Go Math! Homeschool Curriculum Review

It’s been quite a journey with my son and schooling. You can read our story here. I’m glad to say that fro the last two years we have been homeschooling and it has worked out very well for us. For both year’s we have used the GoMath curriculum for our math.

We’ve done the 4th-grade book and now finished the 5th-grade book.

Here’s something you may want to know about my family and math. I have a bad relationship with math because I really did not learn math until I was in the 5th grade.

It’s true!

I don’t remember math in kindergarten or 1st grade and when my family immigrated here and I was sent to 2nd grade I just needed to learn the English language. From 2nd to 4th grades I was taken out of class during math to learn to speak, read and write English.

And I am very grateful for that.

By 5th grade, I was a better reader and writer than most of my native English speaking peers. But I didn’t know math! I literally taught myself the multiplication table the summer between 4th and 5th grades. I managed to get A’s and B’s in math and got into a great University. But I still struggle with some concepts because I was basically self-taught. 

When I am teaching my son math I am learning at the same time. So I’m really looking for something that both he and I can understand.

Now my son C, on the other hand, is so great at math. He just knows this stuff. He learns it and then can solve anything. He hates word problems which are a problem since the common core is a lot of word problems. But I also don’t push him on it because I know his struggle is reading and reading comprehension. We do the best we can. Needless to say, he does not do this curriculum independently. I am there with him every single step of the way.

How Do We Use Go Math as a Math Curriculum?

We did math every single day, for the most part, Monday through Friday. We were usually able to fit one chapter into 2 or 3 weeks, depending on the difficulty or length of the chapter.

We learn the lesson together just by going over the concepts and the different ways to solve a problem. There have been times when I didn’t know how to teach the lesson or didn’t understand it enough so I would use the videos recommended in the parent/teacher book/website.

I would glance over the problems that need solving and circle the ones that C will solve. Sometimes that means half. Sometimes all of them and sometimes I will even find supplemental work for him to do so that he understands a concept better.

This is what has worked for us the past two years and you would do what works best for your family.

So do we like it or not?

The Pros of Go Math! Curriculum

Common Core math approved

Lot’s of ways to practice a concept

There’s a teacher manual either online or print versions available

Tests are online – you can save and take at a later time

Videos available for learning, clarification 

Can actually finish the work in a school year or 2 semester school year

The Cons of Go Math! Curriculum

Still need to take the test (don’t like tests but C actually does really well on these)

Lot’s and lots of work

There are lessons that require physical manipulators (and I don’t plan that far ahead to actually get these from my homeschool resource center. Totally my fault.)

Not the most autism-friendly. There are concepts or word problems that are difficult for an autistic child to understand.

Would I recommend it?

Yes, I think I would. Mostly because there is so much available to make this curriculum a success. Yes, there is a lot of work to do but you can pick and choose what your child needs to do. 

You’re the teacher. 

You and your child can figure out what works for you.

You got this, mama.