Everything was going along just great, or so I thought. My homeschooler did well in math. She progressed through her lessons just fine, and she was about to begin multi-step multiplication. She had just completed a quiz, and I saw these dots all over the paper. “Are you counting out your math problems?” I asked.
But I already knew. With a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach I realized she didn’t have the math facts mastery I thought she did. This was a big deal, and we needed some extra help. We needed to stop everything and master those math facts before we did anything else.
What’s So Special About AIM: Addition and Subtraction?
Luckily, I found AIM: Addition and Subtraction. AIM stands for Accelerated Individualized Mastery. It’s the supplemental branch of the Math-U-See curriculum. Students only work on math facts mastery with this program. And with only 22 lessons, it is short, sweet, and effective.
Research shows the overwhelming benefits of a multisensory approach to learning. Math-U-See incorporates this concept into every part of their curriculums, including AIM: Addition and Subtraction. Each lesson taps into various types of learning, including visual, auditory, tactile, and kinesthetic. They all have the following format:
My daughter loved working with the little blocks, and she became excited about math! This curriculum is so much more than rote memorization. The lessons actually teach the relationship between numbers and therefore easy strategies on how to quickly recall information.
The Results Speak for Themselves
Our goal with this curriculum was for my daughter to gain math facts mastery. And let me tell you, she met and surpassed that goal! At the beginning of AIM: Addition and Subtraction, her pre-test scores were petty low. Lower than I expected, actually. However, her post-test scores were almost perfect!
At the end of this supplemental curriculum, my daughter’s confidence increased, and I felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders. I confess I felt like I failed in some way because my child had a significant gap in her knowledge. Isn’t that every homeschool mom’s fear? That we will miss something? But let me tell you, friend, You are enough.
Final Thoughts
My favorite thing about homeschooling is the ability to change things when something isn’t working. Our previous math curriculum didn’t work for us anymore. But thank goodness we found something that does! We loved the supplemental AIM: Addition and Subtraction so much, that I am switching her (along with my other children) completely over to Math-U-See.
Tell me your thoughts! Have you ever had to change curriculums in the middle of the year? Let me know in the comments below. And if you enjoyed this post, share it with your friends!