Why I Love Teaching Textbooks (and how it just got better!)

(FYI…Teaching Textbooks provided me with their updated curriculum–version 3.0 for review…I was already using and loving Teaching Textbooks 2.0!  As always–this post reflects my personal experiences and is 100% my opinion!)  Excited to share with you why I love Teaching Textbooks, and give you an update and review of the newest version!

My Switch to Teaching Textbooks

I just wrapped up my 14th year homeschooling — and I’ve tried a lot of curriculum over the years (here’s a list of my favorites).

But math isn’t something I usually tinker with…I found Saxon math back at the beginning of our journey and it worked for us.  Until it didn’t any more…As my daughter approached the end of middle school, she was increasingly sad and frustrated about math.  I thought we’d just have to keep slugging through–but talk of “no more math tears,” in my local homeschooling group got my attention…and got me thinking maybe it was time to change up my math curriculum!  These moms were raving about Teaching Textbooks, and I decided to give it a try–you can read more about why I made the switch here!

Why We Love It

Teaching Textbooks exceeded my expectations–my daughter gained confidence, worked independently, and greatly improved her math skills (and actually enjoyed doing her math lessons)!

Here are  just a few reasons we love it:

• The lessons are very clearly structured, well-presented, engaging, and thorough–I am truly so impressed with the actual lesson delivery.  I really encourage you to try a sample lesson!  Go to the website and click on any level–you will find sample lessons!
• My daughter works independently–and on her schedule!  No more waiting for me to be done with all my little kids…and no more waiting for me to read through and review the math lesson before I do the lesson with her.  She loves being able to turn on the computer, get right to her lesson, and get down to business!
• She is gaining confidence and ownership of her math learning!  We love that she can rewatch pieces of the lesson as much as needed!

• Teaching Textbooks provides hints for most problems.  (I appreciate this–but you can actually turn off the feature if you want your child to do a lesson without hints.)

• In addition, after your child has solved a problem, Teaching Textbooks gives your child the opportunity to see how EVERY SINGLE PROBLEM is solved (whether they got the problem right or wrong–I love this as a parent–because I can jump in and catch on very quickly when my daughter is struggling)!

• The grade book is amazing (all done automatically)–I can see exactly how my daughter is doing!  And I’m especially thankful to be using it next year when I will need the help record-keeping for high school!

And of course…It has been rather lovely NOT teaching Pre-Algebra (and I’m truly looking forward to NOT teaching Algebra in the fall)!

So What’s New in the 3.o Version?

This year Teaching Textbooks released a new version–3.o, which essentially is the same amazing content, but instead of buying a set of disks and a textbook–everything is available online!

Here are the highlights:

• Online Delivery–your child can log into their account from any computer with internet access, anywhere!  (In fact, they can even log on from tablets and mobile devices–get details on that here.)  This has been a true bonus for my teenage daughter who loves the freedom of logging in from her bedroom, the couch, or even Starbucks!
• No more data loss from a crashed computer!  This actually happened to us during Christmas Break!  Our desktop computer crashed, and all of the data was lost…(not a huge problem because she was only in 8th grade–but I probably would have been more bummed if she were in high school and we lost all her grades)!  Now that the grade book is online–you don’t have to worry about losing the records!
• VALUE…because we aren’t buying disks and a pre-printed textbook, Teaching Textbooks 3.o is a huge cost savings for homeschool families!  (You can still access a text version of all the lessons–and these are available to print.  We have never needed to use the text–but I know some people might like that option.)

For example:

I own the Pre-Algebra 2.o Version (which is still available to anyone who would rather have the disks) and it cost me $184.90.

The new Pre-Algebra 3.0 Version (all the same content as the 2.o version) costs $67.08 for a 12 month subscription (that’s just $5.59 per month)!

And if you have a large family like mine…Teaching Textbooks generously offers a Large Family Discount-Plan!

• And for a little extra fun–kids can now pick from lots of fun wallpapers and study buddies which help make their screens and experiences unique!  My daughter loves the garden and hedge hog she picked!

No More Math Tears…

So I’ll leave you with the words that got me interested in Teaching Textbooks…”No more math tears!”  This can be a reality for you and your child too!

I’m so excited about the updates Teaching Textbooks made to their amazing program–making the curriculum even more convenient and affordable for many families!

Please let me know if you have any questions–I’m always happy to help!

With Love,

Jen xo