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Every guide in the Math Prizes resource hub, newest first. Page 2 of 16.
Elementary Geometry Basics Every Parent Can Teach in the Kitchen
Shapes, angles, symmetry, area, and volume are all sitting in your kitchen right now. Here is how to teach the geometry basics without a single worksheet.
The Quiet Kid Who Thinks They're Behind in Math
She never raises her hand and she is sure everyone else gets it. Often the quiet kid who feels behind in math is not behind at all. Here is how to tell.
When 'Just Five More Minutes' Becomes an Hour: Fixing the Time Blindness
Your kid swears it was five minutes and the clock says fifty. That gap is not defiance. It is how the software is built, and there are ways to close it.
Introducing Negative Numbers Without the Confusion
Negative numbers trip up smart kids because we teach them as rules to memorize. Here's how to make them make sense before a single rule shows up.
Resilience in Math: Raising a Kid Who Tries the Hard Problem Twice
The kids who get good at math aren't the ones who never get stuck. They're the ones who go back and try the hard problem a second time. Here's how that gets built.
Free Math Websites That Are Actually Good, and How to Judge One
Most free math sites are built to keep kids clicking, not to teach them. Here is how a software engineer tells the good ones apart in about five minutes.
Wrapping and Gifting Math: Volume, Area, and Ribbon Length
A stack of presents and a roll of paper is a full math lesson in disguise. Here is how to turn wrapping night into measuring, estimating, and problem solving.
Grade-Level Math Anxiety: Is It the Math or the Pace?
Sometimes a kid isn't bad at the math. The class just moved on before it clicked. Here is how to tell the difference, and what to do about each.
The Five Minute Rule: How Little Daily Math Actually Works
Five honest minutes a day beats an hour on Sunday. Here is why small daily math practice works better than the big weekend cram, from a teacher.
What to Do When Your Kid Reads the Directions Wrong Every Time
Your kid knows the math but keeps getting it wrong because they read the directions wrong. Here is why it happens and how to actually fix it.
Math Anxiety in Elementary Kids: Spotting It Early and Calming It Down
The signs of math anxiety show up long before the tears do. Here is what to watch for in an elementary kid, and how to bring the fear back down.
How We Built a Math Game That Rewards Mastery, Not Grinding
Most math apps reward volume because volume is easy to count. Here is why we threw that out and what a mastery-based reward system actually looks like.
Screen Time Contracts for Elementary Kids: A Template That Isn't Cheesy
Most screen time contracts read like a legal document a seven-year-old will never follow. Here is a short one that actually works.
Adding and Subtracting Decimals: Line Up That Point
The single most common decimal mistake is lining numbers up on the right instead of on the point. Here is how to fix it for good.
How I Know a Child Has Truly Mastered a Times Table (My Checklist)
A kid can ace the Friday quiz and still not own the sixes. Here is the checklist I use to tell when a times table is really learned.
Effort or Talent: What 16 Years of Teaching Taught Me About Who's Good at Math
The kids who ended up genuinely good at math were almost never the ones who looked gifted in September. Here's what actually separated them.
Printable Math vs Digital Math: A Skill-by-Skill Breakdown
Paper isn't old-fashioned and screens aren't cheating. Here's which one actually helps for each math skill, based on how each medium really works.
A Travel Day Math Kit That Lives on One Phone
You already have the only device you need. Here's how to turn one phone into a travel math kit without downloading a pile of apps.
The Kindergarten-to-First-Grade Math Shift: From Counting to Adding
Why counting on your fingers stops working in first grade, and the small mental shift that makes adding click for kids who feel stuck.
Setting a Realistic Weekly Math Practice Plan for the Whole Family
One plan, three kids at three grade levels, a tired parent, and a real calendar. Here is how to build a weekly math practice plan that survives an actual week.
How to Read a Homework Sheet's Directions With Your Kid
Half the wrong answers on a math sheet come from misread directions, not missing skills. Here is how to help kids follow homework directions before they start.
The Problem With Speed: Why Timed Math Tests Demotivate Some Kids
The kid who freezes on a timed drill often understands the math fine. Here is why timed math tests demotivate some kids and what actually builds fluency.
How to Turn Any Board Game You Already Own Into Math Practice
The games stacked in your closet already teach counting, addition, and probability. Here is how to turn board games into math practice without anyone noticing.
The Quiet Cost of Background TV for Kids Who Are Trying to Learn
The TV nobody's really watching still pulls at a kid trying to do math. Here is what background noise costs their focus, and a few easy fixes.