I stumbled across CTCMath a few years ago when a friend suggested I give it a try with my kids. We were in a math slump at Long Leaf Academy and nothing seemed to be working to pull us out of it. At first we were all enamored with the neat Australian accent of the instructor (Mr. Patrick Murray), but that quickly gave way to a complete enamoring with the full CTCMath Homeschool Membership. At that time, I had all four of my children working through the CTCMath program. These days, we are down to only two homeschoolers -- both in high school -- and we are super excited to be back with CTCMath. Seriously excited.
So what is CTCMath? What makes it different from other math curriculum that we've tried? How are we using it today? And how do my children like it this time around? I'm so glad you asked.
CTCMath is an online math curriculum that offers programming for students in Kindergarten through High School. This includes all of the "basic" maths PLUS Algebra I & II, Pre-Calculus, Calculus, Geometry, and Trigonometry. There are several different membership plans for single students or multiple students in a family (up to 10 students with the Homeschool Membership) that include payment options for one month at a time, 6-months at a time, or 12-months at a time. The price point is quite affordable and the results that I see as my children work through the program make it well worth the money we'll be spending. The pricing is better the longer you sign up, but even sweeter is that my Eagle Scout and the Princess actually LIKE math when using CTCMath. I don't know about your house, but that's pretty high praise at mine and makes all the difference in the world in how our days play out and how we choose to spend our money.
Students work at their own pace through the assigned math. Even better, with your paid subscription, you receive access to ALL of the math courses offered at once. The Eagle Scout is currently working on Trigonometry and plans to also complete Calculus this year. The Princess is currently working in Geometry. The program is video-based with step-by-step instructions and explanations. Students watch a lesson, work through problems and receive immediate feedback in the form of grades. They can speed right through the course working as many lessons as they choose and finish quickly (like my son) or they can take it nice and slowly -- watching and re-watching each portion of the lessons until they completely understand the material and are able to satisfactorily work the corresponding problems (like my daughter). What I like is that CTCMath takes each and every individual student right where they are and helps them to improve their skills as they go. There is no pressure and awards are given as students progress. I absolutely LOVE the affirmations given to students as they learn and succeed. The "awards" are simple certificates that congratulate your child on successful completion of each topic. It lists the percentage correct, the topic covered, and the course and can be printed if you would like to include it in a notebook or portfolio. Obviously, I like when my children reach the Gold Level Standard.
Another of my favorite features of CTCMath comes in the form of accountability for my children. By logging onto the parent portion of the website, I can easily see their actual activity on-site. I know exactly when they log in, how long they stick around, what lessons they are working on, and what percentage of problems they answer correctly, I can see a running total of lessons completed overall and the grade they have earned thus far at any given time.
In addition to the easily accessible parent portion of the website, weekly reports are emailed to me to let me know exactly what my children have accomplished. I am able to easily hold them accountable for their schoolwork as we discuss the reports as presented to me by CTCMath. You know, you can't really argue with the facts. When a weekly report arrived that showed "No Activity" for a certain child, we were able to quickly address the issue of responsibility. Hmmm . . . I was quickly assured that it certainly won't happen again. Not only that, but my husband can choose to receive the same weekly reports which offers even more incentive for my children to stay on task. Together we make a great team as we work to educate our children and ensure they learn what they need for college.
Truly, my children were thrilled with the opportunity to review CTCMath again. The program was familiar and welcomed eagerly back into our lives. We are thankful that our old friend is home again.
For even more information about making CTCMath a part of your family and learning how it can help your children succeed in math, please visit the following Social Media sites:
I was given the opportunity to review CTCMath Homeschool Membership as a member of the Schoolhouse ReviewCrew. You can check out the Crew Review and see what other members of the Schoolhouse ReviewCrew thought of this and other products as well (or just click on the banner below.)
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