Math Lessons for a Living Education: A Comprehensive Curriculum Review

For homeschooling families, choosing the right math curriculum is a critical decision. Math Lessons for a Living Education (MLLE) is a popular choice, particularly among those drawn to the Charlotte Mason method and Christian-based materials. This article provides a comprehensive review of MLLE, drawing upon user experiences and expert insights to help you determine if it's the right fit for your homeschool.

Introduction

Many homeschoolers embrace Charlotte Mason's methods, and MLLE attempts to integrate these principles into math education. This review aims to provide an unbiased opinion, considering the curriculum's strengths and weaknesses for both secular and Christian homeschoolers. The goal is to offer a deep dive into MLLE, exploring its various aspects to assist parents in making an informed decision.

What is Math Lessons for a Living Education?

Math Lessons for a Living Education is an elementary math series published by Master Books, a well-known name in Christian homeschool curriculum. Designed for levels 1-6, MLLE aims to introduce mathematical concepts through engaging, real-life stories and hands-on experiences. This approach contrasts with traditional rote memorization and drill-heavy worksheets.

Key Features and Benefits

MLLE boasts several features that make it an attractive option for many homeschooling families.

Story-Based Learning

One of the most distinctive aspects of MLLE is its use of stories to introduce and reinforce math concepts. Instead of presenting numbers and equations in isolation, the curriculum weaves math into everyday experiences. The curriculum uses a unique storytelling style to teach math while following the adventures of Charlotte and Charlie - homeschooled twins! This is a Charlotte Mason flavored math curriculum is definitely a creative, outside-the-box way of teaching math that will get your kid’s attention!

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Stories allow children to build connections between a concept and real life. They make math applicable and meaningful to children, which means that they are far more likely to remember the lessons in the long term.

For example, a skip-counting lesson might involve packing items for a trip and organizing clothes, while subtraction is introduced with the scenario of eating cinnamon buns. While not every story directly offers a math lesson, the intention is to infuse real-life applications, helping children understand the relevance of what they are learning. The stories include seeing math in all of life, including interesting non-fiction information about the world around them.

Simplicity and Ease of Use

MLLE is designed to be user-friendly, requiring no complicated teacher's guides or prep-heavy lesson plans. The curriculum is very much an “everything in one place” program. Up to Level 3, there are no separate solutions, since the math is simple enough for parents to check on their own. Even the manipulatives are included at the back of the book. This simplicity is a significant advantage for busy homeschool parents, especially those juggling multiple children.

The curriculum uses readily available manipulatives, such as beans or household items, eliminating the need for expensive kits. The book is written for both the parent and the child to sit together and work through the lessons. Occasionally there are notes to give the parent some assistance on how to explain an activity. The higher-level books are written less to the teacher and more to the child so that they can do it more and more independently.

Affordability

Compared to many other math curricula, MLLE is relatively inexpensive. With no need for separate teacher's guides, test books, or answer keys (answers are in the back of the books), the cost is limited to a single book per child. The books start at an affordable price, making it accessible to families on a budget.

Christian Worldview

For Christian homeschool families, MLLE offers the added benefit of integrating faith-based discussions and Bible verses into the material. The Christian worldview is an integral part of the lessons. The stories are all laced with talk of God and how He works in the world and in our lives. As a Christian family, it’s always so nice to see those values reinforced during school hours - even with math!

Gentle Math Progression

MLLE employs a slow and steady pacing, making it suitable for children who need extra time to absorb concepts. The curriculum blends gentle math progression with concept reviews, though Level 1 can feel repetitive.

Hands-On and Engaging

MLFLE is far from dry and boring! The stories are engaging and interesting, following the lives of two young children in their own homeschool experience. The stories include interesting bits of non-fiction information that teach your child about the world around them, God, nature, etc. NOT just about math. This is the secret weapon of MLFLE because it is this broad story approach that helps children find context in the math lesson. It gives them something they know, they have seen, they understand, to tie that math concept in to. It is also very hands on.

Level-Based Approach

Because it is a mastery approach, it is not based on grades that could potentially allow children to go to their “grade” and not base the lessons off of what they need to cover or learn.

Teaches the WHY before the HOW

In MLFLE you don’t have this problem because they teach the why behind the math concept before they even begin to approach the how. They do this through stories and pictures and hands on activities that make sure that the child fully understands the big picture before they move on.

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For example, a problem we worked on in level 1 is that we learned what a rectangle is. Rather than just showing the shape and drawing the shape, we learned that it is made with 2 short sides and two long sides, and 4 right angles. In later lessons when we were reviewing, it would ask them not only to draw a rectangle, but to tell their teacher how they knew that was a rectangle, why was it a rectangle? This same element of review and narration throughout the lessons along with the parent involvement mean that your child really can’t get left behind.

Potential Drawbacks

Despite its strengths, MLLE also has potential drawbacks that parents should consider.

Light Curriculum

The curriculum is light compared to other math programs like Singapore Math, Beast Academy, or Math Mammoth. While the short lessons can be a pro for some, they may not feel like enough for students who need more rigorous instruction.

Repetitive Busy Work

Level 1, in particular, has been noted for containing too much repetitive busy work, which can feel more like a kindergarten program, especially in the first half.

Not Suited for Advanced Learners

If a child enjoys math and grasps concepts quickly, they may outgrow this program fast.

Christian-Based Content

While a pro for Christian families, the Christian content might be a con for secular homeschoolers, although it is generally easy to tweak or omit certain stories or wording.

Right Brain Flashcards

Math Lessons for a Living Education teaches math facts through the right-brain flashcard method. The student takes a list of math facts and makes flashcards that tell a story that the child can remember. The amount of time, effort, and creativity to put together these cards (for every math fact!) was extensive. And then my kid had to remember all of these little stories in order to learn the fact.

Stories Can Be Cheesy and Fluffy

The stories of Charlie and Charlotte did do a good job of bringing up math concepts, but quite a few of them are just conflict-free, bubbly stories about two kids hanging out with their family. Little to no math is included. And everybody is so happy all the time that it is hard to get excited about “what happens next” with Charlotte and Charlie.

Components of the Curriculum

The MLFLE student books are printed in full color, but illustrations and color get scarcer at the upper levels as you might expect. You can purchase either printed books or downloadable PDF files. I recommend the printed books for most situations since students need to write in the books, the price differential isn’t that great.

Answer keys for Levels 1 and 2 are available to textbook purchasers as free, downloadable files. These answer keys show student pages with overprinted answers. Level 3 has an answer key at the back of the book. Solutions manuals for Levels 4 and 5 are at the back of each book. Level 6 is the only course with a second component you need to purchase. The Level 6 Teacher Guide consists of solutions and tests plus an introductory chapter of Master Book’s next course, Principles of Mathematics: Book 1. The teacher guide can be purchased either as a downloadable file or in a packet of pre-punched, printed pages for you to insert into your own binder.

Manipulatives

At the front of each book, you will find a list of required resources for each course, sometimes under the heading About Manipulatives. At the back of each book are pages of manipulatives or charts for you to prepare for each course. In addition, you will need some other items such as coins, a thermometer, pictures from magazines, a ruler, and poster board. They also need access to the internet or a set of encyclopedias.

O’Dell encourages parents to use inexpensive items that might already be on hand whenever they can, such as using dried beans for counting and place value activities. In the manipulative pages, you will find a Place Value Counting Mat, and Place Value Village “houses” that you will affix to your own containers. While a clock face with hands page is included, I find Judy clock faces much more durable and easy to use-an instance where I think it makes more sense to purchase a manipulative. While there are number cards for Levels 1 and 2 to cut out and use, other manipulatives are generally charts, mats, or reference tools, especially past Level 3.

O’Dell recommends that parents create flashcards, especially what she calls Right Brain Flashcards. This is another instance where I think purchasing manipulatives might make more sense, although creating the Right Brain Flashcards with your children might be a worthwhile endeavor.

Teacher Involvement

There are no required teacher manuals except for Level 6. Instruction is within the student books. Occasionally there will be instruction written to the teacher in a gray box, but generally, parents can just work through the text, reading and interacting with their child through at least the first two levels. By Level 3, students should be able to do much of their work independently. In Level 6, there are no parent notes in the text, and students are given the option to provide either written or oral narrations. If students are doing written narrations, parent involvement can be minimal. However, even up through Level 6, O’Dell encourages parents to read the stories with their children and stay connected with their learning as best they can.

An optional book for parents, Math Lessons for a Living Education Teaching Companion, has a fuller explanation of the philosophy and methodology of the program, more-detailed explanations about how to make and use manipulatives, additional suggestions for games and activities, teaching tips, recipes, a synopsis of the story that runs through all levels, and readiness tests with answer keys.

How it Works

Courses up through Level 5 each have 36 lessons, and each lesson should take one week. Each lesson begins with a two-page story followed by an exercise. Each of the following four days has an exercise that consists of varying lesson components such as instruction, practice problems, puzzles, drawings, projects, and other lesson activities. Level 6 has 22 lessons with varying numbers of exercises per lesson, but it should still take about 36 weeks to complete.

The pace of MLFLE is gentler than many other math programs. MLFLE does not align with Common Core. For example, you won’t find probability and statistics taught in the elementary grades. Level 1 begins by teaching students to recognize and write numbers and to match numbers with corresponding sets of objects. It continues up through single-digit addition and subtraction. It teaches place value, but carrying and borrowing wait until Level 2. Level 4 places a heavy emphasis on basic operations and fractions and teaches fractions only up through addition and subtraction operations. At Level 6, fractions, decimals, and percents are taught and reviewed. Geometry, the order of operations, and advanced work with equations come in toward the end of the course. Geometry concepts at all levels get less attention than in Common Core math programs. Overall, the series seems to follow a scope and sequence similar to what was common ten or more years ago.

While MLFLE generally teaches one concept at a time in a mastery fashion, it continually reviews previously taught concepts. In addition, the last six lessons in each book up through Level 5 review concepts taught throughout each course. If you want additional practice and review, you can use the optional Practice Makes Perfect books that are available for each level. The books are each about 175 pages in length, are printed very attractively in full-color, and feature lots of variety in both the exercises and the formats in which they are presented. They might be used alongside an MLFLE course or over the summer.

How MLLE Teaches Key Concepts

MLLE employs specific methods for teaching fundamental math concepts.

Math Facts

This Master Books math curriculum uses right brain flashcards to teach math facts. A summary would be that the student makes up a silly story to help them remember a math fact. The student then writes the whole math fact (including the answer) on one side of the flashcard.

Math Lesson for a Living Education also offers math fact sheets in the back of the book that you are instructed to laminate (I just slid it into a page protector) and use dry erase markers to practice with.

Place Value

Math Lessons for a Living Education teaches place value by using the very popular “house method.” This is a great way to help kids visualize the sometimes abstract concept of place value. The “house method,” as I like to call it, teaches kids about the “one’s house,” “ten’s house,” “hundred’s house,” and “thousand’s house.”

The teacher is instructed to tear them out, laminate them, and get containers of various sizes to hold counting manipulatives. The child will start counting out items using the houses.

Double Digit Addition and Subtraction

I love the way that this math curriculum teaches double-digit addition and subtraction. They continue the house theme from place value and have the kids work the problems like this: Kids at this age get very confused with the fact that they should read from left to right - but they need to add and subtract from right to left (especially when you start borrowing and carrying). This method is a great way of reminding them to start with the ones house and move left as you go along.

Carrying and Borrowing

Both carrying and borrowing are taught by a story of Charlie and Charlotte sitting with one of their parents. The parent walks the twins through the lesson using the place value method. A one is “carried over” to the tens house when adding larger numbers and a one is “borrowed” from the tens house when subtracting. It is definitely the classic way you were probably taught in school.

Is MLLE Right for Your Homeschool?

Choosing a math curriculum is a personal decision based on your child's needs and learning style, as well as your homeschooling philosophy and budget.

Consider MLLE if:

You value a story-based approach to learning.
You are looking for a gentle and relaxed math program.
You want a Christian-based curriculum.
You appreciate simplicity and ease of use.
You are on a tight budget.
Your child struggles with traditional math instruction.

MLLE Might Not Be Ideal if:

Your child is advanced in math and needs a challenging curriculum.
You prefer a more rigorous and comprehensive math program.
You are a secular homeschooler and prefer non-religious materials.
You dislike repetitive work and prefer a faster pace.

Alternatives to Consider

If MLLE doesn't seem like the perfect fit, consider these alternative math curricula:

Singapore Math: Known for its mastery-based approach and emphasis on problem-solving.
Beast Academy: A challenging and engaging curriculum that uses comic books to teach math concepts.
Math Mammoth: A comprehensive curriculum that offers a variety of worksheets and activities.
Teaching Textbooks: A computer-based curriculum that provides step-by-step instruction and practice.
The Good and the Beautiful Math: A hands-on and engaging curriculum that integrates art and nature.
Saxon Math: A spiral-based curriculum that continually reviews previously taught concepts.

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