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Our picks for the best homeschool math curriculum for high school:
- Best All-Around Program: Saxon Math
- Best for Students Strong in Math: The Art of Problem Solving
- Best for Visual and Tactile Learners: Math-U-See
- Best “Fun” Math: Life of Fred
- Best Video-Based Program: VideoText Interactive
When it comes to homeschooling a high school student, many parents worry that they won’t remember enough about high school math to successfully teach it to their children. The good news is that there are a number of fantastic high school math curriculum options for homeschoolers, and most of these programs require little to no preparation on the part of parents. There are also some excellent resources like this Illustrated Dictionary of Math, a fantastic supplement to any curricula you choose.
Most homeschool math curricula follow the traditional sequence for high school math (Algebra I followed by Geometry, followed by Algebra II, followed by Precalculus), but there is no reason that these four courses need to be completed in grades 9-12. Many students begin Algebra I in grade 8 and are thus able to finish Precalculus in Grade 11, allowing time for a Calculus course in grade 12. Some students work so fast they are able to start Calculus II their senior year. Other students may need to start the sequence later or take longer, and that is also completely fine. The important thing is to find the best math program for your student and start in the right place.
If you are new to homeschooling, you may be wondering what level your kids are at with math. This will depend on how strong they are in math, what courses they have taken in the past, and how effectively they were previously taught in the school system. Luckily, most homeschool math curricula offer online placement tests that will help you figure out where your student needs to start.
At the top of this article, we’ve listed some of our favorite homeschool math curricula for high school students. To learn more about them, keep reading. And if your high schooler struggles with math, check out our article Best Homeschool High School Math for Struggling Students. Also, if you are homeschooling younger kids, you may also want to check out our articles Best Homeschool Math Curriculum for Middle School and Best Homeschool Math Curriculum for Elementary.
Best All-Around Program
Saxon Math is probably the most widely-used homeschool math program, and for good reason. It is comprehensive and well-structured, and it works well for most learning styles. This curriculum uses a “spiral approach” that introduces, reintroduces, and repeatedly reviews math concepts to ensure that students thoroughly grasp what they are being taught. Because students learn incrementally, they are able to feel successful rather than frustrated as they gain math skills.
At the high school level, most students will be able to work through this curriculum fairly independently, especially with the use of the teaching tape DVDs. These DVDs include video lessons with a state-certified teacher. Students can watch and rewatch these lessons as many times as they need to, ensuring that they fully understand each concept before proceeding to the next level.
Another excellent supplement is the DIVE CD series, which uses a digital whiteboard format to teach lessons corresponding to those in the Saxon Math textbooks. Each lesson is about 10-15 minutes in length. The problems presented in the DIVE series are different from those in the textbook, so it works great for extra practice and for kids who learn well visually.
Students have two options in terms of how they can progress through Saxon’s high school math curriculum. For students who are not college-bound or not planning to pursue degrees in math or science, the recommended sequence is Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, and Advanced Math (if a fourth year of math is needed or desired). For college-bound students and those hoping to attain degrees in math or science, Saxon recommends that the geometry course is skipped and the following sequence is instead followed: Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Advanced Math, and Calculus.
For Algebra 1, you’ll want to get the Saxon Algebra 1 Homeschool Kit with Solutions Manual. Also recommended are the Algebra 1 Teaching Tape Full Set and the Algebra 1 DIVE CD-Rom.
For Geometry, we recommend the Saxon Geometry Homeschool Kit and corresponding Saxon Geometry DIVE CD-Rom. Saxon’s geometry program is a newer edition and does not have a corresponding teaching tape.
For Algebra 2, you’ll want to purchase the Saxon Algebra 2 Homeschool Kit with Solutions Manual. We also recommend the corresponding Teaching Tape and DIVE CD-Rom.
For Advanced Math, you’ll want to get the Saxon Advanced Math Homeschool Kit with Solutions Manual. We also recommend the corresponding Teaching Tape Set and DIVE CD-Rom.
For Calculus, you’ll need to purchase the Saxon Calculus Homeschool Kit with Solutions Manual. We also recommend the corresponding DIVE CD-Rom. There is no teaching tape for Saxon Calculus.
Best for Students Strong in Math
If your student is strong in math and enjoys being challenged, consider Richard Rusczyk wonderful program The Art of Problem Solving. This curriculum provides students with many problems, including problems that they have not yet learned how to solve. Students are challenged to find the answer and then, even if they found the correct answer, they are taught the most effective way to solve it.
Rusczyk is a former USA Mathematical Olympiad winner, and with this program he indeed makes math fun (at least for those students who already love math). Self-motivated, independent learners will appreciate the way this curriculum challenges them to work through problems on their own, providing a clear route to the answers once they have done all they can. This is also an excellent program if your student wishes to compete in math competitions like MATHCOUNTS.
As with most math programs, you may want to have your student take a placement test if they are coming into this curriculum from a different one. Some high schoolers will want to start with the Prealgebra course. If your student is ready to begin the Algebra course, you’ll need to purchase the Introduction to Algebra textbook and the Algebra Solutions Manual, available individually or as a set. After they have completed at least the first 11 chapters of the Algebra course, students can then move onto the Introduction to Counting and Probability and Introduction to Number Theory series. Along with the Algebra course, these two courses must be completed before students move onto the Introduction to Geometry course.
Depending on where your student places in math, and particularly if they have already completed an algebra 1 and geometry course using another curriculum, they may be ready for The Art of Problem Solving Intermediate Algebra program. For students who progress beyond this course, the sequence is as follows: Intermediate Counting & Probability, then Precalculus, followed by Calculus. If your student is interested in math competitions, you may want to purchase the program’s Basics program along with its And Beyond program.
Best for Visual and Tactile Learners
If your student struggles to understand math and learns better through visual and tactile methods, consider the popular Math-U-See program created by Demme Learning. This is a highly structured program that can be used for all types of learners but is especially tailored to students who learn best by physical and visual demonstration. Unique to this program is its integer block manipulative kit, which is used to physically demonstrate the concepts being taught. This kit only needs to be bought once; it can be used through multiple years of the program and by multiple students in the same family.
At the high school level, this program will be fairly hands-off for parents. DVD instruction is included to help students understand the concepts, and lots of workbook practice is provided. Lessons are short and simple, and the program focuses on teaching math in a concrete, hands-on way using the integer block kit. To learn more about this program, check out the video demonstrations available here (CHRISTIAN BOOK).
At the high school level, Math-U-See offers five courses: Algebra (grade 8/9), Geometry (grade 9/10), Algebra 2 (grade 10-11), Pre-Calculus (grade 11-12), and Calculus (generally grade 12 for those who reach this level). As with any math curriculum, students should first take a placement test to see where they should begin.
Best “Fun” Math
If your student struggles with math because they find it boring or hard to approach, you may want to consider another of the most popular homeschool math curricula currently on the market: the Life of Fred series. This program is built around the story of Fred Gauss, a six-year-old professor of math. As he goes about his everyday life, Fred encounters the need for math, and students are thus challenged to help him. While Life of Fred seems lighthearted and funny – and indeed, it is – it is also an excellent math curriculum. Its story-based, problem-solving approach to math is excellent for students who find math boring or intimidating, or who struggle to understand why math matters.
Each course in the Life of Fred high school series consists of just one text. A practice problems book is also available and highly recommended for both of the algebra courses. Typically, the Beginning Algebra and Advanced Algebra courses will take a little more than a year for students to complete. Geometry will take a full year, while Trigonometry can generally be completed in half a year. For those who take it, Calculus is a full-year course. Life of Fred also offers a “college set”, appropriate for advanced math students who have completed the other courses. The sequence for these courses is listed here:
Life of Fred Beginning Algebra Expanded Edition (can also be purchased as a set with the corresponding Zillions of Practice Problems)
Life of Fred Advanced Algebra Expanded Edition (can also be purchased as a set with the corresponding Zillions of Practice Problems)
Life of Fred Geometry Expanded Edition
Life of Fred Trigonometry Expanded Edition
Life of Fred Calculus Expanded Edition
Life of Fred Complete College Set
Best Video-Based Program
If you are looking for a solid math program that can be done independently with minimal parental help, we recommend the VideoText Interactive program. This is a video-based curriculum that teaches students using a step-by-step, incremental approach. It stresses conceptual learning and uses both a teacher and computer-animated graphics to help students understand the material. For some students, this approach works better than traditional textbooks because the computer animations are able to visually demonstrate the concepts in ways that books cannot.
This program is well-structured and easy to follow. Lessons begin with a video demonstration, which students can pause and replay as needed. After watching the video, they then complete the exercises provided in the worktext. Quizzes and a solutions manual help ensure that students are adequately grasping the concepts being taught in the video lessons.
This curriculum is divided into an algebra course and a geometry course; each is designed to take about two years to complete. The algebra course includes pre-algebra instruction and covers the concepts generally taught in both algebra 1 and 2. The geometry course covers geometry as well as some trigonometry and pre-calculus concepts.
The Algebra and Geometry courses each include six modules; most students will complete three modules a year. Each module set includes the video lessons on DVD and the accompanying books. Modules can be purchased individually or in larger sets. If your student is beginning the Algebra course, we recommend you purchase the Algebra Modules A-C Set; this includes everything you’ll need for the first year of algebra instruction. If he or she is beginning the Geometry course, we recommend the Geometry Modules A-C Set, which has everything you’ll need for the first year of geometry.
Conclusion
If you’re homeschooling a high school student, you have many excellent math curriculum options to choose from. Whichever one you choose, don’t forget to supplement it with a good math reference book like the Illustrated Dictionary of Math. And if your high schooler struggles with math, check out our article Best Homeschool High School Math for Struggling Students.