UnLock Math

Homeschool Review Crew

Do you have kids who need to do math?  Kids who don’t like doing their math?  With our houseful of ten kids I have kids who love math and kids who hate math.  I have kids who love math in paper and pencil format and kids who love math on the computer.  A new math we were recently introduced to is called UnLock Math.  My son is a fifth/sixth grade level for math and so qualifies for the Unlock Pre-Algebra level.

What is UnLock Math?

UnLock Math is an online math program that gives a “bite sized” approach to math.  Through only giving small bits of math and how to master them your child won’t be overwhelmed and therefore wanting to avoid math all together.  They offer Pre-Algebra, Algebra 1, Algebra 2, and Geometry.

Through this program every time your child logs in they go to their own dashboard.  This is not just a google type page but a page that shows what they’ve done and what is up next.  It’s customized to their personal account.

Lessons are taught by an actual instructor through videos.  Your child moves at their own pace through videos and can access their next lesson through their dashboard.  All questions and exams are also online and graded through the program so that the parent does not have to do that either.  I know I love online math programs that make it easy for me.  Growing up I loved math.  I was good at math and went to math competitions.  But somehow teaching math is definitely not a strong point for me.

Pre-Algebra

UnLock Pre-Algebra offers sixteen units to help your child gain a mastery of pre-algebra math.  The first five units are review of what they would have learned within the last year of math.  It’s just to make sure that they know what they need and have a deep understanding before moving them on.   Those building blocks need to be cemented in place so that the rest can build upon it.

Among the units in this level many different topics are covered.  You can view them all by going to the UnLock Math website and looking at the UnLock Pre-Algebra section.  These sixteen units cover whole numbers, integers, variables and expressions, rational numbers, fractions, equations, inequalities, the coordinate plane, decimals, percent, polynomials, triangles, 2D geometry, 3D geometry, analyzing data, and finally probability and statistics.  Because the first several units are a review I can see someone flying through those.  Because my son loves math I have to put a limit on how many lessons he can do a day or he would finish a whole unit or two.

My son loves math.  He really does.  But he was really struggling with doing math in our old curriculum that was workbook style.  It included over half of the lesson being “old” stuff that he’d already learned and mastered.  This frustrated him.  He didn’t want to spend half his lesson doing reviews when he could be learning something new.  This led me to looking into both online math and math as mastery programs to help keep his love of math alive.  UnLock Math offers both.  It is an online program with mastery as the base of learning.

Learn More

Head over to the Homeschool Review Crew blog and check out the main UnLock Math post.  On it you’ll find reviews of the pre-algebra level like this, the algebra 1, algebra 2, and geometry level as well.  You can also find UnLock Math on facebook, twitter, and pinterest.