My 14 year old daughter struggles with math. We have tried several things, but she does not seem to retain the information. She enjoys games on the computer and likes technology. We would love to help her over the summer but aren’t sure where to start! We are wondering… are there any technology programs, or tools, that you think would help her math skills?
Since your daughter will be using these programs over the summer, and she enjoys games, it’s a great idea to combine fun activities with learning and skill building! There are many online math programs, games, tutorials, and lesson available, so it can be a challenge to find these most appropriate ones for your child. If you know what specific areas your daughter is struggling with, that can help to narrow your search (i.e., search for games that teach fractions). In addition, you can talk with her teachers to see if they can recommend some high quality, standards-based math programs. Two good choices for math games that are also fun are BrainPop(opens in a new window) (subscription-based; free trial) and Fun School(opens in a new window) (free). The games on Fun School may be a bit below your daughter’s skill level; if she is need of some remediation, they may be just right. BrainPop features a wide range of animated videos(opens in a new window), quizzes, games, and activities addressing a variety of topics in an easy-to-understand and engaging way.
If your daughter is interested in trying to catch up on her math during the summer, she may also enjoy watching the free videos from Khan Academy. With over 1400 videos covering topics from basic addition(opens in a new window) to the Pythagorean Theorem(opens in a new window), your daughter can watch and re-watch these easy to follow visual lessons on a variety of topics where she needs help. Finally, check out our custom searches(opens in a new window) on the TechMatrix(opens in a new window) to find suggestions for math software for teaching geometry, money skills, algebra, early math concepts, and more.