Teaching math at home
What to do when you say you're bad at math, the tools that help, and free practice.
The What Works Clearinghouse practice guide on elementary math recommends systematic instruction, clear math language, concrete and picture representations, number lines, deliberate teaching of word problems and regular timed practice for fluency. At home that means a short lesson, hands-on objects, a number line on the wall and five minutes of practice, with a curriculum or free games to supply the order.
Checked October 29, 2026.
This is a plain-words summary, not legal advice. Laws change: check your state's current law and its education department before you act.
A way to start
- Use objects first (blocks, coins, beans), then pictures, then numbers.
- Keep a number line on the wall and use it daily.
- Say the math out loud: name the operation, the parts and the answer.
- Finish with five minutes of timed fact practice, then stop.
The free path
Curriculum, if you want one
Math curricula compared. They are listed side by side with no ranking, and each one carries a one-word faith-based or secular label.
You don't have to be good at this to teach it
You can learn the lesson one day ahead of your child. A curriculum with a teacher's guide gives you the words to say.
Check your state
Some states list the subjects a homeschool must cover. See the law page for your state.