Primary Mathematics 2022 Edition Reviews: What Homeschool Families Actually Say

By Marshall Cavendish Education·Mathematics

2 video reviews: 1 positive · 1 mixed

Both reviews come from one homeschooling family that used Primary Mathematics as their first core math program and later kept it on the shelf as a supplement, and their take is consistent: this is a strong, conceptually deep, and noticeably advanced Singapore-style program. Their kids came away genuinely understanding math — solving problems multiple ways and explaining their reasoning in words — and the word problems are challenging enough that even the parent found some tricky to solve without the teacher's manual. The reasons it stopped being their core were practical, not quality complaints: the spiral approach didn't stay on fractions long enough for their daughter to grasp them, and the program demands real teacher time — planning, manipulatives, and one-on-one lessons rather than handing over a workbook. Buying was also confusing, with Standard and US editions that don't match each other. They still call it a solid, excellent math curriculum — and cheaper than Saxon — best suited to kids who can handle a challenge.

Synthesized from 2 independent video reviews — every claim sourced from what real homeschool parents said on camera.

A good fit if…

A family with a parent willing to actively teach, whose child can handle an advanced, conceptually rich Singapore-style math with genuinely challenging word problems.

Probably skip if…

Families who need an open-and-go, independent math program, or whose child struggles and needs to sit with hard topics like fractions longer than a spiral approach allows.

The reviews (2)

Math U See Honest Review || Pros & Cons || Homeschool Grade 1 - 6 After over year of using Math U See, I share my honest review about this curriculum for my grade 1 and 5 students. We have used Alpha, Beta, Epsilon and Zeta. Thanks for watching! To reach out to me, either comment below or send me an email: bliss.in.the.little.things@gmail.com

PositiveLittle Bits of Bliss

4 Homeschool Math Curriculum Reviews Plus a Sneak Peak || What Worked & What Didn’t It’s homeschool curriculum research time (for next fall) and in this video, I review all the Math Curriculum we have used in our homeschool: highlighting what we liked and what we didn’t. Below are links to a more thorough review of some of the curriculum, as well as time stamps if you want to jump ahead to a specific curriculum! 0:00 Intro 2:54 Types of Math Curriculum 3:59 Primary Mathematics (Singapore Math) 12:07 Primary Mathematics Flip Thru 14:13 Beauty and Truth Math 22:05 Beauty and Truth Flip Thru 24:18 Math U See 29:43 Math U See Flip Thru 32:27 Beast Academy (Suppliment) 33:32 Beast Academy Puzzles Flip Thru Singapore Math Video: https://youtu.be/VyT_HpCrebw?si=Up5XzdiMzNuNssn0 Beauty and Truth Video: https://youtu.be/uqPt2TSdvTE?si=qRZfxpKLqRTTOXFf Math U See Video: https://youtu.be/CsNE1T8xMr8?si=w89zUvdXbIBy_-rC To reach out to me, either comment below, or send me an email: bliss.in.the.little.things@gmail.com

MixedLittle Bits of Bliss

In their words

my daughters really deeply understood math concepts. They were able to solve problems in a variety of ways

primary mathematics have excellent really challenging word problems that I have even found challenging in the elementary levels

we reached a point in the math where it was not staying on a topic long enough for us

it is a bit more time-consuming for the teacher. It does take more work to plan the curriculum, and it does take more one-on-one time to teach out the concepts with your student

we really found primary mathematics to be a solid excellent advanced math

What reviewers praise

  • Builds deep conceptual understanding kids can explain back · 2 reviewers
  • Excellent, genuinely challenging word problems · 2 reviewers
  • Lots of practice problems compared to other curricula
  • Cheaper than alternatives like Saxon

Common complaints

  • Advanced and challenging for struggling students · 2 reviewers
  • Spiral pacing leaves hard topics like fractions too quickly · 2 reviewers
  • Teacher-intensive: planning and one-on-one instruction required
  • Standard vs US editions are confusing and don't match

Would Primary Mathematics 2022 Edition fit your homeschool?

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Common questions

Is Primary Mathematics (Singapore Math) advanced compared to other homeschool math?+

Yes, per this reviewer. She describes it as more advanced than many curricula, noting the 1B book already introduces basics of multiplication and division, and that word problems get complex enough that she sometimes found them tricky herself without the teacher's manual.

Can my child do Primary Mathematics independently?+

Not really, in this family's experience. The reviewer says you can't just hand over the workbook — you need to teach the lessons, explain concepts with manipulatives and pictorial models, and plan ahead, which she found more time-consuming for the teacher but worth it.

What if my child gets stuck on fractions in Primary Mathematics?+

That's exactly where this family hit a wall: the spiral approach didn't stay on fractions long enough, the reviewer ran out of practice questions, and her daughter kept forgetting the concept between lessons. They temporarily switched to a slower, mastery-style program to get over the fractions hump.