Customer Reviews

Modern Curriculum Press Mathematics, Level F

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I have been using MCP Math for the past 7 years to home school our children. It is an inexpensive, fairly comprehensive Math program. It covers the bases for each level. It is a really great program for children who are average students. It also works well with students who need a little extra help.

There are a few down sides to this program. They move much too fast when teaching the multiplication tables (or perhaps it is that there is not enough material provided). I also had to supplement with more difficult problems when I used this for my gifted child.

This is the opposite of no-math reform mathematics. Very short book tells you quickly how to do arithemetic, with practice. You'll learn and practice the skill in 15 minutes, instead of spending all night with your kids writing, singing, cutting, pasting and interviewing and then realizing you didn't do any math. This is why homeschoolers love it. I told my teacher to take TERC and shove it where the sun don't shine, and sent back homework from this book.

So, these have been around a long time. I'm turning 25, and I used the MCP math curriculum from 1st thru 6th grade. A is for first grade, all the way up to F is for 6th grade.
The amazing part of these books is that you become friendly to and begin using Algebra without even knowing it. It'll have questions like 3 x ___ = 27, and you have to figure out the missing number (sound familiar, Algebra wizards?) Later, it begins putting a small italic "n" in there for "number." Each lesson is the front and back of a page. The process is learned step-by-step through a story situation on the front page, then you have a few easy practice questions. On the back of the page, it has more practice questions (getting progressively more complex), and anywhere from 2 to 8 story problems. Since you literally JUST learned the process, you pick up very easily how do solve the story problems.
It also focuses heavily on the patterns in mathematics, so that you learn the *way* to figure out the problems instead of tackling one problem at a time. Each chapter focuses on one topic (pattern: one chapter on adding, then next on subtracting, the next on multiplying, the next on dividing, etc).
At the end of each chapter is a review page, followed by a test (again, just the front and back of a page).
I had 6 months to tutor a boy who was in 5th grade and still couldn't carry when he added or borrow when he subtracted. I got him this book (yes, I knew it was a 6th grade book), and we worked through it. (The first chapter reviews all the previous grades, while preparing you for the next chapters). His mom still raves that I was the one who got him to understand math, and he actually enjoyed it.
My only regret was that the curriculum only went through 6th grade...
If only their spelling books worked as well. I'm still having to use spell-check!!!