The Most Awesome Math Computer Games & Apps for Your Homeschool
[Today’s article “The Most Awesome Math Computer Games & Apps for Your Homeschool” was written by contributor Michelle Habrych.]
This is part two of Math Games. You will also want to check out Part 1, The Most Awesome Math Games for Your Homeschool.
In this computerized age, our students are often playing electronic games in preschool. How can we best use this to help them with their math skills? Here are just a few ideas to using screen time to reinforce math skills in all ages.
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IXL for Math Practice
The first one I recommend is IXL. This site offers online learning for Pre-K through Calculus. It allows you to choose the skills you want your student to practice. To my non-math daughter, this feels more fun than regular worksheets. She is able to unlock achievements and try to beat her scores. Look for a group buy on this; we got into a group through my homeschool co-op.
Android Math Games
Next, we used our tablets for free Android math games. Just put that into the search bar and you’ll find an enormous amount of them. How do you know if any are good? I always look at the reviews. I want four or five stars, and I look for the skills she needs to practice. The freebies change so quickly that I am unable to find ones she played in the past.
Dragon Box Algebra
One that has stood the test of time, my friends tell me, is Dragon Box Algebra. It costs $7.99 and has two levels of play. My teen daughter, who has been struggling with concepts in pre-algebra, tested it on a friend’s device. She said it was fun. My friend explained that the game teaches the player to get the box alone so the dragon will come out. Each level adds a new layer of understanding. If it works, it’s worth the money to me!
Check this out: homeschool math for struggling students.
And, here’s a fun math unit study with coupons.
Try the Library
Some PC games teach math skills. Since technology is changing so quickly, you may be able to find some “tried and true” games in the library on a CD-ROM. My library catalog lists such games as Math Blaster, Arthur’s Math Games, and Carmen Sandiego Math Detective.
Game Consoles
Game consoles, such as Wii and Xbox, offer various math games. Active math, anyone? My son reminded me that Wii Fit offers a game in which you have to quickly add numbers and “bump” them with your hips. Big Brain Academy is offered for Nintendo DS systems offers practice with memorization, computation, and analysis. Again, since there are such varied platforms available, look up your gaming system and see what you can find. A creative way to use the game consoles for math is to have the students record their statistics on any game and then graph them in comparison to another player.
TV Sports
Watching TV sports is a favorite pastime of many kids. Fantasy sports leagues are an excellent way to practice math as well. A friend of mine teaches a fantasy football class in which students keep track of how their players are doing and calculate their scores. This could be done for any sport.
**What are your favorite math computer games, websites, or apps? Please share in the comments!
Contributor Bio:
Michelle Habrych homeschools her two teens who are night and day when it comes to math. Playing games with math helps them work on skills to make the textbook work a little easier.
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