There are so many ways we see and use integers in the real world. We even add and subtract integers all the time, though we might not realize it. So even though teaching how to add & subtract integers might sound scary to both teacher and student, there are actually ways to introduce this in real and meaningful ways. This post includes a real life lesson you can use to add & subtract integers and help kids see the "rules" before you Keep Reading...
{FREE} Pythagorean Theorem Word Problems Task Cards
Probably one of the most important formulas for students to know, remember and feel confident using is the Pythagorean theorem. I always like to introduce it in a fun, hands on way to make sure kids understand the meaning before I present a formal definition. But then, kids need lots of practice. And since mindlessly solving problems for a or b or c with no context gets tedious and boring, why not practice with these Pythagorean Theorem Word Keep Reading...
Real World Pythagorean Theorem Practice {FREE}
When I was a classroom teacher, my philosophy for my students was "memorize as little as possible." That may sound shocking if you are of the opinion that kids need to memorize all sorts of math facts and formulas to be successful, but it's what my high school calculus teacher taught us, and it's how I successfully earned a college degree in mathematics. Now, that is not to say that nothing needs to be memorized. There are a handful of things Keep Reading...
How to REALLY Help Kids Solve Math Word Problems
Recently, I was working on multiplying and dividing by 2 with one of my kids. A constant refrain was, "What does multiply mean?" or "But remember, what does that division sign represent?" As they started to grapple with these concepts and play with manipulatives and pictures and equations, I tried to make sure we always came back to the why. But why are you counting by 2's to get the answer? And why are we splitting our set into groups of 2? Keep Reading...
How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin? Fall Estimation Fun!
Estimation is a tricky concept, and one that is often not covered at great length in school. And while I love teaching through the use of math story books, there are not a lot of resources that I've found that cover estimation. I do love, however, the book How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin, by Margaret McNamara. In this story, kids explore estimation as well as counting techniques, so I decided this was the perfect excuse for not only some pumpkin seed Keep Reading...
How to Introduce and Teach Unit Rate: Practical Tips
So, your child is stuck on their homework. They have to find "unit rate." And you're looking at their homework paper and thinking, "What is unit rate?" Or at least, that's what my husband said when he asked what I was writing about. "Unit rate, huh. What's that?" I was a little surprised that my math savvy husband didn't know about this crucial math skill he probably uses nearly every day. Once I told him what it was he said, "Oh. I use Keep Reading...
What’s For Lunch? An Engaging, Real Life Math Lesson {FREE}
"Why are we learning this?" Have you ever heard this from your students? If you teach math, I'd be surprised if you haven't. It can be challenging to create a math lesson that students can see the relevance in and that uses/teaches skills they need to know. But it is possible. In fact, I created one just for Math Geek Mama Readers. Help kids learn and understand math in a real world context with this add and subtract decimals Keep Reading...
5 Benefits of Family Math Projects
Every once in awhile, it’s nice to take a break from the day to day math lesson and do a family math project. Math projects fit nicely at the end of a unit. And if you are teaching family math style, everyone will reach that point together. Even if you are not having your daily lessons together, you can still take advantage of the many benefits of working together on family math projects. This is a guest post from Danielle at Keep Reading...
Silver Dollar Diner: FREE Money Math Pack
One of the last things I did with my kids before we officially began our summer break was review money. This was my son's first exposure, so I taught him each of the coins and their denomination, and began to teach him how to add coins (using some of the books in this post and play money). For my daughter, this meant putting her knowledge of money values to work. To help her practice finding the total, and work through real life examples, I Keep Reading...
6 Reasons Learning Roman Numerals Will Benefit Your Child
With the Super Bowl fast approaching, I've been thinking a lot about roman numerals. Yes, of course I'm also thinking about football, but as a math geek and homeschool mom, it made me wonder-"Should I bother teaching my kids roman numerals?" Is this something kids need to know? And if it's not something that they need to know in everyday life, is there any benefit to teaching them? Well I've come to the conclusion that kids should learn roman Keep Reading...
