Life of Fred is unlike any math curriculum you've encountered. Written by Dr. Stanley Schmidt, a retired university math professor, it teaches mathematics through the ongoing story of Fred — a five-year-old genius who teaches at a university. Each chapter is a short, humorous episode from Fred's life, and the math emerges naturally from whatever situation Fred finds himself in.

Students read the story, encounter math concepts in context, and then work through a small set of practice problems called 'Your Turn to Play.' There are no drill pages, no workbooks full of repetitive problems, and no separate teacher's manual. The books are small, inexpensive ($19-34 each), and entertaining to read.

At a Glance

What to Know

The elementary series (Apples through Jellybeans) covers basic arithmetic through fractions. The intermediate books bridge to pre-algebra. The high school series covers Pre-Algebra, Beginning Algebra, Advanced Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, and Calculus , each as a complete, story-driven textbook.

Life of Fred is brilliant for students who hate traditional math but love to read. The narrative approach makes abstract concepts concrete by embedding them in situations students care about. However, most homeschool families find it insufficient as a standalone curriculum , there simply aren't enough practice problems for most students to achieve mastery. The most common approach is pairing Life of Fred with a drill-focused supplement like XtraMath or Saxon for fact practice.

The books are published by Polka Dot Publishing and available direct or through Amazon. There's no digital version , it's a reading experience that works best as a physical book.