In our house we find that sometimes switching it up, getting away from the workbooks and doing something “on the computer” is a novel idea. Even though the lessons may be similar, the fact that it is interactive just somehow makes it more fun! So when we were selected to review the 12 Month Family Plan from CTCMath, the kids were very excited to give it a try!
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What is CTCMath?
CTCMath is an online math curriculum from Kindergarten to Trigonometry. They have single student and family plans available on monthly, 6 month, and 12 month memberships and start at $29.99. Once you have paid for your membership you have unlimited access to ALL grade levels and lessons. This means if you purchased the Single Student Plan, your child would not be limited to lessons inside their grade level! You can start at a grade level below and work your way up or challenge them with some higher grade level materials.
The lessons are 4-9 minutes long (so not too overwhelming) and are animated and narrated to engage your students. The program works well for a large variety of learning styles because of it’s multi-sensory approach. Not only will your child have access to over 1,300 lessons but they will also have access to all of the interactive questions accompanying the lessons!
CTCMath also has some fun math games including “speed skills” (similar to speed drills but WAY more fun) and “Times Tables Shoot ‘Em Up.” If you aren’t certain if it will work for your family, they also offer a free trial you can access by CLICKING HERE. And homeschoolers get a whopping 60% discount off the regular price so if you want to sign up, make sure you click THIS LINK!
What Does a Lesson with CTCMath Look Like?
When you first login, you are greeted with your student dashboard, take a look at our screen shot below.
You can see on the left hand side the access to all the different courses they have available. We worked in the 2nd Grade Course and in the next column you can see all the different streams. I selected Number, Patterns, and Algebra to give you an idea of the topics included in that lesson. In each topic there are a number of different lessons to be completed including the narrated lesson as well as the accompanying questions (see below).
In this screen shot you can see a sample question from Caleb’s 2nd Grade “Heavier and Lighter” lesson. The questions have great graphics, are not too complicated to work with and are not too long.
After each series of questions, you are shown a results page instantly on your screen. This was helpful for me to review which questions he struggled with and whether he needed to repeat the lesson or was ready to move on.
The results page goes through each question, showing you how it was displayed, their score, and their history. After completing an entire topic, the scores are averaged out and based no their grade, the student receives a certificate. These awards are mailed to your e-mail inbox but can also be accessed on your student dashboard under the columns in the box labeled “Awards and Reports” and printed off.
A really fun and helpful addition to the lessons are the Speed Skills section that can be accessed in your student dashboard. We have done a lot of speed drills and something about seeing that clock just gives a little bit of spice to a math lesson, don’t you think? My kids love it! This aspect of CTCMath was a HUGE hit for the kids! Inside your Speed Skills page, the challenges looked like this:
They get progressively harder throughout the program (as you would imagine) but the fact that it is portrayed more as a game just changed it for us. The kids couldn’t wait to finish their lesson to try their hand at the “Math Game” as they called it!
What We Thought Of CTCMath
From a homeschool mom perspective, I loved CTCMath!
I loved that my kids could do their lessons on their own! It was just one less thing I had to sit down and do one-on-one and it was HIGHLY successful! When they were finished with their lesson, they called me over and we reviewed it together and went over their mistakes. Then they were ready for the next one!
I love that you have access to all the different grade levels, that my children don’t have to be labeled with a specific grade but can explore and utilize all the lessons.
I love that I was sent updates and certificates by e-mail and didn’t have to go log in to find everything.
I love that the lessons were multi-sensory and worked well with the broad range of learning styles we have in our home.
From a child’s perspective, CTCMath was a hit!
When I asked Caleb what was his favorite part about CTCMath, he told me it was the games and the voice. Something about that accent just intrigued my dear little son, he found it soothing and enjoyable to listen to (perhaps after mom’s nagging it was a welcome relief ;))
He loved getting the certificates, we have a vast array of them lining his bedroom wall. It gave him something to work towards and something to be proud of.
He really did love the games. Caleb is quite competitive and he really enjoyed playing the games, so much so I don’t even think he realized he was doing school! 😉
All in all, CTCMath gets the Hip Homeschooling Seal of Approval!
If you are considering CTCMath, make sure to hop over and see all the other awesome reviews on the Review Crew homepage by clicking HERE or on the banner below. Also, don’t forget to check out CTCMath’s Facebook page HERE.
Had you Heard of CTCMath Before?
