Building Math Skills Article Archive

Practical advice about how to help your child improve her math skills. Fun math games, how to think mathematically, handling money, overcoming math anxiety. Find even more on building math skills at home.

• Handwritten Thank-You Notes Offer Many Ways To LearnParents can add humor—and math and history learning—to this task, which is one that most children initially resist.
• High School Math: How Parents Can Help Build SkillsSome simple strategies and encouragement will benefit students who are struggling in math.
• Simple Ideas To Help Overcome Math AnxietySome middle school children get so anxious about math, they dread going to class. Or they worry so excessively about a test, they make mistakes.
• Help Your Child Practice Interpreting GraphicsBy middle school, it is highly important that your child is comfortable with graphics.
• Shopping Trip Links Math Skills to Daily LifeOne of the best ways to encourage learning is to connect lessons to real life.
• Turn Boring Road Trips Into Fun Math LessonsAdults use math to plan trips all the time.
• Help Your Middle Schooler Practice PercentagesHave you ever overtipped a waiter to avoid figuring out a percent problem?
• Budgeting Builds Math SkillsA key middle school math concept is figuring out the mean (or average) of numbers.
• Games Can Help Your Child Master Math FactsMany kids make it to middle school and don’t know their basic math facts.
• Measuring Items Teaches Ratio, ProportionRatio and proportion tell us how large something is in comparison with something else.
• Counting Heartbeats an Opportunity To Practice EstimationFebruary is American Heart Month. Challenge your child to count her heartbeat and hone her estimation skills.
• Everyday Activities Build Middle School Math SkillsEducators say games and hands-on activities are the best way for middle schoolers to learn math.
• Practice Math at the Grocery StoreA trip to the grocery store is always a learning opportunity.
• Build Math Skills With Million Dollar EstimatesMany kids don’t have a sense of big numbers or large amounts of money.
• Investment Game Teaches Important SkillsNearly every middle schooler is interested in making money.
• Estimation Can Help With Solving Math ProblemsMath is a subject that typically depends on precise answers. But the first step to arriving at those answers is often to look the problem over and make an “educated guess” or estimation.
• Middle School Math MythbustersSchools and community groups have made a real effort to encourage more students to take math each year.
• Ways To Help Your Middle Schooler Succeed in MathEven if you can, it’s not a good idea to try to “reteach” your child what he doesn’t get in math class.
• Teach Your Teen How To Keep Up With Records, File TaxesIf your teen held a paying job during the year, she’ll need to file a tax return.
• Give Your Teen Advice to Plan Ahead for Final Math ExamsHow to get ready for that big math test.
• Encourage Your Teenager To Keep a Spending NotebookTeens need help in learning how to manage their money.
• Study Tips for Math and Science ClassesIn most schools, students have to take several math and science classes to graduate. Studying these subjects requires different skills than studying other subjects.
• Finding Patterns Makes Math Problems EasierAll the math problems your teen’s teacher assigns do have solutions.
• Practice Real-World Percentage ProblemsMany times, teens know how to find the correct answer to a percentage problem, but they make simple mistakes that cause them to get the problem wrong.
• Eliminate Math Word Problem Panic AttacksHelp your teen crack the mystery of word problems with these steps.
• Math Success Tips for AdolescentsMost students can master math if they work hard.
• Encourage Teens To Develop Math StrategiesMath is about more than calculations. It is about finding patterns and using strategies to solve problems.
• Find the Type of Math That Will Catch Your Teen’s InterestEven teens who say “I hate math” can find something to like if their interest is sparked.
• Teach Your Child Responsibility, Build Math SkillsHow allowance can help with math skills.
• Tips for Learning Math FactsEven the youngest child today knows how to use a calculator. But it's still important to be able to do math problems without one.
• Turn a Trip to the Grocery Store Into a Math LessonA trip to the grocery store can yield far more than food supplies.
• Reinforce Math Skills With a Family GraphGraphs help everyone understand information at a glance.
• Figuring Averages Helps Teach "Mental Math"We talk a lot about averages—batting averages, average gas mileage, grade point averages.
• Boost Math Skills With the Change GameChildren—and many adults—have a hard time making change or knowing whether they’ve received the correct change back after a purchase. Give your child this much-needed practice.
• A Grid To Learn Multiplication TablesIs your child starting to learn multiplication? Here's a tip to help kids learn...and it's a lot more fun than flash cards.
• Make Simple Graphs at Home for FunEven very young children can learn to use graphs.
• Teach Math, Geography With the Weather PageYou don’t need textbooks to teach your child basic skills.
• Challenge Your Child to a Game of "Expensive Words"Here’s a fun way to motivate your child to practice addition (and spelling).
• "Trading for 10s" Game Makes Arithmetic FunThis game will make learning to add and subtract fun.
• Flash Cards for Math Fact FamiliesSometimes, math facts come in families. When children are learning that 7 + 5 = 12, it’s just as easy to learn that 5 + 7 also equals 12.
• Recognizing Patterns Reinforces Basic Math FactsTo move to higher math, your child will have to have some basic math facts memorized.
• Let SIR RIGHT Come to the Rescue for Word ProblemsSIR RIGHT can come to the rescue if your child is struggling with word problems.
• Regular Review Helps Children Master Math SkillsSuccess in math is built on mastering basic skills.
• Guessing Games Build Mental Math SkillsThis game will increase your child’s ability to do math problems in her head.
• Help Your Child Master Basic Math SkillsAll children don’t have to be math whizzes.
• Turn Everyday Events Into Math ExercisesParents don’t have to “do math” with children to teach math skills.
• Egg Carton Game Helps Your Child Practice Math SkillsWhen it comes to mastering math facts, practice makes perfect.
• Practice Math While Running ErrandsHere are ideas for building math skills while you and your child are out and about doing everyday chores.
• Reinforce Math Skills With Sidewalk GamesLearning math concepts doesn’t have to be boring.
• Hands-on Activities Help Teach FractionsLearning fractions can be a challenge for some children.
• Memorizing Multiplication Tables Essential for MathEven in these days of computers and calculators, students still need to know how to multiply 7 x 8.
• Challenge Your Child With Mini Math QuizzesIn the elementary grades, children learn integers.
• Bottle Caps, Rocks, and More Can Help Teach MathAnything small and collectible can be used to teach math.
• Use Manipulatives To Teach Hands-On MathEver find yourself in a new place? At first, everything looks confusing. But later, as you see familiar landmarks, it’s easier to get around.
• Teach Math Skills in Every Room of the HouseMath is so much a part of our everyday lives that we use it in almost every room of the house.
• Questions To Help Your Child Think MathematicallyChildren who succeed at math don’t just memorize math facts like one plus one equals two. They learn to think mathematically.
• Practice Math Together at Home Each DayYou use math all day long, and eventually your child will, too.