• Math 3, Math 4, and Math 5 each cost $45.95, and since every Teaching Textbooks course lasts 1 year, that is equivalent to $3.82 per month.
• Math 6 and Math 7 each cost $58.95, and since every Teaching Textbooks course lasts 1 year, that is equivalent to $4.91 per month.
• Pre-Algebra, Algebra 1, and Geometry each cost $72.95, and since every Teaching Textbooks course lasts 1 year, that is equivalent to $6.08 per month.
• Algebra 2 and Pre-Calculus each cost $74.95, and since every Teaching Textbooks course lasts 1 year, that is equivalent to $6.25 per month.

Also, note that the enrollment period starts on the day of your choosing. When you purchase a course, you pick the day that you plan to start. On that day, we will email you the info you need to get going.

No. None whatsoever.

Our 4.0 products are digital courses that can only be signed up for on a per-student basis. No enrollments can be shared; therefore, you can’t have 2 students enrolled in a course for the price of 1. This is why our 4.0 products are far cheaper than our old, physical 2.0 versions, which could be shared and even resold. Of course, the physical products—comprised of printed books and discs—have many downsides in addition to cost. For instance, most computers nowadays don’t even have disc drives and our discs won’t even work on MACs with operating systems above macOS 10.14 . Therefore, a move away from disc-based media was obviously inevitable, but we are still continuing to sell these products as a courtesy for those who prefer them and have devices that will operate them.

Absolutely. Click here for more information about that.

Yes, we sell 4.0 courses to schools as well as homeschools, and schools are welcome to pay with a purchase order by sending info to purchaseorders@teachingtextbooks.com. However, we don’t currently offer bulk pricing or site licensing options, and each school student will require his or her own fully-priced enrollment. In other words, if an entire classroom of students signs up for 4.0 courses, they will not receive the same large-family discount that homeschool families receive.

No, each 4.0 course enrollment can only be applied to a particular grade level. So when you buy a course, you’re paying for all the content in that and only that grade level.

It is hard to answer this in an extremely precise way because there are SO many devices in the world. But basically, the 4.0 works on most everything except really old systems, and if you end up having difficulties with your device, please call us at 1-405-525-3600 to see if we can suggest a workaround. Note, however, that since our 4.0 version is an app instead of a web-based service, an internet connection alone is not sufficient to use it. This change in format is due to the fact that we wanted our 4.0 to work offline for multiple lessons at a time. This offline feature is not fully complete, but when it is, it will give both students and parents far greater mobility. TT math will be as easy to do in the parking lot of the grocery store as it is at the kitchen table. Great offline capability is also particularly beneficial to rural families who live in locations with poor Internet access.

There are too many differences to list them all, but in short, the 4.0 is a vastly superior product. In terms of academic content, the two are equivalent in the sense that there has been no rearranging of lessons or additions of new concepts/material; however, much of the audiovisual content has been remastered.

In terms of features, the main thing is probably that since the 4.0 is an app, it was specifically designed for a large range of mobile devices, such as Android, iOS tablets, and Kindle. Having a truly mobile version of TT should greatly lessen the need to share devices within a family. Next, the 4.0 has a new scratchpad feature that allows students to work the steps of each problem out right on their handheld device. Also, the 4.0 gradebook now calculates a running course average, and we even send out emails to parents to tell them what each TT child has completed that day. And finally, for students, the 4.0 not only has more backgrounds and buddies, it also allows students to win these and other types of prizes over time as they do more and more problems.

If you are still interested in the 2.0 version, you can find out more here.

Yes, each TT 4.0 course comes with 3 months’ worth—90 days to be exact—of pause time, just as the 3.0 version did. This simply means that while a course enrollment is active, you can stop the 1-year time limit from counting down if you need to (for whatever reason). Of course, since all TT courses can be completed easily within the given 1-year timespan, few families actually need to pause to preserve days. So the pause feature is mainly just to ensure that families don’t feel anxious about “losing days,” that is to say, losing enrollment time during holiday breaks, family emergencies, and summer vacations. In fact, one reason why our pause time is a generous 3 months is to make it easy for people to go on summer vacation without fretting if their course enrollments happen to overlap with summer months.

Also, each pause period can be activated by parents themselves simply by going into their settings, just as with the 3.0. Parents can pause as often as they need to until all 3 months are used up. The only stipulation is that each of pause interval must be for at least 7 days.

Don't worry. You can use our 4.0 software on desktops, laptops, tablets, and phones, but with regard to how the app performs on different devices, there are a couple of things you should definitely know. First, the scratchpad feature—the tool that allows students to work out each problem right on a device—was certainly designed for tablets. Therefore, don’t try to use the scratchpad with a desktop mouse. Second, the user experience for each 4.0 course is certainly worse on a phone not only because it’s harder to read the smaller text but also because it’s harder to type in answers when this is required. However, given the mobility of phones, we can see how there might be times when a worse user experience was worth putting up with.

If you still have questions about devices in relation to the 4.0, call us M-F from 8 to 5 CT at 1-405-525-3600 and we’ll be happy to help some more.

Yes, you can. The 4.0 is an app, so it is not web-based. Yet, it works on all types of devices including desktops, laptops, phones, and tablets. Having said that, there are a few older systems that the 4.0 will not run on. So if you are having trouble getting our 4.0 to work on one of these older devices, call us at 1-405-525-3600 M-F from 8 to 5 CT. We might be able to help. Also, if you'd like to know what type of device the 4.0 runs best on--in terms of the user experience--take a look at the question above.

No, we didn’t even make scratchpad printing a possibility because doing so would be expensive and not helpful as a means of showcasing a child’s work, as one might do when presenting a school official with a student portfolio. If you’re looking to create sample work for others to view formally or informally, it would be better to have the student neatly work out his answers on a regular piece of paper.

So what is the purpose of the scratchpad feature then? Well, the scratchpad probably has the most value when a student is on the go and needs to perform a quick calculation but doesn’t have pencil and paper handy. It’s just a tool that’s there to help encourage kids to work things out instead of trying to do too much in their heads. If working out the steps for a problem is important to you as a parent, however, then the scratchpad is certainly no substitute for pencil and paper, particularly if the student has poor motor skills, is doing a long problem, or is already sitting at a desk or table.

Each of our 4.0 courses (apps) is designed to be as lightweight as possible. One of the ways, we achieved this is by keeping track of what lesson students are on and only sending them the “heavy” multimedia (audiovisual) files that he or she will need for a particular day or in the next few days (in case the student plans to do any work offline in the near future—read more about that here). Nevertheless, we also know that files for some of our high school courses can be very large and that people tend to load up their devices with photos, songs, etc. until there is little to no room. Therefore, in some cases, you may have to shift some of your other files to other storage options to make room for TT. On the bright side, however, once you finish a 4.0 course, you can delete the app entirely without fear of never being able to access the grades for that course again. Those grades will be stored forever on our website. So at least our courses won’t be eating up precious storage space forever.

We understand the enormous convenience of being able to check every one of your students grades after having logged in only once on a single device, especially, if you have a lot of students using TT.

You can view the grades and settings of all your students in one place, after logging in only once. We call this convenient one-stop webpage our "Parent Portal," and here's what you can do there.

• View all student grades, which includes overall grade averages and information on lessons completed.
• Edit or delete the answers to whole lessons or individual problems for each student.
• Pause enrollments (up to 3 months' worth for each student).
• Change student settings for hints, second chances, stickers, wallpapers, and the scratchpad.
• View and print the answer key and ebook.

Absolutely not. Everything is backed up on our servers. If you lose your device or delete an app, you can just download the app again and all the info will be there (because we know who you are by your login credentials and we will populate the app with all your old data).

Yes, you can. Of course, there are many different scenarios under which a refund can occur, but here are the basic outlines of our policy. First, obviously, we absolutely understand that you must spend time with a product before you can be sure it’s a good fit. That is why we allow each user 30 days after they start using a 4.0 course to opt out of their purchase. If for some reason you feel you need even more time to evaluate things at the 30-day mark then just contact us, explain the circumstances, and we will try to work with you. Also, if you are extremely worried about whether a grade level suits the needs of your child—perhaps because of placement issues—then we strongly suggest you start the course in free trial mode. The free trial will allow you to do the first 15 lessons without committing to a purchase. Therefore, after you purchase, you should have been able to do another 20 or so lessons beyond that first 15 before making a commitment.

There are lots of reasons but here are some of the most important ones.

First, TT is the only homeschool math curriculum that does everything for the mom. Specifically, each Teaching Textbook both grades AND teaches. Most homeschool math programs don’t do either and only a few do one of the two. But none grade every single problem and teach a student how to do every single problem (using multimedia step-by-step tutorials). Because TT does “the whole job” for math, it can’t be compared cost-wise with other homeschool math curricula. In fact, it’s much fairer to compare TT to a tutor and on that basis, TT is also an incredible value.

Second, kids generally love TT—even though it’s rare for any student to love a math program—and in homeschooling, “kid approval” is more than half the battle. Perhaps the most important reason why kids love TT is because it introduces new concepts gently and in plain language. This, in turn, makes it easier for students to succeed. Another reason why kids love TT is because of its “friendly container,” which just means its fun interface and interesting animations, sound effects, and characters (e.g. collectible buddies and stickers). In fact, everything about TT is designed to take the fear factor out of math, and this is especially important at the high school levels. Also, if students like—or at least don’t mind—doing their math then moms won’t have to nag them to do it. So nagging is just one more job TT takes off of parents.

In short, TT works. It usually tops the list of “homeschool keepers,” meaning that veteran homeschool parents often say it is one of their best curriculum picks of all time.

Teaching Textbooks™ is a lot more flexible than a live tutor. You can use a Teaching Textbooks™ in the comfort of your home on your schedule. Most tutors require that you travel to a tutoring center. Also, to hire a live tutor to walk you through 4,000 problems step-by-step would cost thousands and thousands of dollars. A Teaching Textbooks™ costs just a small fraction of that. And you can't fast-forward and rewind a live tutor either.

Obviously, co-op classes can be a huge lifesaver for homeschool moms, and many co-ops use TT for math. However, co-ops, especially ones offering high school courses, are often expensive. Moreover, since co-ops usually meet only one day a week, students who get stymied on problems that they do on non-co-op days can often be prevented from moving forward with their studies and staying on schedule. Of course, these students could try to enlist the help of their parents, but parental involvement can get very time-consuming not to mention stressful as parents struggle to remember math they may have forgotten.

Teaching Textbooks, by contrast, offers a thorough explanation for every single one of the thousands of problems in each course—all at the push of a button—and these explanations can be rewound as many times as the student likes. TT even offers a free helpline if students need to dialogue about a particular concept or get overall course guidance. So co-ops are great, but all in all, TT is pretty hard to beat.

Of course! Total student and parent independence is the key benefit of our program. No other homeschool math program does EVERYTHING for the parent. Put more precisely, no other homeschool program both teaches AND grades. If you’re considering a program that doesn’t teach and grade then you will likely spend many hours a week on math, especially if you have a large family and especially if your kids are older (because older students generally “get stuck” on various problems). You should also know that if the teaching we’ve embedded with each problem doesn’t help answer your child’s questions, we will even provide free phone tutoring (see the very next FAQ for more on this). In short, the TT program is designed to prevent each student from failing no matter what level of support they need.

Yes, and note that this is rare if not unprecedented amongst homeschool curriculum companies, certainly math companies. Both the telephone call and the time spent tutoring is free to all customers. In fact, it’s been this way since we opened our doors. One-on-one tutoring is a final (if necessary) “backstop” for struggling students and part of our guarantee to take the entire burden of math off of parents’ shoulders.

Absolutely. To give you an idea of just how comprehensive the TT program is, note that the ebook for each grade level—if printed out—would be 500 to 900 pages long. Each grade level also has at least 100 hours of audiovisual teaching. And, of course, TT covers all the standard topics for each grade level. If you would like to see a detailed scope and sequence for Math 3 through Math 7, click here. For Pre-Algebra and above, click here.

Yes we do. This is a proven method for building skill and long-term retention, so each Teaching Textbook uses the review method on every single assignment. However, our approach to review is less tied to memorization than the approach taken by almost all other review-based programs. Instead of mindlessly reviewing rote procedures that have lost their connection to concepts, each Teaching Textbook reviews concepts as well as rote techniques. This builds skill while reinforcing the meaning of the material to the student. As a result, students who use Teaching Textbooks gain problem-solving abilities as well as understanding. Another difference between our approach to review and that of other math programs is that our assignments are not overly long, which means that slow students don’t get bogged down and bright students don't get bored.

Yes, each grade level of Teaching Textbooks strives to present its subject matter within the context of real-world problems. We think it’s important for students to see how math is used in a variety of applications. When students are shown how math is used in daily life, they are better able to accept the necessity of learning new techniques. Also, some students gain motivation once they understand that their learning serves a practical end.

In addition to covering all the standard school geometry topics, our Geometry program puts great emphasis on problems found on the SAT and ACT. In fact, nearly every problem set includes several problems that were modeled after those found on actual SAT and ACT exams. And since all Teaching Textbooks use the review method (see the question before last above), students become better and better at solving these important problem types each day.

The best way to tell is to have him/her take our pre-algebra placement test. The instructions for the test explain how to evaluate the results (see first page of the link just given). However, if the results are somewhat inconclusive then you could also give the student our Math 7 placement test (Math 7 is the level before pre-algebra). If that test seems too simple for him/her then it’s probably best to go ahead and sign up for our pre-algebra free trial, especially if the child has had some exposure to basic math and can handle the concept of using a letter (usually an x) to represent a missing number in an equation.

The best way to tell is to have him/her take our algebra 1 placement test. The instructions for the test explain how to evaluate the results (see first page of the link just given). However, if the results are somewhat inconclusive then you could give the student our pre-algebra placement test. If that seems too simple for him/her then it’s probably best to go ahead and sign up for our algebra 1 free trial, especially if the child is 13 or older.

Mathematically, geometry and algebra 2 can be done in either order. However, if a student is in 10th grade or higher, it is probably better to take geometry first for standardized testing reasons. Most public schools will offer geometry after algebra 1, then offer algebra 2. For this reason, we officially recommend taking Geometry after Algebra 1. Note that algebra 1 is a prerequisite for geometry and algebra 2, though, and the placement tests for geometry and algebra 2. Of course, since we offer a free trial for every single one of our courses, we recommend that you take advantage of that option if you have any qualms about placement.

The best way to tell is to have him/her take our pre-calculus placement test. Your child will need to have taken—and done reasonably well in—algebra 1, geometry, and algebra 2 courses first, though. Also, don’t forget about our free trial option. This is another valuable way to give you a sense for whether your student is ready for this or any other grade level.

Our placement tests and free trial option are designed to ensure that students end up in the correct level, but if a mistake in placement occurs, we also have a generous refund policy.

No, it doesn’t. Each 4.0 course is “all digital,” but each course does include a multi-hundred page ebook that can be printed off (by parents not students). If you would like to purchase a physical version of the ebook for a particular product—along with the answer key for that product—you may do so here.

There are several things to discuss in relation to this question. Yes, we do still sell physical textbooks and answer keys, but we recommend they only be used in conjunction with our 4.0 products. The main benefit of the books is that they offer parents a quick way to scan the entire contents of a course. They can also be handy when there are device shortages in the home that prevent students from being able to work on math at a time that’s convenient for them and/or the rest of their family. However, we do not think it is best to use our physical books and keys by themselves, as substitutes for a 4.0 course. That’s because the amount of teaching in the physical textbooks is far lower than the amount that’s in our 4.0 products. To be more precise, each 4.0 course offers at least 100 hours’ worth of teaching that cannot be found in the textbook for that same grade level. Also, you should note that each 4.0 course has the complete textbook for that grade level built into it in the form of a searchable ebook; therefore, many of the unique benefits of a physical book—such as being able to quickly scan a course’s contents—are also present in each 4.0 purchase. Finally, our 4.0 software provides students with a great user experience that simply can’t be duplicated by a print product. In other words, the 4.0 products contain animations, sounds, rewards, and other features that deeply engage students and help them to stay focused and motivated. And generally speaking, the higher the engagement, the more the student will learn/remember.

No, the two product lines are absolutely not equivalent. The discs that we continue to sell are generation 2.0; therefore, they are two generations behind the current 4.0 version, and unsurprisingly, they are vastly inferior. Here are just a few of the differences worth mentioning.

• Our 2.0 products—in other words, the discs that we sell—do not work on the more recent MAC operating systems, meaning 10.14 or higher. That’s because Apple has ended its support of 32-bit software. Since the vast majority of MAC users have these operating systems, it’s fair to say that the 2.0 version of our products simply won’t run on most MACs.
• The 2.0 discs will also not work on mobile devices (iPads, iPhones, Kindles, etc.).
• The 2.0 discs have no searchable ebook.
• The 2.0 discs have no way of controlling how many lessons a student can access per day.
• The 2.0 discs don’t have unlockable prizes, which is something that encourages kids to do their assignment each day without parents having to nag them (Note: All prizes can be turned off by parents if they wish).

Our discs are "legacy products" which means they are not updated and may not be compatible with your Mac computer. Some Mac users have found that the discs are compatible with Mac OS 10.4 through 10.14; however, we are not able to guarantee they will install or work properly.

Older versions of our Math 5, Math 6, & Math 7—ones where the 2nd set of digits in the serial number starts with a 1, such as MATH5-1XXXX—are NOT MAC-compatible. Also, our 1.0 editions of Pre-Algebra, Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Geometry, & Pre-Calculus are not 10.7 compatible. We do have a 10.7 patch (see here) for each of these, but again, we are not able to guarantee use of our discs on Macs.

Yes, absolutely. However, we do ask that you do the following. First, of all call us before you attempt to return the product so we can give you an RMA number. Second, the product needs to be postmarked within 30 days of receipt and still in resalable condition. If it is not in resalable condition, it will be returned to you. Also, you will have to pay the return postage yourself.

Of course, these are the rules for returning our physical products: books and discs. If you are reading this but haven’t bought one of these products yet, we strongly advise that you consider our 4.0 version instead (assuming you have computers that are compatible with them—see here for more details). Our 4.0 software is far superior feature-wise, and even though our discs are resalable, you might find it harder and harder to resell them as the number of computers they will run on continued to decrease.

In short, if you buy a new textbook from us, its contents will match up with the content covered on any of our 2.0 discs or our newest product line—the 4.0. However, some of the very first bound textbooks that we produced for Pre-Algebra, Algebra 1, and Algebra 2 do not match the contents of our 2.0 discs or are newest 4.0 courses. That’s because these courses, especially the Pre-Algebra, were changed substantially after their initial release. If you are attempting to buy an old bound copy in the used book market and you are unsure about compatibility, compare the table of contents for that copy with the table of contents that we show for that product on our website. You can find the table of contents for Pre-Algebra here, for Algebra 1 here, and for Algebra 2 here.

Unfortunately, this is not possible. Therefore, if you have been using our discs and you decide to switch to our 4.0, none of your grades will show up inside your 4.0 gradebook after your 4.0 course begins. There is also no manual way to transfer grades associated with our disc products to the 4.0.

Yes, replacement discs are available and can be ordered by calling us at 1-405-525-3600 Monday through Friday from 8 to 5 CT. Please have your serial number ready when you call.

Yes, you can resell the books and discs, and there is no limit to the number of times the discs can be reused. Just remember that if the product has a serial number, you'll need to tell the buyer to give us a call so we can update the serial number for them. Also, we strongly advise that you ask the buyer to check out our system specs for the discs here before finalizing the purchase.

As a side note, you might also want to explain to the new buyer that if they plan to share a single set of discs with multiple students, they will encounter some limits to the number of students that can be piled onto a single computer. The limit is 3 students per grade level on the same computer at the same time. However, there is no theoretical limit to the number of students per school or per household that could share a set of discs as long as you have enough different computers. Of course, sharing a single set of discs with lots of students becomes increasingly inconvenient as the number of students rises. Sharing becomes impossible if you want the students to work at the same time.

We know that the references to different version numbers that appear below—1.0, 2.0, etc.—can be confusing. But keep in mind that we don’t sell any of our 1.0 products anymore, so if you are buying discs in the used market and you need help identifying 1.0 versions by their serial numbers, tables of contents, etc. we can help with that. The products can be particularly hard to identify because they don’t say “1.0” on their packaging.

Next, the discs that we refer to as our “2.0” include all the discs ever made for Math 3, Math 4, Math 5, Math 6, and Math 7, even though these products have never said “2.0” on their packaging. If you are thinking of buying any one of those products on the used market just pay attention to the first set of requirements below.

Math 3, Math 4, Math 5, Math 6, Math 7, Pre-Algebra 2.0, Algebra 1 2.0, Algebra 2 2.0, Geometry 2.0, and Pre-Calculus 2.0…These are all the titles for products that we classify as our 2.0. For these products, the system requirements are:

• Microsoft Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8/8.1, or 10
• Speakers or Headphones

Pre-Algebra 1.0, Algebra 1 1.0, Algebra 2 1.0, Geometry 1.0, and Pre-Calculus 1.0 are products that we do not sell any more. Therefore, they can only be purchased in the used market. The system requirements for these products are:

• Microsoft Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8/8.1, or 10
• Speakers or Headphones

For information about using the discs with a Mac, click here.

You need to first set up the user account as a computer administrator. Then, you can install the program under that user name and activate it. Next, just change the account back to the standard or limited account.

You may need to add our program to the trusted applications and exclusions in order to keep the anti-virus program from possibly deleting the data file that stores the grades.

Yes. If you have purchased the discs within the last few years, you are likely to see a "Settings" button in the lower left hand corner of the interface. This button will give you great discretion over buddy and hint sounds. The Settings button even allows the student to remove the buddies from the screen entirely if he or she finds them to be too distracting or annoying.

Discs that were manufactured many years ago don’t have this Settings button. Those discs only allow students to turn the sounds that a buddy makes on or off. They give no control over the hint sounds.

Finally, and most importantly, if your discs don’t have the Settings button, you can download that feature here following these step-by-step instructions. The Settings feature download just mentioned also includes some code that will enable parents to import and export grades more easily. Bottom line: If you have old discs, you’ll probably be glad you updated with this download.

If you are using the discs (aka the 2.0 version of Teaching Textbooks), then your child's gradebook is saved directly to your computer. If you want to save your child's gradebook after they've finished a course, the easiest way to do that is to just print it out directly. Just click the Print button inside the gradebook (it will be in the lower-right corner). If you want a digital copy of their grades, we recommend printing to a PDF. To do this, just start to print the gradebook as normal. Then, when the print dialogue box comes up, where it asks you to select your printer you should see an option to print to a PDF. You'll then be able to name the file and save it to your computer.

If you're worried about losing your gradebook data while your child is still doing the course, you can use the gradebook transfer tool to create a backup. Just sign into the program as a parent- you don't even need to have a disc inserted. The gradebook transfer should be the fifth option you see on your parent home page. Exporting the gradebook does not erase the copy used by the program, so you can use it as many times as you want to create backups. If you need help using the gradebook transfer tool, just click the "HELP" button on your parent home page. This pulls up our help manual, which includes step-by-step instructions with screenshots.

Also, please be aware that uninstalling the program from your computer will erase your child's gradebook. Unless you made a backup using the gradebook transfer tool, there is no way to restore their grades at that point, so please be careful when uninstalling a Teaching Textbooks 2.0 program.