Why do so many students hate math?
It’s not that they don’t like numbers. Somehow, math got the bad reputation of being a subject that only few can comprehend. Let’s check out some of the reasons why many people dislike math:
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Usually, it’s the teachers. They just teach numbers and formulas. They fail to inspire the students to appreciate the beauty of maths. They just expect them to memorize formulas and solve assignments.
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Most of the time, the students don’t see the purpose. Basic algebra is necessary for all professions, and they know it. But why does a doctor-to-be or a writer-to-be have to solve those complex assignments?
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When a student doesn’t do well on a math test, they get disappointed. They feel like they are not as smart as the other students, so they lose motivation to try harder. That’s the so-called fixed mindset. They believe that you’re either good or bad at math. If you’re bad, you can’t get good.
Whatever the reason is, it makes you think that people with good math skills are rare. The remaining learners should make peace with the fact that they don’t understand math, so they simply start trying.
This is the greatest mistake anyone could make. It’s time to understand the greatest truth of all: you can be good at something only if you keep trying. Babies are not born with math skills. Even the most brilliant minds learned what they know.
So if you keep trying and practicing, you’ll get better. You just need the right mindset and the right tools.
Speaking of tools, did you know there were websites that help you learn math? These resources are really fun. If your teacher is the problem, you’ll find a source that you can actually connect with.
We’ll list the best online math resources. This list includes links to sites that are great for high-school and college students, but we’ll also throw in few resources that help children learn the basics. If you’re a student or a parent to a young student who’s trying to learn math, you’ll definitely appreciate this list!
Math Resources for Elementary School Students
At this website, you’ll find math tests and activities for all grade levels. All aspects of math are covered: integers, fractions, geometry, and concepts. It doesn’t matter what level you’re at; this online tool is useful for all elementary, high-school, and even college students.
There’s not much classic math at this website. But there are plenty of games that help children understand how math is used in daily life. There are no empty actions and there’s no violence in the games. Still, kids love the engaging challenges. The great mental workout comes along a lot of fun, so what’s not to like?
First of all, the website offers algebra and pre-calculus lessons. Then, you’ll find great games, such as Coffee Shop, Subtraction Blast, Crazy Blast, The Timernator, Minifield, Sudoku, Checkers, and more.
The website looks rather plain and uninspiring, but don’t give up on it before you explore the games. You’ll love them; that’s a promise!
At this website, you’ll find useful video lessons for 3rd through 12th grade. The tutorials cover tons of topics. They are great because Patrick uses simple language and examples to explain complex math concepts.
The videos are also visually appealing, so you’ll easily follow the equations on the screen.
This is possibly the most renowned online source that teaches basic math through Calculus III. It’s perfect for elementary and high-school students. You’ll find awesome videos explaining all kinds of math topics.
The best part is that you can use all these resources for free. Before the student starts learning, they can take a math-pre test. If you’re a parent or a teacher trying to make math attractive for children, that’s a great opportunity. You’ll see what level the child is currently at, so you’ll make progress from there.
This online source is great for all students engaged in pre-algebra and algebra learning. That would be perfect for students from 3rd through 11th grade. You’ll find interesting video lessons that clearly explain concepts from pre-algebra, counting and probability.
The AMC category at the website contains videos that explain problems from qualifying tests for American Mathematics Competitions. So if you or your child/student aims towards such a competition, this is the perfect website for preparing practices.
Math Resources for High School Students
You hate your textbooks? You’d like to get clearer explanations of mathematical concepts? You love educational technology? Say no more!
At this website, you’ll get interactive math textbooks based on the principle of guided discovery. Inside the lessons, you’ll find dynamic graphs that you can manipulate, so you’ll really understand the fundamental concepts of math. You’ll get instant feedback on each test and exercise, so you’ll know exactly how you’re doing without the need to wait for scary grades.
The courses at the website are free through June 2020, so now is your chance to benefit from these programs without any costs involved.
You’re writing a math project on your computer? You need a tool that lets you use all math characters, symbols and expressions? This is the one! Just enter the characters, and you’ll get a gif image ready to download. Then, all you need to do is copy it to your document.
You can change the font and its size, and add a different background color. With this tool, your math projects will look way cooler.
Your math teacher keeps telling you: take notes, so you’ll remember what you learn during class. But what if you can’t take notes quickly enough? What if you skip a class and you can’t get readable notes from your friends?
It’s okay; you can always get what you need if you simply visit this website. The notes are categorized by chapter/section, so you’ll easily go through the content to discover relevant notes. You’ll love the Algebra and Trig cheat sheets!
This is one of the best websites on the list, simply because it shows how important math is for solving worthwhile problems. The Math League is an organization that holds international tournaments for middle-school students.
In the Online Store section at the website, you’ll find contest books for middle school and high school.
Math Resources for College and Beyond
If you’re working on a serious project from the science, technology, business, or healthcare niche, you’ll probably need multi-dimensional data visualization. There’s a lot of math involved in practical projects, and this software makes that implementation simple.
It doesn’t matter what visual presentation you need; you’ll probably handle it with this tool. Instead of using simple tables and pie-charts, you can add amazing 3D and 4D visuals that will make your presentation look real and unique.
You need an advanced scientific graphing calculator, but you don’t want to spend money on it? There’s a solution! Just download this app and use it on your phone or tablet. It’s absolutely free, and the calculator is as advanced as it gets.
The interface is really simple, so it’s easy to enter the equation. When you do that, you’ll get a visualization in 2D or 3D.
This is Google’s graph editor. Its purpose is to help you draw graphs and perform simple operations on graphs as quickly as possible. You can use the graph editor to understand how graphs work, since you can move the different parts.
This is a single online source that leads you to multiple books from the niches of science, computers, and technology. Needless to say, you need rather advanced math to handle projects for those courses, so you could certainly use a free book that explains complex concepts.
Just go through the list of available resources and you’ll probably find whatever you need. The best part is that all this content is free.
What if your college professors are not that great at bringing math closer to your understanding? The solution is simple: you take an online course. Coursera gives you access to free courses from the best universities in the world. The good thing about online learning is that you can pause, go back, or watch the entire video again. If you fail to understand something, you’ll simply listen to the lecture again.
There’s a versatile choice of courses and specialization. The Introduction to Mathematical Thinking from Stanford University is a particularly interesting one. It helps you rewind your brain to help it process mathematical information more successfully.
Online Tools Make Math Easier
Don’t be afraid of math. Don’t assume you’re not good at it. Maybe you’re not that good at this point, but that’s not a definite stage. You can always make progress; you just need the right tools to help you master mathematical concepts. With the list we presented above, you have a great starting point!
Posted originally on prowritingpartner.com