I have a confession. I never volunteer in the canteen at my kids’ sports clubs. Why? Because in a situation like that, I get maths anxiety. I’m a words gal, not a numbers chick. I know the math, but at the moment, on the spot, I can’t add or subtract. I struggle to calculate your lunch order, let alone give you the correct change. I’m just too scared of making a mistake, and my brain flips out.

So it’s fair to say as a rural homeschool mum of four, this is not a good look! Because I have teenagers who need maths instruction and high school maths gets a little spicy. Some of the maths is above my pay grade, and as a home educator, I need some help.

After hearing great things about Maths Pathway, I wanted to try their online program. With the disappearance of Education Perfect, I have been looking for another online solution. I felt Maths Pathway could be it!

A few months in, this has been my experience so far.

What attracts me most to Maths Pathway is their diagnostic testing at the beginning of sign-up. I like how they approach learning on the student level, not a prescriptive year level. This makes total sense to me as we all learn at our own pace with knowledge gaps and a need for revision.

I also love how Maths Pathway encourages paper-based problem solving, something Education Perfect did not do. Returning to maths on paper has been a great choice. Before we commenced any lessons, we watched the Maths Pathways short video “How to set out a great maths workbook!” This helped set up my kids for success in their lessons. Not only do we now have a consistent Record of Learning, but my children have a physical visual book of their efforts and progress. My daughter is particularly proud of her work and the workbook will make my home education reporting process easier.

Lastly, I like how Maths Pathway has represented the student’s learning map. Using gems as milestones, keeps it fun and visual, which is particularly good for younger users. I also like how Maths Pathway gives a score for effort and knowledge. Homeschoolers are always about effort over attainment. We love our kids to succeed, but we value a diligent worker who is motivated. An effort indicator is a great idea.

When we first started with Maths Pathway, I asked my 14 year old what she felt about it. In true teenage form, she replied “It does the job.” That’s teen speak for it’s good and working fine. However, this past week I have been hearing her say out loud. 

“I’m such a Maths Pro.” 

“I’ve done all 6 modules, now I just have to master them.”

“Now I can do a bonus one.”

“I got all my questions right on my test. I didn’t think I would but I did.”

To be completely honest, while my kids are okay with Maths Pathway as a tool and resource, it’s still “school work”. They don’t crazy love maths. It’s not their passion subject. But they are happy to do it and Maths Pathway has been a simple, straightforward way to learn the material. As previously mentioned, I like how the kids learn at their level. There is a strong focus on effort, as well as understanding concepts.

So, based on our experiences so far, I would recommend Maths Pathway to home educating students who like a curriculum approach to numeracy built around the student, not their grade. The family pricing is also great for large families, such as mine. The free trial is a good way to test the program and if you need support, the team are there to help. 

I hope this helps you. Happy Learning. 

Jillina

Homeschool Hotline