When you homeschool, you choose the math. That's a real gift, and it can also feel like a lot. Is my child getting enough practice? Are there gaps I can't see? And where do I find something that fits into a busy day?
If you've asked yourself any of that, you're in good company. Here's how a few minutes of practice can fit beside your curriculum, and when you'll want something more.
Where five minutes fits in your day
Your curriculum does the teaching. Practice is what helps it stick. Here are some easy places for five minutes:
- Before a lesson, as a warm-up on skills your child already knows.
- After a lesson, on the skill you just taught, so it's fresh.
- Between subjects, as a quick reset.
- Anywhere else, like a waiting room, a car ride, or while you're helping a sibling.
I recommend 5 minutes a day. It doesn't have to be every single day, and it doesn't have to be perfect. Start small. A few short sessions a week add up.
Practice that finds your child's place
Homeschooled children rarely fit neatly into one grade. Maybe your second grader is flying through shapes and still building their addition. That's normal, and it's what homeschooling is good at.
In their first few sessions, we find your child's level in each of four areas of math: numbers and place value, problem solving, measurement and data, and geometry. From then on, practice meets them where they are in each one. Here's how that first week goes.
You're still in charge. When your child is learning a particular skill, you can choose any skill from PK-5 and practice just that. Have your second grader review prior learning to build their confidence, or let your curious child try what's coming next.
More than one learner at home? Every child gets their own place in the club, with their own levels and badges, and anyone else who helps can be invited too.
For pencil-and-paper days
Lots of homeschool families like paper, and so do I. With Paper Practice, you print a ten-problem sheet made for your child, they work through it with a pencil, and you photograph the page. You look over the answers, fix any that need it, and save. Once you've saved a sheet, it counts toward your child's levels and days practiced, just like practice on a screen. Paper Practice is free too.
It's handy for screen-free mornings, the kitchen table, or a day away from home.
Progress you can keep
Most homeschool parents keep some kind of record, whether that's a binder, a folder, or a spreadsheet. Bobby's Math Club sends emails you can add to it:
- Practice summaries, a short note after your child practices, about what they worked on.
- A first progress report, once their starting levels are found.
- Growth Check reports, which show how your child is doing in each area of math as they grow. Here's what's in them.
Your dashboard shows where your child is strong and what to practice next. Each email is a dated snapshot, so over a year they add up to a picture of your child's growth.
What records you need to keep, and what you need to share, depends on where you live. Your state's department of education is the place to ask. Our emails are a helpful record of your child's practice. They aren't a substitute for anything your state requires.
How it fits with the way you homeschool
There are as many ways to homeschool as there are families. A few minutes of practice fits most of them:
- If you use a textbook or workbook program, practice can come before or after each lesson. If you know which unit your child is on, our curriculum unit guides cover many popular school math programs and show the skills in each unit.
- If you focus on mastering one thing at a time, you can choose a single skill and practice just that until it feels easy.
- If you learn through projects and everyday life, practice is a short, steady way to build skills that real-life math then puts to use.
- If your learning is led by your child's interests, practice can be a few minutes a week of fun, or a way to explore what's next.
- If you're new to teaching math, you don't have to be a math person to help. Practice gives your child clear feedback on every answer, so you aren't the only one holding the answer key.
Whatever your approach, it works best when practice matches what your child is learning right now. You know that better than any program does.
When you'll want something more
Bobby's Math Club is a good fit for building skills and confidence in a few minutes at a time. It's not the right tool for everything. Here's which need calls for what:
| If you need | Look for |
|---|---|
| Short, regular practice | Bobby's Math Club: a few minutes at your child's level, on screen or on paper. Unlimited practice is free. |
| A full curriculum | A scope and sequence that covers the whole year, lesson plans or a teacher guide, and a way to check your child's understanding along the way. Our curriculum unit guides cover many popular school math programs, unit by unit. |
| Live teaching | A class or co-op, where there's discussion, other kids, and a teacher explaining out loud. |
| A tutor | A person who can watch your child work and respond. Here's how tutoring compares. |
Many families combine them, with a curriculum or class for teaching and a short, regular practice habit for what's been taught. Not sure which kind of program you're after? This guide compares the options.
What research says about short, regular practice
A panel of researchers and teachers reviewed the evidence for the U.S. Department of Education's Organizing Instruction and Study to Improve Student Learning (2007). Two of their recommendations are to space learning over time and to use quizzing to help students learn. A few minutes of practice, spread across the week, is built on both ideas, which is why I recommend it.
The research shows this about practice in general. It doesn't tell us how any one program works, including ours. Here's more on what the research says.
Questions parents ask
Can Bobby's Math Club be my homeschool math curriculum?
No. It's practice, not a full curriculum. It doesn't plan your year or teach each lesson, so keep using the curriculum you've chosen. Practice helps what you teach stick. Learn more about practicing what your child is learning →
Is it free for homeschoolers?
Yes. Unlimited practice is free for every family, homeschool or not.
Can I use it with more than one child?
Yes. Each child gets their own place in the club, with their own levels and badges. Learn more about one club for the whole family →
How long should practice take?
I recommend 5 minutes of practice a day. It doesn't have to be every single day: a few five-minute sessions a week is great too. Learn more about how often to practice →
Can my child practice on paper?
Yes. Paper Practice gives you a ten-problem sheet to print, and once you've checked the answers and saved, it counts toward your child's progress. Learn more about Paper Practice →
Can I use the progress emails as my records?
They're a helpful record of your child's practice and growth. What your state asks you to keep or share varies, so check with your state's department of education. Learn more about progress reports →
What if my child is ahead of, or behind, their grade?
Your child's first few sessions find their level in each area of math, so practice feels just right either way. Learn more about starting at the right level →
Does it work with the curriculum I already use?
You can use it alongside any program. If you know which unit your child is on, our unit guides cover many popular school math programs and show the skills in each, so you can find the right skill to practice. Learn more about curriculum unit guides →
Research behind this guide
- Dunlosky, J., Rawson, K. A., Marsh, E. J., Nathan, M. J., & Willingham, D. T. (2013). Improving students' learning with effective learning techniques. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 14(1).
- Pashler, H., Bain, P., Bottge, B., Graesser, A., Koedinger, K., McDaniel, M., & Metcalfe, J. (2007). Organizing instruction and study to improve student learning (NCER 2007-2004). U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences.