Do fractions make you sweat? Whether you are a student or a parent helping a student, I’ve found five sites that will take you by the hand and explain everything you’ve always feared you could never learn about fractions. Take …[Continue]
Fibonacci Numbers
Leonardo Fibonacci, sometimes called Leonardo of Pisa, was a thirteenth-century Italian mathematician. He was instrumental in bringing the Arabic numbering system to Europe to replace the use of Roman numerals. He is also remembered for a series of numbers that …[Continue]
Multiplication
Is drill and practice the only way to learn the multiplication tables? Today’s sites offer some interesting answers. Yes, practice is important, and you’ll find several fun ways to do so online. But having a bit of understanding is important …[Continue]
Metric System
Here in the states, we’re stuck between two measurement systems: the U.S. standard of inches, feet, yards, miles, ounces and pounds, and the decimal-based metric system. How big is the bottle of soda you’re bringing to the class party? It’s …[Continue]
Pre-Algebra
My seventh-grade daughter has a tee shirt that says “Pre-Algebra: the beginning of the end!” And if high-school math is the end objective, then pre-algebra certainly is the beginning. Here are my picks for sites that both explain pre-algebra, and …[Continue]
Prime Numbers
An integer (greater than one) is prime if the only whole numbers it can be divided by (without a remainder) are itself and one. All other integers are composite. In other words, a prime number has only two positive factors. …[Continue]
Units of Measurement
What do inches, pints, centimeters, degrees, kilobytes and seconds all have in common? They are units of measurement. Learning when to use which unit, and how to convert from one to another is this week’s topic….[Continue]
Math Flashcards
What’s seven times eight? How about eight times eight? Six times nine? I’d love to sit here all day but I think I have laundry to do. It’s common knowledge that computers are very good at repetitive tasks. They simply …[Continue]
Long Division
Last year, at the end of third grade, my daughter came to me with a sad confession. She just didn’t get long division. Now, seven months later, she’s a long division whiz, called upon to help other students in her …[Continue]
Tessellations
Mathematicians define “tessellate” as covering a plane with a pattern, and it is a concept that interests scientists and artists, as well as mathematicians. Join me for a fun tour….[Continue]
