Do you remember bank books?  How exciting it was to head to the bank with your deposit and get a stamp in your book that not only tracked your deposit but also the interest you had earned?

Do you remember life before the check card?  When you kept a careful tab of your spending in your checkbook as well as a running balance?

How did you learn how to balance that checkbook?  When to pay your bills?  How to set up a budget and live within your means?

For some of you, this learning had to take place as you lived it.  For others, it was part of a course in high school.  For still others-especially those who were homeschooled, it was a learning experience as you shared in the financial aspects of your family.

For too many today, it is a missing piece of education. Yet we are astonished at the number of adults who are in desperate need of government assistance.  I would suggest that far too many have missed the necessary skills that are developed in a strong consumer math course.

There are many different types of students.  Some who are obviously meant for higher level math and rigorous academics.  Others, who will choose a vocation that does not rely on advanced math skills.

In most cases, those who choose not to take the Algebra II, Pre-Calculus, Trigonometry, Statistics or Calculus end up taking Consumer Math almost by default–after all, they need that extra math credit.  However, those who pursue the more rigorous math courses rarely see any type of consumer math instruction once they begin high school.

I would suggest that no matter what mathematical future is in store for your child, consumer math is an essential part of any homeschool program!

In consumer math, your homeschooler will learn how fractions, decimals, percents and basic algebra apply to daily life.  In consumer math, homeschoolers learn how all of these skills apply to paying your bills, to grocery shopping, preparing your taxes, setting up a budget, balancing a checkbook, saving, avoiding debt, spending wisely, insurance, car payments, mortgages, and more.

Is your homeschooler prepared for the kind of math that creeps in to daily life?  Will she or he become a responsible and productive adult?

If you have an advanced math student, make consumer math an elective.

If you have a student who does not plan to pursue advanced math courses, don’t make consumer math a way out of more rigorous choices.  Instead make it a priority!

I guarantee you will never regret it!