FAQ

Is the curriculum independent or teacher-led?

While the amount of teacher-facilitated activities will be greatly determined by grade level and the individual needs of the child, our curriculum is created to be a blend of both styles. This mix allows the teacher to teach multiple students and levels at the same time, directly one child to do something independent while working one-on-one with another student. It also instills confidence in children that they can work independently without being frustrating or overwhelming.

Do I have to purchase the whole curriculum or can I buy subjects or workbooks separately?

The McRuffy Curriculum is divided into our language arts curriculum (Reading, Phonics, Spelling), Handwriting, Math, and Science Curriculum. Subject areas are sold separately. Items in the curriculum packages are also available separately.

How does McRuffy Press compare in price to curriculum from other publishers?

To make an adequate comparison in costs, compare the amount of material involved. McRuffy Press is generally priced lower than curriculum packages from other publishers with a similar amount of material. We try to keep cost down and value up.

Is there a particular method that McRuffy Color Math uses?

With decades of experience in curriculum development, we have found that the spiral method of teaching, where concepts are revisited throughout the year, provides the most success for students. Rather than teaching a concept and moving on to the next one, we have found that consistently reintroducing the concept allows for better opportunities to learn for students that might not have grasped the concept the first time, and better retention for all students.

Is there a particular method that McRuffy Phonics and Reading Curriculum use?

At the primary grade levels (K to 2) our curriculum is based around a weekly phonics concept. The phonics concept is integrated across all areas of language arts to reinforce decoding skills in a variety of ways. The reading material is phonics based, spelling lists are developed from the phonics list, language activities use words based on the phonics concepts. Even the optional handwriting books follow the phonics and spelling sequence.

With the grammar and language concepts within the curriculum we spiral with review activities and build on new applications and skills.

Is McRuffy Press an accredited curriculum?
The short answer: no, but it can be a part of an accredited program. Accreditation, in general, is not attached to books, sets of books, or a collection of materials that McRuffy Press refers to as a curriculum on this website. The term accreditation applies to educational institutions (schools, online schools) not to books used by the schools. Schools often refer to their entire program as a curriculum - materials, teachers, record keeping, tests, etc. They are using the word "curriculum" in a different sense. To the best of our knowledge, there is no accrediting body that accredits justs sets of books used in a course. We have accredited schools that use our curriculum to meet academic requirements for accreditation, but it is the schools that are accredited, not the materials. 

What does the SE stand for in the Phonics and Reading Curriculum?

The SE stands for Special Edition. We used this designation to draw a distinction between the first edition of our phonics and reading programs.

Can public and parochial schools use the McRuffy curriculum or is it just for homeschooling use?

The flexibility of the McRuffy series allows it to be customized for use in all teaching settings. We have clients in all types of schools and would be happy to help you customize a plan for your needs. This may include customized resource packs, classroom science lab packs, and classroom manipulative kits. Please call our client service center at 816-331-7831 to be connected with a McRuffy advisor.

Our products are widely used in public, private, charter, and homeschool charter schools.

Are your curriculums Christian-based or secular?

The McRuffy series does not mention a particular religion or doctrine. However, the McRuffy curriculum has been implemented successfully at a number of parochial and Christian-based homeschooling programs and schools over the past 20 years.

We consider our products to be value friendly for parents that need a secular curriculum for homeschool charter schools.

Are your curriculums able to be purchased with publically funded money, such as homeschool charter schools or public classrooms?

Absolutely! We have many customers that use their public funding to purchase our materials. We gladly accept purchase orders by fax at 1- 480-772-4376 or by e-mail: brian@mcruffy.com or sales@mcruffy.com

Are the Teacher’s Manuals really necessary?

We definitely pack quality and quantity into each McRuffy product to help you get the most bang for your buck! Our Teacher’s Manuals are our best asset, with lots of extra tips and trick to help you deliver the best lessons possible to your students. Most teachers that buy curriculums without the Teachers Manual end up making a separate purchase once they find out how easy it makes teaching the lesson. As always, we believe that the teacher is the child’s best resource, so we make sure the Teacher’s Manual makes your job as easy and successful as possible!

It will save you time and cost you only pennies per day. The curriculum packages are discounted to make them an even greater value.

Do I need math manipulative or science lab kits?

Yes, but we provide everything you need while being conscientious of your budget. We have repackaged math manipulative into smaller quantities for homeschool use. Most of the items in math and science kits are reused through multiple grade levels. We make upgrade kits available for math and science kits to add the manipulatives needed for the next grade level.

Already have some math manipulatives? McRuffy Press also sells individual items in the math manipulative kits.

If you plan on teaching multiple levels we also offer the Color Math Super Kit that covers grades K to 4.

In general is McRuffy Press easier or more difficult than comparable curriculum?

It depends on who you ask. We create our materials based on grade level standards, but all students have different strengths and learn some things better than other things. Also, students grow in their ability to understand material.

We do tend to take a more gradual, but extended approach in teaching. Learning happens through repetition and review. Repetition does not have to mean repeating the very same thing multiple times, such as a flashcard drill. It also includes repeating the content in a variety of contexts.

If you find that the curriculum is too hard or too easy for your child, please feel free to contact us for ideas to help your child get the most from their McRuffy Press curriculum.

Generally, students who complete our programs do very well on standardized tests.

My child is reading way above grade level. Should I skip grades?

No, in general we wouldn’t advise skipping grade levels, at least not without advanced placement testing and guidance from a professional evaluator. Most students will benefit from moving through each grade level. Perhaps the pacing may be changed, but students will benefit from learning all the content of our language arts (phonics and reading) levels. Most students who do well with McRuffy Press curriculum will test above grade level.

Whether you’re using McRuffy Press or any other publisher, you’ll want to supplement reading with additional reading books (library books) to encourage growth, challenge ability, appeal to the student’s interest, and practice reading skills. The reading books in our curriculum are also used to develop comprehension skills and integrate phonics concepts, so they are always useful instructional tools.

My beginning reader reads well by sight. Do I need a phonics program?

Yes, multiple research studies have shown that all students benefit from phonics instruction. Studies compared the progress of students instructed by sight methods to students instructed using phonics. Most phonics students made at least an additional grade level of growth when instructed using phonics. Understanding how phonemes are represented and how they relate to writing and reading is essential for advanced reading development.

Does the McRuffy curriculum follow “Common Core” standards?

We have tried to walk a fine line with Common Core standards. Some of our customers want to avoid Common Core due to some great and well-founded concerns with the standards. Other customers are required to demonstrate that the curriculum they are using follows Common Core.

Our curriculum was developed before Common Core based on multiple state standards. At the elementary level, many of those state standards, such as teaching phonics, are also common core standards. We matched our previously developed content to the standards to help those who had to classify activities based on Common Core. In the process, we did add some material, such as the Fables Unit in Second Grade.

What we did not do is include the strange math algorithms you often find posted on social media sites. So, if you want to avoid Common Core, we still have the same solid educational materials as before Common Core. If you need to demonstrate you are meeting Common Core Standards, we can supply support there as well.

Is McRuffy Press an accredited curriculum?

The short answer: no, but it can be a part of an accredited program. Accreditation, in general, is not attached to books, sets of books, or a collection of materials that McRuffy Press refers to as a curriculum on this website. The term accreditation applies to educational institutions (schools, online schools) not to books used by the schools. Schools often refer to their entire program as a curriculum - materials, teachers, record keeping, tests, etc. They are using the word "curriculum" in a different sense. To the best of our knowledge, there is no accrediting body that accredits justs sets of books used in a course. We have accredited schools that use our curriculum to meet academic requirements for accreditation, but it is the schools that are accredited, not the materials..

Where can I find answers about returns?

You may read our Return Policy here.