Ahoy Maties!!!: Review of Make it Real Learning from Math Mammoth

Math Mammoth, the brain child of Maria Miller – “math teacher, turned housewife, turned homeschooler, who holds a master's degree in mathematics with the teacher educational studies, and minors in physics and statistics,” is a collection of math curriculum materials for grades k-12. There is something for everyone in her materials. We have been utilizing three titles out of her Make it Real Learning Series, written by Frank Wilson (another very experienced math teacher): Geometry 1, Linear Functions 1, and Graphing &Other Algebra Skills 1.

Our family is no stranger to Math Mammoth products. With six children, all of whom have different learning styles, I have used many of Maria’s products over the years. I have also used them in tutoring situations with great success. Some of the features of Math Mammoth curriculum products in general (that I absolutely love) are the ability to print pages as needed or, in some products, fill in the work pages on the computer using the typewriter feature; uncluttered work pages with some color but not enough to be distracting; and mastery curriculum rather than spiral curriculum. My fifteen year old and thirteen year old have been using the Make it Real Learning books for several weeks now; and, I have them scheduled in our studies for the remainder of the summer. (Yes, we are schooling over the summer this year. ) We received the downloadable workbooks.

My thirteen year old is mainly using the Geometry 1 (grades 6-7) and Graphing and other Algebra Skills 1 (grades 7- high school) books. She completed Pre-Algebra in our co-op at the first of May, so these two books are a bit challenging; but, they have not been beyond her understanding at all. She is a very independent worker and is very honest in her schoolwork, so when I printed both workbooks for her I left the answer key sheets (which follow each lesson) in the workbook. I spiral bound the workbooks with a cardstock cover. There are only 45 pages total in both workbooks, so, when I printed on both sides of the page this made for nice, portable workbooks that slip into her backpack easily.

When she began working through these I sat with her and read through the first couple of problems to make sure she understood terminology and the math processes she would be using. After that, she took off. She completes a lesson in each workbook on Monday – Thursday. She can glance at the answer key for help or come to me for help if she doesn’t understand something (so far, that hasn’t been very often). In Geometry 1 she is studying math through “real-world situations that may be effectively analyzed using common geometric concepts such as area, perimeter, volume, and Pythagorean Theorem.” She has calculated the amount of concrete needed for a driveway, the cost of that concrete, worked through landscaping scenarios, and worked on swimming pool design, among other things. In the Graphing and Other Algebra Skills 1 book, she has worked on interpreting graphs through real-life situations such as Autism Awareness studies and Portable Music Player studies. She has also worked through designing paper and has examined a bit of personal finance with rate of change functions. All of the lessons she works through are 1 page front and back. Sometimes it takes her a couple of days to complete a lesson (if it is particularly complex); however, I am seeing much more independence and understanding of mathematical concepts with her.

My fifteen year old was needing some massive Algebra review over the summer since he is preparing for his ACT in September. The Linear Functions 1 (Algebra 1 and 2 concepts) workbook has definitely been stretching him, and he isn’t a big fan of stretching mentally. Fortunately, I am a huge fan of it, so he is going to complete this workbook as well as the two that my daughter has been working through. He works more slowly in math, so most of the lessons take him 2 or 3 days to complete. I bound the workbook for him, too. That makes it so easy for him to grab and work on when we are at the dentist, etc…. He is working on things such as determining the best cell phone plan; examining studies about things like college graduates, nutrition programs, and life spans; and seeing how temperature conversions are actually linear functions. I am seeing definite progress in his math skills and his level of understanding.

These workbooks are so refreshing because they show students how math actually is used in everyday real-world situations. Recognizing and appreciating the relevance of math is crucial for a complete understanding of math. I recommend the Make it Real Learning workbooks to anyone who desires a supplement to or enhancement to their current math curriculum, or who needs some reinforcement of particular concepts. The individual workbooks are available for $4.99, and special bundles of the workbooks are available for $39.99. There is even an awesome deal that includes all of the Make it Real Learning books (even the States by the Numbers books), for $79.99. If you are interested in seeing some samples of the workbooks offered through Math Mammoth, peruse the website and you will find many, many offers of free samples to download and examine. You can even join two different e-mail lists that give you many free worksheets, math teaching tips, and helps.