How to Use Online Help for High School Math
I received a short term membership to Knowre and I was compensated for my time in writing this post. All opinions are my own.
High school math is a big deal.
Does this sound familiar?
When people learn that we homeschool our high schoolers, one of the first things they ask is,
Who’s going to teach them math?
That’s a good question.
I tell them we are good for it. And we are.
If we can’t help our high schoolers, we know how to get them help.
That’s what teaching high school math is all about.
Stepping out with the confidence that we can get the job done.
Finding Math Mentors
But, the truth is that as parents, we may not have all the skills to help our high schoolers with Algebra, Geometry, or Calculus.
That’s what mentors are for. Resources and people that come along side us to guide our teens to success in high school math. Where do you find the right resources?
- Family Members– my brother used to help me with physics in college, our resident homeschool dad helps with math, or maybe an aunt or an uncle has those skills you don’t have.
- Trade with Other Homeschoolers– around here families swap expertise. You might be up for tutoring Latin while your friend can teach math.
- Co-op on the Hard Stuff– some of my friend’s teens take classes from a homeschool dad. No skill swapping this time. There is a cost for the class.
- Online Math Courses- there are many venues which offer high school math classes. Traditional classroom environment for homeschoolers taught in an online format.
- Resource Books– designed to teach math in another way and get students to practice concepts.
- Online Supplement Programs– sites which specialize in offering instruction and practice on math concepts at all levels. These don’t take the place of text work and courses at home, but they bolster the work students are doing in their own programs.
Making the Most of Online Math Help
Sometimes it’s hard to know how to best implement extra math help with your teen’s regular math program. A few pro tips:
- Find the right resource– there are many different kinds of math helps. Find the one that is right for your teen’s learning style and approach to math.
- Allow Time for Extra Help– if your teen needs the extra help, make sure you leave time for them to explore without pressure the online resource. It might need to replace the regular lessons for a time.
- Focus on the Skills They Need to Build– Rather than being overwhelmed by a lot of information, search for the concepts they need to practice.
- Prepare Your Teen for a Different Approach– Remind them that the tutorial may do the problem in a different way than they are used to. This can be helpful when they are just missing a concept. Sometimes seeing it done an alternate way can help them master it. It can also be confusing, so be sure to keep tabs.
- Check in with their Status– How are they doing on the problems. Many online helps have a scoring tool built in. You can get a picture of how things are going pretty quickly.
- Make Adjustments– to how you use the program based on their progress there and in their regular math.
I find just being a facilitator of high school math yields success. Even if I cannot sit down and show every step to my student, I can sit with them and have them begin again. Often they will see where they went wrong.
I feel pretty bold when I have the solutions in my hand.
Benefits of Knowre for Homeschool High School Math Help
Knowre is an online math help for your high schooler. They provide supplemental math instruction for: Pre-Algebra, Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II.
This online math program has some cool perks:
- Program interfaces like a video game– with a map that you navigate to get to all the concepts within a course
- Video tutorials– on each concept before you try the problems
- Practice problems– are available with each concept
- Choose the answer– and it will show you the steps
- Correct answers– are scored in the program and give you coins
- Unlock levels– by spending the coins you earned on previous problems
- Multiple levels of math– for various courses in high school
- Progress summary– allows you to see how your student is doing within the course and concepts
- Mobile App– available for iOS, but we had success using Knowre on a Kindle Fire.
- Take math practice on the go– that is one advantage of having mobile accessibility. Make good use of all that time you spend with your teens in the car- unless they are driving.
Discounts & a Giveaway
Knowre is available for the cost of $29.00 per user per year through August 31, 2017. You can also enter to win a subscription to Knowre.
More Math Help from Blog, She Wrote
Teaching & Mentoring High School Math– More thoughts on how to approach math in high school.
The Making of a Wizard & the Crafty Side of Math– encouragement for tackling math with a creative person.
Math for high school is a big deal.
But, you are not alone.
Grab the resources you need and step confidently.
I’m cheering for you!
