Category: Kids Math Help

Mad minutes are a math related concept. In fact, it is a great way to encourage the kids and allow them to have interest in math related matters. Some kids find mathematics difficult to attempt and solve and they start showing a general laziness towards the subject. For them, this concept of mad math minute can really work wonders.

Mad math minute is a fabulous way to practice the basic math skills. The concept covers all, addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Mad math minutes are a great way to make kids feel the interest in trying out new and innovative things in the world of Arithmetic, Algebra and Geometry. Here, the students are allowed to choose their preferred problem types and they practice to make things seem simple and less difficult.

Go the Mad Minutes way

Mad minutes are a great way for helping students gain immediate recall of number facts. Read on, if you want to know how.

A student can solve a mathematical problem quite easily like 7X9 or 9+5. This is just a basic fact. But, if you have to put the mental ability of your child to test, what do you do? Simply, change the order of things; this is to say that you put the same mathematical problems as 7X?=63 or may be, 9+?=14. This will sharpen the thinking prowess of your child and help him/her grasp mathematical applications precisely.

Do the same with subtraction as well as division mathematical operations. Start with sums like, 7-4=? or 9/3=? After your child learns to master these mathematical operations, challenge him/her to solve sums like 5-?=2 or 6/?=3. See, if your child can efficiently solve them. This is the mad minutes way of solving sums.

Why choose mad math minutes?

If you really decide to have a try with mad math minutes things are sure to turn fun and enthusiastic for you. Mad math minutes comprise a set of problems with multiple variations. However, it is you who has to choose the problem as par requirement and practice accordingly.

In mad minutes, a student is compelled to judge a sum from several angles and then come to a definite conclusion of how to solve the sum and end up with a correct solution. With mad math minutes, a student can excel no matter how weak he or she may be in mathematics. Mad math minutes have been designed and formulated for all intermediates, beginners and experts. Here you make mistakes and you learn from those mistakes not to commit a mathematical blunder in future. Thus, it’s time you should try to be an expert and a perfectionist in math with mad minutes.

Is math division turning into a nightmare for your kid? Is he coping well with addition, subtraction and multiplication well, but getting stuck with division? Certainly, division may seem more complex to your little one, especially when it involves long numbers.

Tackle your kid’s difficulties with some early advice and care. Give him some personal attention and do his homework with him. Don’t neglect the issue, since your child needs to get over the hurdles before he moves on to tougher maths in his next grade. Follow these simple concepts and see how division gets a lot more enjoyable for your kid.

Quick tips

An easy way to solve your kid’s division problem is to use the last digit of a number.

1. If a number ends in a zero, the number will allow division by ten.
2. If the last digit is even, then it will allow division by two
3. If the last digit is five the number is divisible by five
4. If you can divide the last 2 digits by four, you can divide the whole number by 4
5. If the last three digits are divisible by eight, you can divide the whole number by eight
6. If you can divide the last four digits by sixteen, like the others, you can divide the whole number by it

Whole number tricks

There are some easy ways to find out how a division answer will end up in a whole number. If the digits in a number add up to a number that allow division by three then three can also divide the whole number. Again, if the digits add up to a number that is divisible by nine then the whole number can also be divided by nine.

New number formula

Division can also become easy by this method. To start, add up every other number and get a new number. Then add up the left over numbers and if the result is the same answer or if both the results are multiples of 11, the whole number is divisible by eleven.

Number facts

Some numbers make maths a lot of fun. Like the number six. To find out what can be divided by six, you need to first find out if it allows division by three and two. If yes, then it is also divisible by six. However, seven is one number that you cannot play tricks with.

Long division hurdles

Long division that involves equations needs a separate set of strategies. They involve more than single digit numbers on both sides and often may not end up in whole number. A smart way out is to employ subtraction methods to tackle them.

Most of these tips will make what seems very hard, much more enjoyable and easy to your kid. Once he learns these tricks, math division will open up a world of wonder for him.

Getting grade 5 math help is often vital to a student’s future. Middle school is a time when maths gets more complex and hence many students find it difficult to cope on their own. Mary was scoring high in the subject, until she reached grade 5.

When she consistently fared poorly in her new class, her maths teacher felt that she would need some assistance. Hence, she gave her some extra attention and advised her parents to assist her at home. The collective help from her teachers and parents worked wonders for Mary. These are some of the tips that made a difference to Mary. Try them out to help your kid:

• Jot down notes

• Taking detailed notes during your maths class will help you remember some important tips. Most teachers try to cover a lot in a single period in middle school.

• To ensure effective note taking, have bundles of notebooks with you. To start the process take a ruler and draw a vertical line about 2.5 inches from the left margin down the entire length of the page. Mark out the left column for things to remember and name it ‘recall’. Mark the right column for the actual ‘notes’. This pattern is the Cornell method and is suggested by Michele A. Hernandez of Scholastic. It suggests that during the maths class students should jot down in simple paragraphs and need not record every single thing the teacher says. The best help is to pick the main points and explain them with examples of math problems. These examples are generally similar to the daily homework given by your math teacher.

• When the class is over, go through your maths notes once you are home. Don’t leave it for later.

• Highlight the key points, then jot them down again in the left hand ‘recall’ column. This helps to remember the main points that have been taught in class. You can also write down important formulas and equations in the ‘recall’ section. This will help you to do your homework faster. The guidance given by this method can be of help to most students even beyond grade 5.

• Keep the textbook handy – If your notes do not suffice while you are trying to solve problems turn to the textbook for guidance. When you are stuck with a problem, the textbook examples will guide you about the steps taken to get the answer.

• Look for assistance from friends and family – It’s always wise to go to your older siblings and parents when you get can’t solve a problem. Also a little help from a middle school peer can help.
• External help – If things don’t seem to improve, you could also enroll with a tutor who handles middle school maths. You could even ask you math teacher for help after school.

All these points followed diligently will surely have an impact on your kid’s mark sheet. A little grade 5 math help can also make a great difference to your kid’s high school mathematical abilities as well.

If your son is asking around for the inventor of maths with a menacing look in his eyes and his toy gun in the hand, then he is seriously in need of some math help. More than scolds and angry stares, what your child needs is some proper guidance that will stop him from treating math like a pest to be kept away from and its inventor as someone who deserves to be hanged.

The best help for maths doesn’t consist burdening your child with more formulae to memorize and more problems to solve. The ideal math guide will help your child to overcome his fear of maths and get him to enjoy the subject.

The greatest obstacle in the way of learning maths is the fear of the subject. This fear is the outcome of primarily the way in which maths is conventionally taught in a classroom setting. Taught in batches and following a time-honored approach, the special needs of your child are not focused upon. As a result he falters with his maths homework. Not only does his basics go all awry, but he also comes to fear the subject.

It is true that maths can be a bit problematic but there’s nothing about it that a good tution cannot fix.

Online maths tuition is currently the rage amongst the maths-mauled kids and the homework-harried parents. Apart from the individualized attention and lesson plans that these resources impart, these online resources provide math lessons in an engaging manner employing graphics and animations apart from the usual text and numerical matter. Not only these illustrations make for easy understanding of tricky math problems, but they impart an ambience of fun to the whole setting.

The online maths resources make learning maths interesting with maths games and puzzles that only serve to whet your child’s appetite for more. When your child gets fun out of maths, you can be sure that he is receiving the best guidance.

Maths sites offer varied ways of solving math problems so that your child also gets to grasp the nitty-gritty of different mathematical procedures. Moreover these free maths guidance sites give you ample practice sessions so that you can get your basics right. Strong concepts help him with his maths homework too. Moreover a strong foundation in maths is imperative so that your ward doesn’t face problems when he has to deal with higher-level maths in his college.

In addition to these online resources, you too can help your child with his maths. When you are working upon his maths, take care to get him excited. Introduce fun and logic into your guidance. When he understands its concepts thoroughly he will be able to appreciate math more. Take him out on shopping trips and as you splurge around get him to make the price calculations. This gives you all the more chance to indulge in frequent shopping sprees.

You can also get your child to determine the best buys. Or have him go through the checking book. This way you will be also giving him a valuable guidance in money matters.

Maths help tendered patiently and logically will help your child figure out the figures effectively.

The great thing about a math game is that it tickles your gray cells to no end. It is thus no wonder that math games have been the rage throughout the ages fascinating both kids and grown-ups.

Maths games range from the very simple that are actually child’s play to the immensely complex that have remained unsolved through the ages. Scholars have labored over many a game of math, resulting in theoretical developments in the realm of mathematics.

Gracing the Hall of Fame of legendary maths games are the ones invented by the ancient Greek mathematicians, the most famous among them being Archimedes’ Cattle Problem. The sheer complexity of this game can be gauged by the fact that some of its solutions turn out to be numbers with 206545 digits.

The Rabbit Problem is another ‘who’s who’ of math games. And wizards and laymen have raked their brains trying to figure out how many pairs of rabbits can be produced in a year from another pair of rabbits if every month each pair begins a new pair which from the second month on becomes productive?

It was not only Jacques Saunier, of The Da Vinci Code fame, who was fascinated by the Fibonacci Sequence. The sequence 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, … where each number is the sum of the preceding two has mesmerized mathematicians enough to have a whole body of mathematics dedicated to it.

Then there is the Kirkman’s School Girl Problem that assumes a towering importance in the modern theory of combinatorics. The game is all about figuring out how 15 girls can walk in 5 rows of 3 each for 7 days so that no girl walks with any other girl in the same triplet more than once.

Some famous chessboard problems involving the use of mathematics are the Eight Queens game where you have to arrange eight queens on a chess board so that no two can attack each other and of course the ancient Arabian game on grains of wheat, 1 on the first square of the chess board, 2 on the second, 4 on the third, 8 on the fourth and so on.

These mathematics games are not mere food for thought. They constitute important educational tools to guide your kid through the basics of mathematics. Children learn best when they can derive some fun out of the teaching.

In fact, this is the credo of the numerous online sites that offer free tutoring on mathematics. These sites are replete with maths games of all kinds and different difficulty levels. These games aim to impart the logic behind maths through fun and frolic. In fact, the idea has caught on like wild fire and these days it is not uncommon to find a tutor attempting to teach the kids the basics of group theory with the Rubik Cube.

You can also devise simple math games for your kid to have fun with. Something as simple as asking him to get three cookies from the jar or counting the number of kittens will help him with his counting. Board games are fun ways to brush up your kid’s sequential math understanding. You can even ask your kids to keep scores of the games so that he gets his addition fundamentals spot on.

When it comes to learning maths, the math game is a great one for mixing business with pleasure.

For once the children are not grumbling about their math and its all courtesy the variety of math software that have been lately flooding the store shelves. Math software has taken the boredom and complexity out of number crunching so that the kids are happy with their math, the teachers are happy and the parents are over the moon.

The soaring popularity of math software stems from many reasons. Time-bound conventional classroom teaching methods cannot address the specific needs of the children who might find proceedings difficult to grasp and require additional help or extra practice time. For these kids, the math basics are all awry and thus a backlog in math is almost inevitable.

Math software incorporates animations, graphics and music in the math tutorials. Not only do these elements make comprehension easy, but they also infuse fun and dynamism into the lessons. These ensure that your kid is having a whale of a time while learning math. The math software can also be customized to fit the particular needs of your kid. The math software aims to equip your kid with a firm grounding in math so that take-offs in to advanced levels are eased.

There is math software for every grade and every math-related topic. Children need to have their math concepts spot on so as not to struggle when they have to deal with math on a higher level. Thus they will need the MathWork compilation to get their number, shape, space and measurement and data handling skills sharpened. This very pocket-friendly software package with its modular approach can be integrated with the classroom teaching methods so that your kid gets the best of both worlds.

Teachers’ Choice Software is another gem of software that aims to have the high school and preliminary college level math concepts cemented.

Calculus concerns of the children are addressed by the very popular software Calculus WIZ with its all-out emphasis on getting the concepts drilled in the minds of the kids. Furthermore, this software has an interesting galore of tips and tricks to perform basic computations easily so that you save up on time.

If you bogged down math maladies as a whole, there are software solutions that come with lessons and problem-solving techniques that encompass a wide range of topics.

Thus the Neufeld Mathematical Software deals with Algebra, Exponents, Graphing, Equations, Fractions, Integers, Probability, Percent and Measurement. These math topics are dealt with admirably using graphical explanations, interactive illustrations and practice sessions.

The ‘Sure Math’ math software is of a similar kind, but dealing with algebra and fundamental trigonometry.

The Intelligent Tutor software series is particularly popular with math students of all standards. There are volumes on basic and advanced Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, Calculus, SAT/ACT Math and Business Math, to help elementary grade kids, high school students and those preparing for competitive exams.

Math software like Mathcad have comprehensive solutions for your engineering how-to’s also while the Geometer’s Sketchpad has taken the teaching of geometry to a different plane altogether.

You can also download the Numeracy Software to aid your kid with his Logo procedures and spreadsheet applications and for free too. In fact, there are many such online math resources that you can download for free and help your kid with his math.

Math software ensures that the children take fun in their math lessons.

An ideal math curriculum for kids is one that gives the kids a complete understanding of math concepts and skills, so that they have a solid rooting in math. A strong foundation in math in these elementary school years is essential for inspiring a positive attitude towards the subject as the child advances through middle school for higher education.

Thus, irrespective of whether you are planning a homeschool math curriculum or mathematics programs for kindergarten and elementary schools, you should opt for a program that is broad in its approach. It should be a curriculum that emphasizes more on the practical application of math (instead of basic arithmetic and formulated maths), infusing logical sense, practicality in an individual.

Adjudged from this angle, an effective math curriculum for kids should essentially incorporate the following aspects of math:

Numbers and Applications
Being able to identify a number or to write it down is not enough; kids should also be able to associate with the meaning, the sense a numeral conveys. The representational aspect of numbers helps children grasp the very essence of number theory. Once kids are familiar with the representative aspect of numbers, children easily pick up place value, face value and even the many applications of numbers.

Algebra
A child’s introduction to algebra in this elementary stage should revolve round simple activities like the ability to sort and order objects (or numbers). Identification and simulation of simple patterns, etc., give kindergarteners their fair share of experience in algebra. These basic math guidelines help children tackle the complex algebra of middle school.

Geometry
Homeschool and kindergarten math curriculum geometry is as much about basic shapes as about spatial concepts. 2-D, 3-D drawings of geometrical figures (also models) introduce children to the space-concept, giving them a strong foundation in co-ordinate geometry.

Measurement
This involves nurturing the measuring skills in kids. A practical math skill to acquire, children are taught to measure time, money, weight, height, temperature, capacity, distance, etc. it is utility-wise most vital.

Data Analysis and Probability
Application-wise it is a crucial aspect of the elementary math curriculum. Organizing and correlating data / information together with their representation enhances the logical sense of the kids and this eventually proves very beneficial for them.

Incorporation of all these basic concepts in the elementary math curriculum will literally make it an all-embracing course, which punched with activities, games and projects can make mathematics a lively subject children will be passionate about.

Middle school math help is just what the doc ordered for Ron. The very much maths harassed Ron was stranded in a sea of formulae, figures and equations, wondering where to look for help regarding middle school level maths.

Thankfully, guidance was not far and happily enough countering middle school grade math didn’t involve a Herculean effort.

The rule of thumb regarding middle school level math tutoring is to cultivate the habit of taking down notes in school. Ron was not quite amused with the suggestion. Note taking was something he hated. But the good thing about maths notes is that they make for easy learning and recapitulation and serve as excellent references for the future. They needn’t be lengthy either.

In fact, Ron was quite surprised to discover that with the Cornell method taking down notes was as simple as drawing two columns, the left one which is the narrower one titled “recall” and the right one, “notes”. Ron was required to write out the maths problems that were being covered in the class in the “notes” section.

This way Ron was ensured that he didn’t miss out on anything that his tutor covered in school. Furthermore, jotting down the important formulae and equations in the “recall” section meant that he had a handy reference to turn to when stuck with a math problem.

In his self-help math tutoring endeavor, Ron benefited immensely from following the textbook. After all, the textbook hasn’t been provided for nothing.

His maths textbook took him through the objectives and the relevance of the math problems. And for the first time in his school life, Ron actually knew what in the whole wide world was he doing with the math problems. He developed an interest in the subject and this actually made the learning process much more easier.

The maths textbook also helped Ron with its exhaustive demonstrations of the maths procedures and the sample problems. It is always easier to solve maths problems when you have something in front of you to take the cue from, say the use of a formula or a like sum.

Ron had never been the one to ask for help. But he has now realized that self-help doesn’t always see you through the day. With religious note taking in school and rigorously following the maths textbook, he has been able to master the intricacies of middle school level math. But once in a while when a particularly stubborn math problem bothers him, he now goes to his mom or dad or a classmate to get things sorted out. He also approaches his math tutor at school and the numerous maths homework-help websites that teem the Internet.

With middle school math help, Ron is now possessed with a maths mania.

A proper math lesson plan is integral to the success of any math class. As with any lesson plan, planning for a maths lesson too will ensure that you do not miss out on your lesson priorities, the students receive a concerted tutoring and also get fun out of it. As every designer, architect and engineer will wholeheartedly agree, a wrong blueprint will have the entire project fall flat on its face.

The oft quoted tip about the preparation of a lesson plan for maths involves spacing out the topics so that your pupils get a breather between each.

Knowing how to prepare a lesson plan for math is easy, but what is more important is knowing how to make the plan interesting and lively. A great tip in this regard is to introduce mathematical examples that students can relate to. Infuse some humor and pep up the lessons with something novel. Say, an anecdote about the zero came into being. That is, your lesson plan should have enough zing in it so as not to have the pupils nodding off.

The instructions, to the teachers that is, are loud and clear. Don’t even dream of venturing into the classroom without a comprehensive lesson plan for maths. And as you prepare your math lesson plan, it is worth taking a cue from the Madeline Hunter Lesson Design Model for some handy tips.

The Madeline Hunter Lesson Design Model tips you to get the orientation of your pupils spot on right at the outset. Thus your math lesson plan will require you to give some “anticipatory set”, say in the form of a handout or an illustration so that the students know what actually they will learn. They also need to be made aware of the “purpose” or objective of the maths lesson. Knowing that, what you are learning will stand you in good stead always whets up the interest level in the subject.

The elementary part of the Madeline Hunter Lesson Design Model taken care of, it’s time to take the plunge into the lesson. You have to organize your “input” or the maths concepts you intend to use in the classroom. This also involves the preparation of a time schedule, detailing how much to teach per lesson taking care to ensure that you are not rushing your pupils much or that the lessons have not been reduced to snail’s pace.

As you progress through your maths lessons, following the tips of the Madeline Hunter Lesson Design Model, you will follow a four-pronged strategy: “modeling”, “guided practice”, “to check understanding” and “independent practice”.

These all entail that you have to demonstrate to your students how a particular maths problem can be dealt with and then guide them as they try to tackle it themselves.

Bacon had once said that “practice makes a man perfect”. This is all the more true for maths. So as you prepare your lesson plan for maths, include ample time for rehearsing. And before you finish off the maths lesson, always make an assessment of what your pupils have learnt.

The preparation of a math lesson plan assumes all the more importance if you are teaching an elementary class, for your lesson plan will prepare the grounding for maths. So the onus is on you to prepare a math lesson plan that does not massacre maths in the young minds.

Do you know how important teaching math the right way is to a student’s mathematical future? Yes, it can make or break his maths IQ, more when it is associated with the feeling of fear that hampers learning. This is one subject that students either love or hate. Teachers, parents and tutors could guide kids through enjoyable means and change all that.

One effective way to teach maths is by doing it together. Don’t just hand your kid a long list of problems to solve and when he can’t solve them do not scold him. This will only make things worse. Make it fun, by handing him your customized telephone bill and asking him to add up the total. This will make him aware about the importance of maths in our daily lives and generate greater interest.

Make the maths lessons seem like a number game using things at hand that may be of interest to a kid. Maybe you can get a set of colored balls, number them and use them for all the mathematical activities. If you are too busy to guide your kid, look for a good tutoring service. However, make sure they do not just impart cut and dry maths lessons. Rather go for a tutor who makes learning creative and fun, even if he or she is relatively unknown.

Remember teaching math cannot end in school and tutorial classes. Guiding your child at home is very important and you must find some time for it, even if it is only in the weekend. For other times you could get your kid, a computer to play number games on or to surf the web for on-line maths tips.

This apart, you could introduce some other number games time to make maths more enjoyable to your little ones. Try some logic games like crossword puzzles, number sequences and logic grids. Then there are board games like Yahtzee, chess, backgammon, checkers, connect four and dominoes that go a long way to guiding a student’s maths abilities.

Play such games together as a family and turn it into a productive pastime for your kid when you are not around. This will also take care of his maths homework and when you get back home, you could do some checking. As a teacher, whether at home or at school, you should make teaching math a collective and creative experience.