If you have ever had a student who struggles with difficulty in math, you know how hard it can be for them and for you! Trying one method after another and still facing failure makes it easy to feel like your kid might never get it.
And who can handle the idea of that for years on end?
My first daughter repeated Algebra 1 three times with a different curriculum every time. My second daughter COULD NOT GET math concepts. We tried many different curriculum including textbooks, online and sending her to a local school for math instruction. Nothing worked. Finally we enrolled her in a private school which had a teacher who knew how to break down math into tiny incremental steps…and she went from a failing math student to one getting straight “A’s.”
The transformation was dramatic and her confidence grew month in and month out.

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And while I’m so happy for her, I also wish that when she was younger we had been able to solve the math struggle without so much difficulty for her or for us. The thing is…I know everyone does not learn math…or anything else the same way. I personally struggled with learning social skills and had to learn them in tiny incremental steps. As it turns out…some people need to learn math that way too…in much smaller lessons than is offered in normal math.
And my family is not alone having a student struggle with math! That is why I was super interested when I had a chance to use a Math curriculum I had never heard of specifically created for kids who are “not good at math” or who believe that to be true! In fact that is the story of JUMP Math founder Dr. John Mighton as well. As a kid….he wasn’t good at math either!
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What Is JUMP Math?
In 2002 Dr. John Mighton, OC, founded JUMP Math. an award-winning mathematician and playwright who once nearly failed calculus and abandoned math altogether While tutoring children, he saw that even students who thought they “weren’t math people” could succeed when taught step by step.
These experiences convinced him that math success isn’t about talent—it’s about confidence, resilience, and incremental learning. His vision for JUMP Math grew out of this belief: that every child can be good at math if given the right support.
With my own kids, I’ve found that confidence isn’t something you can just buy in a packaged product. For kids it usually comes from a person, investing time to help them take the baby steps they need one after another.
Since most parents are not mathematicians, and may not know the baby steps of math themselves, JUMP Math seeks to be that middle-man…the step by step process to help parents teach math very incrementally.

What Makes JUMP Math Unique?
When I was using JUMP Math with my son Bob recently, he was telling me how much he really liked it. But when I tried to get specifics, he was only able to describe it in 10 year old terms…”I like it because it reminds we of Odd Squad. I feel like I’m going on an adventure looking for answers like they do on the show.”
I had to smile. The kid was literally doing math on a black and white worksheet but describing it as going on an adventure. Interesting. I could see his point…the problems on the page didn’t have pluses and minuses. Instead, much of the standard notation was replaced with images that encouraged you to see what was missing.
So while the page did not look exciting, his brain could feel the adventure of strategically solving problems! Unlike many traditional math programs, JUMP Math doesn’t rely on memorization, rote drills, or overwhelming textbooks. Instead it uses a method that promotes that excitement he felt while doing….math!

JUMP Math uses a research-backed method called Structured Inquiry:
- Concepts are introduced in small, scaffolded steps to prevent overload.
- Parents/teachers guide students to discover ideas gradually, rather than dropping them into abstract formulas.
- Students master concepts before moving on, which prevents gaps.
- The approach is designed to reduce math anxiety, build confidence, and help kids see math as something they can do.
As a parent using the curriculum, I could see that JUMP Math was breaking normal concepts down into 2 or 3 separate lessons so students could almost slowly grasp a concept. The entire approach not only builds math skills but also nurtures curiosity and resilience—skills kids carry into every area of life.
The incremental break down reminded me so much of the super basic ways I learned social skills. Instruction…asking good questions, looking at a situation from different perspectives and applying it to life! Every normal interaction had to be completely broken down. And JUMP Math does that with numbers…making math digestible in smaller lessons.

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The Benefits of JUMP Math
JUMP Math is an excellent choice for families with K-8 students who want or need guided lessons….or who have students that don’t feel like they are good at math. The teacher’s manual is basically scripted for you as the parent to sit with your child and walk step by step through the whole lesson quickly and smoothly…building confidence for both the students and the parents!
Inside the teacher’s manual you will see lesson that offer:
- Clear progression – Concepts build in small, digestible steps.
- Confidence-building – The structure reduces math anxiety and grows resilience.
- Teacher-friendly design – Appeals to former teachers and parents who enjoy guiding lessons.
- Digital lesson slides – Every lesson comes with optional visual aids.
- Affordable – As a nonprofit, JUMP Math subsidizes its costs to keep resources accessible.
- Concept Placement – a quick explanation of what skills they should know how to do before this lesson will make sense.
JUMP Math isn’t an “open-and-go” program where you hand over a workbook. It is a comprehensive program with both teacher’s manuals and student workbooks. It is designed to be parent guided and not student-led.
I generally do not prefer guided lessons with my kids. Having so many makes it hard to rely on curriculum which needs direct parent instruction. However, when I used JUMP Math, I found it to be really easy to use. I sat with my kids and was easily able to follow the lesson. I knew exactly where to find the optional supplementary resources and how to explain concepts on a mini-whiteboard.

How to Use JUMP Math at Home
The key to success with JUMP Math is understanding that it’s a parent-involved program. Every lesson begins with the teacher workbook which specifies which student lesson to work on, how to explain the math concept on a whiteboard, digital slides (if you want them) and a step by step to process for moving through short, consistent lessons.
JUMP Math is designed for back-and-forth teaching and discussion. So I sat with my son and daughter each separately to follows the lesson script and explain each concept going step by step through an easy to follow guide.
After teaching the lesson, my kids were able to do most of the practice problems in the student workbook separately.
👉 For every grade level, you will need a JUMP Math teacher’s manual and a consumable workbook set for each child.
JUMP Math Resources
In addition to the main K–8 curriculum, JUMP Math also has memberships that give you access to even more support and tools, such as:
- Extra ready-to-teach lessons to close knowledge gaps
- Quizzes, tests, and assessment guides
- Digital teacher resources and pacing guides
- Confidence-building units and homework pages
- Access to supplementary Accumula resources
👉 See All the Membership Options Here!

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Every Kids Can Learn Math With The Right Help
Math is one of those core essential skills you know your kids need. No one argues that our kids don’t need math!! That is why it is SO frustrating when you have child that does not understand it no matter what you do. I know first hand that frustration. At one point, it was almost a family affair trying to teach her math concepts and nothing worked. I also know the relief of finding that break through. It…is…amazing.
JUMP Math is THAT breakthrough in math for K-8 students. If you have a student for whom you have tried everything…stop looking. Having a fully scripted curriculum for lessons that cover incremental topics is AMAZING for kids that can’t grasp traditional math curriculum.
When broken down to the most basic concepts, any child really can learn math…and love it too!
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Sarah McCubbin and her husband and 9 kids live in Ohio. She loves talking about all kinds of education topics and is passionate about helping families find the best education options in each season! After being very socially awkward growing up, she now loves to help families teach life skills, social skills and leadership to their kids!
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PallasCenter.com
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