Beast Academy: Proof that math can be engaging, challenging, AND fun

Math, even challenging math, CAN be fun & engaging. Taking problems to a deeper level, your kiddo (and you!) will become BEASTS at math!

My oldest kiddo learns math similar to how I learn it, so choosing a math program for her was easy.  And both Singapore & Math Mammoth proved to be good fits.

And then came kiddo #2.

We struggled (and cried!) through multiple programs. I couldn’t understand what he didn’t like about them, and he was too young to articulate it. 

In his third grade year, I stumbled onto Beast Academy by Art of Problem Solving.

Finally. We had a winner! 

Gone went the tears; in came the laughter. And the learning…for both of us.

(How I wish I could go back and hug the person from whom I first saw this recommendation. I no longer have any idea where I read about it.)

Why Beast Academy?

Beast Academy math focuses on teaching regular math in a rather unordinary way. Not only is there a focus on teaching kids how to actually think about & manipulate numbers, also called number sense, but there is also an emphasis on problem-solving skills.

And the unique approach doesn’t end there. The guidebook is a comic-book style storybook. But don’t think this is something you can skip because it’s just a comic book! This book, through the stories of the students at Beast Academy, starts the math teaching that you’ll continue in the practice book. 

The two books work together, and you really need both to get the most out of the program.

Beast Academy levels 1-5 are available. While they roughly coordinate to grades 1-5, many families use them for grades 1-7.  There are four books per level — A, B, C, D.

(My older son finished level 5 halfway through seventh grade & my youngest kiddo finished it in sixth grade. They each finished at their own pace.)

There is also an online version now. The online platform takes the place of the books — you do not need both. The guide books are on there, as well as practice problems. There are also instructional videos featuring the author of Art of Problem Solving himself —  Richard Rusczyk. Unlike the books, the online

Beast Academy: 3 Reasons to Love It

Beast Academy is Fun

Yeah, sometimes we have to do things that just aren’t fun. But laughter and enjoyment are a big part of our homeschool life. If I can find a fun program that meets our academic goals, I won’t skip it in favor of a boring program. I want my kids to not just do well in math but also look forward to doing it. And I don’t want to dread teaching it! 

Beast Academy is Challenging

Beast Academy goes far deeper than your average program. My daughter used Singapore Math & Math Mammoth, so I was used to math with high rigor and thoroughness. 

Beast Academy takes it even further. My husband and I are both proficient in math, but, having learned math in a typical school setting, it doesn’t always come easy to take a different approach to math.   

While it is designed with gifted students in mind, Beast Academy can absolutely be used by non-gifted kids. Learning to wrestle with challenging schoolwork is beneficial to kids. With good guidance and modeling, math is a great place for kids to learn to struggle with complex problems at their own pace. 

Minimal Practice Problems

This may be a con for some people, but it is part of what drew me to the program. As I considered the math programs that had worked better than others with my son, I realized that they all had one thing in common–they didn’t have many practice problems. Once he’s learned a concept, he wants to move on to the next one. 

Because of Beast Academy’s challenging nature, multiple practice problems would make the lessons much longer. Rather, students are taught how to flexibly apply a concept or skill to various kinds of problems. Through this application, your kiddos will come away with a greater understanding of how math works.

You’re Definitely Going to Need the Answer Key!

Open most any math program & turn to the answer key. What do you see? A list of answers, right?

But do you ever stare at the answer and wonder how in the world to get it?

solution: a means of solving a problem or dealing with a difficult situation

In the back of the book, the Beast Academy guide books have a complete solutions area (not just an answer key) that shows you how to solve the problem.  (Sometimes ‘dealing with a difficult situation’ is more accurate!  Some of these problems are no joke.)

If we’re struggling with a problem or I’m unsure how to explain how to reach an answer, the solutions guide empowers me to guide my kiddo successfully to an answer. The last thing I want to do is figure out how to get to that answer if we’re already frustrated with not having the correct answer! 

The online program also includes solutions; log into your dashboard to find them.

{I find it helpful to tear out each book’s hints & solutions guide. This way, I can look through it while my kiddo can still work on the problems.}

How much does Beast Academy cost?

The books are pricier than many math programs. The guide books can be reused. If you join a Beast Academy group on Facebook, it’s pretty easy to find used copies for sale.

Sometimes, you can get lucky & find Bargain copies on Rainbow Resource.

• One book level: $108 (4 guide books, 4 practice books @ Rainbow Resource)
• Online program: $15/month or $96/year (no books are needed)
• Books + Online bundle: $160/year (1 level of books)

If your kiddo may like the online version, it may be worth trying out for a month.

And if your kiddo is below their placement test level, I’d recommend checking out the online version, so you don’t have to buy multiple book sets in a school year.

Is Beast Academy really a complete program?

Yes.

Whether you use the books or the Beast Academy online program, BA is a comprehensive math program. But I understand why so many parents ask this. BA looks and operates like no other homeschool math curricula.

1. Stories — in the form of a graphic novel — are used to tell the story of math.
2. Kids are encouraged to discover answers to difficult problems by applying what they’ve already learned.
3. There’s no “drill & kill” practice for math facts. 
4. More than one approach to understanding and solving problems may be taught.
5. You won’t find many problems for practicing new concepts.
6. Within each chapter, the concepts quickly escalate from the basic skills needed to master the topic to understanding how math works on a much deeper level.

Where do we start with Beast Academy?

The ultimate question.

It’s quite common for parents to choose to begin with level 1 or 2, no matter the age of their kiddos. Students will learn the Beast way with simpler problems. Then, they quickly progress through those earlier levels. This is a massive benefit if you want to build math confidence.

Here’s what Beast Academy themselves say:

“Because our program includes challenging problems, we generally recommend that students start about a level “behind” their current grade level. A student who is 8 or 9 years old, for example, should likely start with Beast Academy Level 2.”

Beast Academy’s FAQ

Art of Problem Solving offers placement tests and recommended age guidelines.

It’s also an option to start mid-level. There are four placement tests per level to correspond with each book.

When we first found Beast Academy, Benny was in the 3rd grade.  Coincidentally, 3A was the earliest level available, so that’s where we started.  At the end of second grade, Matthew began Beast, and they had just released 2A but not the rest of the level. So, I started him on level 3, as well.  

If I had it to do over, I think I would have bided our time as we waited for more of level 2 to be released.   It is such a different way to approach math that I think Matthew would have benefited from spending more time on the lower levels.  He is my kiddo that — even now at 13 — has little tolerance for frustration in his school work.  Now that he is in more advanced math, I am seeing this.   Struggling with frustration over learning new critical thinking skills while practicing easier math skills, in the long run, would have been worth slowing down.

How do you pace it? And how long is a lesson?

If there’s nothing else you remember from this blog post, I want you to remember this. Speed will vary. One page to the next, one book to the next. My boys flew through lessons that others struggled with, and the reverse was true, also.

Beast Academy explicitly states that they do not expect students to solve every problem in the books. They also suggest that you work each day based on a time amount rather than assigning pages.

And that’s precisely what we did. We averaged 30-40 minutes each day or 2 1/2 -3 hours a week.

Does one level = one year?

This will vary by kiddo, but you can expect to finish about one level of Beast Academy in a school year.

If you are moving into Beast Academy from another math program, you’ll probably start at a little slower. Remember: Beast Academy math is a very different approach to math. Both you & your kiddo will learn to think about math in a new way, but that takes time to train your brain.

It’s common for students to finish only three out of the four books in a year. That doesn’t mean Beast isn’t a good fit for them. The depth that Beast goes into simply means it can be a little slower-going than other math programs.

Since many families choose to start at below level, your kiddo may also get through 1.5 levels in a school year.

Now, do you see why I said it’s going to vary?!

What comes after Beast Academy?

Beast Academy will leave your kiddo well-prepared for pre-algebra or algebra, depending on the rigor of the program you choose.

My older son finished BA mid-year. He was ready for algebra, but I didn’t want to start it mid-year. We used Jacob’s Elementary Algebra (Algebra 1) lightly for the remainder of the year, mainly to keep his math sharp, and he found it relatively easy.

The slight humor from Mr. D, a small set of practice problems, and strong word problems made Mr. D’s Algebra 1 (self-paced) a perfect next step for him. He was well-equipped to tackle this class almost 100% independently.

(This kiddo is why we found BA. He picks up new ideas pretty quickly and hates repetition. While Math Mammoth was fantastic for his older sister, all.the.problems sent him to tears.)

Since this is another FAQ in Facebook groups, I popped into a couple of them to see what others had success with post-Beast.

A few programs with the most mentions are

• Art of Problem Solving Pre-Algebra (for kids who like a challenge)
• Thinkwell Algebra 1 Honors
• Derek Owens’s Pre-Algebra
• Videotext Algebra
• Foerster’s Algebra 1
• Math without Borders (uses Foerster’s)

What Else You Need to Know

If you need or want extra sheets of some of the games & activities in the book, they do put extras on their website. We don’t often use them, but it’s a nice option.

A totally minor detail that adds nothing to the story, but I love: From the level 1 books to the level 5 books, you can see the students grow older in the illustrations. That attention to detail makes me smile.