Homeschooling Resources for Math: Figure This! and Help Math
Good morning, it is Monday morning which means I am back with some new math resources for you to check out. This morning I am here from Figure This! and also Help Math and no, I haven’t had a chance to check out either site although I plan to real soon. So I would like to ask if you have used either site if you would leave me a comment and let me know what you liked about the website and what you didn’t care for if there was anything.
Age Range: 10-14 (Grades 5-9 approximately, with parental supervision)
The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics offers this website that is designed to help families enjoy math OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL through a series of fun and engaging, high-quality challenges that improve problem-solving skills. The challenge activities that are designed with middle school math in mind, can be done online or downloaded in pdf files to print and use offline.
When you get to the site you will see animated characters and the words “Take A Challenge.” Click on those words and go directly to 4 math challenge problems that include:
- Line Up – How long would you have to wait if you were number 300?
- Beating Heart – How fast does your heart beat?
- Popcorn – Which shape holds the most?
- Don’t Fall In – Why are most manhole covers round?
If you decide to take the challenge, notice that each time you click on a different math challenge, the menu bar at the top of the page will change allowing you to access hints and tips that will help solve the problem. If you like these challenges then go to the “Challenge Index” on the menu where you can access 80 challenge problems archived at the site.
Before you begin the challenges, you might want to take a moment or two to view the menu items on the home page. It includes information for teachers and for families in English and in Spanish along with a “Math Index.” The Math Index lists all of the challenges archived at the site by math topics such as algebra, geometry, measurement, numbers, statistics, and probability – allowing you to more easily access the activities that relate to the strand of math you want to study.
Each of the challenge activities is designed to capture students’ attention to real-life problems making the math much more meaningful and thought-provoking. Families can have fun solving the challenge questions together. Bookmark this page, so you can return to the site and explore them all.
Help Math from Digital Directions caught the Co-op’s attention both because it was designed specifically for ELL, struggling, and students with special needs and because it has won some of the most prestigious awards for educational technology. Members save 50% on this program designed to
encourage math content knowledge and math skill development. Plus, order before
1/29/18and gets 750 SmartPoints.
Inside this post are my affiliate links and if you click on the links and make a purchase I will earn points which can be turned into for free merchandise we can use in our own Homeschooling classroom.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie, and David Cates
