Hello fellow homeschoolers!

Choosing a curriculum can get a little overwhelming with all the home education options that now exist. This is true for many subjects, but nowhere does it seem more common than with math. That being the case, I thought I would give a quick overview of types of math curriculum and a few additional things to consider when picking curriculum.  

The two main types are spiral and mastery. A typical spiral curriculum will teach a concept, have a few practice problems on that topic, and then have a mixture of questions on all previous topics studied up to that point. A good spiral curriculum works well for students who are naturally strong in math. It helps prepare them for standardized tests, and reflects more real-world math, where you never know what the next problem will involve. Advanced students might find a mastery curriculum boring. 

Mastery curriculum on the other hand, is a more traditional approach, where a topic is covered and the homework...