Mastering Mathematics

Mastery Publications

This complete math program was developed by a Christian school teacher and curriculum developer who became a homeschooling mom. Like Developmental Mathematics, it concentrates on one skill at a time. Once that skill is mastered, a child moves on to the next. Number recognition and other such kindergarten skills must be learned before starting the program.

The program begins at what would be considered first grade level with beginning addition and continues through about sixth grade level material. However, some topics such as the use of exponents and variables move beyond that level.

The program is divided into six student books: Attacking Addition, Subduing Subtraction, Mastering Multiplication, Defeating Division, Perfecting the Point (place value, decimals, and percentage), and Finishing Fractions. More concepts are taught than are indicated by those titles. Time, money, stewardship/consumerism, measurement, check writing, thermometer reading, graphing, area, perimeter, Roman numerals, and others are covered either at the ends of the various books or through information provided in the teacher’s manual.

One large teacher’s manual covers all six books. The manual is outstanding. There is extensive information on teaching children of varying abilities from “higher functioning Down’s Syndrome” children through gifted. Learning style needs are addressed with suggestions for adapting lessons to suit the learner. Extra suggestions are provided for advanced learners.

You are strongly urged to adapt the program rather than blindly assign page after page. Using the program in this manner will require some daily lesson preparation and varying amounts of one-on-one teaching. Children with average to above average skills might be able to work independently most of the time.

Manipulatives in the form of card stock “counting strips” and “fraction picture proofs” are used in place of the rods or cubes used with some other programs. Additionally, flash cards and games are included in packets that are part of the teacher’s manual. Suggestions for the use of beans, M&M’s, and other materials as manipulatives are also provided. Visual representations such as pictures of dominoes help young children transfer from representational to abstract thinking at the beginning of each lesson.

Lessons are very clearly laid out with instruction provided on each work page. Parents need to read through the fairly brief teacher’s manual before beginning each of the six books but from then on will usually be able to present each day’s lesson by simply following instructions in the child’s book and using appropriate flash cards and games.

Large print, ample white space, the lack of distracting pictures, blank pages facing the work sheets, and short assignments give Mastering Mathematics probably the least distracting page layout in a complete curriculum for homeschoolers. (Note: Some children with learning disabilities need uncluttered pages like this to maintain concentration on their work.)

Older children needing remedial help or beginning the program after having already learned some arithmetic skills should be given placement tests at the front of the addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division books--depending on how far they have progressed. It is then very easy to use the prescriptive information in the teacher’s manual to know where to begin with the various skills.

Memorization of facts and drill for speed is an important part of the program. Additional assistance in drill is available with Mastering Mathematics PC Compatible Practice Disk : ($9.95). This is a very simple, “pop-in-the-disk-and-go” program. It does not have any cartoon figures or mazes but uses a “fill-in-the-grid” format for drilling addition and multiplication. It doesn’t drill on subtraction and division, but if children know addition and multiplication well, they almost automatically know their inverses—subtraction and division. The screen is colorful, and there is great flexibility for choosing which number facts to drill and whether to present them in numerical or random order. Although the program is designed so you can easily identify which level is appropriate according to your child’s place in Mastering Mathematics, it could be useful for any child learning math facts.

Mastering Mathematics goes beyond facts, drill, and rote learning with many of the suggested activities and games and especially with the very practical word problems. This is also where the Christian content shows up.

Each family has permission to copy workbook pages for their own children, which keeps the overall cost low. A protective clear sheet is provided for children to write on with a wipe-off marker on pages (such as drills) that you might wish to use over and over. This can also be used for children to work out of the same book without photocopying pages.

Some unusual choices have been made with scope and sequence. Explanation of the rationale for place value has been delayed until Perfecting the Point. In earlier lessons, children simply learn the method. Decimals are taught before fractions. Children learn how to work with very large numbers within each concept area (addition, subtraction, etc.) before moving on to the next concept. The author presents some valid reasons for making these choices, and there should be no problems because of them. The only consideration might be placement of a child when switching to another program in the middle of the sequence. Mastery Publications includes a 32-page Skill Inventory that can be used to assess your child’s math skills, both computational and noncomputational (i.e., time, money, and calendars). The Skill Inventory consists of extensive assessments that will hel you identify particular lessons on which to concentrate. These are reproducible for your immediate family but not for school groups.

You can purchase the entire program, individual programs (e.g., Attacking Addition with related teacher’s manual), combination programs (e.g., addition and subtraction sold as a unit), or additional workbooks. The computer program is sold separately in all cases. You save the most money when purchasing the complete program.

This looks like a great program for the parent who wants flexibility and creativity yet has little lesson preparation time.

Students completing this program should be ready for most seventh grade programs, and either Saxon Math 76 or Algebra 1/2 (more mature students).

No specific Christian content but by Christian author