The Homeschool Resource Finder parent review panel tried Milestone Maths for a term.

Here’s what they said

When Kylie from Homeschool Resource Finder (HRF) first reached out about the parent review panel, I was immediately interested — not just because of the feedback I’d receive, or even for the obvious marketing bonus but because of who was asking. Kylie has spent years helping Australian homeschoolers find resources that actually work. She knows the landscape, and more importantly, she cares about getting it right.

Working with her was a joy. She was organised, thoughtful, and genuinely invested in making the pilot a success — not for her own gain, but for the benefit of the families she serves and the small creators (like me) she wants to support.

I’m excited to share what the panel discovered, and honoured to recommend Kylie and HRF to any homeschool parent looking for trustworthy guidance. And I don’t think I could recommend her services to homeschool businesses too highly. She really puts everything she has into helping both sides of the homeschool spectrum flourish.

How the process worked

The HRF parent review panel for Milestone Maths (MSM) was a pilot which succeeded beautifully. Mid last year I prepared six parcels containing one book and any supporting resources a homeschool family would need to complete one full term of MSM. There were two parcels from each level that I had ready to go at that stage (Levels B-D). Those six parcels were sent to six families hand selected by Kylie. Participants were required to commit to using the program as their main maths program for one full term and to provide two reviews with photos: a short review for the HRF Facebook group and a longer review for the website.

Parents were given a basic outline of what to include in the review and were instructed to be kind but honest. The reviews that came back were varied and very helpful both to me as a creator, but more importantly, to prospective users of MSM wondering if it would be a good fit for their child.

What the reviewers said

The reviewers were given a basic template for their reviews. I’ll summarise what they had to say in each section.

• Background and Learning Needs: the families ranged from very relaxed homeschoolers to long-time users of workbooks. There were several neurodivergent kids in the group and mathematical ability levels were spread across the spectrum. All children were within the age ranges recommended for the level of MSM that they received.
• Lesson Structure and Independence: Families generally loved the clean layout and consistent structure of lessons in Milestone Maths. Most reviewers found the lessons engaging and appropriately challenging for their children. Virtually all reviewers highly praised the program for its ease of implementation and how quickly their children were able to work independently in the workbook.
  
  A couple of reviewers commented that the pages were a bit “plain”. One decided this was a good thing because it kept the focus squarely where it belongs: on the maths. The other concluded that her child and the program were not meant for each other. To each his own.
• Lesson Length and Scheduling: Most families found that lessons were short and easy to fit into a busy homeschool day. The flexible, four day a week, schedule was also appreciated as it allowed for homeschool meetups and general life to keep going.
• Overall experience: The majority of reviewers had a very positive experience with MSM with several of them becoming ongoing customers! All reviewers reported noticeable progress in their child’s foundational mathematics skills and most also noticed increased independence. Several reported increased motivation and one even commented that her son’s “passion for maths returned.”

What I learned about MSM from the process

It was heartwarming and truly rewarding to read the real lived experiences of real families using MSM. But I also appreciated the honesty of the reviews which pointed out some areas for improvement.

One thing that stood out for me is that I needed to provide clearer guidance on the supports that are available. One reviewer lamented that there were no answers provided. However, answer books are available but they are on the website as a free download and it seems many people miss the note about this in the parent introduction.

I am currently busy writing a “quick start guide” that points parents to the answer keys and other supplementary resources (like our tutorial videos that are currently releasing). I am also implementing a process to automatically send links to electronic resources as part of the order fulfilment process.

The HRF expert review

As the absolute cherry on the top, Kylie wrote her own review of Milestone Maths informed by her 20+ years of homeschooling experience. Kylie’s review gives a clear overview of the program and explains exactly the sort of homeschooling families it is most suitable for. Read Kylie’s full review here.

Final thoughts

Thank you Kylie for the opportunity to participate in the HRF parent review panel and also to the six families who took the time to trial the program and give their honest feedback. To read the full reviews visit the Milestone Maths listing on the Homeschool Resource Finder website. While you’re there, check out all the amazing information that Kylie has put together on all things homeschool.

Member perk

Members of the HRF Facebook community can gain access to discounts on some great Australian homeschool resources, including Milestone Maths! If you haven’t already, join the Homeschool Resource Finder group on Facebook today!