Over the years, we've tried quite a few math programs. Some were traditional, while others were online. One thing I've learned over the years is that it's always best to find what works the best with your individual student. A few weeks ago, we were given the opportunity to review the Family Membership from CTCMath. The family membership we received was a 12 month subscription for up to 5 family members.
CTCMath is an online math program created by Pat Murray. As a homeschooling father of 10 children, he knew there was a need to create a math program that was different from anything else out there. He wanted to create a math program that was geared to different learning styles and more importantly not boring for the students. This desire led him to create a program that had short, interactive lessons that appealed to a wide variety of learning styles. CTCMath is geared for students in grades Kindergarten through 12th. The program is currently used by more than 200,00 students!
How Does CTCMath Work
CTCMath is an online math program. After paying for a subscription, moms (or dads) will set up accounts for each of their students. Students will then be able to log into their individual accounts to complete the daily lessons. Each student will have his'her own username and password. They can log in on their computers, phones, or tablets. The student dashboard allows students to see their assignments, assigned tasks, tests, and speed drills that will help with math memorization! Students can play catch up, stay on target with their math, or move ahead. The program moves at the students own pace allowing them to master the skills they are learning.
The lessons are presented in short video lectures for the students to watch. They can also read the lecture in note form. They can download them in a pdf form and print them out for future reference.
After watching the video lecture, students will then work through the assigned problems. The problems are interactive and online. A worksheet can be printed out for further practice and reference. For Algebra 1, the questions have been multiple choice or fill-in-the-blank. Michael preferred the fill-in-the-blank. He usually gets 10 to 12 questions to answer. Michael did need a separate notebook to work through the program. He would complete the work in the notebook and then type in the answer on the computer. He also needed a scientific calculator.
While the students work through the program, they'll be able to track their progress and see exactly how they are doing. This can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on your student. If they're doing well, it can lead to encouragement. If they are doing poorly, it can lead to frustration and discouragement.
CTCMath offers a full online math curriculum. Students can work through a wide variety of courses.
Kindergarten
Grade 1
Grade 2
Grade 3
Grade 4
Grade 5
Grade 6
Basic Math and Pre-Algebra
Elementary Measurement
Elementary Geometry
Algebra 1
Geometry
Algebra 2
Trigonometry
Pre-Calculus
Calculus
After the students complete the sections they are working on, they receive different awards.
~Platinum~
A perfect score of 100%
~Gold~
Average grade of 95% or higher
~Silver~
Average grade of 85-94%
The grade is based on the average of each lesson. Students are able to repeat a lesson if they do poorly on a lesson. The program doesn't just give the student a 100% then. It takes the average of the grades and calculates the students grade. The only way to achieve a 100% is to score it on the first attempt of the lesson. Students must achieve an 85% or higher on a lesson to move on.
These awards can be printed out for school records or if the student wants to display it. This is a great incentive for younger students. I found my highschooler was not all that interested in me printing it out. I wasn't overly shocked by his choice.
A new feature that CTCMath now offers is the Wizard Question Bank. This allows parents to create custom-made worksheets for students to complete that go along with the lessons. Parents are able to select the topics to cover, the number of questions to answer, and the time frame they have to complete it. This is great for added comprehension of the lesson.
Parents have their own separate log in to track their students. This area is called the Parent's Dashboard. Here parents can what lessons their students have completed, how they scored on the lesson, and see detailed reports on how they did on each question. Parents can also schedule lesson for students to complete for the week. I didn't use this section, since I already use a different online planner. I added my children's lessons into that planner.
How Did We Use CTCMath
For this review, Michael worked through the Algebra 1 lessons. I was looking for a curriculum that could help him learn Algebra 1 and get him through the course. We'd used a few other curriculum during the past year, but he just wasn't focused. I was hoping to catch him up and move him on to Geometry. Math comes extremely easy to him and he gets bored rather quickly. He likes learning math in a real world point of view. Throughout the past few weeks, he has progressed through the program. He's done an average of 1 to 2 lessons a day. He logged in on his tablet and worked through the program on that. We did have a problem with the video lectures loading. On most days, he would give up and read the lesson notes and examples. He did comment that he wished there were more detailed notes for those students who didn't have great internet.
~Michael's Thought~
Easy to log in
Lessons were short
Not too many problems to work through
Still doesn't like online math programs...he did say this one was better than any other he had worked on
~My Thoughts~
I'm still up on the air with this one. I haven't seen any real improvement in Michael's grades or interest in math. I know he can score higher, but I don't see him taking this program all that seriously. I'm not sure if he's truly comprehending new concepts being taught. To me, the lessons seem too short and simple, especially for high school math. If he wasn't math orientated, I'd be afraid he'd be falling behind. This program may be perfect for a more visual learner, but Michael is definitely more hands on. I'm thinking he may need to go back to his old-fashion textbook and just complete Algebra 1 that way. I wish CTCMath had been a better fit for our family, but I just don't think it's working for Michael. I loved what I saw when I logged in and looked through the younger grades. The lessons seemed fun and thorough!
I didn't have Therese try CTCMath this time. She did use a few years ago when we reviewed and did well. We didn't stay with the program however. We found a different program that worked well for her and used that. Since, we have a program that works well for her, I wasn't going to have her change!
Discover more about CTCMath!
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Want to learn more about the various grades CTCMath has to offer?
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