How to Use Khan Academy Math as a Complete Free Math Curriculum
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A few years ago, we started using Khan Academy math lessons for Ben’s math curriculum. He loves it because he can see exactly what percentage of his math curriculum he has completed. It motivates him to keep working.
When people find out that Ben uses Khan Academy, the first thing they ask is if Khan Academy math lessons can be used as a full math curriculum. The answer is yes!
Khan Academy math lessons can absolutely be used as a full homeschool math curriculum. It is really an amazing free resource! Khan Academy can look confusing if you are used to a math workbook or teacher’s manual. There is a LOT of information available on Khan Academy, so it is easy to feel lost.
I will walk you through how to use Khan Academy math lessons as a complete math curriculum.
How to Use Khan Academy Math as a Full Math Curriculum
Set Up a Parent Account
The first thing you need to do is sign up for a parent account. Choose the ‘Parents, start here’ tab.
Enter your first and last name as well as your email address. Khan Academy will send you progress updates, so be sure to use an email address that you actually check. Check your email and confirm the address.
The confirmation email will include a link to create your parent account.
Set Up a Child Account
Next, you need to set up a child account. You will set up one account for each child that will use Khan Academy.
You will need to enter your child’s birthday because Khan Academy requires parents to manage the accounts of children under 13 due to COPPA laws.
Once the birthday is entered, you will be prompted to enter a username, password, grade level, and gender.
Ask Your Child to Log In
Now, log out and ask your child to log in.
When students log in to Khan Academy for the first time, they get to choose their avatar. They will only be able to choose from a few options at first but can change them as they complete lessons.
New avatar options will be unlocked at certain progress markers.
Select Your Child’s Math Grade Level
Scroll down and select ‘Math by Grade’. Choose the grade level that you think is best for your child.
There are complete math courses for pretty much any homeschool level.
The Khan Academy math courses include levels Early math, grades K-8, Arithmetic, Geometry, Pre-algebra, Basic Algebra, Algebra I, High school geometry, Algebra II, Trigonometry, Statistics and probability, High school statistics, AP Statistics, Precalculus, Differential calculus, Calculus I, and Calculus II.
Take Challenge Course
Select ‘Take Challenge Course’.
The first activity is a short quiz (~30 questions), called a challenge course, to see how much of the selected Khan Academy math level is already mastered. Khan Academy wants to be sure your child is working at the correct level. The correct level won’t be too hard or too easy.
For every question, they have the option to:
- Type in the answer
- Select “I haven’t learned this yet.”
- Select “I’d like a hint.”
- Watch a video if they are stuck.
There are also some questions that ask the student to move points around on a graph, depending on the grade level.
Your student is now ready to use Khan Academy math lessons as their complete homeschool math curriculum.
After the first challenge course, your child will see a screen that shows their progress and what skills still need to be mastered to complete the grade.
Of course, as homeschool parents, YOU get to decide when a child has completed a grade, but this is a fantastic progress indicator.
As skills are mastered, which is confirmed through short quizzes, a.k.a. mastery challenges, the progress and skills lists are updated.
If a child gets a wrong answer for a skill they have previously mastered, Khan Academy will just add those skills back into the lesson rotation.
Each day when your child logs in, all they need to do is spend your required amount of time working through the tasks list.
I ask Ben to work for a minimum of thirty minutes each day. He just follows the lesson sequence that Khan Academy math suggests (notated with a blue ‘continue’ button).
Occasionally I do teach skills that are difficult for Ben. If he doesn’t understand something after watching the videos, we bust out a few math manipulatives and work through the problem together.
Khan Academy math lessons are free, so that leaves room in the homeschool budget for manipulatives.
Ben loves Khan Academy because it feels like a challenge. The mission progress motivates him to keep working and master the grade level as quickly as possible. His personality type loves a challenge.
Hannah started out using Khan Academy math lessons but found the mission progress percentile stressful. She was afraid to answer questions incorrectly because it would deduct from her progress percentile. She is my little perfectionist. It was not a good fit for her personality type. Math Mammoth works much better for her.
Luckily, Khan Academy is free, so there is no risk in giving it a try.
Frequently Asked Questions About Khan Academy Math
What is Khan Academy math?
Khan Academy math is an online math curriculum or supplement. There are videos, practice problems, and mastery challenges available to help teach math concepts.
Is Khan Academy good for math?
The program is pretty comprehensive, so in general, yes, it is good for math. However, this will depend on the student’s personality and learning style.
How much does Khan Academy cost?
Khan Academy is free, so there is no cost.
Is Khan Academy math a complete curriculum?
Yes, Khan Academy can be used as a complete curriculum as long as students are mastering the material. It can also be used as a supplement to learn just certain math topics.
UPDATE: Ben successfully used Khan Academy as his full math curriculum through elementary school. When he entered middle school, he asked for a traditional textbook-style math curriculum. Khan Academy set him up for success. He completed college-level Calculus 1 and 2 at our community college before graduating from our homeschool.
Keep reading . . .
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