It's 7:00 pm on a school night, when your child suddenly remembers she has math homework. After the initial groaning, she spends the next hour working through her few problems at a snail's pace, alternating between daydreaming, complaining, and eventually working on solving the equations. The evening is coming to an end, and a large portion of it has been spent staring, dejectedly, at the math book.
For many children, this scenario plays out multiple times per week. While everyone agrees that math is a crucial part of academic success and preparing for the modern technological life our children will encounter, many students approach the subject with dread and a lack of confidence. How can we help our children have fun with, and gain confidence in, math?
We asked our teachers and staff for their favorite apps, websites, and books for encouraging a love of math in students. We have recommendations for children in preschool through middle school, and many of these are used by our teachers right in the classroom.
Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons by James Dean
Recommended by "Miss Bri" Weirick, our Preschool Director
In this book, which teaches counting backwards, Pete counts down as he loses buttons off his favorite shirt. A free, groovy downloadable song is also available. Both she and Mrs. Steiner use this book in their preschool rooms.
Age Range: 4-8 years
MathStart Books by Stuart J. Murphy
Recommended by Mrs. Carpenter, our Librarian
MathStart is a series of illustrated storybooks that teach math. With a focus on visual learning, these books come in three levels and are designed to help young kids get a good start in understanding math and building their skills. The MathStart website has many free resources and more information on the series.
Grade Range: Preschool - 4th Grade
Sir Cumference Book Series by Cindy Neuschwander
Also recommended by Mrs. Carpenter
Join Sir Cumference, Lady Di of Ameter, and their son Radius for wordplay, puns, and problem solving in these geometry-packed math adventures. Geometry concepts are cleverly illustrated in this series of books, which are great for older elementary and middle school kids.
Age Range: 8-12 years
ABCya!
Recommended by Mrs. Buzzard (Junior Kindergarten teacher)
ABCya! is a website/app that has hundreds of educational games for children up to 5th grade. Although a paid version is available, this site can also be used for free if you don't mind seeing some ads. Mrs. Buzzard says, "We use this site in Junior Kindergarten to reinforce concepts we are teaching in the classroom. There are fun games that review pattern identification, number recognition, shapes and color review, counting using one-to-one correspondence, etc. It gives the students a fun, hands-on learning experience." Check it out at www.abcya.com.
Grade levels: Pre-K - 5th Grade
IXL
Recommended by Mrs. Starkey (third grade teacher) and Mrs. Bohley (fourth grade teacher)
IXL is an interactive learning website that spans multiple different subject areas. While it comes with a monthly membership fee, our teachers value it highly, especially for math, so our school provides classroom memberships for our elementary students. Mrs. Starkey says it's great because, "it matches up with our curriculum and it works at the student's pace and learning ability." You can access this website and try a free trial at www.ixl.com.
Grade levels: Kindergarten - 12th Grade
XtraMath
Recommended by Mrs. Starkey
XtraMath is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to math achievement for all. In just a few minutes each day, students can get a daily dose of arithmetic practice (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division) at their level. Think of it as online flashcards, but smarter. The website is free to use, and the app only costs a few dollars. www.xtramath.org
Grade levels: approximately 1st - 6th
Khan Academy
Recommended by Mrs. Schmidle (middle school math)
Khan Academy's mission statement is "to provide a free, world-class education to anyone, anywhere." Their videos are completely free to view and, according to Mrs. Schmidle, "they explain the concepts in detail, and are really useful for understanding Algebra and other math concepts." Access videos for math and many other subjects at www.khanacademy.com.
Grade levels: Kindergarten through College
We hope this list helps you find resources to foster a love and understanding of math in your child!
To learn more about math (and any other subjects) at Wooster Christian School, we invite you to schedule a tour, or simply visit our preschool, elementary, or middle school page. We're passionate about developing a love of learning in each of our students through small class sizes and lessons tailored to the individual students in the class.