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Every guide in the Math Prizes resource hub, newest first. Page 7 of 16.
Dominoes Aren't Just a Game: Sneaky Math for Little Kids
A box of old dominoes is quietly one of the best math tools in your house. Here are the games that build number sense without a worksheet.
The Difference Between an App That Teaches and an App That Just Tests
Most math apps quiz your kid over and over and call it learning. Here's how to tell the ones that actually teach from the ones that only test.
Screen Time and Little Kids' Behavior: What Two Weeks of Tracking Showed Us
We stopped guessing and kept a notebook by the couch for two weeks. What the log showed about screen time and behavior in our kids surprised us both.
Reading a Calendar and a Clock: The Time Skills Schools Assume Kids Have
A whole class of third graders once froze on one question: if practice ends at 5:15 and it's 4:40, how long until you're done? Here is how to teach kids elapsed time so it clicks.
When to Move From Understanding a Fact to Just Knowing It
There is a moment when counting on fingers stops helping and starts holding a kid back. Knowing when to start memorizing math facts is really about spotting that moment.
Comparing Siblings in Math: The Confidence Killer Hiding at Home
A younger brother once told me his sister was the smart one. He was eight. Here is how comparing siblings in math quietly teaches a kid to quit.
Talking to Your Child's Teacher About Math Struggles: What To Ask
The parent teacher conference is fifteen minutes long. Here are the questions that turn it from a vague reassurance into a real plan for a struggling math kid.
The Parent Dashboard Test: Can You Actually See What Your Kid Is Doing
Most math app dashboards show you activity, not learning. Here's how to tell the difference, and the five questions a real parent dashboard should answer fast.
Rainy Day Math: Games for When Everyone Is Stuck Inside
A dozen indoor math games that use a deck of cards, some coins, and stuff already on your shelves. Real math practice that doesn't feel like homework.
Khan Academy at Home: A Parent's Setup Guide for Grades 1 to 5
How to actually set up Khan Academy for a first through fifth grader, what the mastery bar really measures, and the three settings most parents miss.
A Realistic Summer Math Plan So Your Kid Doesn't Slide Backward
Every September I watched kids show up rusty. Here is a realistic summer math slide plan that keeps skills sharp without wrecking the whole vacation.
Times Tables at Home: A Steady Plan, Not a Panic
A note comes home saying your kid isn't fluent with multiplication facts, and you panic. Here is the calm, steady way to practice times tables at home.
What to Do the Night Before a Math Test Without Cramming
It is 8pm, the test is tomorrow, and the worksheet is a mess of red marks. Here is what to actually do the night before a math test.
Sibling Comparisons Are Killing Your Kid's Math Motivation
The younger brother had already decided he was the dumb one in the family, and he was seven. Here is how sibling comparisons quietly wreck math motivation.
Place Value Games That Make Big Numbers Make Sense
A kid can read 'four hundred seven' and still not feel how big it is. These place value games close that gap with dice, cards, and pocket change.
Should a Kid Use ChatGPT for Homework? Where I Draw the Line
There's a version of this that teaches your kid and a version that quietly does their thinking for them. The gap between them is smaller than you'd hope.
Why Your Kid Wants One More Level (and How Games Are Built to Make Them)
That 'one more level' is not your kid being weak. It was engineered by people who get paid when the answer is yes. Here's how the trick works.
Multi-Step Word Problems: Teaching Kids to Slow Down and Chunk
Most kids don't fail word problems because the math is hard. They fail because they rush. Here's how to teach them to chunk it into pieces.
The 9s Trick That Actually Sticks (and the One I Tell Kids to Skip)
One nine times table trick sticks for good and shows kids why it works. The famous finger version becomes a crutch. Here is the difference.
The Perfectionist Kid Who Freezes on Hard Math Problems
Some kids don't struggle with hard math because it's too hard. They freeze because they can't stand the idea of getting it wrong.
Should I Get a Math Tutor? How To Tell If You've Hit That Point
A tutor is a big commitment of money and time. Here is how to tell if your child has actually hit that point, and what to try first.
Does the App Grow With My Kid? Testing for Grades 1 Through 5
Most math apps say they adapt. Here is a fifteen-minute test that shows you whether the one on your kid's tablet actually does.
Summer Lemonade Stand Math: Profit, Pricing, and Change
A lemonade stand is a full math unit hiding in a pitcher of lemonade. Pricing, profit, and making change all get real when actual quarters are involved.
How to Talk to the Teacher When You Think the Math Pace Is Wrong
Your kid says math is boring and you suspect the pace is too slow. Here is how to raise it with the teacher so it lands as help, not a complaint.