Rod and Staff Arithmetic

Rod and Staff Arithmetic is the Mathematics for Christian Living series from Rod and Staff Publishers. It is a traditional, drill-based math program for grades 1 through 8, with workbooks in the early grades and reusable hardcover textbooks in the upper grades, and it is sold by independent vendors because the publisher does not operate a website.

Last updated: 2026-10-03 · Every Homeschool Editorial Team

At a glance

Method	Traditional / textbook-based / mastery approach (the series description states a mastery approach rather than a spiral approach)
Worldview	Mennonite-plain (the series description lists Biblical values and problems with a spiritual lesson or Biblical principle among its goals)
Grades	1-8, with a Grade 9 or 10 course, Recordkeeping for Christian Stewardship
Formats	Print: workbooks for grades 1-3, reusable hardcover textbooks for the higher grades, teacher's manuals, tests, and speed drills
Cost tier	Budget ($58.70 to $77.40 per grade set as of October 2026, per the sets cited below)
Parent intensity	3
ESA-common	Varies by state; confirm with your program
Accredited	No
Website	The publisher does not operate one, per Milestone Books, an independent vendor

Our scoreboard (1-5)

Criterion	Score	One-line reason
Academic rigor	5	Drill-heavy mastery approach with cumulative review and speed drills
Ease of teaching	3	The manuals guide the teacher through each lesson; the series aims for the pupil to work with a minimum of help
Content quality	4	Clear sequencing across 170 lessons per grade; plain presentation
Flexibility	3	Fixed sequence of lessons; the placement test and scope-and-sequence chart help with entry
Value for money	4	$58.70 to $77.40 per full grade set, with reusable hardcover textbooks from grade 4 up
Worldview scope	3	Biblical values and spiritual lessons are part of the stated design
Visual/design	1	Cathy Duffy Reviews, quoted by the vendor, describes the program as black-and-white
Support resources	2	Teacher's manuals, placement test, and scope-and-sequence chart; no website of its own

Who the publisher is

Rod and Staff Publishers is a Mennonite publisher. Catalog text reproduced on an unofficial site states that its purpose is to supply Christian homes and schools with Bible-based textbooks and literature. The same text names the Mathematics for Christian Living Series among its textbook lines and describes the board as made up of members of various Mennonite churches.

Milestone Books, the online bookstore of Milestone Ministries, LLC, describes itself as an independent vendor of Rod and Staff materials and states that many of these publishers, Rod and Staff among them, do not operate a website. The older rodandstaffbooks.com address now forwards to Milestone Books. The vendor's math series page is the source for the series description and prices below.

The core pedagogy

The series description lists five goals: to emphasize proper Biblical values; to teach useful number facts and skills; to balance concepts, computation, and applications; to enable the pupil to do the lessons with a minimum of help from the teacher; and to include reading or reasoning problems with a spiritual lesson, a Biblical principle, a challenge, or everyday usefulness. It states that number facts and skills are taught by the traditional method and that the series teaches one operation continuously over several weeks (a mastery approach) rather than cycling through concepts (a spiral approach). It also provides speed drills, which emphasize accuracy first and then speed, and extra practice sheets in the form of blackline masters. Cathy Duffy Reviews, quoted on the same page, describes the program as black-and-white, traditional mathematics with emphasis on drill, memorization, and word-problem application, with previously taught concepts continuously reviewed.

The lessons for the first three grades are in workbook form, and Grade 3 (optionally) and the higher grades are reusable hardcover books; the pupil's text is included in the teacher's manual. Each grade is 170 lessons.

Scope, per the vendor's set pages:

• Grade 1, Beginning Arithmetic: 170 lessons in two workbooks; money, measures, place value, and fractions are taught throughout the year while addition and subtraction facts are drilled, with 72 speed drills beginning at lesson 28.
• Grade 2, Working Arithmetic and Grade 3, Exploring Arithmetic: workbook courses; Grade 3 reviews addition and subtraction facts to the 18s and covers coins, clocks, the calendar, fractions, and measures.
• Grade 4, Progressing with Arithmetic: a hardcover textbook with 170 lessons that teaches long division and multiplying by two-digit numbers.
• Grade 5 and Grade 6: review and extension, with fractions, ratio and proportion, percents, and geometry.
• Grade 7, Mastering Mathematics and Grade 8, Applying Mathematics: each lesson reviews previous skills; Grade 7 introduces algebraic expressions, order of operations, exponents, and square roots, and Grade 8 covers polynomials and computation with signed numbers and exponents.

The series description notes that algebra is not introduced until grade 7 and that, although grades 7 and 8 introduce some algebraic concepts, the course is not designed as a thorough pre-algebra course. It also says Rod and Staff is developing an algebra course.

How a lesson runs

The pages do not give a daily time. The Grade 1 set page describes the teacher's manual as essential, with directions to guide the teacher in class time and a reduced copy of the pupil's lesson with answers filled in; speed drills are given every other day. For the upper grades, the set pages state that lesson concepts are explained in the student text and that each lesson includes review of previous skills.

What they do exceptionally well

Drill and review. The series is built around mastery of one operation at a time, speed drills, and review in each lesson, per the series description, and Cathy Duffy Reviews highlights the emphasis on drill and continuous review.

Teacher's manual. The vendor describes the manual as essential and states that it contains directions for class time and the pupil's lesson with answers. The Grade 1 manual covers the whole course in one hardcover volume, later grades use two manuals or two parts, and the upper-grade pupil texts are described as reusable.

Sequence across grades. Each grade has 170 lessons, and the set pages list the concepts introduced at each level, so a family can see where a student will be at the end of each year.

What they do poorly

Visual design. Cathy Duffy Reviews, as quoted on the vendor's series page, characterizes the program as black-and-white. Children who respond to color and illustration may find it plain.

No algebra course from the publisher yet. The series description says grades 7 and 8 are not designed as a thorough pre-algebra course and that an algebra course is in development. The only grade 9 or 10 math listing we found is Recordkeeping for Christian Stewardship. Families who want algebra will need to look to another publisher; the vendor lists Christian Light Algebra and other algebra courses.

Mixed editions and purchase path. The set pages show different editions by grade, with Grades 1 through 3 in third editions and Grades 4 through 8 in editions dated 1995 to 2004. The publisher has no website, so families order through a vendor.

Faith content in the problems. The series description lists Biblical values and spiritual-lesson problems among its design goals, and Grade 7 and Grade 8 set pages mention Bible applications and Bible measure conversions. Families who want a program without scripture-connected content should preview a set.

Who it fits / who it doesn't

• Pick Rod and Staff if: you want a traditional, drill-based mastery program through grade 8; you are comfortable with Biblical applications in word problems; you want reusable hardcover textbooks from grade 4 up; you do not need color or video.

• Skip Rod and Staff if: your child needs visual engagement, manipulatives, or video lessons; you want a spiral approach; you want a program with its own website and online resources; you want a continuous course through algebra from the same publisher.

Cost honest assessment

At Milestone Books as of October 2026, the grade sets, each including the pupil text or workbooks, practice or speed-drill materials, tests, and the teacher's manual, are priced as follows: Grade 1 $58.70; Grade 2 $77.40; Grade 3 $76.30; Grade 4 $67.50; Grade 5 $67.50; Grade 6 $66.95; Grade 7 $68.75; and Grade 8 $71.75. Individual pupil textbooks run $21.30 to $25.80 from Grade 4 up, and teacher's manuals are sold in two parts at $17.70 each.

The hardcover pupil texts from Grade 4 up are described as reusable, so the cost for a later sibling is lower, but speed-drill and test tablets are separate items. A family can see exact set contents on each item page before ordering.

ESA eligibility notes

Because the publisher does not operate a website, purchases come through vendors. Whether a vendor receipt is accepted, and whether religious-publisher materials are covered, depends on the state program. This review has not verified Rod and Staff listings on any state marketplace. Confirm with the program administrator before ordering.

Alternatives

• Christian Light Education Math, a family would choose CLE over Rod and Staff for a math program the publisher lists for grades 1 through 12 from a single organization, which covers the high school grades Rod and Staff does not.
• Math Mammoth, a family would choose Math Mammoth over Rod and Staff for worktexts that the publisher says emphasize conceptual understanding, mental math, and number sense, are available as PDF or print, and cost less than $50 a year per the publisher.
• Saxon Math, a family would choose Saxon over Rod and Staff for a K-12 sequence that includes Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra 2, built on incremental development and cumulative review.

How we verified this

Our editorial team reviewed the Milestone Books Mathematics for Christian Living series page, the About page, and the Grade 1 through Grade 8 set pages, the unofficial Anabaptists.org page reproducing the publisher's catalog text, and the homepages of the three alternatives in October 2026. Prices and program details verified October 2026.