching Textbooks. In my math-minded mind I prefer to work on a new concept fully through completion. Maybe that’s how I was taught, but maybe it wasn’t. I don’t honestly remember much about elementary or middle school math.

What I do know, is that Teaching Textbooks approaches concepts in a unique way – but one that works really well.

This past year, in Math 3, my youngest son was eager to work on multiplication. He knew it was the “big” math skill for 3rd grade.

So we were both surprised to see that multiplication isn’t addressed until lesson 53. Prior to that, he worked on addition and subtraction review; geometry including lines, line segments, and rays; shapes and angles; graphs and charts; fractions; long addition and long subtraction. Mixed in as well are tests and bonus rounds (more on these below) that switch back and forth from addition to subtraction.

When he finally got to the first lesson on multiplication he was overjoyed. This was his moment. However, there is no actual multiplication in that first lesson. Instead, it’s all about what multiplication does – makes adding groups easier. However, because my son had just spent 52 lessons rehashing and solidifying his addition skills, including working on mental math, he was quickly and easily able to calculate the answers even if they weren’t necessary yet. The repetition of the prior lessons made it so his first multiplication lesson was easy.

Following another lesson on multiplication he switched back to a lesson on addition followed by one on subtraction.

This bouncing around may seem chaotic to some (including me), however, it actually allows for a natural brain break. One that is vital when learning a new skill.

After a two lesson break, he was back at it with multiplication lessons based on ease of facts rather than numerical order. And again this is intentional. Short lessons, big wins, and confidence building at the foundational level that all help student’s build a strong foundation built on true learning.

Following suit, the remained of Math 3 works in the same manner. Introducing smaller skills throughout the process of solidifying the understanding of larger ones. Back and forth like a seamless dance, even if its feels like you are dancing with two left feet. Simply trusting the program and working each lesson in the order they are presented in, my son learned. Multiplication facts, long multiplication, money, time, measurements, volume, and more.

And while it seemed like the year started slowly, before we knew it, we working on math skills more advanced that I thought was possible in the 3rd grade.

3. Bonus Rounds

Available in both Math 3 and Math 4, bonus rounds work on memorization of basic math facts. These rounds are timed but are presented in a fun way. Completing these bonus rounds allowed my son to improve his mental math skills in addition, subtraction, and multiplication.

They also appealed to his competitive side, as we always checked to see what his high score was.

Bonus rounds are offered every five lessons. These fun, low-pressure activities are similar to speed drills, but unlike a blank sheet paper filled only with math problems, they encouraged my son. He’d get ridiculously excited to see a bonus round at the end of a lesson and get pumped up to see if he could beat his record.

More importantly, he improved his mental math skills. Racing to beat the clock, he stopped relying on counting on his fingers or thinking through the problems and instead started relying on what he knew and his instincts.

He also realized that what I had said about memorizing math facts was true. Memorizing addition and subtraction facts, followed by multiplication and division, are imperative for every other math skill. And with Teaching Textbooks, these foundation-building elements are encouraged in a way that is appealing to young children.

What About The Upper-Grades?

Now I know, I’ve focused a lot on the lower grades here… and I am a firm believer in laying a great foundation in elementary-level math… but as I said, Teaching Textbooks offers math up through pre-Calculus. And just as with the lower grades, the upper grades work by starting out with a review of skills from prior grades before jumping into new ones.

In fact, I’ve heard people comment on it seeming “too easy” based on signing up for the 15-day free trial.

Yet, it’s that review period that lends the program to its success – and your student. By ensuring the foundation is ready to build on, the program as a whole sets your student up for success year after year. Your student is building a math foundation that will propel them throughout the year by spending a small part of the beginning of the year reviewing the foundational concepts that the rest of the year will be built upon.

Help Your Child Build A Strong Math Foundation with Teaching Textbooks

As for us, we are planning on a third year with Teaching Textbooks. A third year of easy-to-understand video lessons, spiral learning (which leads to true mastery of skills), and building on the foundation that we’ve all been working on. Continuing to build the strong math skills my children need for their future.

If your child is struggling with math, if they have failed to solidify that math foundation that is essential for future success, check out Teaching Textbooks today or sign up for a 15-lesson free trial.

Math doesn’t have to be a struggle, but if there are gaps, missing information, and a lack of skills it can be. With Teaching Textbooks you can close the gaps, add in the missing information, and add in the skills needed to ensure success for your child.