Websites to Help Struggling Students Understand Math

Discovery Education's Math Videos and Study Aids

If your child is struggling with math, it may help to watch some fun educational videos that explain math concepts in a low-pressure way. Rather than becoming frustrated with a dry textbook or a teacher's explanation, your son or daughter can watch the free math videos on discoveryeducation.com as many times as needed. These videos are aimed at students in elementary and middle school and focus on topics like multiplication, division, addition and subtraction.

Free Lessons and Practice Problems from Math.com

Here, students can study math topics in four ways. Each concept - such as division or percents - comes with sections labeled 'first glance', 'in-depth', 'examples' and 'workout'. The 'first glance' pages introduce the topic very briefly. Then, the subsequent 'in-depth' and 'examples' pages go into further explanation. Finally, practice equations in the 'workout' section help reinforce each lesson. A wide range of math concepts are covered here, from addition and subtraction to trigonometry and calculus. Whether your child is in elementary school or the upper levels of high school, math.com is likely to have lessons appropriate for her grade.

One possible drawback is that the homepage hosts several ads, and can be a bit confusing. Math levels are listed on the left-hand side of the page.

PBS Kids' Math Games

Free cartoon math games for elementary students can help your child engage with math away from school. Playing a couple of these games may help relieve the tension of learning new math concepts. The games use popular shows like Barney, Clifford and Sesame Street to make learning math fun. Some children may find the games too hectic, since they use lots of bright colors, background music, audio instructions and fast-moving objects. For many children, however, they may be the most fun math games around.