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Every guide in the Math Prizes resource hub, newest first. Page 5 of 16.
New Year Math: Goal Setting With Charts and Streaks
A fresh calendar is a great excuse to set one small math goal your kid picks. Here is how to build a chart and streak that lasts past January.
How to Spot a Math App That Is Just a Slot Machine in Disguise
Some math apps teach. Others just wire a slot machine to a few addition problems. Here is how to tell the difference in about ten minutes.
How I Assess Where a Child Really Stands in Math at Home
A report card tells you a grade, not what your kid understands. Here is how I figure out where a child really stands in math, no formal test required.
How Much Math Practice Does an Elementary Kid Really Need?
Not two hours, and not a weekend cram session either. Here is what daily math practice actually looks like for an elementary kid, by grade.
The Trap of Doing the Homework for Them (and How to Catch Yourself)
It rarely starts as doing the homework for them. It starts as one hint, then another, and then you're holding the pencil. Here is how to catch it.
How to Motivate a Perfectionist Kid Who Won't Try Unless They'll Ace It
Some kids refuse to try a math problem unless they already know they'll get it right. Here is how to make trying feel safe enough to do again.
The Best Math Card Games Beyond War and Go Fish
War and Go Fish run dry fast. Here are the card games I actually play with students, each one quietly building a real math skill.
Do Reward Systems in Learning Apps Help or Just Train Kids to Grind?
Points, coins, and prize wheels look like motivation. Sometimes they are. Sometimes they teach a kid to chase the reward and skip the learning entirely.
Setting Up a Kid's First Tablet for Real Limits (Step by Step)
A tablet out of the box is wide open. Here's the step-by-step setup that gives you real limits before your kid ever taps the screen.
Mental Math Strategies Kids Can Actually Do in Their Heads
The kids who are fast in their heads aren't memorizing more. They're using a handful of strategies you can teach at the kitchen table in a week.
Why I Stopped Assigning Mad Minutes and What I Do Instead
For years I handed out timed drills and watched good kids freeze. Here's why I quit Mad Minutes and the fluency work I do instead that actually sticks.
Growth Mindset Is Everywhere, So Why Isn't It Working for My Kid?
There's a poster in every classroom about the power of yet. So why does your kid still say I'm just bad at math? The gap is real, and it's fixable.
My Kid Guesses Instead of Working Problems Out: Breaking the Habit
The kid who blurts out an answer in two seconds isn't lazy. They've learned that guessing feels safer than working. Here's how to change that.
In-App Purchases in Math Games: Where to Draw the Line
Some in-app purchases pay for real content. Others are traps built to get a seven-year-old to tap Buy. Here is how to tell the two apart.
Sports Season Math: Scores, Stats, and Standings Kids Care About
A kid who won't touch a worksheet will happily figure out how many runs their team needs to win. Here's how to turn a game into real math practice.
Setting Up Parental Controls That Keep Math Time Honest
Time limits alone don't keep math time honest. Here's how to set up parental controls so twenty minutes of app time is twenty minutes of real practice.
Why Third Grade Math Feels So Much Harder All of a Sudden
Your kid cruised through first and second grade math, then hit a wall in third. It's not them. Here's what actually changes in third grade and why.
Why Mixing Up Problem Types Beats Practicing One Skill at a Time
A worksheet of twenty identical problems feels productive and teaches almost nothing. Here's why mixing up problem types is what actually makes math stick.
Building Homework Independence Grade by Grade
Homework independence isn't a switch you flip. It's a handoff you do slowly, and the right amount of help looks completely different in first grade than in fifth.
The Right Way to Use Prizes So They Fuel Learning, Not Replace It
Prizes aren't the problem. Rewarding the wrong thing is. Here's how to tie prizes to real learning so they build a habit instead of buying one.
Outdoor and Movement Math Games for Kids Who Can't Sit Still
If your kid bolts from the worksheet in ninety seconds, the answer might not be more focus. It might be getting the math off the chair and into their legs.
How I Vet Any Learning App Before It Touches My Kid's Tablet
The exact steps I run through before any learning app gets installed on my kid's tablet, from what it collects to whether it teaches at all.
Screen Time You Don't Have to Feel Bad About: Cars, Restaurants, Waiting Rooms
The waiting room screen isn't the enemy. Here is how to make the times you actually need a device count for something, without the guilt.
Place Value to the Millions: Helping Kids Read Big Numbers Confidently
The commas are the secret. Once a kid learns to read big numbers by the groups between the commas, the millions stop being scary.