A Revolutionary New Approach to Homeschool Math

There’s a great new homeschool math program that can radically transform your children’s experience of math, building understanding through creative exploration.

First, a bit of history…

What Is Algebra Before Arithmetic?

Back when I was still homeschooling, I read a couple of articles by Keith Devlin about the benefits of teaching children algebra, even before they study numbers.

As a homeschooler leaning toward Charlotte Mason-style education, I found the notion of algebra-first math intriguing. What if we could introduce students to the big ideas of math, the foundational concepts that explain how numbers relate before they get distracted by details like math facts and memorized rules?

In a traditional arithmetic-first approach, we teach kids to count, then work with whole numbers, and later mix in fractions and decimals, leading gradually to algebra in middle or high school.

With an algebra-before-arithmetic approach, students learn about how quantities can be compared, combined, manipulated, and transformed, but not by working with the numbers.

Devlin explains, “For instance, the pupils are asked how to make unequal quantities equal or how to make equal quantities unequal by adding or subtracting an amount. Starting from a volume situation recorded as H < B, the children could achieve equality by adding to volume H or subtracting from volume B. They observe that whichever action they choose, the amount added or subtracted is the same.”

How Can We Teach It?

But I never found a practical way to turn the idea into a workable math program.

Until now.

My friend Sonya Post has spent years mastering the algebra-first approach of master teacher Caleb Gattegno, adapting it to work in a homeschool setting, and coaching other parents how to make the transition to this revolutionary, thought-provoking, concept-rich way of teaching math.

Now she’s put her method into an online course with step-by-step video instructions, open-ended printable homework, and weekly live workshops both for parents and students.

Oh, I wish this had been available back when my children were young!

You can read all the details here:

Learning Well at Home Courses ❯
(Use my affiliate code LPMBLC15 at checkout to save 15%.)

Everyone starts at the beginning and proceeds at their own pace. With older children, you’ll want the 2-course bundle because they’ll go through the lessons faster. But since even the first parts of the course are about algebraic thinking, no students are “behind” their age peers.