Before I began homeschooling my children, I was a classroom teacher. I taught in a variety of contexts and grade levels, but I always taught Algebra. Sometimes it was remedial Algebra sometimes College Algebra, and everything in between. And I loved it! But it seemed no matter what level of Algebra I was teaching, there were certain concepts that challenged kids. And these concepts were ones that I had to review or reteach, even when I was Keep Reading...
Equivalent Expressions Activity {FREE}
Understanding how to work with expressions involving variables can be such a huge leap for kids. On more than one occasion, I've had students tell me, "I was great at math until it started to involve letters. What's up with that??" What I constantly tried to convey to my students was that a variable is still just a number. When you're feeling stuck, replace it with a number to try and figure out what's going on. So if your students are feeling Keep Reading...
8 Engaging Early Algebra Lessons (FREE)
I love Algebra. It's true, I do! I don't even mind long, tedious calculations. I love the challenge of correctly "undoing" an equation to find the solution. I love knowing I can check my answer. I love the feeling of satisfaction when I correctly solve it. This is why I spent most of my time in the classroom as an Algebra teacher. In the beginning, however, students often get hung up on some of those early foundations, making the rest of their Keep Reading...
Foldable 3D Shapes {FREE Printable Pack!}
Exploring the properties of three dimensional shapes is fun for all ages! Because kids are introduced to 3D shapes early on, you could make these together with young kids, or you could use them with high schoolers to explore more complex math. No matter how you use them, this set of foldable 3D shapes is bound to be a hit! *Please Note: This post contains affiliate links which help support the work of this site. Read our full disclosure Keep Reading...
Adding and Subtracting Integers {FREE Lesson!}
One of the most important concepts introduced in pre-algebra (or algebra) is integer operations. I can distinctly remember learning "the rules" and fun little tricks to remember them. But I also remember wondering why in the world subtracting a negative means you add! So when I saw this method to introduce adding and subtracting integers, I knew I had to try it. *Please Note: This post contains affiliate links which help support the work of Keep Reading...
Understanding the Angles in Triangles
I love letting kids investigate and explore and see math ideas and patterns for themselves. As an Algebra teacher, this was not always easy to do, but Geometry, on the other hand, really lends itself to being explored. Geometry is the math of lines and points and shapes: solid and three dimensional. So why in the world teach it by having kids right down a set of theorems to memorize? Today I want to share a fun and super simple example involving Keep Reading...
Investigating Exponent Properties {FREE Lesson!}
Many of the topics covered in Pre-Algebra or Algebra are taught as "rules," "properties," or "formulas" to be memorized. And while it is definitely helpful to have certain properties or formulas memorized, I think it is much more important that these Algebra facts be taught in a way that is logical and makes sense, rather than simply telling students "This is true. Now use it correctly." If you let students explore and discover math truths on Keep Reading...
Learning About 3D Shapes with Atmosflare 3D Pen
I've recently been reviewing and exploring shapes with my daughter. At 7 years old, she knows the names and attributes of basic shapes, so we've been working on understanding them more deeply, and especially seeing how we can break apart and put together shapes to form new ones. As part of this exploration, we've looked at several different 3D shapes and talked about the shapes of the faces. There are lots of fun ways to teach and explore 3D Keep Reading...
Pass the Pi: A Hands On Pi Day Investigation
No matter the age of your kids, Pi Day (aka March 14th) is a fantastic opportunity to explore math concepts! There are so many things to teach and explore related to the number pi, the circumference or diameter of a circle, or some math history related to this fascinating number. I'm always on the lookout for fun Pi Day learning activities, and have already shared this simple Pi Day Sing Along to get kids of all ages in on the fun. Today I'm Keep Reading...
Online High School Math Curriculum Review
I am often asked my opinion about various math curricula, and I love to try out different options to help parents make informed decisions about their child's education. One thing that can be especially difficult is finding the right option for upper level math, particularly if you don't feel equipped to handle higher levels of mathematics. I recently had the opportunity to try out an online high school math curriculum called Mr. D Math. If you Keep Reading...
