All About Math Review
This article is IN PROCESS…I am sharing a “behind the curtain” view of my blog post because this curriculum is so new and there is very little info out about it yet. I’ll take this off once I’ve completed the article. In the meantime, tread with care as it’s incomplete & unedited…
Heads up: This post contains affiliate links. That just means, if you use one of my links to a product, I may earn a commission on that purchase, but it won’t cost you any extra money. Learn more.
Update May 23, 2025: I have finally received the curriculum and am looking through all the parts. I will continue to update this article with my thoughts…
Unlike All About Reading levels 1-4, I have not taught All About Math at the time of this review. This is a detailed review based on my analysis of this curriculum (which I purchased with my own money).
I’ve used Math with Confidence with my two boys over the past couple of years along with All About Reading and found they complimented each other nicely. So, I am excited to find another awesome hands-on math program to recommend. And, my initial impression is that it has the same high-quality, hands-on, colorful activities that we loved in All About Reading.
Below I will go through each part of the program and give you my thoughts as a homeschool mom and former elementary teacher.
Approach
All About Math (AAM) is based on the same multi-sensory methods that All About Reading is built on. Rather than grade-based, AAM is mastery based. Nevertheless they do suggest grade levels that may correspond with each level of the program.
Note, as of the writing of this post (May, 2025), level 2 is expected late summer, and levels 3-5 are expected sometime in the next year.
Level 1 - Kindergarten and part of 1st
Level 2 - part of 1st and 2nd
Level 3 - mainly third
Level 4 - mainly fourth
Level 5 - mainly fifth
Placement Tests
Level 1 Readiness Assessment
Although Level 1 is intended for Kindergarten to First Graders this program is not broken up into grades in the typical fashion. It includes material typically taught during kindergarten and first. However, you may wish to pre-assess your child to confirm that you are buying the appropriate level for them.
There is a link to the pre-assessment on the All About Math Level 1 product page. Look for Placement Test 1. This includes 1 PDF page with a list of questions for the parent to think read through and answer in order to decide on the readiness of their child.
Level 2 Readiness Assessment
Level 2 is supposed to be available for purchase in the summer of 2025.
This is also linked on the All About Math Level One product page. Look for Placement Test 2.
From reading the level 2 assessment it definitely seemed appropriate for a child entering second grade. Level one would be a lot to skip over unless a child had already done kindergarten and first grade math. Again, use the assessments to check for your own child.
This is a 9-page PDF with teacher instructions and student activity pages to fill in. After assessing, if this is above your child’s level, I think you could quickly go through the beginning lessons of level 1 to build confidence and then slow down when you reach the skills they need to work on.
What’s Included
Teacher’s Manual (open-and-go style)
Student Packet
Student Activity book (full color; perforated to easily remove pages from the book)
Cardstock Math Tools (used for multiple lessons)
Themed Stickers
Brinda’s Math Tools - some in black and white and others in color.
Cost for Instructor’s Guide and Student Activity Book: $119.95
What Else Do You Need?
All About Math Manipulatives Kit
This is a one time purchase that you will use for all levels. You may have these supplies already on hand. But you will need these manipulatives - whether you purchase the kit or buy them piecemeal.
Lesson Structure
I have not edited this section yet. I will continue in the next few days to update it….(5/23/25)
Similarly to AAR (All About Reading) and AAS (All About Spelling) they have a box of info at the beginning of each lesson for the teacher to read over to understand what dis being covered and any concepts.
Each starts with review (uses the student’s “Daily Review Tracker” for this section starting in lesson 5; on this tracker you will mark the date that the student begins a concept and the date it is mastered to keep track of)
New teaching section includes both hands-on multi-sensory learning and activity sheets
Each lesson ends with a reflection section where the child is encouraged to ask questions and clarify their learning; the teacher can assess any misconceptions
Extended practice is included for each lesson to provide any needed practice or reinforcement
Brinda’s Math Fun is intended to be games, etc. that are played multiple times. Colorful, perforated, and tell you to store (i.e., clear plastic cover) for later. I’d stick in a binder like I do for MWC.
Progress chart - use it at the end of each lesson to record their progress; this is different than the Daily Review Tracker b/c this is the sticker chart the kids put a sticker on.
Not intended to complete a lesson each day. Some will extend longer. Not broken into units or chapters or weeks.
The student activity pages look similar to the way AAR is set up with cards that need to be cut up. You could definitely do it ahead of time if you like to work that way, or you could just cut them out as you start the lesson. I prefer the former approach b/c I’m lazy.
Games very similar to AAR games where kid flips a card over, tells what it is and “feeds it to the mouse” etc.
Suggestion - mark up the teacher’s guide with highlighting things you want to say or emphasize.
Brinda’s Math Tools
Who is Brinda?
I seriously could not figure out who Brinda was…the author? Someone who created these math pages and really wanted her moment of fame? Nope - she’s the adorable bunny who you see on the cover, and who follows you through the book with cute little speeches like:
“Great job counting! Wow that caterpillar sure loved eating leaves. I like to eat leaves, too, especially lettuce leaves! Hey ‘lettuce’ keep going in math! (Hehe, I always wanted to say that!)”
I am impressed by the quality of “Brinda’s Math Tools". They are 8.5x11-inch pages printed on coated cardstock (not laminated but still pretty durable). The quality was very nice - much nicer than I had expected, and a much nicer quality than the All About Reading flashcards, just for reference.
The cards included in the math tools are perforated for easy separation.
What is included?
Dot Cards
Number Cards 0-120 (very cute and colorful with an adorable “Brinda” on the back of each)
Counting Mat (1-10)
5-Frame
Comparing Mat (1-10)
10-Frame
3 Reads Strategy (essentially a chart to reference)
Number Mat 1 to 120 (includes gray and white alternating rows)
Double 10-Frame
Addition and Subtraction Equation Mat
Base-10 Tens Mat
Activity Book
I was also pleased with the quality of the activity book. It has full-color, standard-weight paper. I can see through from one side to the other when the page is on the table, but it’s not a deterrent. My guess is it’s about a 28 lb. paper (if you’re a paper snob like me). There is a mixture of double-sided and single-sided pages.
Most of the double-sided pages seem to be game cards that have a picture on one side and a math concept on the other. You should easily be able to separate the lesson pages if desired, because they do not print different lessons on the same piece of paper. I really appreciated this because I tend to prepare ahead of time so I have little to nothing to do prep-wise the day of.
I would prepare the activity sheets the same way I do the All About Reading activity pages - in a 3-ring binder with secure-top sheet protectors. I pre-cut all the activities. And then I use them again for each of my kids. Here is an article showing how I prep the AAR binder.
Using with Multiple Kids
Thankfully, the front of the activity book gives permission for copying within your household. SO - you could easily make copies of any sheets that you specifically wanted your kid to write on with a pen or pencil and then repeat with other children. One such page I would definitely copy would be the “Show What You Know” lessons (#11, 22, 34, 41, and 60). The exception to this would be if you are working with two or more kids simultaneously in the same lesson. You would probably want to purchase a separate activity book for each child to have the activity in front of them as you taught the lesson.
It looks like it follows the same format as the All About Reading curriculum with lots of hands-on games and then has some written practice. But the spaces seem to be big enough that you could write on them with a dry-erase (or wet-erase) marker if you put it in a sheet protector. My kids always love using something that’s not a pencil.
Videos for the Parent
All About Learning has also created a series of short videos called “How to Prepare for All About Math.” They give you a preview of the various parts of the curriculum as well as suggestions for teaching it.
