United States · Homeschool and school math · Nine curricula, three alternatives, two rule books

Homeschool math curriculum comparison: which math curriculum should you use?

Families ask the same question in a dozen forms: Saxon or Math-U-See, Beast Academy or Math Mammoth, an app or a book, spiral or mastery. There is no single right answer, but there are facts, and every publisher states its own. We put them in one table, read from each publisher’s site, and point to a deeper page for every program. Nothing here ranks one curriculum over another.

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In short

Widely used US homeschool math curricula include Saxon (HMH), Beast Academy (Art of Problem Solving), Teaching Textbooks, Math Mammoth and Math-U-See (Demme Learning); schools often use Eureka Math (Great Minds), enVision (Savvas), Go Math (HMH) and Big Ideas Math. They differ in grade range, format (book, video, app) and approach, so choose with each publisher’s placement test and a short trial. Modern Age Coders, which is not connected with any publisher, teaches live online beside whichever one you pick, in a batch or 1-on-1.

Courses that sit beside a curriculum

Three live courses that follow whatever book is on the table

Each course is taught to the topic your child is on in their own curriculum. The book keeps the sequence; the teacher explains it a second way.

Elementary Maths for Grades 1-5 course thumbnail

USHC / 01

Elementary math, grades 1 to 5

Place value, the four operations, fractions and measurement, for families on any K to 5 program.

Open the syllabus →
Middle School Mathematics Mastery course thumbnail

USHC / 02

Middle school math

Ratios, negatives, expressions and geometry, the years where curricula diverge most.

Open the syllabus →
Algebra Foundations course thumbnail

USHC / 03

Algebra foundations

Pre-algebra and Algebra 1, the hand-off point where many families change program.

Open the syllabus →

The master table

How do the main homeschool math curricula compare?

Short answer: they cover overlapping grades in very different ways. Saxon and Math Mammoth are books, Teaching Textbooks is an app, Math-U-See pairs a video with blocks and a workbook, and the school programs come as print editions with a digital platform. The table below puts every program in this guide on one grid, using only words the publisher or the state wrote itself.

Math curricula, alternatives and homeschool rules in this guide, from each organisation’s own pages (read raw 31 October 2026, re-checked 1 November 2026; grade ranges written with "to")
ProgramWho publishes or runs itGrades or agesDelivery formatApproach, in their own words
Saxon MathHoughton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH)K to Algebra 2Books and kits; online tools such as "iTools digital math manipulatives""An incremental approach gives students the time to understand and practice a small concept before adding the next step."
Beast AcademyArt of Problem SolvingAges 6 to 13, Levels 1 to 5Guide and Practice books, or BA Online with "more than 1,000 lessons"The "elementary school math program created by Art of Problem Solving", usable "as a stand-alone curriculum or as a supplement"
Teaching TextbooksTeaching TextbooksMath 3 to Pre-CalculusOne app per course; "Printed Textbooks" optional"Each course does all of the teaching, all of the grading, and has step-by-step solutions for every problem."
Math MammothMath Mammoth (mathmammoth.com)K to 8 (Light Blue Series)"two student worktexts (A and B)" a grade; free videos for grades 1 to 7"All the instruction in the worktexts is written directly to the student."
Math-U-SeeDemme Learning13 levels, Primer to CalculusLesson video, workbook, tests and manipulative blocks"Focuses on mastering fundamental concepts and skills before moving on to a new topic"
Eureka Math and Eureka Math squaredGreat MindsPreK to grade 12; squared edition PreK to Algebra I"Learn, Practice, Succeed" workbooks; an "open educational resource" student edition"They use the same models and problem-solving methods from grade to grade"
enVision MathematicsSavvas Learning CompanyK to 8, plus enVision A|G|A for high school"Student Editions, an Additional Practice Workbook, and Teacher’s Editions", with Savvas Realize onlineBuilds understanding "through student investigations and experiences that focus on the why, what, and how of mathematics"
Go Math! (and Into Math)Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH)Go Math! K to 6; Into Math K to Algebra 1Print program with HMH digital tools; "The full program is available in Spanish""Go Math! organizes instruction through a chapter-based structure built around the 5E lesson model."
Big Ideas Math (Math & YOU)Big Ideas Learning, a Larson Texts companyK to 12, plus APStudent Edition in print with "Easy Access" online"Our lesson design begins with engaging, exploratory experiences to help students build a solid, conceptual foundation."
Khan AcademyKhan Academy, a nonprofitKhanmigo: "elementary school through college"Self-paced videos and exercises; Khanmigo AI tutorKhanmigo "guides learners to find the answer themselves"
Russian School of MathematicsRSMK to 12; RSM-Online grades 2 to 10In-person branches and live online classesApproach "based on elite math schools in the former Soviet Union, adapted to the U.S. environment"
Art of Problem SolvingAoPS (AoPS Academy)AoPS Academy grades 1 to 12Books, online courses since 2003, campuses"AoPS trains students to approach hard problems by breaking them down into familiar parts."
Stanford 10 (SAT10)PearsonK to 12 on paper, 3 to 12 onlineNationally normed, multiple-choice testAn "Easy-hard-easy" question format, with 2018 norms
High school credit at homeEach stateGrades 9 to 12Records the family keepsNew York: "Credit is given only by schools."

Sources, all read raw: HMH Saxon Math, Beast Academy books, Teaching Textbooks, Math Mammoth, Math-U-See, Great Minds Eureka Math, Savvas enVision, HMH Go Math!, Big Ideas Learning, Khanmigo, RSM, AoPS Academy, Pearson’s SAT10 product page and the NYSED Home Instruction questions and answers. Grade ranges are what each publisher lists today; Math-U-See ties levels to no grade at all, saying "Using Greek letters for levels instead of age or grade" removes pressure. Prices and outcome claims are left out on purpose. Every product name is a trademark of its owner. Modern Age Coders is not affiliated with, endorsed by or paid by any publisher, school or state named here.

Curricula we teach alongside

Which math curricula do homeschool and school families actually use?

Two groups. Five programs were written for the home and are bought by parents; four are school adoptions that families meet through homework. Each has its own deeper page on this site.

Built for teaching at home. Saxon is the long-running one: HMH says "To master mathematics, students need to build on prior learning", and every lesson’s mixed practice reaches back to earlier work. Our Saxon Math tutor page is for the family whose child does today’s lesson fine but trips over problem 18 of the review set, and it shows how to trace each miss to its lesson of origin.

Beast Academy, from the people behind Art of Problem Solving, is comic-led and puzzle-heavy, with five levels each split into four units. The Beast Academy tutor page suits a child aged roughly 6 to 13 who loves the characters but stalls on the starred problems, and it explains the publisher’s own advice to start "about a level" behind the school grade.

Teaching Textbooks hands almost the whole job to software, which reads problems aloud, grades them and plays a worked solution. Our Teaching Textbooks math help page is written for the moment a student has watched the solution and still cannot say why a step is allowed, usually somewhere in Pre-Algebra or Algebra 1.

Math Mammoth speaks to the child directly in its worktexts and leans hard on mental arithmetic and word problems; it stops before high school, saying "Math Mammoth does not offer algebra 1 or above." The Math Mammoth tutor page helps when a nearly self-teaching book needs a voice, and it covers the publisher’s warning about placing a child too high.

Math-U-See, from Demme Learning, builds each idea with blocks before symbols, through a Build, Write, Say routine and one short video a lesson. Our Math-U-See tutor page is aimed at the levels where blocks give way to algebra, from Delta through Algebra 1, with area-model factoring drawn out step by step.

Adopted by school districts. Eureka Math comes from Great Minds and, in New York, grew out of the EngageNY modules; NYSED says it "discontinued support for the EngageNY.org website on July 7, 2022." The Eureka Math homework help page is for parents who were taught a different method and need the number bond and tape diagram explained before they can help at the table.

enVision, published by Savvas, opens a lesson with an exploration task and only then shows a visual example. Our enVision Math help page walks a K to 8 family through that order, so a child who feels lost in the opening task learns that confusion there is planned.

Go Math! is HMH’s chapter-based K to 6 program, and Into Math is its module-based successor running to Algebra 1. The Go Math homework help page covers both, and its focus is a fixed routine for reading a word problem before any calculation starts.

Big Ideas Math, from Larson Texts’ Big Ideas Learning, is common in middle school and high school classrooms, and its newer programs carry the Math & YOU name. Our Big Ideas Math help page is for grade 6 to Algebra 2 students who can follow the textbook example but cannot spot which method a fresh problem calls for.

Spiral, incremental, mastery: what the words mean here

Look at where review is placed. HMH says of Saxon that "Cumulative practice and assessments cover ideas from earlier lessons". Great Minds calls Eureka Math squared a "spiraling curriculum" that helps students "build, revisit, and retain" knowledge.

Math-U-See and Math Mammoth sit nearer the other end: a topic is studied until it holds, then the book moves on. Neither style is wrong; a forgetful child may like constant review, a focused one the long chapter.

Who does the explaining

This separates the programs most. In Teaching Textbooks the app explains; in Math-U-See a video does; in Math Mammoth the page speaks to the child; in Saxon and Beast Academy a parent usually reads alongside.

In the school programs the classroom teacher explains, and homework assumes the lesson happened, which is why parents so often feel locked out of the method.

Comparing options

How are Khan Academy, RSM and AoPS different from a curriculum?

They are not boxed curricula, though families weigh them against one. Khan Academy is a free self-paced library with a paid AI tutor, RSM an after-school program with its own sequence, and Art of Problem Solving a publisher, online school and campus network.

Khan Academy describes itself as "a small nonprofit funded by donations" and says its library "will always remain 100% free." Its Khanmigo assistant, by Khan’s own account, "guides learners to find the answer themselves", and an account holder must be 18 or older, so a parent signs up on a child’s behalf. Our Khan Academy math vs a live tutor page lays out a criteria table for the family deciding whether a free library is enough or whether a person needs to hear the child reason aloud.

The Russian School of Mathematics runs a K to 12 sequence of its own, with an online branch for grades 2 to 10 and an average class of 12, according to its site. RSM also says "We offer tutoring only as a short-term solution", so it is a program to join rather than help with homework. The RSM alternative page compares the facts in a neutral table and adds two of our own puzzles solved two ways.

Art of Problem Solving goes back to a 1993 book, launched online courses in 2003 "designed for high-performing math students", and runs AoPS Academy at "over 20 locations in 12 states". It also created Beast Academy, whose Level 5 is described as leading into AoPS prealgebra. Our Art of Problem Solving alternative page sets AoPS beside other paths for a strong student and teaches the habit of splitting a hard problem into pieces already known.

Homeschool testing and credit

How do homeschoolers test math and get high school credit?

It depends on the state. Some accept a nationally normed achievement test such as the Stanford 10 as annual evidence; high school credit and diplomas follow state rules that differ widely, so your records matter as much as the curriculum.

Selected state wording on annual evidence and credit (each state’s own text, read raw 31 October and 1 November 2026; not legal advice, and other routes exist in each state)
StateWhat its own text says
Virginia (Code 22.1-254.1)Evidence can be "a composite score in or above the fourth stanine on any nationally normed standardized achievement test"
New York (NYSED Q&A)Probation applies if the composite "is below the thirty-third percentile on national norms" or shows less than a year of growth
Washington (RCW 28A.200.010)A state-approved achievement test "is administered annually to the child by a qualified individual", or a certificated person assesses the child
New York, high school"Credit is given only by schools." NYSED adds that "colleges set their own admissions requirements"
Texas (TEA)"The State of Texas does not award a diploma to students that are home schooled."

Pearson’s product page lists the Stanford Achievement Test Series, Tenth Edition for "Grades K-12 paper, Grades 3-12 online", co-normed with the OLSAT 8, untimed, with a completion time of "2.25-5.5 hours" for the full battery. Its overview flyer mentions a "2018 Stanford 10 norms update". The Stanford 10 math practice page explains the two math subtests, what a stanine is, and how to pace the test calmly with original problems, never real items.

Computer science is the subject homeschool families ask about most once math is settled, because it is easy to teach well and hard to document. Our homeschool computer science credit page compares New York, Pennsylvania and Texas rules from their own guidance and gives a course record template a stranger could verify.

What this means for your curriculum. Keep its tests: a dated folder of chapter tests, placement results and levels completed feeds a portfolio or transcript later. An achievement test is normed by age grade, not curriculum level. We quote state text but give no legal advice, so confirm this year’s rules with your state education department.

How to choose

How do I choose a math curriculum for my child?

Decide who will explain, place your child with the publisher’s own test, then run a short logged trial before buying a full year.

  1. Name the explainer. Will a parent teach each lesson, will a video or app do it, or will the child read alone? Cross off programs that assume a different answer.
  2. Check the range. In grade 7, a program ending at grade 8 means another switch soon; one running to Algebra 2 or Calculus does not.
  3. Place with the publisher’s test. Teaching Textbooks suggests you "have them take two tests starting with the higher level"; Math Mammoth’s placement tests "are end-of-year (EOY) tests"; Math-U-See offers Placement Specialists. Use the tool the program supplies, not your child’s school grade.
  4. Run a two-week trial and log it. Record minutes per lesson, first-try accuracy, and whether the child can explain one problem back to you. Our example follows.
  5. Ask the publisher the open questions. What happens after the last level? Is there a placement route back if we start too high? What is in the parent materials? Note the answers and the date.
  6. Decide, then hold for a term. Unless a trial shows real distress, give a program a full term before you judge it.
trial_log.py (our example; two unnamed programs and all numbers invented)Python 3
trial = {
    "Program A": {"lessons": 10, "minutes": 214, "first_try": 78, "problems": 100, "explained": 5},
    "Program B": {"lessons": 10, "minutes": 306, "first_try": 61, "problems": 100, "explained": 9},
}

for name, t in trial.items():
    per_lesson = t["minutes"] / t["lessons"]
    accuracy = 100 * t["first_try"] / t["problems"]
    print(f"{name}: {per_lesson:.1f} min a lesson, {accuracy:.0f}% first try, "
          f"explained {t['explained']} of {t['lessons']}")

# Program A: 21.4 min a lesson, 78% first try, explained 5 of 10
# Program B: 30.6 min a lesson, 61% first try, explained 9 of 10
Reading the trial log (our worked example; neither program is a real product)
SignalProgram AProgram BWhat it suggests
Minutes a lesson21.430.6B takes longer; check whether the extra time is thinking or frustration
First-try accuracy78%61%A feels easier, which can mean good fit or placement that is too low
Explain-backs5 of 109 of 10B’s child can say why far more often

What the example teaches

On speed and accuracy alone, Program A wins. But the child on Program B explained 9 of 10 problems back, against 5 of 10, so the slower lessons may be building more understanding.

Neither reading is automatically right: a family needing a calm, independent routine may choose A, one heading for algebra may choose B. The log turns a feeling into a reason.

How to do the explain-back

Once a day, pick one problem your child got right and ask, "How did you know to do that?" Count it as explained only if the answer names the idea, such as "I made both fractions into twelfths", not just the steps.

Keep it light: the aim is to see understanding, not to set a trap.

Where a teacher fits

Can a live teacher work alongside any of these curricula?

Yes. The curriculum keeps the order and the teacher supplies a second explanation when the first has not landed. Tell us the program, level and lesson; we never ask a family to switch.

A batch may suit

A child whose curriculum sits close to their grade, who benefits from hearing classmates reason through similar topics each week.

1-on-1 may suit

A homeschooler a level ahead or behind, on a curriculum with its own order, such as Math-U-See’s Greek-letter levels.

No teacher may suit

A child who reads the lesson, checks their own answers and stays calm. Plenty of families never need outside help, and that is a good sign.

We never complete homework, tests or placement assessments for a student. Each curriculum belongs to its publisher; we teach the mathematics, not their pages.

By grade band

Which programs cover which grades, according to their own pages

Where each program starts and stops; placement tests decide the actual level.

Grade bands each program lists for itself (our grouping of publisher ranges, checked 1 November 2026)
BandPrograms whose pages list it
K to 2Saxon Primary, Beast Academy Level 1 and up, Math Mammoth, Eureka Math, enVision, Go Math!, Big Ideas Math; Math-U-See from Primer by level
Grades 3 to 5All of the above, plus Teaching Textbooks from Math 3
Grades 6 to 8Saxon Courses 1 to 3, Teaching Textbooks Math 6 to Pre-Algebra, Math Mammoth to grade 8, enVision 6 to 8, Into Math, Big Ideas Math, Math-U-See by level
Algebra 1 and upSaxon to Algebra 2, Teaching Textbooks to Pre-Calculus, Math-U-See to Calculus, enVision A|G|A, Into Algebra 1 to Algebra 2, Big Ideas Math to AP

For parents

Common switch points are grade 5 to 6 and Algebra 1; plan a term ahead. Math Mammoth says that "After MM7 or MM8, students can proceed directly to high school math", and Beast Academy points to AoPS prealgebra after Level 5.

For students

A new book uses new words for old ideas; ask what it was called before.

Starting a level lower in a new program is normal, not a step back.

The catalogue

Nine live math courses, matched to curriculum stages

Courses that run beside a home or school curriculum, from first numbers to Algebra 2.

I

Early and elementary

Ages 4 to grade 5
II

Middle grades

Grades 6 to 8
III

High school

Algebra 1 onward

How lessons run

Live lessons planned around your curriculum, not ours

Weekdays or weekends, flexible: choose your batch, or for a very personalised plan choose 1-on-1 at your convenience, weekend mornings or weekdays.

Weekdays

Inside the homeschool day or after school.

Weekends

Catch-up before a chapter test.

1-on-1

Paced to your level and lesson.

Any program

Home or school curriculum, named or not.

Second explanation

A new picture for the same idea.

Fresh practice

Problems our teachers write.

Work stays theirs

No homework or tests done for anyone.

All US time zones

Eastern through Hawaii.

Size you choose

Fifteen to twenty, or one.

Student work

Student work

Math students who also code sometimes publish small programs; a selection sits on student labs.

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Fees

Fees

Lessons are billed monthly with no long commitment, so a family can bring in a teacher for one difficult chapter or a full year of a new program and stop whenever the book is running smoothly.

Free first class

USD 0

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Group batch

USD 100

a month, billed in US dollars

  • Fifteen to twenty students
  • One steady teacher
  • Choose your batch
  • Monthly billing
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One to one

USD 150

a month, billed in US dollars

  • Just your child
  • Follows your level
  • Times you pick
Enquire

What families say

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Parents’ Google reviews, as posted.

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Questions families ask

Choosing a math curriculum: questions and answers

Which math curriculum should I use for homeschool?

Start with who will explain each lesson, then check the grade range and place your child with the publisher's own test. A two-week logged trial of your top two choices usually settles it. No program suits every child, so we do not rank them.

What is the difference between spiral and mastery math?

A spiral or cumulative program returns to many topics in small doses all year; HMH describes Saxon's practice as covering ideas from earlier lessons. A mastery program stays on one topic until it holds, as Math-U-See and Math Mammoth describe. Both can work; the child's memory and patience decide.

Can I use Khan Academy as my whole math curriculum?

Some families do, since Khan Academy says its library will always be free. It is self-paced, so it works for a child who stays on task alone. Many families pair it with a book or a teacher so someone hears the child reason.

Do I need a placement test before starting a new curriculum?

Yes, in our view. Teaching Textbooks, Math Mammoth, Math-U-See and Beast Academy each offer a placement route, and Math Mammoth warns that a child switching from an easier program may be placed too high. Use the publisher's tool, not the school grade.

What curriculum comes after Math Mammoth or Beast Academy?

Math Mammoth says students can go straight to an Algebra 1 course after its grade 7 or 8 books. Beast Academy says Level 5 of its online program prepares a student for AoPS prealgebra. Any Algebra 1 course with its own placement test is also an option.

My child's school uses Eureka, enVision, Go Math or Big Ideas. Can I help at home?

Yes. Each publisher puts family material online, such as Great Minds' Homework Helpers for Eureka Math, and a teacher can explain the class model to a parent.

Does my state require a math test for homeschoolers?

Some do. Virginia accepts a fourth stanine or above on a nationally normed test as one option, and New York sets a thirty-third percentile threshold for its testing route. Check your own state's education department for the rules that apply this year.

Are you connected with any of these publishers?

No. Modern Age Coders is not affiliated with HMH, Art of Problem Solving, Teaching Textbooks, Math Mammoth, Demme Learning, Great Minds, Savvas, Big Ideas Learning, Khan Academy or RSM. Their names and trademarks belong to them.

When are your classes?

Weekdays or weekends, flexible: choose your batch, or for a very personalised plan choose 1-on-1 at your convenience, weekend mornings or weekdays.

Is the first class free?

Yes. The first class is free and no card details are needed. Tell us your curriculum, level and lesson so the teacher can prepare.

Elsewhere on this site

Other guides for US families

Further reading for families planning math at home.

Homeschool math, one to one

Our own path for families who want a teacher to plan the sequence.

Common Core vs traditional math

Why homework looks different from the way parents learned.

Middle school math contests

For the child who finishes the curriculum early.

Online math circle

Puzzles and talk, outside any textbook.

Math tutor cost

What changes the fee for live online help.

Every page in this guide

Curricula we teach alongside

Comparing options

Homeschool testing and credit

More guides: US state math tests by state · US gifted and selective school tests · US math placement and college readiness tests · US math and coding competitions guide

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