{"id":20782,"date":"2012-10-31T08:30:05","date_gmt":"2012-10-31T12:30:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/homeschool\/?p=20782"},"modified":"2019-09-20T10:44:57","modified_gmt":"2019-09-20T14:44:57","slug":"learn-math-fast-curriculum-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/homeschool\/learn-math-fast-curriculum-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Learn Math Fast: Curriculum Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is a paid curriculum review for the Learn Math Fast system<\/a> written by The Happy Housewife contributing writer, Beth.
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The Learn Math Fast System is a comprehensive math curriculum for 1st-9th grades written by JK Mergens, a homeschooling mom.\u00a0 It is a series of five books designed to allow students to work page by page and master mental math. \u00a0I\u2019ve used the curriculum for one month with my 1st, 3rd, and 9th grader.<\/p>\n

Previously, I\u2019ve used Saxon and Switched on Schoolhouse\/Monarch for my 9th grader. The other children have used workbooks from various publishers to build a basic math understanding for the younger years. \u00a0I have a strong math background and felt very comfortable teaching any curriculum. \u00a0However, the Monarch math has been lacking sufficient instruction for my son\u2019s understanding. \u00a0I\u2019ve been supplementing the instruction from Monarch even though it was designed for the student to do independently on the computer.<\/p>\n

I was excited to try the Learn Math Fast System in hopes of finding a solid foundation of no-nonsense math.<\/p>\n

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Pros for Learn Math Fast<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

The books are not marked with grade levels.<\/strong> \u00a0This is a plus for me since some students might be uncomfortable, nervous, or embarrassed about working above or below their grade level.<\/p>\n

There are only five books for 9 years of instruction.<\/strong> \u00a0They take up a minimal amount of real estate on your bookshelf and make it easier to school multiple ages at once.<\/p>\n

The company website provides a placement test.<\/strong> \u00a0It\u2019s a great tool to help decide which book to buy and where to begin.<\/p>\n

The price is right.<\/strong> \u00a0$190 is the current price for all five books with free US shipping. \u00a0Or you can choose any individual book for $49 (with free shipping).\u00a0 Plus, paying for the books couldn\u2019t be easier.\u00a0 You can checkout through the author\u2019s secure website or with Paypal, if you prefer.\u00a0 You can also purchase the series of books through a number of payment plan options.<\/p>\n

There is no teacher manual.<\/strong> \u00a0You just read along with the student. \u00a0There are no separate tips or pointers. Everything is included in the paperback text.<\/p>\n

Fast, personal customer service.<\/strong> \u00a0I contacted the company through the website. \u00a0I just wanted to bring to their attention a small error on one of the printables. \u00a0Not only did the author e-mail me to thank me for the note, but the error was fixed on the website within a few hours of my comment. \u00a0This is prompt customer service that is priceless for busy homeschooling families.<\/p>\n

Nonconsumable.<\/strong> \u00a0All the worksheets, quizzes, and tests are found on the website. \u00a0Your password gives you access to print as many copies as you need. \u00a0This makes it easier to make copies for multiple students and only print the pages you need.<\/p>\n

Concepts taught together.<\/strong> \u00a0In Volume I, the concepts of addition\/subtraction and multiplication\/division are taught together. \u00a0I think this saves time in introducing concepts by explaining that they create fact families (even though this term is not used).<\/p>\n

Timed tests show measurable improvement.<\/strong> \u00a0My kids love the timed tests in Volume I. They get a real sense of accomplishment as they watch their quiz times come closer and closer to the goal time that allows them to proceed to the next lesson.<\/p>\n

Some commonly overlooked concepts are explained thoroughly.<\/strong> \u00a0Volume III has a fantastic explanation for the order of operations. \u00a0This is the \u201cPlease Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally\u201d order for solving equations that most adults don\u2019t remember in correct detail. \u00a0I love the clear and concise presentation of this idea along with several examples for guided practice.<\/p>\n

Instruction uses everyday examples.<\/strong> \u00a0From the very beginning the author tries to bring math to the level of everyday experiences. \u00a0Each lesson uses examples any student will be able to relate to and understand. \u00a0Fractions talk about slices of a sandwich, decimals begin by talking about money, adding uses pennies as counters for concrete understanding.<\/p>\n

Hands-on help.<\/strong> \u00a0From the very first lesson of Volume I, students are using their hands to find answers with pennies. \u00a0The examples given regarding every topic throughout the system encourage the student to touch math and feel it in their hands. \u00a0The geometry book (Volume IV) includes a pouch of handy manipulatives to help the student really use math and measurements in a tangible way. \u00a0There\u2019s even a built-in hands-on exercise for measuring the circumference of a circle. \u00a0I love the hands on emphasis.<\/p>\n

60 Day Money Back Guarantee<\/strong>.\u00a0 Learn Math Fast comes with a money back guarantee.\u00a0 If after completing lessons and worksheets for 60 days you don\u2019t feel that your student is learning basic math, you can return the used books for a full refund.<\/p>\n

Cons for Learn Math Fast<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

You must have internet access to print additional worksheets, quizzes and tests.<\/strong>\u00a0 All the materials are included in the system, however if you want additional worksheets, then you’ll need internet access.\u00a0 There is no option to save the worksheets and tests to your computer. \u00a0I understand the desire to regulate the distribution of these tests and worksheets, but I would be interested in purchasing a CD containing the printables.<\/p>\n

Repeating lessons is common.<\/strong> \u00a0Students and teachers might have to repeat a lesson before moving forward. \u00a0My 1st grader worked on Lesson 1 of Volume I every day for a week before even trying the quiz the first time. \u00a0She understands adding and subtracting, but she is not to the point of recalling math facts. \u00a0She still has to recreate the problem with counters (or adding on to a number) for every problem. \u00a0Only after the fourth day did she begin to recall math fact families. \u00a0She became slightly bored with repeating the same lesson over and over. If this will cause the student or teacher anxiety or frustration, then I’d recommend modifying the lesson while still maintaining the foundational concept.<\/p>\n

Some concepts are oversimplified.<\/strong> \u00a0I understand that sometimes math students don\u2019t want to know WHY something is done; they just want to memorize steps to get the right answer. \u00a0In my opinion, this just doesn\u2019t build a solid foundation of comprehension to build on.\u00a0 Here are a couple of examples (all from Volume II) about concepts being oversimplified if that is a concern to you:<\/p>\n