First Grade Touch Math Homeschool Review

TouchMath, the alphabet of mathematics, is a multi-sensory math program for grades pre-k through second grade.  It is also good to use with upper grades, but does not have curriculum purposely labeled for those grades.  I was allowed to review the First Grade Touchmath home school curriculum.

The First Grade Touchmath program includes 4 separate unit downloads.  I was also able to review some of the manipulatives.  The download units are $59.95 each or you can buy all 4 for $199.95.  Each unit has an introductory guide telling you how to use, 6 modules(each with an assessment), 90 student activity sheets, answer keys, vocabulary, real world connections, and progress monitorings.

Unit A:  Adding and Subtracting within 9
Unit B:  Adding and Subtracting within 20
Unit C:  Adding and Subtracting within 100
Unit D:  Measurement, Time, Data, and Geometry

The manipulatives we received were:

TouchNumerals priced at $99.00.  These came in a box and included 3 sets of each number 0-9, 205 touchpoints(these are added to the numbers to give the children spots to touch when they are counting with that number), operation signs(plus, subtract, etc), and 10- base ten trays.

Touch numerals

TouchMath Tutor Software for First Grade single license priced at $99.00.  The software includes extra helps for the program.  It includes work on addition, subtraction, numbers, counting, skip counting, and odd/evens.

TouchMath Flip Cards for First Grade.  There are four units for these cards with each unit having three sets of flip cards.  Each set is priced at $19.00.  We received all 12 of the flip card sets for first grade which is  a $228.00 value.  These cards cover such concepts as counting(1-120), adding and subtracting numbers 1-9, greater than, lesser than, and equal to, all the way up to geometry and fractions of halves through sixths.

Student first grade flip cards

Student Number Cards set of 10 priced at $24.00.  These number cards have the numbers 1-9 including touch points.  These cards can be cut apart and laminated.  There are 10 sheets of them as well.  It works wonderfully for on the go math help.

Student number cards

My two first grade kids used this to help supplement their normal math program.  Their normal program skipped around and didn’t fully cover some of the areas.  These areas were causing them trouble.  TouchMath helped to give them the further help they needed to not only understand but to excel in these areas.

My kids hadn’t used the computers much until this year started.  They have enjoyed using a few other home school programs that were online and really liked the software that came along with this one.  We spent hours going over the different units on line.  They would then do the corresponding unit worksheets(which were in the download and I printed off) for extra practice work.  They loved the program and thought it was cute and fun.  I loved that it did not require me to stand next to them the whole time they were working so I had time to do other things and work with other children.

Besides the online software, we loved the touch numerals with touch points.  These were great for doing addition problems when we didn’t have a numberline handy.  My kids still like to count on the numberlines and instead of that we could just count the points on the numbers and add in the next number!  This was something that I honestly would never have thought of!  Great idea and I’m glad that TouchMath realized that little kids are very tactile(well at least my kids are) and need to be able to see and touch sometimes to get the point across.

I do have to include that by far the favorite part of my younger children(under grade 1 level) was getting to help pop the touch numerals out of their foam sheets.  The numbers and touchpoints were all in large foam sheets.  The kids popped them out and kept the foam sheets.  These provided them hours of entertainment while the older kids were working with the numbers and program.  I was personally glad for the distraction and was reminded just how easily little ones are entertained.  It doesn’t matter how expensive or showy a product is, it’s the amount of fun they perceive!

And now for my apologies.  I have been horrible at getting pictures taken of my kids lately.  I didn’t get any of them using or playing with the pieces of the TouchMath program.  Hopefully as we continue to use it I will finally remember to get my camera out and use it.  Something about being over 30 weeks pregnant and trying to get our house spotless before baby comes has kept me a bit preoccupied.  I do have to mention again though that not only did my first graders love this program, but my younger kids did as well thanks to the great manipulatives that came with it!

Make sure to check out the other TOS Crew reviews on the Main Blog Post to see what they thought of the other grades and manipulatives for TouchMath.

Disclaimer:  I was provided with  a copy of this curriculum for free in association with the TOS Schoolhouse Review Crew.  I was not compensated in any other way besides this curriculum.  All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own and not influenced in anyway.  I was not coerced to write a positive review but rather wrote my own thoughts(or those of my children) on the curriculum.  I am disclosing this to be in compliance with the FTC Regulations.