Free Resource Friday: Math Sites for All Ages

Welcome to Free Resource Friday! I’m really excited to share this feature with all of you – teachers, homeschoolers, and parents – who are looking for another way to make learning fun for your kids. For the last two years I’ve been working hard to compile an anthology of fabulous FREE resources available to enhance learning. The result will be released by Prufrock Press in April! Over THREE HUNDRED pages of resources organized by subject and checked and rechecked… for YOU!

And… so you don’t have to wait until April to start using some of these great resources with your kids, I’ll be sharing something fun & free each Friday. It may be a resource I absolutely LOVE and already included in FREE RESOURCES, but it is also likely to be a new one I stumbled across – too late to include in the book. Once I started searching, I realized that it is possible to provide a comprehensive, creative, and engaging curriculum for your students without spending much money at all. For my friends out there who are looking for little ways to keep their kids excited about learning when they get home from school or over summer vacation, this feature is for you, too!

Recently, someone asked about free math resources on a homeschooling listserv I follow. The resources shared were wonderful, but the seven sites that make up the COOLMATH.COM family of websites are still some of my favorite.

COOLMATH.COM was created in 1997 by Karen, a former math-hater-turned-math-teacher. She decided that she didn’t want kids to hate math like she once did, and set out to design a website where they could learn math using fun games. (Too be honest… one of my favorite features is the string of numbers, shapes, and other objects that trail after the mouse as you navigate each site. )

• COOLMATH.COM is geared toward kids ages 13-100.
• COOLMATH4KIDS.COM is geared toward kids ages 3-12.
• COOLMATH-GAMES.COM hosts a collection of thinking games for all subjects, and has something for all ages.
• FINANCEFREAK.COM explains to teens and adults how money really works, and focuses on money math.
• TOTALLYSTRESSEDOUT.COM was designed for Karen’s students who seemed more and more stressed each year; it has a collection of photography and relaxation tips.
• SPIKESGAMEZONE.COM is full of “family fun” games.
• SCIENCEMONSTER.COM features science information and games for all ages.

Do YOU have any great math resources to share? Leave a comment below to share it… and don’t forget to check back in each Friday for a new resource worth checking out. Have a great weekend!