How to Homeschool Math – Even if You Hate Fractions is a fun-to-read book by Robin Padron, a homeschool mom and math tutor. It’s written like a casual parent-to-parent chat about the ups and downs of homeschooling math, while giving practical advice and achievable goals for teaching any mathematics curriculum at home.
This book discusses many common issues that homeschool families have with teaching and learning math. The author talks about real life experiences that readers can totally relate to. You will hear about The Engineer Dad, the Haphazard Approach, and the Perils of Giftedness. Ms. Padron also answers many questions that homeschool parents have about teaching math, such as:
- Which curriculum should I use?
- How much math should my child do each day?
- How much help should I give my child on math?
- What level should my child be at for his age?
- What should he take first: Algebra or Geometry?
- How on earth can we homeschool Calculus?
- When should I get a tutor? …and most of all:
- Why does my kid HATE math? …and how can I change that?
In this sometimes serious, sometimes laugh-out-loud funny book, you will learn why the curriculum you choose is only one of many things to consider when homeschooling math. It is what you do with the curriculum that counts!
How to Homeschool Math – Even if You Hate Fractions includes eight chapters plus an Appendix:
Chapter 1: The Full-Contact Approach – What this means compared to the traditional approach.
Chapter 2: Arithmetic and Pre-Algebra – The nuts and bolts of how to teach math at this stage.
Chapter 3: Common Pitfalls – The common challenges homeschooling families face.
Chapter 4: Algebra 1 and Geometry – An in-depth description of these classical courses, as well as effective strategies for teaching them.
Chapter 5: Math Tutoring – How to get the most out of a tutor, what works, what doesn’t, when to use one and when not to bother.
Chapter 6: Algebra 2, Pre-Calculus and Calculus – An in-depth description of these classical courses, as well as effective strategies for teaching them.
Chapter 7: Incentives – Should you use incentives, what works and doesn’t work.
Chapter 8: Hope and Motivation – What to do with an unwilling student, and also some motivation for parents.
Appendix: A list of all the major math topics in the most effective order of instruction.
It’s great that this book covers all types of math, from Arithmetic to Calculus. We would like to add that the first chapter and the appendix are well worth the price of the book. The full-contact approach is recommended to keep both teacher and student actively focused on the work at hand. (Tip: By doing the math problems yourself, you will be able to better explain how to do it to your student.) Also, the list of math topics in order of instruction is a valuable reference, especially if you are designing your own curriculum.
One reviewer wrote, “Robin’s ideas make so much sense and seem almost obvious and simple — as most truly great ideas are! Her book is inspirational and readable … innovative. Although written with the homeschool parent in mind, the ideas are applicable for all parents who wish for their children a world in which math is fun, interesting and filled with wonderful, warm memories!”
The author has instructed her own two children, Scott (13) and Alex (15), in mathematics with great success. Both boys are well above grade level in math, but more importantly, they both enjoy math. Ms. Padron’s book draws on her years of experience teaching not only her own kids, but also other homeschoolers as well as school children. Robin has a B.S. degree in Computer Science and has been freelancing as a Math Tutor for years, working occasionally with local school systems.
How to Homeschool Math is not a boring academic book; it’s written in an enthusiastic conversational tone from one parent to another. The author gets right to the point of the matter, which is good for homeschool parents who don’t have a lot of time on their hands. The instructions are clear, too, making it easy to understand what she’s saying. Best of all, the ideas in this book can be used with any math curriculum!
How to Homeschool Math – Even if You Hate Fractions is available as a Kindle or Paperback edition on Amazon.com.
Please note: The above product was NOT provided for free or at a discount in exchange for a review. This item was purchased by a homeschooling family at their own expense.