Mathematics Resources for Families & Communities
Go Beyond Grades: Questions to Ask Your Child's Teacher About Math
Math skills are essential for life– including daily tasks, problem-solving, creativity, career options and more. This resource is intended for parents of students in Grades 3-8, and includes questions to ask your child’s teacher as well as tips and resources to support math at home.
Strengthening Mathematical Literacy at Home
Strengthening Mathematical Literacy at Home: This brief video provides tips and strategies for parents and caregivers to strengthen students' mathematical literacy at home.
Online Resources
The following list contains a few of the many general online resources that are free to teachers, parents, and students at all times.
| Online Mathematics Resource and Description | Grades K-2 | Grades 3-5 | Grades 6-8 | Grades 9-12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Numeracy at Home - activities, tips, and information to support young children's mathematics learning during everyday activities. | Y | N | N | N |
| PBS for Parents - includes activities and games that can be searched by age and topic. | Y | N | N | N |
| Bedtime Math - offers online math problems for parents to do with their kids every day, as well as lively hands-on games. | Y | Y | N | N |
| TangMath - provides games, puzzles, and other resources for problem solving and math centers. | Y | Y | N | N |
| Summer Math Challenge - a free program that provides access to daily fun activities and resources designed for your student’s grade and ability level. The 2020 Summer Math Challenge has opened early to support students who are learning at home. | Y | Y | Y | N |
| CK-12 - Online textbook, adaptive practice, and video examples | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| The Math Learning Center - provides free math apps that allow for users to represent and solve problems. | Y | Y | Y | N |
| NCTM Illuminations - includes numerous interactives that encourage K-12 students to explore, learn, and apply mathematics. Java‐enabled browsers (i.e., Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, or Safari) can be used to access them. | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Open Middle - presents mathematics problems that end with the same answer, but have multiple ways to approach and solve the problem. | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| PBS Learning Media - includes free interactives, videos, and lesson plans. Also, includes PreK-12 resources for emergency closings. | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Khan Academy Math - provides free online lessons. Students only need to create an account if saving their work is desired. | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Would You Rather Math - prompts students to construct a mathematical argument for choosing between two or more options. | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| VDOE Desmos Activity Log - includes a spreadsheet for each grade level that lists SOL-aligned Desmos activities with a brief description and direct link to the activity on the Desmos Classroom Activity webpage. | N | Y | Y | Y |
| FigureThis! NCTM - provides activities and mathematics challenges for students and families. Some challenges are also available in Spanish. Tips for parents are provided in the Family Corner. | N | Y | Y | Y |
eMediaVA Online Playlists
The following chart contains links to playlists of select eMediaVA resources aligned to the Grades K-8 2016 Mathematics Standards of Learning. Expanded lists of eMediaVA resource collections targeting mathematics are available below.
| Topic | Grade K-1 Playlist | Grade 2 Playlist | Grade 3 Playlist | Grade 4 Playlist | Grade 5 Playlist | Grade 6 Playlist | Grade 7 Playlist | Grade 8 Playlist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number and Number Sense | Grade K-1 | Grade 2 | Grade 3 | Grade 4 | Grade 5 | Grade 6 | Grade 7 | Grade 8 |
| Computation and Estimation | Grade K-1 | Grade 2 | Grade 3 | Grade 4 | Grade 5 | Grade 6 | Grade 7 | Grade 8 |
| Measurement and Geometry | Grade K-1 | Grade 2 | Grade 3 | Grade 4 | Grade 5 | Grade 6 | Grade 7 | Grade 8 |
| Probability and Statistics | Grade K-1 | Grade 2 | Grade 3 | Grade 4 | Grade 5 | Grade 6 | Grade 7 | Grade 8 |
| Patterns, Functions, and Algebra | Grade K-1> | Grade 2 | Grade 3 | Grade 4 | Grade 5 | Grade 6 | Grade 7 | Grade 8 |
Additional eMediaVA Mathematics Resource Collections by Grade Band
Grades K - 2
- Count On It! Series Collection – This video series for grades PreK-3 features two puppets, Blossom and Snappy, who both love finding math in everyday situations. You can often find them shopping, baking, event planning, decorating and visiting attractions.
- Cyberchase Collection – This series of math and environmental videos for grades K-8 sparks curiosity in STEM concepts and boosts problem-solving skills.
- Good to Know Math Video Collection – This digital video series for adults introduces the methods, vocabulary, and processes their child learns at school. These short, clear and fun videos will help to explain math topics that are taught in Pre-K-Grade 4 .
- Peg + Cat Collection – In each 11-minute episode of this animated math-based series for grades PreK-2, Peg and Cat find themselves thrust into the middle of a wacky word problem.
- Sesame Street Math Resources for Early Learners Collection – This series includes mathematics learning for grades PreK – 1.
- Sesame Street Number of the Day Songs Collection – Sing along with The Count from Sesame Street focusing on today's number of the day for grades PreK – 1.
Grades 3 - 5
- Count On It! Series Collection – This video series for grades PreK-3 features two puppets, Blossom and Snappy, who both love finding math in everyday situations. You can often find them shopping, baking, event planning, decorating and visiting attractions.
- Cyberchase Collection – This series of math and environmental videos for grades K-8 sparks curiosity in STEM concepts and boosts problem-solving skills.
- Good to Know Math Video Collection – This digital video series for adults introduces the methods, vocabulary, and processes their child learns at school. These short, clear and fun videos will help to explain math topics that are taught in Pre-K-Grade 4.
- I ♥ Math Collection – This series introduces concepts in grades 4-8 mathematics to build understanding of the “how” and “why” of mathematical problem solving.
- Khan Academy Mathematics Collection – This collection includes exemplary videos that connect to grades 3 - 12 mathematics standards and are designed to provide students with clear understandings of mathematical operations and principles for problem solving.
Grades 6 - 8
- Cyberchase Collection – This series of math and environmental videos for grades K-8 sparks curiosity in STEM concepts and boosts problem-solving skills.
- I ♥ Math Collection – This series introduces concepts in grades 4-8 mathematics to build understanding of the “how” and “why” of mathematical problem solving.
- Math at the Core – Middle School Collection – These media and integrated activities are designed for middle school students in grades 6-8 of diverse learning styles and backgrounds.
- Math Mess Collection – This collection includes everyday problems that require an inquisitive mind, determination and a little number sense to solve. Math Messes can pop up when you least expect them — and in each short, animated Math Mess video, you’ll meet some mathematically-challenged characters who are right smack in the middle of one.
- School Yourself Algebra Collection – This collection includes interactives and videos addressing algebraic topics in grades 4-9.
- School Yourself Geometry Collection – This collection includes interactives and videos addressing geometric topics in grades 6-10.
VA TV Classroom On-Demand
Blue Ridge PBS, VPM, WETAand WHRO Public Media worked with the VDOE to create VA TV Classroom to provide instruction to students in grades K-10 who are unable to access other distance learning options due to a lack of high-speed internet. These educational programs are also available on demand. Segments from both Learn and Grow With WHRO (grades K-3) and Continue To Know With WHRO (grades 4-7) are now available in eMediaVA.
Suggested Offline Activities to Engage Students
The following list contains just a few of the many resources that are available free to teachers, parents, and students.
Kindergarten - Grade 2
- Graph the types of birds you see in your yard or out your window. (Use tally marks to collect your data and organize your data into either a picture graph or a bar graph.)
- Play Math Card games. An example, Go Fish (try to make pairs that add to 10).
- Measure the length of your bed using five different nonstandard units. For instance, my bed is 14 shoes long, how long is your bed?
Grades 3-5
- Measure the area and perimeter of each room in your home. Which rooms are the largest, smallest? Make a list of when you would need to know the area of a room? Perimeter of a room?
- Build 3 different paper airplanes. Test each to determine which one flies the greatest distance. Measure the distance that each airplane flies.
- Play Math Card games. An example, Fraction War (each person gets 2 cards and forms a fraction with the intent of trying to form the largest fraction).
Grades 6-8
- Pick your favorite recipe and half it. Decide how much of each ingredient you will need to make a treat for your family.
- Find the volume and surface area of different items in your cupboards, such as cereal boxes and canned goods.
- Use a store sales paper to create a grocery list. Then find the total cost of your items with discounts and sales tax included.
- Play Math Card games. An example, Order of Operations, each person picks four cards and uses the rules of order of operations to make a number as close to a certain number.
Grades 9-12
- Calculate the slope of a set of stairs (rise/run) and compare what happens if the height of each step is increased or decreased. Which sets of stairs are easiest to climb?
- Estimate the volume of several irregularly shaped items in your home, using what you know about volume and surface area. What would happen to the surface area if the item were to be cut vertically in half?