Consumer Math (Teacher Guide - Download)

Our primary goal in education is that our children would know and love God, and be equipped with the skills they need to effectively serve Him wherever He leads. We loved how Katherine Loop Hannon presented math from a biblical worldview and built that into her prior math courses, so naturally, we are delighted that she has now produced a consumer math course that teaches very practical skills while emphasizing (with Scripture woven throughout) wise, God-honoring stewardship of the resources He entrusts to us.

Colorful and well-designed, this textbook and teacher guide are as simple to jump into as any other Master Books course, with the ready-to-use schedule and a writing style designed for the student to be able to use independently. The Master Books Academy video supplements have been a helpful resource for use with other math courses, so I am glad that is available with this one along with an optional downloadable solutions manual and case studies.

I have been hoping that Master Books would come out with a Consumer Math and this does not disappoint! Written by Katherine Hannon, who author’s MB’s Principles of Mathematics books, Consumer Math takes the student through all the necessary skills needed for financial success in life. From giving, saving, and budgeting, to taxes, careers, living expenses, business math and more. I appreciate Mrs. Hannon’s ability to teach mathematics in a simple to understand way while also bringing it back to God and what He says about it. Her desire for others to know and understand more about Jesus, even while studying mathematics, is apparent.

This book is a blend of practical financial instruction and biblical principles offering students a solid foundation for managing personal finances responsibly. The curriculum's real-world applications and engaging format make it a recommended choice for preparing teens for financial independence. Students learn to create budgets, compare costs, calculate interest, understand credit, evaluate housing and career choices, and more. Real-life case studies and examples make the content relatable and applicable. I love the way this incorporates Scripture, teaching students to view financial decisions through a Christian lens. Lessons on generosity, stewardship, and ethical financial practices are woven throughout. I found this to be an exceptional curriculum that combines essential financial literacy with biblical stewardship, equipping students for real-life financial decision-making.
The Teacher Guide includes the schedule, student worksheets, tips for grading, and answer key.
The Student Book is broken down by concept and includes: explanations, charts, images, examples, and review sections.

This companion book for Consumer Math contains exercises for your student to practice what they learned from their text book as well as the answers. The amount of daily work is a manageable amount that thoroughly works through the material learned in the Consumer Math textbook. I am grateful for all of the lessons in this course. This is should be a required class for everyone.

The Teacher Guide is a must for the Consumer Math course as it includes all of the student worksheets, quizzes, tests, exams, and answer keys. It also includes a suggested daily schedule to complete the course over 36 weeks, along with space to keep track of due dates, completion, and grades. I really love the emphasis on Scripture and the guidance of being Biblically-minded as you become more financially literate.

Consumer Math by Katherine Hannon is a well rounded, attractive math curriculum for 9th-12th graders, although those having completed Math Lessons for a Living Education 6 would have the basic math skills to complete the course, especially if they have started earning any kind of money. Consumer Math is a necessary part of a student’s learning experience as he/she grows and begins to manage the monies God entrusts to him. In fact, Katherine’s careful inclusion of how God views money and what the Bible says about it is a highlight, answering a Biblical “Why” and “How” for its management. This course would be an excellent resource for engaged couples as they prepare for managing money in marriage or for anyone looking to learn how to better steward what God has entrusted to them. By the end of this course the student will know how to file income taxes, prepare a budget for living, do cost comparisons for small items (groceries) as well as cars/houses, understand investments, and prepare for a career. They will also know the biblical principles for how they should go about each decision. The information is presented in a colorful, attractive way, broken up into smaller visual bits that make it engaging and less intimidating. Both books need to be purchased to complete this math course. The Teacher Guide provides the consumable exercises and assessments that the student will need throughout the course. The Student Guide contains the material being taught, with appropriate examples and explanations.

I am so excited to see this math come out. I was wondering how I was going to teach real world financial concepts from a Biblical perspective and Master Books exceeds my expectations again! Having been a business major, and a former bank teller, I was so excited to get my hands on this that I showed my husband right away. As he was looking at this books he said, "Where was this when we were in High School?"
Lots of practical tools for financial decisions such as calculating rent, college, even doing taxes.
My husband and I were both excited to see the recommendation for budgeting using a spreadsheet. It is a great tool that is used to help teach budgeting. (My husband spends a lot of time on Excel in his job and is amazed by how many people don't know some of the basics that this course teaches.)
There are plenty of practical application for everything the students learned in the Student book. (The course can't be used without this Teacher Guide with all the worksheets.)
I however, as a former bank teller, was sad to see only 2 days spent on a checking account with writing a check and balancing a checkbook, even with a spreadsheet. I would have liked to see information on making a deposit and a withdrawl. (I can't tell you how many times I informed a young adult what to do with a paycheck.) That's the only thing I would like to have seen in this book. Otherwise my husband and I love it and wished we had it when we were in high school.
We both recommend this book!
(This is from an adult perspective as our oldest is not yet ready for this level of math. I previewed the course to be ready if he has any questions that it is not foreign to me.)
As a PDF, there is some color, but not too much. It can't be fully printed out in black and white due to charts and forms, but the color is not overwhelming and is used where needed.

This course is very well done. It is filled with information every student needs prior to launching into the world. Some of the life skills covered are budgeting, prioritizing wants and needs, generous giving, and understanding taxes and interest. It is broken into digestible pieces of information, so the student is more likely to retain these essential skills. The daily work is thoughtfully designed with real world examples and scenarios. I really like the way it is organized, and I genuinely appreciate the emphasis on biblical wisdom that helps direct students to healthy financial choices.

This book is laid out very clearly and precisely with great instructions directly to the student. The schedule looks easy enough to follow and they you give further instructions on some of the worksheets that may not have been in the student book. There is not a whole lot of calculations to be done every day, which I think a lot of students will appreciate. The topics covered in the worksheets help to reinforce what the student has learned each day that week in the text, showing them how to practically apply it to their everyday life.