Using Maths No Problem as a Home Educator – Three Years On

One of the subjects I have found myself answering questions about a few times over the last couple of months is Maths no Problem. This is a maths scheme that we have used from the very beginning of our Home Education journey. You will see me share about it on Instagram stories and I’ve written about it here before.

As my original post is a few years old now, I thought it was worth taking some time to update where we are at with it and to explain how we have used it with our children.

Why Maths No Problem?

From the outset of our Home Education journey, Damian and I were clear that there were some non-negotiables that we would work on in a formal way, and one of those was maths. Both Damian and I are reasonable at maths (him more so than me in terms of mental arithmetic) but we recognise that maths is key to so many other subjects. I was also keen to ensure that we approached it in a logical way, covering all the bases and building on knowledge in a systematic way.

I had looked around for something that we might use, and a friend mentioned that she was using MNP with her son (who is two months older than D but would fall into the academic year above him). I liked the look of the books, so took a punt and ordered the first set.

Maths no Problem is not a cheap curriculum to buy and use. The textbooks can be used by multiple children, but they’ll require a workbook each. I have found the odd textbook on ebay, but for the most part I have bought them direct from MNP. They do not offer a home educators discount sadly.

What I like about Maths No Problem

I really like MNP as it can be done in short and sweet ‘lessons’. It builds up knowledge very incrementally and doesn’t ever spend too long on any one strand of maths. There’s always something in each book that the children can whizz through with ease as they’re secure in that knowledge, and then other bits that we need to take our time over. I like how it introduces the concept of bar modelling in a very slow and gradual way, and the same for different mathematical language.

The text and workbooks work well together and the children understand now how they fit together. I like the regular review of work across the book. I find this really useful for understanding where the children need a bit more practice and where they are secure.

Do you supplement Maths No Problem?

I think you probably can use MNP as your sole maths curriculum, however, I do supplement it with the Schofield and Sim workbooks, as well as odd bits here and there from Twinkl (we like the maths mysteries). This is good practice, I think, as it helps me spot gaps in knowledge or where they’re less confident and we can work on that before we move along in the books.

How we use Maths No Problem

We use MNP most days. We tend to do one or two of the lessons each day. The children all get some 1-1 time with me 3/4 times a week. This is usually first thing in the morning when we are at home. We work through the MNP lesson and I leave them to do the associated worksheet. Where they need help we will work through some of the problems together. In some instances it’s a quick piece of work for them. When it’s something new it’s a longer piece of work.

D had would have just ended Year 2 and he is currently halfway through book 3A (And I suspect this will be finished by Christmas time). E would have just finished Year 1 and she is about a third of the way through book 2B and H who would be starting reception in September will start with book 1A.

My Tips for using Maths no Problem

Have a quick look ahead each month at the things your children will be covering. With D, the bar modelling was a new idea for me, and it took me a little while to get my head around it. It was good for him to see me learning alongside him, but it also meant I wasn’t as confident as I ought to have been, and have been when talking E through it.

Invest in some cubes and a base ten set. This has been really useful for us and are amongst some of our most used items. Having scrap paper to hand to show them working out, as well as having other manipulatives on hand is helpful too.

I’d also recommend persevering with this curriculum. There was a stage in the first year with D when I was ready to throw in the towel with MNP, but I was struggling to find anything else I liked. I’m glad we stayed consistent and worked through it together as now both the older two understand the concepts so much better and it’s made our maths learning much much easier.

And finally, if you’re ordering online direct with MNP it’s worth ordering a few lots of books in one go. For me I am ordering for the three children, so I usually order enough to qualify for free postage. Their delivery times are pretty quick from what I recall and they’re always happy to answer any queries too.