Regularly Practicing Math skills starting in grade 3 is helpful because :
- It builds student confidence and fluency through repetition.
- Math learning is cumulative: mastery of foundational skills like fractions and decimals to progress to advanced topics like algebra.
- In most of the US (and in Ames), by 6th grade, students with high scores on tests are sent to a different more advanced math class than others. Being in the advanced group means the student can get more math courses done by 12th grade, this is becoming an unsaid requirement for STEM college.
How?
- How? – Free Options
- Khan Academy: free and best starting point for all students
- K5 Learning: free worksheets that can be printed
- Beestar – free 20-problem worksheet s, two each week; Math problems are more challenging and fun
- How? – Paid options
- Work-books: many options, no one good answer. CyMath has tried
- ALEKS – online app that CyMath uses; great for tutoring large groups of students at all levels of Math
- Beast Academy – online app popular in the Asian American STEM parent community. CyMath director has used it for her child and it is great for students wanting Math challenge. Challenging math taught in a very fun way
- Art of Problem Solving books for grade 6-12 – Starting in 6th grade, the good resources we are aware of are books by Art of Problem solving. Easy to buy used copies online. Go to their website to find book name; buy used at Thriftbooks or other websites.
- MAP and ISASP tests
- MAP test: usually August-September, January, MayISASP test (Iowa test): April usuallyThese are used for selecting kids into the Extended Learning Program ELP (starts in grade 3 and on wards), Compacted Math (6th grade and on wards).The test is adaptive and there is a lot of time to finish the test. Students should use the time well – detailsTo do well on an adaptive test, (i) encourage student to go slow and think before answering (cannot change your answer); (ii) make sure first few questions correctly answered in order to get harder problems later in the test; (ii) the grading of the test is also adaptive, harder questions are worth more points.
- Free practice MAP or MAP-type tests
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- Free practice MAP or MAP-type test links:
- 1. CyMath: Available after-school at Sawyer, ISU, or via Zoom.
- 2. Public Library Programs: Math Minds Unite: Led by Aditya Ramamoorthy and community volunteers, offered once a month.
- 3. High Schoolers Math Tutoring: Tutoring sessions provided by high school students.
- 4. Ames Middle School (AMS): Hosts after-school math clubs.
- 5. Iowa State University (ISU): AMC Math Competition practice sessions: Held in the Fall.
- 6. ISU Math Circles: Organized in the Spring.