Homeschooling Math

When we think about homeschooling math we usually think workbooks. We might also remember memorizing math facts. Both workbooks and memorizing are important. But, as I encouraged my children to finish their math I realized there had to be a better way.

Goals

So, I looked at why I was homeschooling math. I came up with one main reason. My children needed math to understand the world in which they live in. They needed to learn about money. Today we buy a lot on credit so they will have to understand interest rates. They will have to understand percents so that they can figure sales tax etc. They will also use math in cooking and home repairs.

Another reason for teaching math is so that my child can understand the exact sciences. Math is used in physics, chemistry, and astronomy. Math is also used in computer programming.

Now that we have our goal set lets look at how to teach math.

Number Sense

Homeschooling math should include math sense. Math sense is understanding numbers. A child needs to be able to look at two groups of objects and understand which group has more. He needs to know what the symbol 1 means and its relationship to all the other numbers. Sometimes math sense comes naturally to a child. For one of my children math was very easy for him. Other children struggle to understand math.

So, how can you teach math to those students who struggle with math? The best is to make math part of your day. Graph the weather. Make up real life math problems such as, it is 11:00 we eat at 12:00 how long until lunch? Another way is to play games.

Many board games teach simple math concepts. Roll a dice or spin then move the corresponding spaces. Other games such as Yatzee you need to add the dice. My children like to play math games on the computer.

Visual aids are helpful when homeschooling math. Cut paper plates into fractions. Another fun idea is to use fruit to homeschool fractions.

Use dry beans or small pieces of candy to teach addition, subtraction, or multiplication and other math facts.

When your child is doing work in their workbooks give them a manipulative to help them understand the concepts. Use a manipulative especially when you are teaching new concepts.

Then practice, practice, and practice the concept. A good time to practice is when your child is in the car. Either give them flash card to practice with or drill them yourself. Drilling will build accuracy and efficiency.

If you have forgotten some math terms Solving Math Problems is a website that can help. It provides definitions of different math symbols. There is also help in solving problems.

Help your child see patterns. Start with skip counting. Later make the pattern more difficult by writing a pattern using an equation.

An activity that we do is I say a number such as 10. My child is to tell me all of the different ways to represent 10. They can use addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division.

High School Math

When I start thinking about teaching high school math I get nervous. I wonder if I remember how to teach algebra. Math Problem Solving is a site that I found that is helpful teaching algebra.

After algebra I will have to teach geometry.Geometry Formulas can help my children and me understand Geometry.

Homeschooling Math should go beyond the workbooks so that your child can develop number sense.

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Homeschooling Math
Do you have children who struggle with math?
This site has has some great ideas for teaching struggling learners.

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