Math With Confidence vs Simply Good and Beautiful Math

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I’ve done the comparison of Math With Confidence vs Simply Good and Beautiful Math because I’ve used both curriculums with my own children.

Both of these homeschool curriculums are popular at the moment. You won’t get far in homeschool Facebook groups or on Youtube before you stumble across recommendations for both of them.

So, what’s the hype?

I’m going to break down each math curriculum for you so that you can see exactly how they’re designed to teach children mathematics.

Perhaps you’re using one and are considering switching to another (that’s what I did). If that’s the case then this will also be really helpful to you.

Keep reading to find out the similarities and differences between these two highly popular homeschool math curriculums.

A Comparison of Math With Confidence vs Simply Good and Beautiful Math

I’m guilty of adding disclosures to most of my homeschool content. That’s simply because in the homeschool world, it is important to always emphasize that each family’s needs are unique.

The whole point of homeschooling is to be able to cater to each of your children and meet them where they’re at.

Therefore, while one of these curriculums may not work for you, it may be highly successful for another family, and vice versa.

I want this to be a fairly general overview of each curriculum so that you can make an informed decision.

When I share what I use I always include why we use it, because it needs to be shared in context.

Hopefully, that’s clear enough. Both of these curriculums are great, but there may be one that suits your needs better than the other.

Overview of Simply Good and Beautiful Math from The Good & The Beautiful

Everything from The Good & The Beautiful is visually appealing. Homeschool moms rave about how colorful and engaging the books are. However, their curriculum goes beyond just pretty pictures. Let’s talk about how their math curriculum stacks up.

Levels Available

Currently, there are 7 math courses available from The Good & The Beautiful. These start at level K and work up to level 6. Levels 7 & 8 will be available in the coming years.

This is not a curriculum that you choose based on your child’s age or grade level. It is imperative that you have your child take the placement test before purchasing any level.

There are no current plans for Simply Good & Beautiful Math to extend into the high school years.

Teaching Style

The teaching style found in Simply Good & Beautiful Math is spiral. Concepts are covered in smaller bites and then spiraled back over and over again.

This teaching style works brilliantly for many students.

Simply Good & Beautiful Math caters to all learning styles well. There are manipulatives, visual aids, optional videos, and stories.

This math curriculum is marketed as a Christian curriculum. Honestly, there’s not a lot of mention of anything Christian in it. If there is, it is very generic. However, it is something to note in case you’re only wanting to use secular resources.

The video instruction that is found in levels 4 and up is very well done. The instructors in the videos are engaging and clear in their presentation. It’s not boring at all and I’ve been really impressed with the quality of the videos.

Number of Lessons

Each level contains 120 lessons. While parents are encouraged to adjust the pace to suit their child, there is an expectation that if 4 lessons are taught per week then there’s plenty of time to get through the level in a year.

There’s plenty of time to be able to stop and practice before moving on if necessary. The curriculum is meant to work for your child, not the other way around.

Layout

As levels progress, the way the lessons are laid out remains similar but more independent work is given to the child.

In level K the parent is expected to be very hands-on and present in teaching the math lesson. Each lesson is 1-2 pages long.

The first part of the lesson is an optional review portion. After that, the lesson is taught and then there are some practice questions for the child to work through.

From level 1 and up the lessons are laid out exactly the same except that there is also an independent work section for the child to complete on their own.

This portion of the lesson covers previously taught concepts.

The length and difficulty of the lessons also expand as the levels progress.

Levels K-3 come with a manipulatives box that is intended to be used along with the workbook.

In level 4 optional video lessons are included. While the videos are highly recommended, they are optional and you can teach the lesson from the book yourself if you’d prefer.

The Good & The Beautiful also provides answer keys for the maths levels. You can either get the printed version or get the free PDF download from their website.

Assessments & Testing

At the end of each unit, there are assessments. These are not graded tests but are intended to give you an idea of what areas your child may need some work on.

They’re laid out simply and are very straightforward to do.

These are good for keeping a record of your child’s learning, especially if you are required to keep records as part of the homeschool requirements where you live.

Length of Math Lessons

Levels K-2 do not take long. A math lesson doesn’t usually take more than 10-20 minutes. However, from level 3 and up the lessons do start to increase in length and there are more practice problems.

If your child is a confident reader then they’re likely going to be fine to do the independent work on their own. Otherwise, it can tend to take more time as you will have to go through everything with them.

Cost

The cost of this curriculum differs depending on which level you’re purchasing.

However, the price range is $49.98-$69.97

Each course comes with different components and so the price is reflective of that. The workbooks are consumable, but the manipulatives can be reused, which helps to cut costs down.

Something that sets The Good & The Beautiful apart is the fact that they offer the bulk of their language arts and math curriculums as a free PDF download.

So, if you have an affordable way to print at home then using the free PDF version can be a massive savings for many families.

Overview of Math With Confidence by Kate Snow

Math With Confidence by Kate Snow is a math curriculum that is very commonly spoken about alongside Simply Good & Beautiful Math.

While both curriculums have their perks, they are in fact quite different from each other.

We have used both in our household and have enjoyed them both. However, they teach very differently and will suit different kids.

Levels Available

Math With Confidence has sprung into popularity in recent years. While there aren’t many levels available right now, there are more in the works.

Currently, only grades K-3 are available. However, all grades up to grade 6 will be released in the coming years.

There is also a preschool math curriculum available but it is not part of the Math With Confidence series.

While these books are labeled as grades, it is also important to assess your child’s actual level before making any purchases.

You can read more about how to do that right here.

Teaching Style

Math With Confidence is predominantly mastery-based with review sprinkled in as well. It is not strictly mastery or spiral, but a mix of both.

The course is broken up into units. Each unit focuses on a specific topic but each lesson also contains a review of previously taught concepts.

It is a conceptual math curriculum that has a healthy focus on mental math as well as the procedures required to work out math problems.

You will also find that it pulls from real-life scenarios in many of the math problems. You’re often encouraged to have your child look around their environment and see things that relate to what they’re learning.

This can be particularly helpful when teaching about more abstract concepts.

Unlike Simply Good & Beautiful Math, this curriculum is not a Christian curriculum. I wouldn’t say it’s secular either. It’s just neutral in its approach.

Number of Lessons

Math With Confidence has 34 weeks’ worth of lessons. Each week is broken down into 4 main lessons with a 5th lesson that is optional.

As is the case with Simply Good & Beautiful Math there is flexibility in the course to allow time for disruptions and also to pause in order to really solidify concepts before moving on.

Layout

While Simply Good & Beautiful Math has the teaching and workbook all in one, Math With Confidence does not.

Depending on which grade you purchase you’ll get a teacher’s guide plus either one or two workbooks.

The teacher’s guide is not optional. In fact, it is where the bulk of the learning happens. The workbook is more of a confirmation of the subject matter that has been taught.

Without the teacher’s guide, the workbooks seem lacking. However, when paired together they create a fantastic and thorough math curriculum.

As mentioned before, the course is broken up into units. Those units are then broken up into weeks and each week contains 4 lessons plus a 5th optional enrichment lesson.

The lessons themselves begin with an overview of what is being taught that day and the necessary resources.

Math With Confidence does not come with a manipulatives box, but there are clear instructions for the necessary items that you’ll need.

After the overview of the lesson, there is an optional review section and then the lesson itself.

Once the lesson has been completed, your child can then work in their workbook. The first page of the workbook covers the subject matter just taught, and the back page is all review.

The teacher’s guide also includes an answer key for the workbook at the end of each week.

The lastest level released (Grade 3) is not broken up into weeks. Instead, there are 16 units that are broken down into lessons. You can then decide how many lessons per week you’d like to do with your child.

Length of Math Lessons

Obviously, Math With Confidence only has lower levels of math available at this stage. However, the length of time it takes to get through the lessons is very age-appropriate.

I don’t think a lesson has ever taken more than 15 minutes to do with my 1st grader.

Sometimes things go a bit longer with my 2nd grader but that’s because he often wants to play the games more than once.

It is helpful that much of the workbook can be done independently. So, if you have older kids you can have them do that while you work with another child. As a busy homeschool mom, this is a great way to be able to manage teaching multiple kids.

Assessments & Testing

Math With Confidence does not contain any formal tests for your child to complete. However, at the end of each unit is a unit checkpoint.

This is where you’ll find helpful information to assess whether your child is ready to move on to the next unit or if they need some more time on the concepts being taught in the current unit.

There are really good tips found in the unit checkpoints to guide your decision on what to do.

Cost

The cost of Math With Confidence depends on which grade you’re purchasing and also the format you buy it in.

The three main places to purchase it from are:

Amazon
Well Trained Child
Rainbow Resource

You can buy the print version from all three, but the PDF is available only at Well Trained Child. The Well Trained Child often has 40% off of this curriculum. It is definitely worthwhile waiting for sales if you can do.

As the new levels are released, Amazon is typically where you can preorder it first. However, the PDF version is released by Well Trained Mind before the print version. So, if you’re just needing that, you can order it earlier than if you had to wait for the print version.

I’ve only ever purchased the PDF versions and they’ve been very simple to print and use at home.

As well as Math With Confidence, you can also find books on other math topics such as Math Facts That Stick written by Kate Snow. These are fantastic if you’re just needing to focus on one area and really get it mastered.

It might be that your child needs to nail down their subtraction facts before moving on to the next math level. You can go through that book with them and make sure that they’ve got it mastered before moving on.

Learning new concepts becomes a lot easier if kids have the basics down first.

Similarities and Differences

These two math curriculums tend to have pretty loyal users. I think it’s very difficult to state which curriculum is better simply because it’s not as simple as that. Instead, it’s important to know your child and how they learn best.

Here are some things that are the same about these two math programs.

They both incorporate lots of math games
Math learning is applied to everyday life
Lessons don’t take a lot of time
Lesson plans are done for you

Now, here are some differences:

Simply Good & Beautiful Math is a spiral program where Math With Confidence takes a mastery approach
Math With Confidence focuses on conceptual understanding whereas Simply Good & Beautiful Math is procedural
Student workbooks are laid out very differently
There is no math box included with Math With Confidence
There are no instructional videos in Math With Confidence

Simply Good & Beautiful Math seemed to give my son a solid foundation, but it was not successful in achieving the same for my daughter. The spiral curriculum keeps things interesting for sure, but sometimes kids need more repetition in order to gain a deep understanding of concepts.

Things to Consider

We used Simply Good & Beautiful Math from levels K-2. We began using level 3 but it wasn’t a good fit for our family at the time. That is when we switched to Math With Confidence.

When comparing the two curriculums, these are the things I would consider the most.

What kind of learner do you have? Does your child naturally thrive with mathematics or do they need some more support with their number sense?

Are visual learning and pretty pictures important to you? Does your child enjoy stories?

Simply Good & Beautiful Math is good for:

Visual learners
Naturally strong math kids
Independent readers
Those that do well with spiral learning
Hands-on learners

Math With Confidence is good for:

Building a strong foundation and number sense
Simplified math
Mastery-based learning
Hands-on learners

Both curriculums have fairly short lessons, but Simply Good & Beautiful Math does get quite a bit longer as the levels progress.

We’re using Math With Confidence right now but my kids have honestly enjoyed both curriculums. At the moment I plan to continue with Math With Confidence and perhaps use Simply Good & Beautiful Math for some review or supplementation over the summer.

If I were to recommend a curriculum to a homeschooler with a child in kindergarten, I would recommend Math With Confidence.

It’s just really solid in building a foundation and keeps things simple yet fun.

Final Thoughts

Families have had great success with both of these homeschool math curriculums. Choosing which one is right for your family and child is going to be a unique decision that can only be made by you.

The good thing about both curriculums is that you can view samples online. In fact, you can download all of Simply Good & Beautiful math so that you can really have a good overview of things before making a commitment.

I hope that this comparison was helpful in giving you a bit of guidance as to what each curriculum contains.

Both curriculums have been a great blessing in our home and I’m so thankful that we’ve been able to use them both over the years.

FAQs

Often, the best way to really assess a math curriculum is to look at it yourself. However, here are some common questions that are asked about these programs. I hope that in answering them it’ll give you a little more insight as to how each curriculum works.

Is Math With Confidence Too Easy?

This is a common question that is asked by parents switching their children from another curriculum to Math With Confidence.

At first glance, Math With Confidence looks simple and perhaps even easy.

However, while Math With Confidence is a simple curriculum, it focuses on building a deep and strong foundation. It has been developed to give children a better understanding of math concepts.

Some curriculums cover many subjects but only do it on a surface level. Math With Confidence sticks to one topic and goes deep until your child has truly mastered it.

If you assess your child properly and place them according to their ability level in the curriculum, then it won’t be too easy for them.

How Rigourous is Good & Beautiful Math?

The Good & The Beautiful’s math curriculum is a good math curriculum. It covers topics well and caters to many different learning styles.

It is not the most rigorous curriculum on the market, but it isn’t weak either.

How Advanced is The Good & The Beautiful?

Simply Good & Beautiful Math is said to be the same grade level as public school grades. However, that does depend on your local schools.

I’ve seen it debated among homeschool parents often. For some, it is at grade level, for others it is advanced.

What Religion is The Good & The Beautiful Curriculum?

The founder of The Good & The Beautiful is a part of the Latter Day Saints. However, the curriculum itself contains only basic Christian morals. There is no LDS doctrine in the actual curriculum.

The creation of the curriculum is done by a whole hoard of writers who are from varying backgrounds and religions.

Is Mastery Based or Spiral Math Better?

This is a hotly debated topic but I honestly believe the answer is subjective.

Each child is going to learn best in their own way. For us, the spiral approach of Simply Good & Beautiful Math worked well for several years. However, as time went on it became a struggle.

Right now, Math With Confidence works really well. It’s just the right blend of mastery with a touch of spiral.

Is Math With Confidence or Simply Good & Beautiful Math Common Core?

No, neither of these homeschool math programs teaches common core as is found in public schools.

Which is the Best Homeschool Math Curriculum?

In my experience after several years of homeschooling, the best math curriculum is the one that works for your child. No one curriculum is going to work well for every child on the planet. You need to know your child and understand what is going to work best for them.

What Math Curriculum to Choose for Older Children?

As homeschooling moms, we tend to think well ahead to the future even when our kids are little. As both of these math curriculums do not extend into the high school years, it’s understandable to be wondering about what to use when your child reaches that stage.

There are also parents who love Math With Confidence but have kids just outside of the range currently available. If that’s you, I would encourage you to check out Apologia Math. It’s a very similar style of curriculum but they have more levels available.

As for high school, there are a number of solid math curriculums from which to choose. Some of the top contenders are Saxon Math (used in conjunction with Nicole the Math Lady), Shoreman Math, CTC Math, and Mr D Math.

Of course, there are many others, but these are the ones that I frequently see recommended.

Try not to get too caught up in the thoughts of the future. A lot can change between now and then so it’s best not to spend too much time considering it all. Right now, the focus should be on building up your child’s math skills so that high school math isn’t too much of a challenge for them.

If the basic math skills aren’t mastered before they enter advanced math then they’re going to have a much harder time.