Disclosure: I received this curriculum for free and was compensated for time spent reviewing it. Please know that all opinions are 100% mine, and I did not have to write a positive review. I always want to be upfront and honest, so please see my disclosure policy if you have questions!
Truthfully, I am not really a “textbook” kind of person. I prefer hands-on, active learning. On the other hand, my little Hannah LOVES workbooks. Seriously. She does! She even asks for them for Christmas and birthdays. I wish I would’ve taken a picture on the day we opened up the enVisionMATH program from Pearson Homeschool. Her face was priceless–it truly was like opening a gift for her. She insisted on starting that day and we have continued doing a page here and there (since it’s technically our summer break). I expect we’ll be about a third of the way through before we even kick-off our school year in August!
The fact is, the curriculum couldn’t have come at a better time. I had been struggling with what to do for math since I usually just play games, use inexpensive workbooks, and print math sheets I find around the web for the first years of homeschool. The math program I’m using with the older girls doesn’t begin until 3rd grade: however, I knew Hannah wanted a little more than my hodgepodge curriculum. She sees her big sisters doing “big” math and is constantly asking me when she gets to do it, too. I jumped when the chance to review enVisionMATH 1st grade came. I was hoping it would be a great fit for both of us–meeting my need for hands-on learning and Hannah’s need to “be like my big sisters.” I was not disappointed!
Pearson Homeschool enVision Math Curriculum Review
My first impression when I opened up the 1st grade enVisionMATH homeschool curriculum was that it was quite unique. It has a HUGE student tablet with pages to tear out and fold to use for the lessons. The book includes thirteen units covering math topics like addition, subtraction, measuring, money, patterns, and geometry. (You can find the table of contents here.)
The curriculum also includes a teacher’s edition on CD-Rom. I personally like having it on my computer since I’m going through a simplifying and decluttering phase of my life. It’s nice not to have one more book to take up space on our shelves!
The Teacher’s Guide includes ways to differentiate learning if your child isn’t exactly “on grade level”. It also includes background info, step-by-step instructions if you need that or feel more comfortable that way, math vocabulary (and printable cards), and a printable math booklet for each unit. The lay-out of the teacher’s guide is quite similar to what I was used to when I was teaching in a classroom (except it’s on the computer)!
Not only does it have bright, beautifully-colored consumable workbook pages (which Hannah loves); it also has hands-on games for every math unit in the student book. The math games use basic items you can find around the house, and we’ve already played two of them. The student pages also include workmats and recording spaces to promote interactive learning with manipulatives. It’s the best of both worlds for us: hands-on for mom and workbook-ish for Hannah!
While I’m not really big on formally testing my little ones, I do like that they’ve included unit tests in the student tablet. Learning to take a test is a skill and gets easier with practice, so the fill-in-the-circle tests are a good way to get some experience. They are also nice to save for a student portfolios/records (if you need that for your state).
The Mindpoint Quiz Show CD-Rom game was also a fun addition for my daughter. It was a little challenging for her–especially to race the computer. Eventually I think she’ll be ready to take on the computer (and her sisters), but for now, we are just doing the timed version of the quiz show. She is much more confident with that! I will say one concern I had with the game is the announcer uses the word shut-up when you go to turn off the game. That may be a little nit-picky, but I don’t let the girls use that word and I was just a little surprised by that! Otherwise, I do like that the game has several options and different ways to play. You probably wouldn’t really have to have the game, but it is a great way to review each unit of the student text.
The 1st grade homeschool enVisionMATH Bundle includes student edition worktext, Mindpoint Quiz Show CD-rom, Parent Guide, and Teacher Edition CD-Rom. You can find the other bundles for each grade level below:
- enVisionMATH Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum
- enVisionMATH 1st Grade Homeschool Curriculum
- enVisionMATH 2nd Grade Homeschool Curriculum
- enVisionMATH 3rd Grade Homeschool Curriculum
- enVisionMATH 4th Grade Homeschool Curriculum
- enVisionMATH 5th Grade Homeschool Curriculum
- enVisionMATH 6th Grade Homeschool Curriculum
Pearson Homeschool Resources Discount Code
Pearson is a company I’ve known about for many years, but I didn’t realize they had this special homeschool line. I first used the MCP Plaid Phonics program when I was teaching in the classroom. I also love their We Give Books initiative. It’s a great way to read children’s eBooks for free (and they have a summer reading program you should check out)!
One awesome benefit of reviewing and sharing this curriculum is I also get to share a special discount code with you! Use the code BLG25 to save 25% on any of the Pearson Homeschool products and curriculum listed below:
● enVisionMath Bundle Grades K-6
● myWorld Social Studies Bundle Grades K-6
● MCP Plaid Phonics Bundle Grades K-6
● Interactive Science Bundle Grades K-5
As for Hannah and I, we will be working our way through the enVisionMATH homeschool curriculum over the next year. I was pleasantly surprised by this curriculum and feel like it meets both of our needs quite well!
Questions or comments about the curriculum? Feel free to leave them below.
I have a couple questions. First I bought your GLE curriculum and loved it, so I trust your opinion on things. This is my first year homeschooling besides preschool and my son will be in 1st grade. I have been looking at Math U See because it uses manipulative and is hands on. If you know Math U See do you think its comparable? Also, Since the teacher edition is online is it as easy to follow and teach as your GLE? Any other tidbits would be awesome. I want to choose the right curriculum but I am also realizing that Math U See is quite pricey, but since this is my child’s education I don’t mind spending it if I have to. Thanks so much!
Awesome questions! Thank you! I did go back and add a few screenshots of the teacher’s guide. It is a very thorough guide and also includes some extra printables.
I always hesitate to give my opinion on Math U See. I used it with my oldest daughter for four levels, and I really wanted to love it. We have tons of friends using it, so I know it works well for many people. It just didn’t for my particular child. Also, since I already had some preconceived ideas about how math should be taught (from my teaching days), I felt like it didn’t cover what it needed to cover as quickly. I know there is a whole theory behind it, but it just never worked for us! When we changed over to a different curriculum last year (we are using Teaching Textbooks now–which we love–but it doesn’t start until 3rd grade), it was a challenge for her to *catch-up*. I actually made her go back through the 3rd grade to gain some confidence (she was technically in 4th grade).
Overall, I really do think it just depends on your child and your teaching style. I always recommend taking a look at something in person if you are able to (like at a homeschool convention). It really makes a difference for me to see something in person!
Let me know if you have any other questions!
Is this program aligned with common core?
I don’t really know! I didn’t check on that. I’m guessing since they are a major publisher, it probably is.
Hello, I am a representative for Pearson and Pearson Homeschool and wanted to take a moment to respond to the question about Common Core. Pearson serves and supports all parents and school districts as they implement higher academic standards to prepare students to compete and succeed in a global economy. Common Core was developed by a collection of governors and education experts. Pearson works with and is proud to support teachers, students and parents in all states, whether they follow the new Common Core State Standards or not, to help create curriculum, textbooks and other materials. Pearson’s focus is on effectively helping students graduate ready for college and the workforce. Pearson does not financially fund Common Core, as Common Core is just a set of rules and guidelines.
As a side note, the Pearson Homeschool products currently being reviewed, discussed here, and sold on http://www.PearsonHomeschool.com are not updated with the new Common Core standards and are copyright editions prior to the implementation of this law.
Hi! My daughter used this curriculum in the public school system this past school year. We are going to homeschool this year because of the state of things, but I thought about using this curriculum just so that I know she would be “on par” with what they are teaching in public school because we anticipate returning. My favorite part of the curriculum last year were the interactive, introductory videos which were only 1-2 minutes long. They showed you how to use the manipulatives. But we had to logon with her school login information. Any idea if you can access these things as a homeschooler?
Hi, Karen, I don’t know for sure if it would be the same. It does have a parent CD with it, but I’m not sure if that has those videos. It’s been many years since we used it, so I can’t give you a good answer unfortunately. I’m wondering if you could find an email on the company website and get an answer from them that way? Sorry I couldn’t be more help!