What Should I Use After Sixth Grade Math with Confidence? - Kate Snow

So, you’ve finished Sixth Grade Math with Confidence? Congratulations, and well done!

Sixth grade is the final level in the Math with Confidence program. Students’ math paths often start to diverge in seventh grade, depending on their future educational and career goals. So, while I can’t offer one-size-fits-all recommendations for what to use after sixth grade, I’m happy to suggest some quality programs for you to consider. In this article, I’ve focused on programs that have attributes similar to MWC:

secular
incremental
mastery-oriented
preferably with spiral review

Three big caveats before we start:

I haven’t personally used all of these programs. I know some of them in depth, but others I’ve reviewed more quickly. So, please take these descriptions as a starting place for doing your own research, not the final word on whether a particular program will be a good fit for your child.
I’ve only included my favorite programs, and I’m not familiar with every upper-level math program out there. So, if you see a program that looks like a good fit for your family, don’t dismiss it just because it’s not on this list.
Always look at the placement guidance or have your child take a placement test before starting a new curriculum. Most children who finish Sixth Grade MWC are ready for any of the standard homeschool pre-algebra programs…but it’s a good idea to check before purchasing anything.

Planning Your Child’s Middle-School and High-School Math Courses

As your child approaches high-school age, it’s important to think long-term as you plan your math sequence. What you use in seventh grade will affect eighth grade…and then ninth grade…and so on. So, make sure to take a step back and think about your child’s goals and interests before you start researching math programs.

Here are some questions to consider as you get started:

Read your state graduation requirements. How many math credits will be necessary in high school? Are there required courses that your child has to complete?
If you expect your child will go to college, choose a few colleges you think your child might apply to. Look at their websites and read their entrance requirements. Most community colleges don’t have any specific requirements, while most highly selective colleges want students to take at least 4 years of high school math, including pre-calculus or calculus.
Do you think your child will be interested in pursuing a STEM field? Or is your child not very mathematically inclined? The answer to these questions will help you choose an appropriate level of rigor for your child’s middle school and high school coursework.
How are your own math skills? Are you equipped to teach middle school and high school math? If you feel shaky on algebra and don’t have the time to brush up, consider a live online course, local co-op course, or weekly math tutor. Even highly-motivated kids need a lot of support as they move into the abstractions of middle-school and high-school math. And, even with a solid textbook or video program, most kids will have questions that the book doesn’t address. They need a teacher whom they can ask.

Sample Math Sequences

Your child has lots of options for her middle-school and high-school math trajectory, depending on her goals and your state requirements.

For example, I live in Michigan, where high school graduation standards require four full years of math, through at least Algebra 2. (Note that many states require less–this is on the high end.) But when students fulfill those requirements varies tremendously. It’s common for children who are advanced in math to take Algebra 1 in seventh grade and finish Calculus 1 or even Calculus 2 by the end of high school. On the other hand, children who struggle with math often wait to take Algebra 1 until tenth grade—a four-year difference!

Most students who finish Sixth Grade MWC are ready to take Pre-algebra. But after that, there are many different ways to pace your child’s upper-level math courses. Here are a few sample sequences that satisfy the Michigan requirements (in order from the fastest paced to the most relaxed).

7^th Grade	8^th Grade	9^th Grade	10^th Grade	11^th Grade	12^th Grade
Pre-Algebra	Algebra 1	Geometry	Algebra 2	Pre-Calculus	Calculus, Statistics, or Personal Finance
Pre-Algebra	Algebra 1	Geometry	Algebra 2	Statistics	Personal Finance
Pre-Algebra	Algebra 1 (first half)	Algebra 1 (second half)	Geometry	Algebra 2 (first half)	Algebra 2 (second half)
Pre-Algebra	Algebra 1 (first half)	Algebra 1 (second half)	Geometry	Algebra 2 (first half)	Algebra 2 (second half)

As you look at these, I hope that you breathe a sigh of relief and feel a little less pressure to make all the decisions right now. It’s wise to think ahead, but you don’t have to map out your child’s entire math education right now. There’s plenty of time to change course as your child develops and matures.

Many states only require 2 or 3 years of high school math, through Algebra 1. If your child isn’t planning to go to a four-year college and doesn’t plan to pursue a career that involves a lot of math, he may be able to complete his math education in high school with Algebra 1 and a personal finance course. So, make sure to check your local state standards as you look ahead.

These sample trajectories also show why it’s perfectly fine if your child is finishing Sixth Grade MWC later than sixth grade. Even if he doesn’t finish the program until eighth grade, he’s still be on track to complete Algebra 2 by the end of twelfth grade. Here are just a few of the many possible trajectories for kids who complete Sixth Grade MWC later than sixth grade. Again, each of these programs satisifies most state requirements and college entrance recommendations.

7^th Grade	8^th Grade	9^th Grade	10^th Grade	11^th Grade	12^th Grade
Sixth Grade MWC	Pre-Algebra	Algebra 1	Geometry	Algebra 2	Statistics
Fifth Grade MWC	Sixth Grade MWC	Pre-Algebra	Algebra 1	Geometry	Algebra 2

Above all, don’t worry about what anyone else’s kid is doing. Grade level truly becomes meaningless during these years as each student sets out on the path that is best suited for them. Instead, focus on helping your child acquire the math skills that will best set her up for success in the future.

Curriculum Recommendations

Onward to the curriculum recommendations! I’ve sorted them into two general groups, but keep in mind that there’s some overlap. So, even if you know which type of program you want, make sure to skim through them all. (For example, some traditional textbooks have videos available online, and some online programs have a print option.)

Traditional textbook/workbook programs: If you feel equipped to teach your child upper-level math, traditional printed textbooks are a great way to go. They’re usually less expensive, and children often retain math better when the lessons are printed in a textbook and taught to them one-on-one.
Programs that are mainly online or taught through video lessons: Many upper-level math programs are either fully online or include video lessons. If you don’t feel equipped to teach your child middle school and high school math, I highly recommend that you consider a program that includes some form of video lessons. Having an expert teacher can makes a huge impact on the quality of your child’s learning. Plus, there’s enough parent-child friction in the teen years that you don’t need to add any math stress to the relationship.

Traditional Textbook Options

Pre-Algebra Curricula

At first glance, most pre-algebra programs’ table of contents will look very similar to what your child learned in Sixth Grade Math with Confidence: fractions, decimals, percents, ratios, positive/negative numbers, and the basics of working with variables (like evaluating expressions, solving simple equations, and graphing equations on the coordinate plane). A solid pre-algebra program consolidates these skills and takes them a step further. For example, Sixth Grade MWC includes one-step equations with whole numbers, while most pre-algebra programs include two-step equations, sometimes with fractions and decimals.

Math-U-See Pre-Algebra is a great option for kids who thrive with concrete, conceptual, instruction, since it provides hands-on manipulatives for learning algebraic concepts. It can be used as a textbook-based program or with online video lessons. (See further description of Math-U-See below.)

Understanding Pre-Algebra (from Critical Thinking Co.): This workbook is written directly for the student to read, with concise, bite-size explanations of each new topic. It’s very sequential and logical, with each lesson building on the previous one. I especially like how this book combines a conversational style with solid, mathematical principles and explanations. Great for a child who can read carefully and likes to work mostly independently. Each chapter includes a chapter review, but there is no review of previous chapters. Make sure to also download the free solutions key from Critical Thinking Co.

Key to… Series: The Key to… series is made up of short, inexpensive workbooks that each focus on one specific skill. The workbooks include a minimum of text, with short, to-the-point, visual explanations of math concepts. This series is especially good for kids who are overwhelmed with a lot of text or a lot of problems on one page.

To use this series as a pre-algebra curriculum, you’ll need to pick and choose which books to use. I’d recommend looking over Key to Fractions, Key to Percents, and Key to Decimals and choosing which ones your child most needs to review. Then, have your child complete Books 1-3 and Book 8 from the Key to Algebra series to cover variables, expressions, and equations. (The Key to Algebra set has a total of 10 books. The other books in the set cover topics typically covered in Algebra 1.)

Math Mammoth Grade 7 uses a “worktext” style, with printed instruction, examples, and assignments all within the same book. The teaching style is strongly conceptual, with excellent visual explanations. The author has many videos online to help with teaching the lessons. There are also review exercises at the end of each chapter. The seventh grade book is equivalent to a Pre-algebra course, with most students ready for Algebra afterwards.

While the instruction in Math Mammoth is excellent, some MWC pilot testers found it difficult to transition to Math Mammoth, because their children found the pages visually overwhelming. Math Mammoth also includes many more practice problems than most kids need, so you’ll need to decide each day how much your child should complete. Most children will only need to complete about half the problems, and a calculator is a must.

See below for online/video lesson options for pre-algebra.

Pre-Algebra Supplements

Many of the Sixth Grade MWC pilot testers worried that their kids would have trouble transitioning to a dry, upper-grade math textbook. It turned out that most of the students were excited to start a more “grown-up” math program, but some did miss the games, riddles, and real-world activities that they loved in Math with Confidence. Others struggled with the jump to abstract thinking and variables.

If you’re concerned that your child may have trouble transitioning to an upper-level program, consider adding one of these supplements to your main curriculum.

Prealgebra & Geometry: Math Games for Middle School: This book by Denise Gaskins includes directions for many games to practice pre-algebra concepts. Highly recommended if your child loved the games in MWC and wants to continue practicing math through games.
Puzzle It: Pre-Algebra: This workbook has riddle-style worksheets for practicing a variety of pre-algebra concepts.
Balance Benders: This series from Critical Thinking Co. uses shapes on a printed scale to help kids develop conceptual understanding and intuition about equations. If your child is befuddled by variables, it’s worth taking a couple weeks off to work through one or two the books in this series. I’d recommend starting with Level 2 for a Pre-algebra student and then working your way up from there.
Hands-on Equations: This set of books and manipulatives provides a hands-on way for kids to understand algebraic concepts and equations.
IXL Ultimate 7^th Grade Math Workbook: If your chosen curriculum doesn’t include much review, use an inexpensive workbook like this one for practice and review. IXL’s workbooks are visually appealing, with short explanations of how to perform each skill. You’ll need to pick and choose the pages that best fit your child’s needs, and don’t worry if some of the topics in the workbook aren’t covered by your pre-algebra program.

Bonus tip, no matter which curriculum you use: Pre-algebra courses usually teach how to add, subtract, multiply, and divide positive and negative numbers, but they often don’t provide enough practice for children to fully master these skills. I highly recommend spending as much time as it takes for your child to become fluent with these operations. My favorite resource for this is Key to Algebra Book 1: Operations on Integers (from the Key to… series described above). It’s an inexpensive, quick workbook with lots of practice. You can use the workbook on its own for a couple of weeks, or you can have your child complete a small portion each day in addition to your regular curriculum.

Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra 2 Textbooks

I have used all of these books back when I was tutoring, and I highly recommend them any of them for a child who’s looking for a rigorous, college-prep math curriculum. Take a look at the samples to see whether Jacob’s or Foerster’s style appeals most to your child. My personal preference is to use Jacobs’ Elementary Algebra and Geometry, followed by Foerster’s Algebra II. Jacobs is warmer and more conversational than Foerster, so I’ve found it to be a more reassuring introduction to algebra, especially for kids who feel intimidated by the x’s and y’s.

Elementary Algebra and Geometry: Seeing, Doing, Understanding by Harold Jacobs: These traditional textbooks are written in a conversational tone, directly to the student. Jacobs includes lots of humor and real-world examples, often with visual explanations where possible. Each assignment includes several levels of problems, along with daily review. Masterbooks sells an accompanying teacher guide, with tests, exams, and answer keys. They also offer video lessons and some additional online resources. (Note that the textbooks are secular, but these video lessons are not.)

Prentice Hall Classics Algebra 1 and Prentice Hall Classics Algebra II by Paul Foerster: This is another rigorous, traditional textbook series. It’s a bit more formal and challenging than the Jacobs textbooks, with more mathematical language and lots of multi-step word problems. Math without Borders and Memoria Press both offer video lessons to go with the text.

Online Programs and Programs with Video Lessons

One advantage of many of these programs is that they begin with Pre-algebra and continue through at least Algebra 2 (and sometimes beyond). So, if you find a program that works well for your child, you can continue using it all through high school.

Cautions about Online/Video Programs

First, a cautionary tale: When my daughter was in sixth grade, she was messing around with an online math program one afternoon and wanted to see if she could complete the hardest lesson. So, she clicked to the final lesson in their calculus course: Differentiating Logarithmic Functions. After watching a short demonstration video, she was able to follow the pattern well enough to get 100% on the quiz—even though she had no idea what calculus was, let alone differentiation, logarithms, or functions!

It’s far too easy for kids to simply click through many online math programs without really learning or retaining the math. So, make sure you stay involved in keeping your child motivated and accountable, even if you’re not actually teaching any lessons:

Check your child’s work regularly.
Ask your child to explain in their own words what they’ve learned.
Encourage your child to ask questions. Help your child use resources online (like YouTube or Khan Academy) to find the answers.
Create a math notebook or binder for your child to organize her notes and completed assignments. If your program offers pdf versions of the assignments, print them out and organize them in this binder.
Encourage your child to take notes while watching lesson videos and to pause or rewatch if confused.
Make sure your child completes his math assignments on paper, in an organized way, in a notebook or binder. Don’t let him complete the problems in his head, or on random bits of scrap paper. The act of writing out and organizing their work helps kids organize their brains and learning.

Online and Video-based Curricula

Math-U-See: Math-U-See is a tried-and-true program that uses hands-on manipulatives and visual explanations to help kids understand abstract algebraic concepts. The program includes a textbook and video lessons, with regular spiral review. If you’re familiar with Math-U-See’s elementary program, note that the upper levels follow a more traditional sequence, similar to other middle-school and high-school math courses.

Math-U-See is a great option for kids who thrive with hands-on, conceptual, systematic instruction. Very few upper-level programs offer manipulatives or visual explanations for algebra concepts, so it really stands out in this regard. Available through Calculus.

Denison: Denison is an online, video-based program with a paper workbook. The videos provide clear, succinct explanation of the new material. They include a lot of mnemonics and rules to teach students how to do math, rather than offering conceptual explanations. For kids who want to know the “why” of math, this may be frustrating. However, for kids who want to just get it done, the clear descriptions and procedures can be a great fit. As the student watches the video, they complete the matching examples in the workbook. Then, the student independently completes an assignment with similar problems.

What sets Denison apart from other video programs is the “Denison method”—seven math study skills that deepen kids’ learning and remind them not to just go through the motions of completing an individual lesson. These habits are actively reinforced throughout the program. Available through Advanced Algebra/Trigonometry.

Mr. D Math: Mr. D Math offers both live and self-paced classes, along with free weekly help sessions for students enrolled in either type of course. The self-paced classes include conversational, incremental videos, with excellent explanations of the “why” behind the math. Then, the student completes a related problem set on paper and checks their own work. Besides the paper assignments, the program also includes two online quizzes per chapter and occasional spiral review. Available through Calculus.

Unlock Math: Unlock Math offers engaging video lessons with lots of visual and conceptual explanations. The lessons are very clear and incremental. Unlike many other video lessons, the instructor faces the learner, which makes the lessons feel friendly and like you’re in a real-world classroom. After the lesson, the student completes an online problem set. These problems are not available in a printed format, so it’s essential that students have a notebook nearby for organizing and completing their work. They also offer free online tutoring help.

Unlock Math is one of the only programs available that combines conceptual, mastery-oriented teaching with daily spiral review, similar to MWC. It also includes daily warm-ups and challenge problems for students who want to stretch themselves. Available through Pre-Calculus.

Thinkwell Math: Thinkwell is very similar to Unlock Math, with clear, conceptual explanations in which the instructor faces the learner. I really like that Thinkwell offers a print textbook (either to purchase or to print at home) and also offers the ability to pay for live office hours or tutoring support. Unlike Unlock Math, Thinkwell does not include daily spiral review.

Students who finish Sixth Grade MWC are ready to start either Thinkwell’s seventh grade or eighth grade program. Use their placement tests to decide where to place your child, and don’t be afraid to contact their customer service if you’re not sure. Also note that Thinkwell offers “Honors” versions of their classes if your child enjoys being challenged in math or hopes to pursue a STEM field. Available through Calculus.

Art of Problem Solving: Art of Problem Solving is an extremely challenging program, designed for children who are high achievers in math. They offer printed textbooks (some with videos) as well as live classes and an online system for more practice. Art of Problem Solving’s books are highly abstract and focused on the fundamental principles of math. The assignments often involve reasoning about or proving mathematical theorems rather than simply solving problems. The program goes far beyond a typical math curriculum and also aims to prepare students to participate in math competitions like the International Math Olympiad. It’s way more than most kids need—and it’s a great option for kids who love math and want to work hard at it! Available through Calculus.

Well-Trained Mind Academy: Well-Trained Mind Academy is owned by Susan Wise Bauer, who also publishes my books. I know personally how passionate she and her team are about providing high-quality instruction from great teachers. The Academy offers live, online math classes that provide an experience similar to a high-quality high school math class. Students usually meet with their instructor three times per week and complete assignments in-between classes.

The Academy offers two different types of classes. Most students will be best served by their Traditional Approach classes, which use well-regarded traditional textbooks as their spine. Students who love math may want to choose their Problem-Solving Approach classes, which use textbooks from Art of Problem-Solving. Available through Calculus.

I hope you find this list of resources helpful as you map out your child’s math journey. If you have questions about any of these programs or would like more information, please join the Math with Confidence Community Facebook group and ask there. Many of the parents in the group have used these programs with their older kids, and they have great insight into what has and hasn’t worked for their kids. (Please note that I’m not able to answer individual questions about these programs or make personalized recommendations.)

Whether you used Math with Confidence since kindergarten or just for sixth grade, thank you for making the program part of your homeschool. I hope that Math with Confidence has helped bring joy and confidence to your math lessons, and I wish you and your child all the best in your future endeavors. Happy Math!

Disclosure: I am not an affiliate of any of the online programs mentioned in this article. I received a free review copy from Denison, and I used free trials to review the other video programs. The Amazon links in this article are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you use these links to buy something, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.