Homeschooling has become more popular with parents wanting to take an active role in their children’s education. Math can be one of the trickier subjects to teach at home though – particularly if parents don’t feel confident or adept in the subject. Fortunately, there is a wide range of resources available to help make teaching math at home easier, allowing parents and students to make the most of the homeschooling experience.
In this guide, we will look at some of the best tools available to help get to grips with homeschool math teaching and help make learning a fun and rewarding experience.
Using Math Manipulatives
One of the best approaches to teaching math at home is to use math manipulatives. These can be used to teach a range of core concepts and help students to understand the basic principles of math. Manipulatives can be anything from counting blocks and number lines, to geoboards, Cuisenaire rods and mathematical puzzles.
By providing hands on learning opportunities, students can better understand math concepts such as division, fractions, area and angles. Furthermore, manipulatives are appropriate for a range of ages and can be used to introduce and teach key concepts – from pre math concepts to algebra and beyond.
It is important to provide students with enough manipulatives that they can work in pairs or groups, whilst also allowing them enough freedom to explore and discover principles through experimentation. Many manipulatives can also be bought as part of math kits that include a range of puzzles, challenges and activities.
As well as providing an effective learning tool, manipulatives also provide an excellent opportunity for parents and students to spend quality time together. Using manipulatives actually encourages creativity and expression of ideas, which is one aspect of math learning often neglected when teaching math using a textbook or digital device.
Online Math Course
Many parents may feel overwhelmed with the idea of homeschooling math from scratch, particularly if students are at an advanced level of math. Fortunately, there are now online math courses available for all abilities, which can be adapted to meet the needs of individual students. By signing up for an online course, students have access to a wealth of material for both in-depth exploration, as well as supplementary material for further study.
Online math courses typically provide an interactive approach with plenty of practical and theoretical examples. Furthermore, students can track their progress, and course content can be tailored to provide a challenge appropriate for each level.
Online courses can also be a great way of consolidating learning, or to provide extra practice in a particular area of math. With personalized and tailored courses, students can fill in any gaps in their knowledge as well as develop valuable skills in dealing with mathematical problem solving.
Using Technology
Technology can provide an engaging and effective way to learn math – especially with the range of apps and interactive learning tools now available. From interactive games and virtual reality tools, to tablet and smartphone apps and learning aids – there is a huge range of devices and programs available. Technology learning tools can help make concepts come alive for students and can provide a great way to explore and understand math principles.
As well as providing classic math-based games, many apps also provide interactive quizzes, calculators, and virtual flashcards – which can help students to learn, practice and build their confidence. Furthermore, many learning platforms also make it easy for parents to track the progress of their students.
Technology is often used as a great reinforcement tool for specific parts of a lesson. For example, apps and games can be used to explore fractions, angles and other concepts after learning about them through manipulatives or coursework.
Creating a Math Journal
Math journals are a great way of summarizing and consolidating student learning. By creating a math journal it is possible to showcase the work of the student, provide a way of reflecting on a lesson, and recognize progress. Journals also make it easy for students to refer back to earlier work and it can be a great way of sharing work with carers, teachers and family.
Whilst a journal doesn’t necessarily have to include traditional math elements such as equations, it could contain drawings, notes, sketches, poems and comic strips – providing a platform for self-expression and creativity. Math journals should be tailored to the individual student, and could include elements such as using equations to explain stories, writing blog posts on a math-related topic or interviewing a teacher or mentor on their career.
Journals provide an ideal platform to document student thinking and ideas, and can be useful as a learning tool in its own right. With student’s writing a journal to help document their math learning, they can also document their own thoughts and reflections.
These kinds of activities can be used to build up student confidence and provide some invaluable self-expression opportunities.
Hiring a Math Tutor
Although homeschooling allows for the development of independence, both by students and parents, it can be beneficial to bring in outside help to ensure students are making the best progress. Tutoring can be invaluable when it comes to helping students overcome any difficulties or gaps in learning. Tutors can also be an excellent source of knowledge, able to provide advice and impart knowledge that may not be needed by the student until several years from now.
It is also important to find a tutor that can work well with a student, helping them to bridge their learning needs. Math tutors can work with a student in numerous ways, from intensive one-on-one sessions to pre-planned sessions.
Tutors can also be used to help scaffold the learning of a student, or to help provide additional assistance when the parent is absent. This could be especially useful if the parent requires to take a few days away, or is unable to teach math in a certain area.
Finding Math Resources
Finding the right resources to use when teaching math is an important step in getting the most out of homeschooling. Resources should be tailored to the level of the student and available online and offline. Whenever possible it is important to try and locate interesting and engaging resources to use in math lessons.
When searching for resources, it is important to use trusted, reputable sources. As well as the more traditional printed resources, there are also a range of excellent online resources available.
This includes online modules and self-directed learning apps. It is important to remain aware of the danger of potential plagiarism for some resources, so it is important to have a clear understanding of the rules when sourcing material from online sources.
Finding Math Challenges and Competitions
Joining a math clubhouse or math challenge or competition can provide a great motivator for doing math. Participating in these kind of weekly challenges or competitions can help to motivate students and parents to do more math. Math challenges and competitions typically span a range of topics such as calculus, problem solving and geometry.
For those looking to develop their problem solving skills, there are a range of math websites dedicated to finding math puzzles and problem-solving challenges. This can be a great way to develop student skills and provide extra practice about applying mathematical reasoning to real world situations.
Furthermore, joining a math club or taking part in a math competition can be a great way to build relationships and form friendships.
Conclusion
Teaching math at home provides numerous benefits, from the ability to control the learning environment, the ability for students to learn at their own pace, and the opportunity for parents and students to spend quality time together. There is also a range of exciting tools, resources and approaches to teaching math at home. From using math manipulatives to online courses, technology to math journals and math challenges – there is no shortage of ways to help homeschooling math become even more enjoyable and rewarding.
If you’d like to take the first steps in homeschooling math, then make sure to check out the many tools available, as well as connecting with other groups and teachers that can help to provide further advice and assistance. With the right tools and the right support, parents and students can make the most out of homeschool math learning and reap the rewards of such an approach.