Placement guide, math

Which level of Teaching Textbooks should my child start?

How Teaching Textbooks levels line up with school grades, how its placement test works, what to do if your child lands between two levels, and the mistakes parents most often make.

The short answer. The level numbers are meant to match grades (the publisher describes Math 3 to Math 5 as built for the typical student in that grade or an advanced student a grade below), but the pace is gentle. Reviewers and many parents find a TT level covers roughly what other programs teach a grade earlier, so students, especially strong ones, often place one level above their grade.

Use the publisher's own placement tool to choose the level (free, PDF). If you are not sure where your child really is, or the result surprises you, check the level first: it is quicker than a wrong book.

Check their level first, $9.99 →

Teaching Textbooks levels and the grades they usually suit

Level	Usually suits grade	Main topics
Teaching Textbooks Math 3	3	Addition and subtraction, multiplication and division basics, simple fractions, money, measurement and graphs
Teaching Textbooks Math 4	4	Multi-digit multiplication and division, simple geometry, money, measurement, probability and percents
Teaching Textbooks Math 5	5	Whole-number operations, fractions and mixed numbers, decimal basics, basic geometry
Teaching Textbooks Math 6	6	Fraction and decimal operations, percents, factoring, order of operations, basic geometry and graphs
Teaching Textbooks Math 7	7	Fractions, decimals and percents, geometry, statistics and probability, equations, negative numbers
Teaching Textbooks Pre-Algebra	Not given by the publisher	Negative numbers, powers and roots, linear equations, polynomials, coordinate graphing, data
Teaching Textbooks Algebra 1	Not given by the publisher	Linear equations and inequalities, polynomials, quadratics, graphing, systems of equations, functions
Teaching Textbooks Geometry	Not given by the publisher	Traditional Euclidean geometry with early formal proofs and coordinate geometry at the end
Teaching Textbooks Algebra 2	Not given by the publisher	Second- and third-degree equations, systems, logarithms, matrices and determinants

Grades are the publisher's own guide. Many children sit a level above or below, especially after switching programs.

How Teaching Textbooks placement works

Each level has its own printable test that checks readiness to start that level, not mastery of it.
Remove the answer key (last page); no calculator, untimed, usually under 1.5 hours.
Two sections of 15 problems: 10 or more right on section 1 and 8 or more on section 2 means the child is probably ready for that level; below that, the level under it is the better start.

Open the publisher's placement page

If your child lands between two levels

If unsure, give the higher-level test first and give the lower test only if the child gets very few right. The publisher calls its cut-offs very rough and says a child just under the score on one or more sections should not be moved down.

Problems parents often run into

Parents assume level 5 means grade 5 and conclude the program is behind; many describe a TT level as closer to the grade below in public school.
Children moving from TT to a more demanding program often place well below their TT level; one parent saw TT place a child in Math 7 while another program placed him at grade 4.
The test checks readiness for the named level, which confuses parents who expect an end-of-year test.
Skipping up a level works for confident students, but reviewers warn against it for children who already struggle with math.

Point of Progress in 20 seconds

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Switching to Teaching Textbooks from another program

The same placement tests apply whether the family uses the app or the printed books.
Each course offers a free trial of the first 15 lessons, and progress carries over if the course is bought, which gives a second check on placement.
Reviewers recommend the series for students coming from programs that felt too pressured, since the pace is gentler than most.

Not just a score. Every skill, and every answer.

The score, with its honest range

Grade 4Grade 6 typicalGrade 9

744, likely range 702 to 787. A good or bad day stops looking like real movement.

Every strand, marked

Number senseStrong
FractionsWorth work
RatiosStrong
ExpressionsWorth work

Five to nine strands per subject, on one scale, so the gaps inside one score show.

Question by question

Add 2/3 and 1/4Answered 3/7. Added numerators and denominators separately, so the common denominator step is missing.

Wrong

Every wrong answer, with the most likely thinking behind it.

What to do next, in order

Common denominators
Simplifying fractions
Ratio as a comparison

Ranked by how much each skill holds the rest back, then practised in the workbook.

Get the report, $9.99 →or add the ten-week workbook built from the gaps, $19.99See the full eight-page sample report

When you don't need a whole level

A placement test answers one question: which book. If your child is mostly on track but shaky in one area, say fractions or paragraph writing, a full lower level means months of review they do not need. Practising just the gaps is faster, and keeps them in the book that fits the rest of their skills.

Questions parents ask

Is it bad if my child places below their grade?

No. Programs pace topics differently, so a lower level often reflects the order things were taught, not how able a child is. What matters is starting where the work makes sense.

Do I need a placement test at all?

If you are switching programs or your child has had a hard year, yes. Starting too high is the most common reason a new curriculum stalls in the first month.