Teaching Textbooks Review for Homeschool Families
Teaching Textbooks is the math curriculum homeschool parents choose when they want their kid to learn math independently. Video instruction, practice problems, and automatic grading, all without requiring a parent who remembers algebra. I have used it with two of my kids across different grade levels, and I have strong opinions about where it works and where it falls short.
How It Works
Each lesson starts with a video lecture explaining the concept. A friendly instructor works through examples on a digital whiteboard, and the pace is deliberately slow and encouraging. Then the student works through practice problems on their own.
When your child gets a problem wrong, they can watch a step-by-step solution video showing how to solve it. This is the feature that makes Teaching Textbooks work for independent learners. The child does not need to come find you and ask for help. The program handles the re-teaching.
Everything is graded automatically. The parent dashboard shows which lessons have been completed, what scores look like, and where your child is struggling. I check it once a week to make sure things are on track.
How We Actually Use It
Teaching Textbooks is our "set it and forget it" math on busy days. My kids log in, watch the lesson, do the problems, and I check the dashboard later. On a day when I am juggling other subjects or just need my kids to work independently, this is the program I reach for.
I pair it with Khan Academy for extra practice on topics where my kids need more repetition. If Teaching Textbooks shows a low score on fractions, I assign a Khan Academy unit on fractions that same week. The two tools complement each other well because Khan is free and covers the same topics from a different angle.
I also use AI to generate additional practice when needed. If my daughter is stuck on long division, I ask Claude to create ten practice problems at her exact level with an answer key. That targeted practice fills the gaps Teaching Textbooks sometimes leaves.
AI Prompt to Pair With This Tool
When the parent dashboard shows your child struggling with a specific concept, use this prompt to generate targeted practice:
Who This Is Best For
Teaching Textbooks is ideal for families where the parent does not feel confident teaching math. The video lessons do the actual instruction, so you do not need to understand the material yourself. You just need to make sure your child is logging in and completing lessons.
It is also a great fit for kids with math anxiety. The tone is gentle and patient. Wrong answers are not punished; they are explained. For a child who shuts down when math gets hard, that approach can make a real difference.
If your child is a strong math student who needs to be challenged, this is probably not the right primary curriculum. Consider Math Academy or Beast Academy instead. Teaching Textbooks is designed for the middle of the road, and it does that job well.
Pricing Breakdown
Teaching Textbooks costs $44 to $72 per year depending on the grade level. That is per course, not per student. You pay once and your child has access for the full year. Compared to other math curricula, this is very affordable.
There is a free trial that lets your child try 15 lessons before you commit. I recommend using the full trial before buying. It is enough to see whether your child responds well to the teaching style. If your child finds the pace too slow or the format boring after 15 lessons, it will not get better later.
What We Love
True independence. Your child can do math without you knowing the material. The video lessons teach; you supervise. I have gone entire weeks without needing to help with a single math problem.
Affordable. At $44 to $72 per year, this is one of the cheapest full math curricula available. Only free options like Khan Academy cost less.
Gentle approach. Teaching Textbooks is patient and encouraging. The wrong-answer videos explain rather than punish. This matters enormously for kids who have negative feelings about math.
Automatic grading and tracking. The parent dashboard shows exactly where your child stands without you grading a single worksheet.
What We Don't
Not rigorous enough for advanced students. Multiple homeschool parents report that kids can "game the system" by working backward from multiple choice answers. My own kids figured this out within the first month.
Spiral approach can frustrate quick learners. Constant review of already-mastered concepts feels repetitive. If your child has clearly mastered addition, they will still see addition problems mixed into later lessons.
May not fully prepare for college-level math. If your student is aiming for STEM fields, consider supplementing with a more rigorous program by high school. Teaching Textbooks Pre-Calculus does not go deep enough for competitive college applications.
The Bottom Line
Teaching Textbooks solves one specific problem better than almost anything else: independent math instruction for families where the parent is not a math teacher. If that is your situation, it is worth every penny of the $44 to $72 annual cost.
Pair it with Khan Academy for extra practice and Claude for custom worksheets when your child needs additional help. That combination gives you a complete, affordable math program that requires minimal parent involvement.