The High School Years

Math is now scary (only kidding). But it is challenging. Students who have been self-teachers for a few years already may be able to continue on their own. If that doesn’t seem like a good option for your student and if you feel uncomfortable with high school level math, there are many good resources available to you (See Q & A below):

Paradigm Intermediate Math Skills. For the high schooler not quite ready for algebra (scan down when you get to this site to find intermediate level).

Saxon Math. Textbook-based, self-explanatory for determined students.

Saxon Middle Grades Free Placement Test. Opens in pdf file.

Saxon Algebra I Free Placement Test. Opens in pdf file.

Saxon Algebra II Free Placement Test. Opens in pdf file.

Math-U-See. Hands-on, free demo video available.

Chalk Dust Math. Video/DVD courses for high school and college math. Cathy Duffy Review on web site. Here’s a good way to navigate this web site: Start with the Cathy Duffy Review. After reading the review, go to the left index and click on “Quick Sketches Homeschool Student.” After reading that page, look at the bottom for links to specific levels of math. An expensive but highly regarded program.

More Math Programs

There are lots of good math programs out there. To see reviews of some of them, check out Cathy Duffy’s Math Reviews.

Check out local school supply stores (in your Yellow Pages) for math workbooks and supplements. Also take a look at study guides in major bookstores.

School of Abraham. Suggestions for helping your children enjoy mathematics (and be better thinkers). Suggestions from web site creator Dale R. Reed and many parents who have contributed, plus lots of links. "To become a better thinker you must think difficult thoughts."  - Dale R. Reed

Make it Fun: Math Games and More!

Educational Learning Games. Hundreds of board games and card games on this incredible site (and not only math but geography, history, foreign language, lots more!).

Smart Kids Software. Tons of stuff. Many subjects besides math. Take a look at Quarter Mile Math software.

Nasco Math. Workbooks, games, manipulatives, supplies, lots of neat stuff.

Fun books about math: A list. Covers everything from adding and subtracting to geometry and patterns and more!

Pictures of Mathematicians on Postage Stamps.

You can also do a general search on Google or another search engine. Try these key words and phrases: math, math games, arithmetic, homeschool math, special needs math, algebra, geometry, math homework, math work sheets, etc.

Questions and Answers: Tips to Help

How can I make math more fun?

Use humor. Make up funny word problems to go with equations or change the words in story problems to make them amusing. Drag out fun stuff like macaroni or chocolate chips or toys to demonstrate problems. Play games – there are all sort of great math games and other games that incorporate number skills. Let your child teach you or make up worksheets for you. Use your imagination – what would make it more fun for you if you were a child? Besides making math more fun, these methods often result in better understanding and retention.

My child was learning just fine, then all of a sudden it’s like he doesn’t have a brain anymore.

Children are not computers. You cannot feed a given amount of data into their brains day in and day out and expect them to duly process and file it. People’s brains need time to assimilate information, to chew on it and digest it. Sometimes the information they take in is easily digestible for them and they’re ready for more quickly. Other times, it’s like tough meat – it takes time to digest and may upset the stomach a bit. If your child seems to have reached a plateau, a time when he needs to digest, take some time away from new concepts and concentrate on math games or just talking about things already learned. You might even dig out some workbooks that cover old material and let him or her work in those for a few days (or more, if that’s what it takes).

My child is just not good at math – he can’t concentrate and remember facts. He forgets what he learned from one day to the next.

Consider all these possibilities:

Is math time peaceful and quiet at your house – no phones ringing, babies screaming, laundry being done, other children running around?

Is math time consistent – or is it something you rush to fit in when you can?

Are you imposing your own math anxiety on your child?

Are you making math relevant and interesting? (How easily do you learn things that seem to have no relevance to your life?)

If, after you’ve faced these possibilities and made any necessary corrections, and when you’ve employed any relevant ideas from the previous question, your child still dislikes math or feels overwhelmed by it, consider a tutor (see two questions down: I need help...).

Not every child will be a math whiz, but most should be able to master the basics and will need those basics in their everyday lives, so do whatever it takes to make learning these skills a positive experience for your child. If you can do this in the younger years, he will be in a good position to determine whether he likes math enough and has a sufficient mathematical aptitude to pursue a career strong in that discipline.

What if I’m butting heads with my child?

The bottom line is this – you’re the adult, you make the necessary adjustments. Maybe you need to lighten up a bit, add a little humor to math time. You can do this by changing the stories in word problems to funny situations or making up funny word problems for regular problems (4 + 5 = ?  Okay, Johnny, if I find four octopuses under your bed and you say, “That’s nothing, Mom, I have five more in the closet," how many octopuses will we have to return to the ocean?”).

Or grab a handful of macaroni or something outlandish (globs of jelly) and work the problems out visually. Draw funny pictures depicting the problem. Or take a break to play a math game.

When you’re butting heads, the biggest problem is a tense atmosphere.

This is generally not a character issue you need to deal with. It’s just a couple of uptight people taking themselves way too seriously. Chances are both are acting like children, and one needs to give. It should be the older one.

Humor goes a long way in educating a child. Use it for all it’s worth.

Also, consider the possibility that the atmosphere in your home may be contributing to resistance on your child’s part. A quiet, undisturbed, organized, consistent atmosphere can improve attitudes immensely. Disrupting noises and background activity can make for a mighty grouchy (not to mention distracted and emotional) student – and parent.

If after a truly heroic effort, you and your child are still butting heads, consider finding someone else who can work with him or her on math – maybe another parent, a sibling or grandparent, a teen or college student from church. Brainstorm all possibilities.

I need help but I can’t afford an expensive video program or a tutor.

First, research your options (and survey your priorities) and be sure you really can’t afford them. If that turns out to be the case, you’ll need to be creative. Could you trade skills (even babysitting or cooking) with someone who can help your student with math? Could you find a college student or another home school student who could help out? How about a relative or friend or neighbor? Maybe your student only needs a little help and not a full-time tutor. Don’t give up until you come up with a solution.

Should I switch math programs from year to year?

You’ll probably switch programs at least once, especially going from some of the lower level math to middle or high school math, but you certainly don’t want to switch a lot. Each math program has a sequence in which it teaches skills, and switching can be a setback to the student.

But it is a good idea for students to experience more approaches to math than the one in their regular textbook. This can be accomplished through math games, workbooks, real life experience (counting toys, adding the grocery bill, measuring rooms, balancing the checkbook, etc.).

What if I’m an unschooler?

If you unschool, you are probably letting your child lead the way when it comes to his or her interest in math and most other subjects. This can work for certain families and certain children. Keep an eye on the situation and be sure that you’re giving your child ample opportunity to discover and pursue an interest. More than others, you may need to keep a variety of resources on hand (a child cannot discover what he has no access to).