Hi everyone, I'm Nikki, a math writer for The Good and the Beautiful. Today I'm going to
answer some top customer questions about our new Simply Good and Beautiful Math courses.
As a homeschool mom and former public high school math teacher,
I can't tell you how excited I am about this brand new homeschool math program.
Math courses are often dull, dry, and difficult, so our team has worked hard to create a program
that is engaging, exciting, and easy to teach. Let's get started with your questions.
Are the courses parent-led or student-led?
Simply Good and Beautiful math levels K-3 are parent-led. This means you and your child sit
by side completing the short, powerful lessons and have fun learning together.
Even though these courses are taught by you, the parent, no prep-time or math knowledge is needed.
The course is open-and-go. Simply read along and follow the instructions for teaching each lesson.
In levels 1, 2, and 3, your child has some time for independent practice or review each day,
allowing you to work with other children if needed. In levels 4 and above,
the courses are mainly student-led. At these levels, your child independently watches a
video and/or reads through a mini-lesson and then completes a practice and review section.
In levels 4 and 5, your child completes a short mental math section with you daily.
After that, all you need to do is check your child's work using the answer key.
Do all courses have videos? Can the videos be skipped? Will my child be able to focus during
the videos and really learn the concepts? Why are videos used? Simply Good and Beautiful math levels
4 and above do include short video lessons. Levels K through 3 do not. These videos are
beautiful and engaging, which may not be the words that come to mind when you think of math videos.
Our pilot families have said that our new videos are truly an incredible way to learn. Math
concepts are explained very clearly with accompanying graphics to aid in understanding. For
example, in a written lesson on decimal numbers, it can be difficult for a child to make sense of
these numbers initially. But through a video when your child actually sees the number line zoom in
to observe smaller intervals, the concept becomes more clear. We understand that many parents are
hesitant when it comes to screen time for their children, however, we highly recommend using these
videos alongside the Simply Good and Beautiful math lessons. Students often learn complex topics
better from a person rather than from a page, and video instruction can greatly increase a child's
understanding of a new concept. In addition, nature, art, scripture, poetry, and beauty
are integrated seamlessly and woven throughout the videos. Our math videos include interactive
example problems and additional instruction not found in the mini-lesson. Many lessons are more of
a summary rather than a detailed lesson and they are a great tool to use when completing practice
sections or to refer to at any time. For these reasons, we do not recommend skipping videos.
However, if your child already has an understanding of the concept or if you
wish to teach the concept to your child using the mini-lesson as a guide, the videos can be skipped.
Is the math box optional? Can multiple children use the same box? The math boxes that accompany
levels K through 3 are absolutely amazing. Have you ever heard of a math manipulative box that
includes wooden cars or metal airplanes? Math can become your child's favorite time of day as he or
she gets to use these objects in the lessons. The math box components are integrated into lessons
throughout the entire course, so the course can't really be completed without a math box.
The perfectly sized and thoughtfully selected items in the math box give your child valuable
practice in a hands-on way. Because of the nature of the items in the box, making your own box is
not easy or effective and should only be done as a last resort if a physical box is not feasible.
As long as your children are completing their math lessons at different times during the day
they can share the same box. Students in different levels cannot share math boxes,
however, because the boxes for each level are unique and have different components.
Does this program follow common core? This math program does not follow common core methods,
however, it does maintain a high academic standard meeting or exceeding state and national standards.
Extensive research of top math curricula has helped us design a program which incorporates
everything needed at each level to give students a thorough math education while preparing them
for future levels. And we've done so using methods that are simple and clear rather than
complex and unnecessarily confusing. How can I teach multiple children at different levels?
Simply Good and Beautiful math is a fantastic program for teaching multiple children
because levels 4 and above are self-directed. Because there are independent sections in the
lower levels and because lessons are so concise, you, the parent, can teach four or five different
levels in about an hour. This is one of the main reasons we created this new math program.
We wanted it to be truly possible to teach multiple children at different levels while still
being incredibly effective and enjoyable. How much time each day will the lessons take to complete?
Here's a chart that shows the average time for students to complete lessons from start to finish.
Lesson times increase gently as the child progresses through levels. We took care to design
lessons long enough to allow children sufficient practice, but not so long that they become bored
or overwhelmed. Lessons are designed to maximize efficiency so time is never wasted. Students
using this program receive a comprehensive math education without spending hours each day on math.
How do I know what level to start on? Do the courses match public school grade levels?
Simply Good and Beautiful math courses are aligned with typical public school grades.
So if your child is starting third grade, he or she will most likely be appropriately placed in
math 3. However, we know that children progress at different paces, so the placement tests on our
website can give you a better picture of what level may be best for your child. We strongly
recommend children take the placement test before you purchase math curriculum based on their grade
level alone. Placing students in the appropriate math level greatly reduces frustration for both
you and them. It also helps children feel more confident and excited about their learning
since they are able to learn and absorb the information rather than struggle through it.
Is this a spiral or a mastery program? Which is better? Simply Good and Beautiful math is a
spiral math program. In each lesson of a spiral math program, the child practices a new concept
and then reviews previous concepts. They then revisit the new concept in future lessons where it
is built upon. We have found that students better retain information when they are taught a concept
and then are allowed to come back to that concept time and again throughout the course,
rather than only at a review lesson or assessment. A mastery program, on the other hand,
requires a student to master each individual concept before moving on to a new topic,
and concepts are rarely reviewed. One of the biggest disadvantages of a mastery program is
that even if a skill is mastered initially if it is not used or reviewed it tends to be forgotten.
For more information on spiral math and why it works, watch our Spiral Math video on YouTube.
Do the courses include mental math? What is it and why is it important?
You likely use mental math often without realizing it, perhaps when determining how much time is left
before a meeting or when finding the better value at a grocery store. All Simply Good
and Beautiful math courses contain a mental math component. We believe mental math is so important,
especially at the lower levels. When a child can complete basic math problems in his or her head,
future learning becomes more enjoyable, and mental math actually strengthens our brains.
In Levels k through 3, mental math is incorporated daily at the beginning of each lesson.
In levels 4 and 5 there is a separate mental math book that your child completes with you.
Mental math is still included in higher math levels, but as it becomes more natural
it is less of a separate emphasis and children find they are using mental math as they complete
problems every day. What makes this math program unique, and why might it be best for my child?
We have taken an innovative approach to math in which we remove the negative stereotypes and
instead show children the beauty inherent in math. Concepts are explained simply and concisely rather
than overwhelming the child. Each lesson is taught in a straightforward way that incorporates nature,
beauty, God, and fun. Many students come to believe early that they are either naturally
good at math or not, and unfortunately, most believe that throughout their lives.
But having a natural ability isn't what makes someone good at math. Our brains are made for
learning. These courses teach math in a way that no other math curriculum has done. Students who
previously struggled with math or who dislike the subject have found a new perspective in which they
enjoy, appreciate, and get excited about learning math. We hope you will try our new Simply Good and
Beautiful math and see for yourself how it can be a game-changer. Visit goodandbeautiful.com
to download the full course PDFs for levels 1 through 5 for free, or to purchase physical
courses. From one homeschool parent to another, I wish you a joyful and beautiful school year.