Many Ways to Multiply: Math Curricula We Love

Many Ways to Multiply: Math Curricula We Love

by | Feb 15, 2026 | Craft Tutorials

I distinctly remember sitting in my high school calculus class, and after the teacher explained a concept, a foreign exchange student in the class raised her hand and said, “That’s not how we do that in my country.” I remember being surprised by her comment. It was the first time it occurred to me that math might be taught in different ways in different places.
Homeschooling my children has continued to open my eyes to the many ways that math can be taught.

Having homeschooled for over a decade now, we’ve tried a number of math programs. In this post, we share with you some of the math programs we love. There are so many different ways to learn math, so we find that different curricula have been best for certain children and for certain times in family life. From spiral learning to online programs, from learning through stories to learning through crafts, here are some of the math programs we have used and loved… As there are so many concepts to learn in math, we’ll focus here especially on how each program teaches multiplication, to give a taste of the whole program. (And if you scroll to the bottom, we’ll go beyond multiplying and let you know our top pick for when children get to middle and high school.)

I give the “plusses and minuses” of each program, but please note, we love all of these programs, so there are not really “minuses” of any. Consider the “minuses” to be the challenges we found; however, what we found challenging might be perfect for others.

 

Math by Hand (creative math learning)

The picture below shows a multiplication chart we made when our oldest daughter was doing Math by Hand in 1st grade. This might be the biggest multiplication chart you’ve ever seen – yes, the ruler is in the picture to show it’s 36 inches by 36 inches! This chart hung on wall in our house for many years. What a great way to have a BIG reminder of the multiplication facts! The program came with this very large sheet of paper and directions for how to fold it to make the chart. The child actually fills in all of the numbers with crayon.

The plusses:

Math by Hand is so much fun, and a wonderful curriculum for families who love to be creative! When we used Math by Hand, we found ourselves learning finger weaving, putting on plays (about math characters!), making books about math, drawing pictures, reading stories, and having a wonderful time learning math together.

The minuses:

I found that Math by Hand could practically become our whole curriculum. That’s a bit of an exaggeration, but as Math by Hand is such a rich curriculum, I felt that we did not have time to do the whole program, plus do all of the other subjects as the children got older.

Life of Fred (math through stories)

Life of Fred teaches multiplication through the main character, Fred, teaching his students. The program encourages students to create their own multiplication flashcards. Life of Fred makes memorizing the multiplication facts a bit less overwhelming, as it pairs down the facts that actually have to be learned and takes out the repeats (see image below).

The plusses:

Life of Fred is a very unique program. It is a joy to sit down and do math together, as each lesson is woven into the story of the main character, Fred (a very likeable 5-year-old university professor… yes, I said it was unique). As Fred teaches math to his students, and goes about his (very) adventurous daily life, math lessons are learned in the context of the story. I love how this gives children something to anchor their learning to (not just doing a math problem, but seeing the math problems in a “real” situation). My children were excited to do math every day when we used Life of Fred because they could not wait to find out what happened next in the story! Another plus is that even pre-school-age children look forward to listening to the stories in their big sibling’s math lessons.

The minuses:

Life of Fred does not like the idea of what it calls, “drill and kill.” However, extra practice problems might need to be added by the parent if the child seems to need some repetition. (Upper grade levels in the series do offer supplemental books of extra practice problems.)

CTC (online)

CTC is an oline program that children can use (mostly) on their own. Multiplication is taught with visuals (see images below). The program also offers online multiplication quiz games: “Speed skills” and “Times table shoot ’em up.”

The plusses:

In a season in life when we had a baby and older children, CTC was so helpful! CTC math is completely online. Short videos explain the math concepts, then children complete the math problems. The problems are instantly corrected with feedback given online. Record are kept of all of the scores and course progress automatically in a simple online system.

The minuses:

While having everything instantly corrected and records kept online is very helpful, we found the drawback of this system is that if the child gets stuck on a problem and the parent is not available to help at that time, the child either has to stop, or just move on without getting help. For some of my children, this was very frustrating. This is not a fault of the program, it’s just the nature of everything being online – it’s not possible just to circle the problem in the book and move on to the next one and ask for help later.

The Good and the Beautiful (spiral learning)

The Good and the Beautiful math program is true to its name. What more beautiful way to learn multiplication tables than with a lovely and image for each multiplication fact! The booklets are accompanied by peaceful songs to teach the multiplication facts, too.

The Musical Multiplication booklets and songs come seperately from the grade level math programs. I was so delighted when I first opened up one of the grade level books… the books are truly beautiful. Filled with lovely watercolor illustrations to accompany the math problems. Just like the beautiful songs, the beautiful books don’t make math learning a breeze every day, but opening up a beautiful book is certainly a lovely way to be greeted by math problems each day.

The plusses:

  • It’s beautiful! What a delight to be able to open up a math book each day and be greeted by lessons with lovely illustrations!
  • This is a spiral learning program. What is spiral learning? Rather than simply doing a long unit on shapes, for example, and then moving to the next concept, concepts are introduced and then circled back to in future lessons, spaced out throughout the book.
  • For the upper grades there are video lessons that introduce each new concept to the child. The teachers in the videos are cheerful and excited about math. They often use visuals in the lessons as well.
  • There are 120 lessons in each book. For us this works really nicely, as we tend to do “book lessons” 4 days a week and then go to our homeschool group on the 5th day. We put about 120 days (with a few extra) of “book lesson” days on our school year calendar.
  • My 5th grader just mentioned the other day that she also likes that the answer key shows mini images of the question pages, so it is easier to correct the work.

The minuses:

We find that in the upper grades (beginning in 5th grade or so) there are too many problems to fit into what we think is a reasonable amount of time to work on math each day. I find myself either telling my children to only do some of the problems, or they take two days for one lesson. I wish that the problems were arranged in such a way that there were “mandatory problems” and “if you need more practice problems.” I explain to my children that when I was in school, I remember the teacher sometimes assigning “just the even number problems” if there were too many in one lesson. They get frustrated and feel like they are not completing the lesson when I have them do just some of the problems, and yet doing all of the problems makes them frustrated because it takes too long. So my suggestion would be to have a talk with your child about what is expected (that they might not have to do every problem, and that’s okay). Or perhaps set a timer for the amount of time that math is in the schedule and just do the number of problems that fit in that time (this might mean taking more than one day on each lesson).

 

Climbing Higher (middle school and high school math)

We are just beginning the journey into high school level homeschool math, and we are so grateful to have found the Climbing Higher Math program. This program is taught by wonderful homeschool moms who explain math in a beautiful way! For Algebra I, they use the book, Elementary Algebra by Harold R. Jacobs. I love this book… It reminds me of the books I used when I was growing up (in a good way!). It is simple and straightforward, while also encouraging students to really think about and understand the “why” behind the math they are learning.

Climbing Higher Math offers live classes, asynchronous classes, and self-paced classes. This variety allows for families to choose what is best for their children and family schedule.

I find that choosing a math curriculum is about so many things: the child, the parent, and the whole family. We love all of these math programs. The fact that we have moved from one to another just means that our life circumstances changed, so we looked for new math programs that suited each child at the time.

Praying for you as you and your children learn math together!

This post is dedicated to my dad. Though I was not homeschooled, I always say, “My dad was my math teacher.” I often did not understand what the math teachers were explaining in school, but I always knew I could come home and ask Dad. He joyfully explained math to me in a way that clicked. Thank you, Dad, for your help back when I was in school. Your example helps me as I teach my children today.

Note:  Some links on this page are Amazon Affiliate links.  Sparkles and Sprinkles is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Other links may or may not be affiliate links.  We provide links because we have found these products or services beneficial, and we think you might too.

Cookie Cutter Needle Felting – perfect beginner project

Cookie Cutter Needle Felting – perfect beginner project

by | Oct 3, 2024 | Craft Tutorials

Thinking about giving needle felting a try? Follow our simple video tutorial for a delightful project that is perfect for beginners!

At Sparkles and Sprinkles, we love just about everything that might fit in the category of handcrafts. However, we had put needle felting in a category of its own – “too dangerous!” Fortunately a family in our homeschool group asked if we might be able to learn needle felting in our handcraft club. With this motivation, we decided to be daring and give it a try.

It turns out that needle felting is not so scary after all (whew!). We decided to start with the easiest type of project, as recommended in a lovely book about needle felting, Needle Felting for Beginners: How to Sculpt with Wool. This book describes how the wool just naturally weaves itself together by getting poked with a felting needle – so simple!

Needle Felting for Beginners recommends using a cookie cutter to help make the shape. With this method, one is much less likely to get a poke from the felting needle. These sweet little wool creations made with the help of a cookie cutter can be strung into a garland to decorate your home, if you like. We made a fall garland with pumpkin shapes, but you could use any shape (hearts, flowers, stars, Christmas trees….)

We also learned that finger protectors can be worn to make getting poked even less likely. Of course young children should we watched and guided carefully, even with these precautions. In our opinion age 5 would probably be the youngest age for projects like this. 

Are you ready to try needle felting? We’ve put together a shopping list with clickable links so that you can easily gather supplies. Then watch our video to find out just how easy and fun… and even, to our surprise, relaxing… needle felting can be.

 

Needle Felting Shopping List

Needle Felting Pad: We wanted to make a bunch of pads for our homeschool group club, so we bought 2″ thick foam pad and cut it into several 5×5 inch pieces. If you just need one pad, then this felting pad from Desert Breeze would be great.

Leather Finger Protectors: We needed more than one pair, so we chose this pack of 10 pairs of leather finger protectors. If you need fewer pairs, these leather finger protectors could be a good option.

Size 40 Triangle Needle: Needles come in many different shapes and sizes. The size 40 triangle needle works well for this beginner project. The authors of the book we read recommend a size 40 spiral needle for the finishing touches, but we have found the size 40 triangle needle works for the whole project from start to finish. Many people recommend using needles made in Europe for their superior quality. We have used needles from Felted Sky and from Desert Breeze. Both seem to work well and are European-made. (However, even good quality needles can still break, so be sure to use them only in an up and down motion – never pulling them from side-to-side in the wool). Felted sky has a variety pack of needles on Etsy, as well as a multi-pack of size 40 triangle needles (even if you think you only need one needle, it’s a good idea to have extras on hand in case of breakage).

(Or to keep things simple, you might like a kit that includes needles, felting pad, and finger protectors from Desert Breeze. This kit does not include the 40 triangle needle, but we have found that a 40 spiral needle can work for this project.)

Wool: We tried two different wools for our project. Desert Breeze has wool in a variety of colors that works well. We also were very happy with an Etsy seller from West Virginia (Bridget’s Farm Cart) who dyes her wools in beautiful colors, including an orange color that actually comes with a variety of orange shades specifically for making pumpkins. It’s lovely!

Cookie Cutters: If you plan to make a garland, small cookie cutters (about 1.5 inches in diameter) would be best. Any size cookie cutter can work, however. We use these sweet mini pumpkin cookie cutters from The Cookie Cutter Shop. If you are looking for another shape, consider this mini heart or mini star.)

Wool Felt Balls: If you are planning to make a garland, you could make several of your cookie cutter shaped creations, or you could add in some small wool felt balls to add variety and save time.

Embroidery Needle and Embroidery Floss: To string your garland together, you’ll need some embroidery floss and an embroidery needle.

 

Let’s make some felted pumpkins…

Thanks for stopping by sparklesandsprinkles.blog!

We hope you come to enjoy needle felting as much as we have!

Note:  Some links on this page are Amazon Affiliate links.  Sparkles and Sprinkles is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Other links may or may not be affiliate links.  We provide links because we have found these products or services beneficial, and we think you might too.

Paleo Donuts {baked, gluten-free}

Paleo Donuts {baked, gluten-free}

by | Sep 1, 2023 | Breakfast Recipes, Snack and Dessert Recipes

On a recent trip to Nashville, we had the opportunity to go to Five Daughters Bakery. What a treat! They have delicious paleo donuts that we all sat down to enjoy one sunny afternoon… and perhaps the best part is that everyone was happy afterward (rather than the cranky behavior effect of regular donuts). We love the sweet theme of love and family at Five Daughters Bakery, so we had to snap a picture of the donut box…

5 daughters bakery box

Nashville is way too far away for us to be able to get these delicious donuts again any time soon (though a 10 hour drive might almost be worth it!), so upon arriving home, we experimented with recreating these delicious donuts. Our daughters (who are quite the food critics) actually said they think our homemade donuts are even better… Mama thinks the Five Daughters Bakery donuts are the winner, but then again, for a mama, it’s quite a treat to be able to find a healthy gluten-free snack for everyone without having to make it.

In this post, we share with you our recipes for chocolate chip donuts with chocolate ganache, and fresh raspberry donuts with creamy frosting.

* Plus – scroll down for a fall favorite we just added – apple cinnamon donuts *

The donuts can be made strictly paleo, using coconut oil, or the version our children like best, with butter.

paleo donut recipe

Ingredients for 12 donuts (for complete instructions, please scroll down):

1 1/2 cups almond flour

1/3 cup coconut flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3 Tablespoons tapioca flour

3 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

1/3 cup melted butter (or melted coconut oil)

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/3 cup maple syrup

1/3 cup milk of choice

1/3 cup mini chocolate chips or fresh raspberries

Frosting/topping of choice

If you are looking for a donut pan, we recommend this one from Nordic Ware:

Let’s make donuts!

Step 1: Measure dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl.

1 1/2 cups almond flour

1/3 cup coconut flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3 Tablespoons tapioca flour

Step 2: Stir dry ingredients together well.

Step 3: Measure liquid ingredients into a separate large mixing bowl.

3 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

1/3 cup melted butter (or melted coconut oil)

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 cup maple syrup

1/3 cup milk of choice

Step 4: Whisk liquid ingredients together well.

Step 5: Pour liquid ingredients into dry ingredients and stir together well.

Step 6: Add mini chocolate chips or fresh raspberries.

1/3 cup mini chocolate chips

or

1/3 cup washed fresh raspberries

Step 7: Grease donut pan and generously pipe in donut batter.

Cut about a 1 inch opening at the tip of the piping bag prior to filling the bag with batter.

This recipe makes 12 donuts. 

Need a donut pan? We love this one from Nordic Ware.

Step 8: Bake in 350 degree oven for 13-15 minutes.

We have found 13 minutes is enough. Try not to overbake.

Step 9: Let cool slightly in pan, then transfer to cooling rack.

Step 10: Top with chocolate ganache or raspberry cream

Once donuts are completely cooled, top them with chocolate ganache or raspberry cream. This is optional, the donuts are great even without topping.  (See instructions below.)

Chocolate Ganache

For the chocolate ganache in the photo, we made a super simple microwave version using just dark chocolate, butter and stevia. Simply place a dark chocolate bar in a microwave safe bowl. Melt chocolate in microwave (about 1 minute and 30 seconds). Add a few Tablespoons butter (or coconut oil), and stir with warm chocolate until well combined. Stir in sweetener to taste. Dip the top of donut into the ganache, then lift up the donut and place on a plate. Beautiful and so fun!

Raspberry Cream frosting

For the raspberry cream frosting in the photos, we used coconut cream. Refrigerate a can of coconut cream over night (make sure it is cream, not milk). Pour off the liquid and discard it. Place the cream (should be solid) in the bowl of an electric mixer. Whip until fluffy.  Add sweetener to taste (such as stevia or honey). Add a small amount of fresh raspberries. Whip again until well incorporated. Use a piping bag to frost the donuts. You could also use whipped cream instead of coconut cream, or use our low sugar butter cream cheese frosting.

Try a fall favorite – Apple Cinnamon Donuts!

Add 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1/3 cup applesauce to the plain donut batter. Once donuts are baked and cooled, dip the tops in a mixture of ground cinnamon and stevia powder. This makes a yummy apple donut, like you might find at an apple orchard or fall festival, but our version is gluten-free.

ENJOY!

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Note: Sparkles and Sprinkles is not affiliated with Five Daughters Bakery. Our four daughters are big fans of Five Daughters Bakery, though, so we tried to create some similar donuts at home.

Note:  Some links on this page are Amazon Affiliate links.  Sparkles and Sprinkles is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Other links may or may not be affiliate links.  We provide links because we have found these products or services beneficial, and we think you might too.