7 High School Math Curriculum Ideas for Your Homeschooler

Are you looking for a homeschool math curriculum for high school? There are so many choices; where do you start? Here’s a list to get you started.

Is your high school math curriculum working well? Are you just curious about what other programs are out there? Or maybe your kiddo is in elementary or middle school, and you’re wondering what high school math curriculum is out there.

One of the quirkier things about high school math is that parents often end up using more than one curriculum over high school. Some companies are really strong in algebra but weak in geometry, for example. 

High school is also a time when a lot of parents choose to outsource math. I decided to begin outsourcing math as my kiddos began algebra. I felt confident that my math skills were good enough and that I could sharpen the areas that weren’t to lead them through at least Algebra 2. But was that enough? I didn’t know. And I didn’t want that to be a stumbling block if they pursued college majors needing even higher math.

Between the traditional homeschool publishers, the online options, and public school textbooks that many parents love for high school, you can find yourself buried under a pile of possibilities. 

This list isn’t meant to be a complete list of options. Rather, it’s a list of a handful of options from a variety of approaches & styles. Maybe you’ll find the perfect one here. Or maybe, as you research these more, it’ll lead you to the perfect one.

How many math credits does your teen need?

4-year college-bound? Generally, colleges want to see four math credits, including one taken during their senior year. In other words, doubling up in their junior year to skip it in their senior year isn’t what schools typically want to see. This is especially important for STEM-bound teens and/or those applying to competitive colleges. Those kids might benefit from 5-6 credits if it’s doable.

(That said, my daughter doubled up her junior year with pre-calculus and statistics as dual enrollment classes, and she got into every (not very competitive) school she applied to.)

What math classes should high schoolers take?

They should take the ones they need. Okay, what does that actually mean? First, check with your state’s regulations. While most states don’t dictate this, you never want to risk running into legal troubles!

At a minimum, colleges will expect to see a student progress through Algebra 2 + 1 more credit. While trig or pre-calc is typical fourth-credit classes, statistics can be a great choice, too. If potential college websites don’t list anything, reach out to their admissions department. Let them know potential majors and ask what they would want to see on transcripts.

If your kiddo is heading into a STEM field or hoping for a selective college, you’ll want to aim to get through at least pre-calculus, if not calculus 1.

Danger alert! Rushing through a math class just to be able to mark the credit off isn’t wise. If your student isn’t mastering the material, that trend will continue exponentially as they get into even more advanced math.

Lial’s (Traditional Textbook)

• Traditional textbook
• Pre-Algebra through Calculus, no geometry
• Good for a student who benefits from a non-computer approach & can be mostly self-taught
• Average to above-average math student

I was introduced to this series on the Well-Trained Mind homeschool boards YEARS ago. The live math class Elizabeth would take starting in algebra used them, so we switched to Lial’s for pre-algebra. (The provider is discussed further down in this post.)

One of the best things about this curriculum is that you can find them used pretty inexpensively. We paid just $5-10 for each textbook on Amazon Used. You can also buy them new, but expect to pay $75-100 each. It’s definitely worth your effort to search for a used copy!

The downside to this curriculum is that teacher editions can be difficult to locate. We did pre-algebra on our own & the odd-numbered answers in the back of the book were sufficient. (Beyond pre-algebra, I would have needed a teacher’s guide.) If you want a complete teacher’s guide, locate one of those first & then find a corresponding student text. 

Art of Problem Solving

• Textbook with a discovery approach to math
• Usual math sequence + additional topics like number theory and probably & statistics
• Good for a student who is strong in math and/or can handle a math that challenges their way of learning
• Average to above-average math student who likes to be challenged

Art of Problem Solving is an OG math program. It’s known for being a challenging program. While its reputation makes some parents only look at it for gifted students, that’s not necessary. What is important, though, is a student who can appreciate a challenge and is willing to take a different approach to learning math.

In addition to the textbooks, they also offer self-paced and live classes. If you purchase a textbook, be sure to buy the solutions guide, too. You’ll need it!

(Art of Problem Solving also publishes Beast Academy for elementary kiddos. We loved this program! However, we opted to choose other programs for high school math.)

My Homeschool Math Class

• Traditional live class
• Middle school math through Algebra 2
• Good for a student who needs live instruction/the ability to ask questions in real-time.
• Average to above average

If you want a live math class, Mrs. Perkins over at MyHomeschoolMathClass is worth looking at. Classes meet twice a week and start with middle school math level and go through Algebra 2. She uses the Lial series of textbooks + Holt for geometry.

Like the textbooks, Mrs. Perkins is also fairly traditional in her teaching. Each class includes teaching a new lesson and working on example problems. She’s encouraging but not effusive. Flexible & friendly, but also leans towards no-nonsense.

Her prices are on the low end for live math classes. And, as an added bonus, you can pay monthly, which is great since high school costs rack up quickly!

My oldest was well prepared for pre-calc at the community college. We tried her class for my youngest, but he needed a self-paced class.

Mr. D’s (Self-paced videos)

• Video lectures + worksheets
• Pre-algebra through Calculus 1 plus Consumer Math
• Good for a student who needs less reading, wants a video lecture that gets straight to the point & doesn’t need a lot of repetitive practice problems.
• Flexible (see below)

As we approached the end of Beast Academy with my older son, I dreaded what came next. He’s a tough kiddo to fit. He wants to learn the material, practice it, and then move on.   And that’s what Mr. D’s offers. Each day, he’d watch a 10-15 minute video, complete that day’s set of problems, and then take an online quiz. 

Since it’s self-paced, you can certainly go slowly in the sections that are more difficult for your kiddo. Instruction is thorough but may not be enough if your student struggles with math. If your kiddo needs a lot of practice to master a math skill, this may not be the best choice. I’d consider a traditional textbook instead.

On the other end of the scale, this may not be challenging enough if you have a STEM-bound kiddo or one who’s hoping for a competitive college. There are optional honors activities for those students. They’ll come out of these courses with a solid understanding of math, but Mr. D’s doesn’t go as in-depth as some other math programs.

Denison Math (struggling/reluctant)

• Self-paced videos + workbook (printed & mailed)
• Pre-Algebra through Algebra 2
• Top choice for struggling math students or students who really dislike math

Each lesson has a 15-20 minute video and then workbook problems. You get an actual workbook mailed to you, so there is nothing to print. You’ll also get chapter tests & a parent guide. And you get 15 months of access to each course, so you have plenty of time to finish each one.

There are two levels of each course – a standard & success. Rather than try to summarize the differences for you, I’ll let you read about them – their site has a whole section about it. 

Your years of homeschooling are so short – who wants to spend time with one or both of you crying over ill-fitting math?? I would far rather my kiddos not get through as much math but actually understand it than just go through the motions of a class, retaining little & understanding even less.

Denison offers “clear, easy-to-understand courses designed for confidence-building retention and brain-friendly mastery. Denison Algebra can help you say goodbye to the weeping and wailing, “I hate algebra” and “I can’t do this” math sessions. 

Trust us… Life is way better without them.

Denison Math

OpenStax (free)

• traditional textbook
• Algebra, PreCalc, Calc, Statistics
• It is good for a student who can synthesize from the text and doesn’t need a lot of practice problems.
• Average to above-average math student

A self-directed student who prefers to learn out of a textbook might do well with OpenStax. Their textbooks are free online, or you can download a .pdf copy. Their printed copies are inexpensive, at least comparatively speaking.

In their high school section, they have books for algebra, pre-calc, calc & statistics. The college-level texts include Algebra + Trig, College Algebra, Contemporary Math, and Developmental Math.

Open Stax is an open-source text series out of Rice University that offers free textbooks for both the college & high school levels. You’ll find teaching slides, instructor solutions, etc.  

tl;dr

• Free — OpenStax
• Middle-of-the-Road — Mr. D’s self-paced
• Up for a Challenge — Art of Problem Solving
• Reluctant/Struggling — Denison
• Traditional — Lial’s
• Live Class — MyHomeschoolMathClass.com