Math Essentials {Homeschool Review Crew}

My youngest is actually approaching high school! Eek! And my middle son is approaching graduation! Eek, again! The past few weeks, we've been using No-Nonsense Algebra, from Math Essentials.

If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times (okay, maybe only dozens of times): Math is not our strongest subject around here...well, at least for most of us. I think it's still the youngest student's best subject, favorite subject, easiest subject, whatever. I'm always on the look out for resources that will make math easier for us all.
Math Essentials provides "math curriculum for home or school." The materials use a tested teaching strategy, which is easy to use and easy to understand. They offer books for upper elementary through high school Algebra.

No-Nonsense Algebra is a complete algebra program. It is a softcover textbook, with access to online video tutorials. Your student will write out the problems and solutions on separate paper, rather than working in the book. I think that's great! Because then it can be used by multiple children within your family.

First page of the Table of Contents

As you can see from the Table of Contents, the lessons begin with the basic facts of Algebra, advancing to the more complex processes.

Each 2-page lesson has an introduction, helpful hints, examples, exercises, and review. This means, your student can fairly quickly get through each lesson, without feeling bogged down or overwhelmed (which happens often for my 17 year old, since he dislikes math so much...and for my youngest, because of his learning challenges).

I really like that there is a video tutorial for each lesson. That means I don't have to try showing my son how to work out the solutions for the problems! (Have I said, math is my weakest subject? Ha!)

Each lesson consists of the instructor explaining the information as he works the solutions on the whiteboard. And if your student needs to have it explained again, he can just rewatch the video!

My 17 year old has decided he wants to skip his senior year, and take the GED...by his birthday in December. He has been using No-Nonsense Algebra to help be better prepared for the Algebra portions of the GED test. He, of course, is able to work on it independently.

It's a bit of a different story with my youngest, because of his learning challenges. So, I read the introduction and helpful hints. Then watches the video tutorial, after which he copies out the examples. Next he will attempt to tackle the exercises. If he needs to, he will watch the tutorial again...and again, as many times as he needs to. Then he will end with the review problems.

I won't put much stock in my 17 year old's assessment, because he really does dislike math so much. But my youngest seems to really like it. He says the video tutorials really help him understand how to do the exercises. I really am wishing I had this for my oldest two offspring. Then again, they might still benefit from it, if they were to sit down and use it themselves. After all, one of my main goals in homeschooling my children was to teach them to be life-long, self learners.

I really would suggest Math Essentials for your children. I may be checking out a couple of the other levels, as supplements for my youngest. It seems he can't get enough of math! ...Now, other subjects, that's a different story! Ha!

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