Online Homeschool Math That Your Kids Will Actually Understand (And That You Can Afford!)

If you've read many posts here at As We Walk Along the Road, you may know that high school math is my kryptonite. It's that one subject that I truly wish we could do away with. Yes, I know that math is important. And, no, I don't often admit to my kids that I despise it and would love to make it go away. But it's always been a struggle for me- in my high school years and beyond.

Out of the many high school math resources we've tried- and there have been MANY- I've found some characteristics that matter to me and that comprise a math curriculum that works for us.

• I would like for the program to have some type of video instruction- live or otherwise.
• I prefer a program to have multiple ways in which kids interact with the material- video, textbook, working problems, etc.
• I need a program that offers the kids plenty of explanation- so that they can understand and so that I can glance over the lesson and grasp enough to help them, including the ability to see why answers are wrong when they are and to be able to correct them based on the explanation. AND
• I need a program that I can afford for multiple children.

In the plethora of available homeschool math resources, there are surprisingly few that meet these requirements.

Disclosure: I received a free subscription to this product as well as compensation for my post. All opinions are always my own.

One of the programs I hadn't thoroughly tried in past years- although I did see promise in a hard copy of the textbook that I borrowed from a friend- was Teaching Textbooks 3.0. So I was really excited to have the opportunity to actually use and review this homeschool math program. My high school girls began using the Algebra 2 program.

Spoiler alert...I liked it. Quite a bit. And I found that it meets all four of my criteria above.

Teaching Textbooks 3.0 is an online homeschool math curriculum that offers video instruction.

Each lesson begins with a video lecture. Instead of a teacher who stands in front of the class, the video consists of a notebook page where information is written as a voice gives instruction and explanation. Students can always go back and watch the lecture- including moving it forward and backward- as they work through the lesson. Students can also choose a "buddy", an avatar that will give hints when kids are answering the practice problems.

Occasionally there will be an interactive element where students need to click an answer. This helps to keep students focused as they watch. It's hard to tune out when you're having to answer questions. If the student answers these questions incorrectly, there is a brief correction and explanation of the right answer.

Teaching Textbooks 3.0 can be accessed from your regular computer or from a mobile device. This makes this online video instruction even more convenient. Kids can access their classes and work through lessons even on the go.

Besides the lesson videos, this math curriculum offers a variety of ways for students to interact with the content.

I've already mentioned the interactive questions that come up during the video lessons. In addition to this, the student is interacting with the content in many ways as they move through these lessons.

Information, including terms, explanations, and examples is being written down at the same time that it is explained audibly. After students watch the video, they have several practice problems that focus on the current lesson and then a set of problems that include the current lesson and review. They answer these interactively, so they know right away whether or not the answer is complete.

If you have kids who aren't doing as well with video lessons and answering questions within the program, you can view and print an ebook that contains explanations and problem sets for all the lessons and an answer key. All of this gives kids lots of options. So learners can use the methods that are best for them.

With the ebook textbook and video lessons, this is a homeschool math curriculum that offers plenty of explanation for the kids- and me.

It's been a looong time since I took Algebra 2- or any high school level math for that matter. And when kids have questions about a concept or skill, it's hard for me to just pick up what they're working on and figure it out. I need a little help.

Teaching Textbooks does a great job of offering enough information to help out the kids and me. Lectures can be rewatched and forwarded to the pertinent information. Incorrect answers are corrected, and an explanation is given. The ebook that is available is a math textbook that offers lots of teaching and examples for each lesson. All of these help the kids- and me-with understanding concepts, and they give us detailed explanations of how to work problems.

Teaching Textbooks 3.0 is an affordable math curriculum for a family with multiple kids.

Have you noticed that many homeschool families have lots of kids? Maybe yours is one of those. It can be difficult to find affordable curricula options- especially for online programs where you have to pay for subscriptions per child. Teaching Textbooks 3.0 offers an affordable option for homeschoolers with large families.

Have kids take a placement test, and try this online math curriculum with a free trial.

I love that you can sign up for a free trial to see if the program is right for your family. There have been many, many times when I purchased a curriculum that everyone else seemed to love, but it just wasn't right for us. With Teaching Textbooks 3.0, however, you can sign up for a free trial to see if it's a good fit for your family. (Find the free trial FAQs here.)

If you're not sure what grade level or high school class your child needs to begin with in Teaching Textbooks 3.0- because we all know that grade and ability levels can differ between different curricula- your child can take the online placement test that are available. They are a great way to decide which course to purchase. And the fact that the free trial lets you try any level means that you can double-check which class your child needs.

Teaching Textbooks 3.0 is a great choice if you're looking for an online math program. It definitely meets my primary qualifications for a great online curriculum resource!